Why do you do it?

[ful-rac]

It's been slow in our neck of the woods here lately...fish let alone bites have been very few and far between. Who knows why..? Time of year, El Nino, El Chapo, La Nina, Wind, swell, water temp, moon cycle, current, visibility, lack of talent...? We always try to explain why we are not catching and try to make sense of it.

I was out fishing this weekend, and I got a call from my brother while I was out fishing and, he asked me in a condescending tone..."what are you out fishing again? Did you catch anything? Why do you keep on going?" I tried to answer him but the answers that I was coming up with didn't really seem to make much sense...to tell you the truth I never really asked myself that question of WHY?

Curious as to the reasons why we continue to wake up early in the morning, spend time energy and effort on preparing to go fishing and all kinds of money on fuel, food, tackle, parking, bait, braving sketchy conditions only to get cold and wet, ruining our vehicles, getting stuck in the sand, worrying about having to take a shit while out on the water, wearing out our bodies from all that carrying and lifting...all to catch nothing...over and over and over.

Here's a couple of answers I came up with:
A: I love to fish (when catching isn't good I don't love it)
A: I fish for the fish (well if that was true we would have all quit by now)
A: I fish for fun (when the gett'n isn't good it's the opposite of fun)
A: A bad day fishing is better than a good day working (BULLSHIT!)
A: I fish to get away (there's plenty of other cheaper things that you could do to get away)


I asked the question to the boys...and they couldn't give me a valid answer either. So I thought it would be fun to ask the quesition here...

So why do you continue to torture yourself by going fishing and catching nothing...?


Seriously...I'm looking forward to going fishing again this weekend!
To tell you the truth...the only thing that makes sense is Mental illness.

[jorluivil]

I'm blaming it on Obama

[battleborn]

Simply, The pursuit of that which is elusive but obtainable.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk

[ful-rac]

Simply, The pursuit of that which is elusive but obtainable.


Now for you, is it simply because of what you can catch...? Not anything else?

[surfisher]

Because that one second sensation of a fish biting your lure/bait is probably just as good as any drug (I assume) ... and you can't beat feeling the power of a fish ripping line off your reel.

But I agree, when the catching isn't good it gets tough to keep grinding it out. I struggled to even get a bass bite yesterday.

[ful-rac]

All this for a one second "High?"

I agree, it is a good feeling though...

[HELLSTER INC.]

Honestly just love being on the water,everything else is just a bonus. I wish I could fish more but I work just too damn much.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[Harry Hill]

It's been slow in our neck of the woods here lately...fish let alone bites have been very few and far between. Who knows why..? Time of year, El Nino, El Chapo, La Nina, Wind, swell, water temp, moon cycle, current, visibility, lack of talent...? We always try to explain why we are not catching and try to make sense of it.

I was out fishing this weekend, and I got a call from my brother while I was out fishing and, he asked me in a condescending tone..."what are you out fishing again? Did you catch anything? Why do you keep on going?" I tried to answer him but the answers that I was coming up with didn't really seem to make much sense...to tell you the truth I never really asked myself that question of WHY?

Curious as to the reasons why we continue to wake up early in the morning, spend time energy and effort on preparing to go fishing and all kinds of money on fuel, food, tackle, parking, bait, braving sketchy conditions only to get cold and wet, ruining our vehicles, getting stuck in the sand, worrying about having to take a shit while out on the water, wearing out our bodies from all that carrying and lifting...all to catch nothing...over and over and over.

Here's a couple of answers I came up with:
A: I love to fish (when catching isn't good I don't love it)
A: I fish for the fish (well if that was true we would have all quit by now)
A: I fish for fun (when the gett'n isn't good it's the opposite of fun)
A: A bad day fishing is better than a good day working (BULLSHIT!)
A: I fish to get away (there's plenty of other cheaper things that you could do to get away)


I asked the question to the boys...and they couldn't give me a valid answer either. So I thought it would be fun to ask the quesition here...

So why do you continue to torture yourself by going fishing and catching nothing...?


Seriously...I'm looking forward to going fishing again this weekend!
To tell you the truth...the only thing that makes sense is Mental illness.

