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The appeal of fishing?

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It's one of those things that if you don't get it, we can't explain it to ya. You either get it or you don't.

Myself, I love to fish. Whether it's "crick fishin" way up in the mountains, trying to catch some little brookies for breakfast, or trolling for trout in a lake, fishing for rockfish off the Farallon Islands, or even chasing the albacore tuna, I LOVE to fish.

(it really helps if you like to EAT fish too. Many people don't care for fish, so they really don't like to catch them.)
 
Not another person in sight. You've been working an area for about 15 minutes; seems like perfect habitat for that big one. You've got a Gary Yamamoto senko texas rigged on your Yamagatsu 2/0 hook and you're dragging it across some thick algae on the surface toward a hold. You're as relaxed as can be, half watching the carefully chosen colored 5" artificial worm that you're pulling, and half watching the blue heron about 25 yards away that's standing there waiting for his next meal to come along. Suddenly the water explodes as if someone lit an M-80 under your worm. You fight your automatic reactions and wait til you feel the light tighten, then you set the hook. It's now a battle between you and that 5 pound largemouth as you try to steer him away from those thick weeds, and not break your line doing so. You win the battle, you get that bucketmouth to your boat. Carefully, you take your hook from his mouth, appreciate the beauty of such a large fish for a moment, then you release him so that someone else may have the same opportunity that you just had.

Catching something for a meal isn't the sole reason for fishing - if it was, it'd be pretty stupid:
10 senkos per bag, 6.99 per bag, 5 colors to figure out which is working that day = 34.95
5 pack of hooks: $3.00
Fishing Pole: $75
reel: $80
Boat: $18,000
Miscellaneous other fishing supplies - tons of other lures, line, sharp scissors/knife for cutting line (especially if you have to cut off the hook if it's embedded deeply into the fish so that the fish can live), tackle boxes, etc: $500

vs. go to the store and pick up a couple pounds of haddock, mahi mahi, orange roughy, trout, or whatever floats your boat for just a few dollars
 
Originally posted by: DrPizza
Not another person in sight. You've been working an area for about 15 minutes; seems like perfect habitat for that big one. You've got a Gary Yamamoto senko texas rigged on your Yamagatsu 2/0 hook and you're dragging it across some thick algae on the surface toward a hold. You're as relaxed as can be, half watching the carefully chosen colored 5" artificial worm that you're pulling, and half watching the blue heron about 25 yards away that's standing there waiting for his next meal to come along. Suddenly the water explodes as if someone lit an M-80 under your worm. You fight your automatic reactions and wait til you feel the light tighten, then you set the hook. It's now a battle between you and that 5 pound largemouth as you try to steer him away from those thick weeds, and not break your line doing so. You win the battle, you get that bucketmouth to your boat. Carefully, you take your hook from his mouth, appreciate the beauty of such a large fish for a moment, then you release him so that someone else may have the same opportunity that you just had.

Catching something for a meal isn't the sole reason for fishing - if it was, it'd be pretty stupid:
10 senkos per bag, 6.99 per bag, 5 colors to figure out which is working that day = 34.95
5 pack of hooks: $3.00
Fishing Pole: $75
reel: $80
Boat: $18,000
Miscellaneous other fishing supplies - tons of other lures, line, sharp scissors/knife for cutting line (especially if you have to cut off the hook if it's embedded deeply into the fish so that the fish can live), tackle boxes, etc: $500

vs. go to the store and pick up a couple pounds of haddock, mahi mahi, orange roughy, trout, or whatever floats your boat for just a few dollars
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dr. pizza knows whats up.
yamamotos ftw!
you go out for the lure of the lunker.
in my bass fishing experience, that comes out to about 1 out of every hundred fish+
 
Dad just sent me a message:
We caught 12 snapper and 20 plus dolphine

Can't wait to get back to the states and enjoy some nice mahi mahi on the grill.
 
Originally posted by: MagnusTheBrewer
It's a personality trait. Some folks (like the OP) can't just sit still. Fishing is not for everyone and those of us who appreciate it, like it that way. 🙂
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I admit I'm a type "A" personality and almost have to be on the move. Sitting still for the sake of sitting still just annoys me to no end. 🙂

 
Originally posted by: JakwoW
Originally posted by: Anubis
i like fishing when it nets me fish,

what i dont understand at all is Catch and release. that is just a massive waste of time IMO, if you are going to fish, you should at least have some food to show for it
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Agreed. F that. I turned down a different fishing trip this weekend because they said it was only catch and release. Seems so pointless to me.
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Must be boring to go fishing if you suck at it. It has to be mostly catch and release - all the species I target have legal limits to the number you can keep per day.
 
Originally posted by: txrandom
Dad just sent me a message:
We caught 12 snapper and 20 plus dolphine

Can't wait to get back to the states and enjoy some nice mahi mahi on the grill.
Click to expand...



ZOMFG!! Ur eatin FLIPPER !!! Oh NOES!!










😀 Yes, I DO know the difference...I've caught a few "dolphin" of my own over the years.)
 
