What Do You Like About Fishing?
- Thread starter hervoicewasgray
- Start date
Bottomfeeder;3562533; said:
X2! It's the ultimate stress reliever. Once you hit the water the world melts away.
Why I fish is kind of strange question to me, as well as many others. I've never "not fished" lol. I started when I was 3 26yrs ago. But as others have mentioned alot of the enjoyment is just being "there" alone or with friends and family.
Flying across Lake Ponchantrain, Louisiana in a boat through a huge pod Bottlenose Dolphins as the sun comes up over the water.
Seeing a 6ft Alligator Gar appear in 2ft of muddy water in Downtown Houston right front of your feet to snatch a breath and then vanish as quickly as he appeared.
Pulling up to a 50 yard patch of Saragassum and seeing the swirling mass of juvenile/bait fish get wailed on by mahi and tripletails.
Watching sewer rats TRY to swim across Buffalo Bayou and get smashed by Alligator Gars.
Becoming friends with the tame Nutria Rat in McGovern Lake in Herman Park.
Asking why mfkers fish seems kind of silly to anyone who REALLY get's it.
If you love fish then why wouldn't you enjoying seeing them in the wild. Yes I do go down to the bayous, rivers, lakes, swamps, saltmarshes, and the gulf sometimes and just watch. But nothing beats the rush of the catch and then holding a child sized fish in your arms after a 1 hr battle or seeing a MEGA-FISH in the wild. Public aquaria is one thing but seeing a giganitc fish in the wild is so awesome.
I'm a professional aquarist and between my hobby and my job I spend in excess of 60hrs a week doing everything I can to keep fish happy and healthy. I've often joked that if I'm lucky I get to spend another 12hrs trying to kill and eat them but I've seriously never felt that way about it.
I was heavily involved in animal rights activism years ago but I've never been against fishing. Factory farming yes but not fishing. But to me a WILD fish that's killed and eaten has had it's life/death in no way altered other than a human predator got him instead of a more "natural" one. It didn't live a horrible brief existence in a dark crowded metal buliding as part of the meatrix. It was born and lived free. And then snatched from the water with a hook, disembowled, and gobbled down by you lol. Yeah I know it sounds hypocritical when spun that way.
All I can say is that anglers are the people with their fingers on the pulse of our fisheries. Instead of the dozens of researchers fish game employs having there eyes on and feet in the waters of Galveston Bay thanks to angling there are thousands of filed observers. You'll find the majority of anglers are the conservationists. If it weren't for anglers blowing the whistle in the 80's the redfish may have gone the way of the Atlantic Cod but thanks to us they are thriving all over the atlantic seaboard.
And also as others have mentioned you never know what you'll encounter. Esp saltwater fishing. I've hooked/pulled up all kinds of oddballs. Scorpionfish, Toadfish, Sea Robins, Rays, Giant Lightning Whelks, Sea Turtles etc etc etc. I went camping in Galveston Island State Park a few weeks ago. Tromping thru the marsh alone with dozens of species of fish and iverts whipping around your ankles is one of the coolest places you will ever find yourself at 6am.
and thats my ranty two cents (that's mostly been said by others already)
Fishing is relaxing, exciting, and just all around fun. It's great to be outdoors, see all the wildlife, and hang with friends and family. It's funny because I got into keeping the fish I do from fishing. I thought it was awesome how predatory fish such as largemouth bass and peacock bass thrash their prey. I have found that it's exhilarating to have it happen both from a fishermens perspective and aquarium hobbyist. Nothing's better than a fish crashing your lure top water but it sure is fun to watch these fish crash whatever you throw in their tanks.
Best part of fishing is checking out a new area. Or fishing in saltwater. I love fishing on party boats or anywhere in Florida... because when you feel the tug, set the hook, and know that you connected, the next 30 seconds of fighting the fish are just staring down at the water, hoping to catch a glimpse of whatever you caught. Nothing makes fishing more fun for me than a surprise. In fact, my favorite fish to catch are the ones that everyone else calls "junk fish". Skates, Stingrays, Sea Robins, Sharks (although Ive never caught one). Anything thats weird, or that you've never seen before, is a rush.