I just love to fish. When I was a little kid my dad built a little pond and waterfall in our back yard. I stocked it with bullhead and though it was only about a foot deep I would put a little bait under a bobber and catch those bullhead all of the time, they had to have the sorest lips in the country.

[Hunters Pa]

I'm blaming it on Obama

Obama will blame Bush

[Hunters Pa]

For me, it makes me take time for myself from a never ending to-do list, kid activities, house maintenance, etc. It is a chance to customize a fairly basic platform into what works for me, something to tinker with when I can't get out on the water. It gives me mental downtime, away from kids, traffic, phones, computer screens, laundry, making meals, dogs, etc. And I don't want to spend those precious few minutes having to deal with a couple asshats on a stinkboat that think they own the corner.

Yeah, there are other ways I could find "me time". But this is the one I choose.

Plus it gives me reason to keep hitting these forums

[theluckypig]

"Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after."

-Henry David Thoreau

here's what the government says...

https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Passport/Press/Why

[Hunters Pa]

I was out fishing this weekend, and I got a call from my brother while I was out fishing and, he asked me in a condescending tone..."what are you out fishing again? Did you catch anything? Why do you keep on going?" I tried to answer him but the answers that I was coming up with didn't really seem to make much sense...to tell you the truth I never really asked myself that question of WHY?

.

If he has to ask why then it is futile to try and explain.

[battleborn]

Catching is fun, but it also includes relaxation, disconnect from what ever distractions are in your life. Getting away from civilization and be mano a mano with nature. Getting out with your friends. I don't know of many people that have any other worries while pulling on a nice fish and free time is hard to come by everyone is all grown with kids, birthdays, school, women, and work. Try to get a few hours to hang out with buddies can be a challenge. Although, when it comes to fishing there always seems to be a way to squeeze time in somewhere. So elusive but obtainable.

Now for you, is it simply because of what you can catch...? Not anything else?


Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk

[EastLosYaker]

Because it's better than golf.

[ful-rac]

If he has to ask why then it is futile to try and explain.


My entire family, dad, brother, cousins, uncles, nieces & nephews...all don't like fishing. It's just funny how they think I'm some kinda psycho for going fishing, once sometimes twice a week. It's almost like they look down on it...Maybe it's jealousy...at least I like to think so, they sure don't complain when they get to eat some of the amazing fish I bring home.

My cousins are all professional athletes by the way...amazing isn't it? They all play in the same league...the Fantasy Football league. :rolleyes:

Sometimes though...like the last couple of weeks, I feel as though they have a point...we all been pay'n our dues. Grinding it out weekend after weekend, with nothing to show for it in kinda shitty conditions. Call it an addiction call it mental illness...it's still better than fantasy sports!

[Iceman]

Love the pressure relieve, love the anticipation, if skunked I head in knowing with out a doubt that I will catch a big fish in the future..........some day. No doubt. Love that feeling of breaking a dry spell, love providing the food for the family, preparing and enjoying it.

[YakDout]

It is called the fishing bug. Some people get it real young and it never goes away. Some get it later in life and are just ass addicted as the veterans. Then there are the people who never catch the bug and I feel bad for them. Maybe they were vaccinated at birth? All I know is Im glad I am an individual who is infected.

It is not something that can be explained to the uninfected. No matter what you say.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Kayak_Bernie]

I have a few favorite quotes about fishing (which I'll post at the end of this) but basically fishing to me is about both disconnecting and connecting, its about forgetting and remembering, its about calm and chaos. Fishing to me is dichotomous, it has always serves two distinct purposes, one is relaxation and mindfulness , a connection with my inner self. Fishing also engages my need for adventure and a challenge. There are few places on this planet like a calm lake or ocean to soothe a tumultuous mind. There are also few places like a tumultuous ocean or lake to help focus the mind. Thats why I love fishing off my SUP or kayak so much, you are just that much closer to the things that bring you joy, excitement and contentment. I LOVE catching fish, that adrenaline hit when you feel the fish take the bait, the expectation of finding out just what is on the other end, and the pride and accomplishment you feel when hauling the beast out of the water. To me nothing compares to that, it is pure awesomeness. It makes me feel equally as good to bring home a fish to feed my friends and family, as to take a picture and release a fish (the story and the memory are my trophy)