There's nothing like seeing the lake erupting with movement on the surface from a school of stripers. You get the boat over them an POW, POW, POW, POW!!!!

4 lines with 15-30 pound fish on them and now you've got to get them in the boat.
 
It's a lot of fun. I've been freshwater, river and saltwater fishing. Honestly, I prefer freshwater or river.

I grew up in Oklahoma, and we had a cabin in southern Kansas on a private lake. I spent many of those years fishing, some of which included noodling for catfish that weighed almost as much as I did (or so it seemed). It's the sport of it, the adrenaline of it (for those really big catches), the serenity of it (when you're waiting in a cold river in the middle of a forest with no one around) and, if you eat the fish, the taste of it.
 
Fishing is an opportunity to do nothing while keeping yourself from feeling like you're wasting time. I hate sitting around doing nothing all day, but fishing allows my mind to at least be occupied enough to think I'm doing something worthwhile. Plus a good cookout after a day of fishing is nice.
 
Originally posted by: SaltBoy
Maybe I'm just completely naive, but I just don't get the appeal of fishing. I can tolerate camping in general and actually enjoy hiking/mountain climbing, but fishing, for some reason, doesn't seem to be something that floats my boat.

Somebody care to explain why my coworker gets all hot and bothered over waiting hours on end, doing nothing but throwing a pole out into the water?
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Have you ever fished before? I had that same attitude until I went fishing...it was pretty fun. A LOT of skill involved.
 
I live in Colorado and love fishing in general. I go fly fishing just about every weekend up in the mountains. I caught so many fish last weekend my shoulder is sore. Probably going back on Sunday......😉
 
Originally posted by: DrPizza
Originally posted by: JakwoW
Originally posted by: Anubis
i like fishing when it nets me fish,

what i dont understand at all is Catch and release. that is just a massive waste of time IMO, if you are going to fish, you should at least have some food to show for it
Click to expand...

Agreed. F that. I turned down a different fishing trip this weekend because they said it was only catch and release. Seems so pointless to me.
Click to expand...

Must be boring to go fishing if you suck at it. It has to be mostly catch and release - all the species I target have legal limits to the number you can keep per day.
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Yes it is boring and I completely suck. This is why I fish as much as possible. :roll:

I wasn't considering bag limits. Obviously if I'm fishing for a species with bag or slot limits a lot of it is going to be catch and release, but for me to drop a line in the water, I don't want it to be mandatory catch and release. That's all I was sayin.
 
Fishing can be fun when taken in moderation. The thrill is the suspense, even if it never actually happens, you still have that excitement. Thats about it. I can stand a day or two fishing, but couldn't make a career out of it.
 
I enjoy fishing a lot. My wife and used to go to the Lake Michigan harbor in town and I'd fish for salmon/trout. I very rarely caught anything, but sometimes I'd get lucky. Anyway, those were some really fun times, we'd bring a couple of lawn chairs and I'd just cast a lure, she'd bring her laptop and usually watch a DVD on it. Between the two of us we'd have a cooler with some beer for me and wine coolers for her. A lot of people in summer would even bring the little Webber grills and cook out on the harbor as they fished all night. Typing this makes me want to go fishing. 😛

Kenosha Harbor just before sunrise if anyone cares. 🙂 We'd set up chairs just on the water side of the concrete barrier and spend hours with me casting and catching nothing, but I didn't mind so much. 😛
 
I'll be fishing on Sunday in Big Sur. There's a trail that you take down to the rocky areas from the tall standing bluffs overlooking the ocean. The water down there is turquoise blue at times and is normally clear. I've caught large numbers of cabezon down there.
Can't wait til this weekend.
 
Originally posted by: Cdubneeddeal
You haven't really fished until you have picked up a fly rod.
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Yep, there is something magical about fly fishing. Last weekend I hit a rare triple, three different types of trout; brown, brook, and rainbow, all in one place. Can't wait to go back this weekend.....🙂

My wife wants to go to a party, but I just want to go fishing......🙂
 
Originally posted by: Jmman
Originally posted by: Cdubneeddeal
You haven't really fished until you have picked up a fly rod.
Click to expand...


Yep, there is something magical about fly fishing. Last weekend I hit a rare triple, three different types of trout; brown, brook, and rainbow, all in one place. Can't wait to go back this weekend.....🙂

My wife wants to go to a party, but I just want to go fishing......🙂
Click to expand...

Yeah, once I bought my Redington, it's been difficult to pickup a conventional rod. Just being able fish a fake fly to outsmart fish - the whole casting - it's an art. I also tie my own flies. Nothing like catching a fish on my own creation.

Here in Bellingham, we have a fly fishing only lake that has triploids, brown, cutthroat, rainbow, and tiger trout. Love the place when the hatch is on. In fact..heading there right after work.
 
It's relaxing. It's the same reason people spend hours in rocking chairs, or lounge about in jacuzzis or on the beach under and umbrella. The only thing is, fishing is JUST stimulating enough for most people to prevent turning a relaxing time into a flat out boring time.
 
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