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

[Hunters Pa]

Originally Posted by jorluivil

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

[battleborn]

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

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[ful-rac]

Originally Posted by battleborn

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?

[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.

Originally Posted by ful-rac

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

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[EastLosYaker]

Because it's better than golf.

[bwana]

Originally Posted by EastLosYaker

Because it's better than golf.

Golf is for people who can't fish.

[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.

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[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?

[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

[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.