Therein lies the dichotomy of fishing... I could have an awesome day out on the water and not catch a fish. This is why I love SUP/Kayak fishing so much it is therapeutic and relaxing. All that matters in that moment is the paddle meeting the water, or the feel of the lure bumping along the bottom, the sound of the waves crashing in the distance. Those moments allow the hustle and bustle of everyday life to slip away, it allows the deadlines and the pressure to fall to the wayside. All that matters is the here and now, a floating meditation on the oneness with nature. Some of the finest days fishing I have comeback to the shore without a fish in the bag, but a heart and a mind filled with peace and contentment.

Fishing is a lot like a form of meditation to me, but even better. Typical meditation sessions are very seldom interrupted, by a screaming drag, or a big hit on the swimbait. This is why I fish...

Few of my favorite quotes about why we fish:

"Fishing provides time to think, and reason not to. If you have the virtue of patience, an hour or two of casting alone is plenty of time to review all you've learned about the grand themes of life. It's time enough to realize that every generalization stands opposed by a mosaic of exceptions, and that the biggest truths are few indeed. Meanwhile, you feel the wind shift and the temperature change. You might simply decide to be present, and observe a few facts about the drifting cloudsFishing in a place is a meditation on the rhythm of a tide, a season, the arc of a year, and the seasons of life... I fish to scratch the surface of those mysteries, for nearness to the beautiful, and to reassure myself the world remains. I fish to wash off some of my grief for the peace we so squander. I fish to dip into that great and awesome pool of power that propels these epic migrations. I fish to feel- and steal- a little of that energy." -- Carl Safina

"Fishing relaxes me. It's like yoga, except I still get to kill something" --Ron Swanson

[Cbad Mike]

First and foremost.... Addiction!!!
I'm addicted to the rush I get when I first feel my rod load up. I'm like a gambler with a problem.
Second reason is I love the tranquility and scenery.
Third reason is the challenge
Fourth reason is to pick up chicks.

[Dirty Curti]

I just really enjoy the experience, the time just being out on the water. The different life that happens out there. Catching a fish is just a bonus.

[alanw]

Good question and good timing Tony, as I was just asking myself the same thing yesterday while bobbing around in the chop and slop with not so much as a raked bait to show for all the trouble of dragging myself and the entire floating toolbox down to the launch. How about that hour+ long cleanup afterward? In fact, I've been skunked my last 4 trips out but I still look forward to the next time for some reason. It's sometimes easy to forget why you're out there.

I think just the resetting of the mind that comes with being on the water is the key. For a few hours I'm not thinking about the past weeks stresses, or even the coming weeks problems. My personal problems fade away, even if for only a few hours, and that alone is worth it to me. I also think it's a way of staying in touch with the past.. fishing with my Father as a boy, teaching my son how to fish and fishing with him for years. Now that neither are able to fish with me regularly I can still call them up and share the experience. It's like a bond we share and I want to keep it alive.

There's also the lure of catching that fish of a lifetime. In the workweek leading up to a trip, there's always a little daydreaming of that fish out there just waiting to fall victim to my new technique. A skunk just gives me another week to figure out my next new and improved technique, and time to make another trip to the LTS.

If I really need to catch something I will change it up and target bass or perch or other easier species, or go out on a party boat for the day. But getting skunked out there doesn't discourage me at all, it just keeps me looking forward till the next time.

[alanw]

There's also this reason
19012

[driftwood]

Fishing is like box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get. If I get nothing, Lie and tell your friend..."you should of seen the one that got away"

[Geno Machino]

I go fishing because I can not catch anything from the couch, behind a computer, at day at the docks, Or being at the Fred Hall show. TOW is the only way to susecced at all in bringing home that fresh hamachi, sashimi or fresh halibut.
My .02.
Geno

Ps I sometimes ask myself the same question Tony. The thrill of that nice fish is what keeps me going...

[pingpangdang]

A lot of my peers don't like fishing. ..I don't understand why...

