Why do you do it?

[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

[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.

[Mr. NiceGuy]

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

[Mr. NiceGuy]

It makes me moist

[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"

[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]

Originally Posted by 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.

+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 . 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]

Originally Posted by King Saba

It's where I'm most happy, I think . 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!

[theluckypig]

Originally Posted by King Saba

It's where I'm most happy, I think . 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...

[driftwood]

Originally Posted by King Saba

It's where I'm most happy, I think . 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.

[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!

[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
bumpedlureface.jpg