Why do you fish????

[jbigtime]

My dad has me on the water with him from the time I could stand. It was a great way to spend time together. He moved to Florida but we still find time once a year to fish together. Thankfully my son took to fishing and I get to fish with him. Bringing home dinner is a bonus! Being out on the water is a great classroom too. It’s like a live biology lesson!

[Dclark2]

I forgot.....

I Am Terrible at GOLF.
------

Come to think of it I am not much better at FISHING.............

[cletus109]

so, so many reasons in no particular order

i love the fresh air and know it is going to be a cool day when i hear the diesels fire up

l like a lot of things in life but i have the most fun and enjoyment when i am fishing

i love fresh fish,spoiled actually and love to cook them up or make a stock from bsb racks

sitting back looking at the ocean while i am moving and drinking a cold beer puts me at peace.

i love the challenge of jigging up most all of the fish i try and catch,

lastly, i think about all the fun trips i had with my dad.

[Ol Pedro]

It's fun! My earliest memories are fishing with my Grandma Lena off our seawall in Key West for lunch when I was three or four. I have always fished. I'm hard wired for it like it's in my genetic make up. Fishing is one of the few things that I'm good at. Fish was and is still a large part of our diet but now I can be more selective in what I keep. I enjoy the process from getting ready to cleaning up.
The puzzle solving aspect of fishing has always drawn me to the water. The feeling that you get when all the pieces come together. When you feel that tap tap on your line, that jig gets stopped, or that freight train runoff gets your adrenaline pumping. It's the greatest rush that you can experiance legally .
I fish with my Friends and Family. We have fun and bond. The more experienced pass down the knowledge to the younger/less experianced. Watching/helping others fish in itself can be so fulfilling. The excitement of a child as they fight and land their first fish and their smiles to me are enough to keep coming back.
Some of coolest things that I have ever seen has been while I was fishing. Nature is so cool. Sun up on a lake, Sun down out the stern window heading offshore. Gannets diving, Eagles soaring, Ospreys catching Bunker and flying back to their nests are all part of fishing.

[frugalfisherman]

I like killing things

[Broad Bill]

Great question! In my opinion, for those of us who enjoy this recreational activity, it provides some of the greatest memories we'll ever have in life. For me personally, it was a family tradition to fish basically every weekend of the year with my entire family, salt or fresh didn't matter. It was our time together as a family. I wouldn't replace it for any thing in the world. It taught respect for fisheries but more important respect in general. We took only what we ate and released everything else, mom and dad's rule. There's no other recreational activity you can enjoy or just partake in which offers as much enjoyment, relaxation and social interaction when you're 50, 60 or 80 years old as it did when you were 5. All the intangible benefits of fishing with family, friends or complete strangers are lost on today's generation and the impacts of social media. I don't think anything has ever been or will be as misnamed to the magnitude of social media. There's nothing more therapeutic in life than a day on the water or the serenity of a river or stream and experiencing the beauty of nature which most people in life never have a chance to experience. We lose recreational fishing, it will certainly have quality of life issues on future generations.

[hartattack]

Because my wife doesn't!

[cletus109]

broad bill

what a great comment, never thought of it in that way,i'm sure a lot close to 70's than 5's

well said sir

"There's no other recreational activity you can enjoy or just partake in which offers as much enjoyment, relaxation and social interaction when you're 50, 60 or 80 years old as it did when you were 5."

[dales529]

As most said its the experience of getting off ur arse and into the outdoors.
F the expense or the meat its the anticipation / planning of a trip, the first breath of salt or fresh air as you get to the boat, the sunrise as you leave the inlet, the blue planet you see on the water ( most times), the sunset on the way in. Or dark both ways if you go on certain boats. Grandpa put me out there at 5 never looked back although some puke trips along the way!

I fish with friends I met in Kindergarten and grew up with plus the friends met on this site since 2008. Also turned it into a business tool and take customers who are now also "fishing nuts" that weren't before and even better customers. You can not put a price on any of that or care about catching, if the catching happens great, if C&R happens even better, if nothing happens so what, never left a trip not smiling and remembering what a good time and lucky to feel alive.

Had my own boat , got rid of my own boat lol but never ever dont look forward to the next adventure.

[Duffman]

So only a few posts mention bringing home fresh fish as why they fish. Just by looking at the responses the majority fish for many other reasons that has nothing to with keeping fish.

Makes me wonder why we bitch about regs all the time.