Maybe we are genetically wired as the hunters...those that don't like to fish were the gatherers and basket weavers.



Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk

[iethinker]

When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world...John Muir

[roby]

I don't fish for the catch. I fish for the release.



Screw it......I can't wait to kill my next halibut.

[Rambo]

http://www.saltstrong.com/why-do-people-fish/

Here are just a few reasons people love fishing:

Camaraderie
To get outside and enjoy nature
To be on or near the water
Adventure
Fishing is a new challenge every time you hit the water
To dream…
The unknown…

In fact, part of the fishing addiction is not knowing what you will catch that day…will it be your new record…will it be a new world record…will you catch a trophy fish…will you catch a fish that you have never caught before…will you catch a fish at all…the unknown always keep anglers coming back.

That sums it up!

[Mr. NiceGuy]

It's like Waiting For Godot. Why ask why?

[Mr. NiceGuy]

It makes me moist

[tomahawk]

you are right. It is tough to put into words. I enjoy many different aspects of it. When I am get blanked, I love the tranquility. Just me and peace and quite. Everything slows down. When catching, it's the anticipation. I think that is why top water fishing is so much fun. Seeing a bass explode on a dine stuck on top of the kelp or a top water bait is addicting. When fishing with friends, its a chance to catch up and bs and have a beer. I am not a fan of a wide open bite, I want it to be a challenge. WSB fishing over tuna charging the boat, any day.

[bwana]

Because it's better than golf.


Golf is for people who can't fish.

[ROSSOLY]

Older brother, sounds like it! Mild bullying

[hiramehunter]

Some reasons why i kayak fish:
1. The hunt! Target species, bait, weather, tide, location, wind, etc...
2. the feeling of the bite and the thrill/anxiousness of landing the fish
3. the gear and gadgets! getting gear and setting it up is just as fun for me!
4. being outdoors. I have a desk job!
5. freedom to roam about the ocean(sort of. within paddle/peddle range)
I love seeing the guys on the rocks wishing he was in a kayak! :)
6. Cheaper than going out on a boat every weekend!
7. being alone
8. being with my son and doing something we both like!
9. You never know what you're gonna pull up!
10. i like to eat fish!!!

[WARRIORMIKE]

Great Question.

Because mentally you just need to. Any hobby is expensive. Fishing just so happens to be our vice. Some people will never get it and for me thats fine. I would rather spend $200 on some fishing equipment, rather then spend that money at a strip club for one night. I can always name my reel "Lola" and dance with her at La Jolla... lol

[Saba Slayer]

Surf fishing...kayak fishing...skiff fishing...charters...it's all AQUA THERAPY...!

[Vikingj]

Great thread! Enjoying the read which says it all. I'll just add the quote from A. Pope.."HOPE springs eternal"

[FullFlavorPike]

because mud marlin are so gosh darn tasty :reeling:

[2-Stix]

some times i dont know. i have been catching lots of frustration the last 6 months. lots of time on the water, little to show. a friend and i were just talking about this today. "were not fishing anymore if theres not a bite on" then over lunch we planned to go out saturday to a new spot. go figure. and its an hour drive.

[ful-rac]

I guess were all gluttons for punishment! It's probably a good thing that we all don't catch fish everytime, I know it might seem like some of us do. But in reality we all go thru our dry spells. I guess it just makes it sweeter when you do catch...But hey there is one added benefit to not catching, and that's not having to process fish and cleaning up afterwards!

[kirkdavis]

Moby Dick
Call me Ishmael...Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth...whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principal to prevent me from deliberately... knocking people's hats off, then I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can. This is my substitute for cap and ball.

[captnblood34]

Honestly just love being on the water,everything else is just a bonus.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

Agreed! I say exactly that all he time.

[tacmik]

Because my wife doesn't.

[FISH11]

Because I needed to get some form of exercise and being on the water was always fun. After selling my 18 foot catamaran. I started researching kayaks and found BWE, I saw the pictures of guys on kayaks holding Yellowtail, Large Halibut and WSB. I said "that is it" , that's what I want to do. So I started fishing again after about 10 years of not doing it. Not go out for trout, large mouth bass, etc. The fact that you can launch at La Jolla shores paddle out enjoy a beautiful day with amazing scenery, drink some beers and on a good day even come home with a trophy fish to enjoy a wonderful meal. Slow days or even dry spells don't stop me. The only thing I hate more than winds over 18 mph are the over protected and never ending, bait stealing F'n furbags!

[PapaDave]

It's the hunt.

It's the adventure.

It makes my mind think in a different fashion than when I'm at work or home.

[Silbaugh4liberty]

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160504/4c36443369293c76c1b0bc55a01dfee1.jpg

For the great rainbow pics on the water! Lol! Thanks Jaime. Fishing for us was SLOW last Saturday, but it looks like you had similar results inside the harbor as we did outside Tony.

I try to have fun fishing with friends, and sometimes when solo, you never know who you might meet at the launch! Met some retired army guy a few weeks ago (that isn't on here) and he ended up flipping from the big yacht traffic in Newport. Didn't know I'd be taking a swim to help him get back in his yak that day!

It's always a fun adventure on the water, catching is just a bonus ( at least I tell myself)!! Cheers

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

[ctfphoto]

Yesterday I started sailing after no bites for me for hours on end. I was trolling a greenie while sailing. After a bit, I decide just sailing would be funner than trying to fish on a low bite day and put the pole away. Good choice. Rode the winds all the way back to the launch on winds only.

There are so many reasons to be out fishing even if no fish show up.

Sanity is the main one.

[M.P.H.B.]

It satisfies a primal reward system. Its a reminant of the hunter-gatherer lifestyle that was humanities universal experience for over 90% of our existense on Earth, that only began disappearing into settled society 5000 yrs ago. That happy juice that fires through your brain when you hook up with a fish served a life or death purpose back then (and still does for the few remaining hunter-gather peoples today). Its a drug that drove our distant ancestors to endure all kinds of hardships in order to bring meat back to the village and helped ensure the continuity of the species.

Observing from a macro level, it's possible that we're a species on the cusp of it's next step in evolution. Civilization and technology are propelling us towards an existence that is so utterly alien to our hunter-gatherer brains, and at a pace that compels constant adaptation. If this rate of change and adaptation continues, then at what point will we become something all together different from homo-sapiens? That point in time might be closer than we realize.

So simply put, if someone asks me why I fish, I say that it Keeps Me Human.

[smokie]

I just really enjoy the experience, the time just being out on the water. The different life that happens out there. Catching a fish is just a bonus.

+1...Took the words right out of my mouth.

It also doesn't hurt to hear the line ripping off your spool. ;)

[King Saba]

It's where I'm most happy, I think :rolleyes:. When I'm out there the peacefulness, scenery, air, sun, water, life, all of it, makes the effort of packing and getting my lazy ass down to the coast worth it. Catching fish is great too. I'm also counting myself VERY fortunate to have not had a skunk day yet in the year and a half that I've been doing this!

[ful-rac]

It's where I'm most happy, I think :rolleyes:. When I'm out there the peacefulness, scenery, air, sun, water, life, all of it, makes the effort of packing and getting my lazy ass down to the coast worth it. Catching fish is great too. I'm also counting myself VERY fortunate to have not had a skunk day yet in the year and a half that I've been doing this!

Oh pull-leeez....so you have not had a skunk day in a year in a half? So you catch a game fish everytime you go fishing..? Like: yellowtail, WSB, Halibut and or bass? If you do your the man! You should write a book! :luxhello:

[katchfish]

Oh pull-leeez....so you have not had a skunk day in a year in a half? So you catch a game fish everytime you go fishing..? Like: yellowtail, WSB, Halibut and or bass? If you do your the man! You should write a book! :luxhello:

Ha! I thought the same thing.:D

If you catch a fish every time you go out, you're not fishing enough.

Props on your success rate though:luxhello:

[theluckypig]

It's where I'm most happy, I think :rolleyes:. When I'm out there the peacefulness, scenery, air, sun, water, life, all of it, makes the effort of packing and getting my lazy ass down to the coast worth it. Catching fish is great too. I'm also counting myself VERY fortunate to have not had a skunk day yet in the year and a half that I've been doing this!

bait counts in my book...:rolleyes:

[driftwood]

It's where I'm most happy, I think :rolleyes:. When I'm out there the peacefulness, scenery, air, sun, water, life, all of it, makes the effort of packing and getting my lazy ass down to the coast worth it. Catching fish is great too. I'm also counting myself VERY fortunate to have not had a skunk day yet in the year and a half that I've been doing this!


Ever thought about becoming a commercial fisherman? you would make tons of money.

Fishing is not easy, if it was, it wouldn't be called fishing. I'm happy getting skunked some days.

[King Saba]

Oh pull-leeez....so you have not had a skunk day in a year in a half? So you catch a game fish everytime you go fishing..? Like: yellowtail, WSB, Halibut and or bass? If you do your the man! You should write a book! :luxhello:

I'm not King Saba for nothing. :D I have yet to add those big game fish on my kayak, but it'll happen. Hopefully. lol! I can write a book on how to not lose a fish.

[King Saba]

Ever thought about becoming a commercial fisherman? you would make tons of money.

Fishing is not easy, if it was, it wouldn't be called fishing. I'm happy getting skunked some days.

lol big game fishing isn't anyways. I've tried for yellows several times, and blanked on them every time. Fortunately the Calicos and Greenies were always there to entertain me.

[Aznronin]

I like to fish for some of the following reasons:

1. I get to either be by myself and chill out or with friends and chat away
2. I get both excercise and some fresh air
3. It's a good change of pace for me. My personal activities are usually Brazilian jiu-jitsu related or martial arts, mma related so it can get boring or feel like a grind instead of fun sometimes.
4. I get to feed my OCD
5. I get to hang out with people that are not related to business, martial arts etc.
6. I get to have a beer in silence and occasionally get to catch a fish.

[straightrod]

Seven years ago I bought a used tandem Outfitter. I love the ocean and my wife loves to fish. We have been out hundreds of times offshore fishing in that kayak. I learned to love fishing and she loves the ocean while fishing.

The whole thing started with me just wanting some ocean adventure while coaxing my wife further and further out.

We are in our 60's and our family and friends don't have a clue. We did graduate to a Tandem Island - now we are considered dangerous.

[Amish Ed]

I fish for peace of mind, friendship, and the thrill of faking a bass into thinking a chunk of metal and plastic is a live meal.

[T-Rex]

To get away from the Ball and Chain!

[ratdog]

I love the feeling of a big fish biting onto my bait. I love when I bring a big fish home for the family. I get a real sense of accomplishment and being a provider. And a whole lot of other great reasons already mentioned.

[speedydk]

My name is Darren and I am a fishing addict. I do not understand why or when it even started. But it has been a constant in my life. I can't thank my dad enough for taking the time to take me from the time I was very young. I have many other interests guns, fast cars, fast motorcycles, computers/technology most started a little later in life but I enjoy them all. Fishing however it just seems like there is nothing better than fishing with friends and family and even alone. Kayak fishing allows me to fish with others and not be tied to others. I can explore on my own and still be with others. The constant challenge of trying to figure out what will get them to bite even on the most frustrating days. Its a game sometimes I win most times I lose. But as long as I am trying there is always a chance no matter how slim something magical will happen. I fish because of what might happen, I fish because its an undeniable part of me, I fish for family and friends. Sometimes I fish just because "its there". Yes I sometimes I hear voices, fish calling to me... Especially if I have not been out in a long time. Maybe its beyond addiction at this point maybe its more like a terminal sickness cured only by death. I don't know I just do it because I have to. For me I just have to. Yep definitely terminal. If your reading this pops thank you for all of it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[chris138]

It's been slow in our neck of the woods here lately...fish let alone bites have been very few and far between. Who knows why..? Time of year, El Nino, El Chapo, La Nina, Wind, swell, water temp, moon cycle, current, visibility, lack of talent...? We always try to explain why we are not catching and try to make sense of it.



Thanks Obama...

[YakDout]

Jim sammons posted this on his FB. If you need another reason for why you do it after watching this, then maybe you shouldnt be fishing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vk6u1mlqX4&app=desktop


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk