Why We Fish

[big-o]

Thats a good question... My father fished... not much but the odd saturday at the cottage, as kids my brother and i used to fish panfish of the docks. then durning my teens i joined the Canadain Armed forces... while in Germany in 1973,my #1(gun commander) took out a fly fishing rod... we got to talking how much he enjoyed the fight of a fish on the end of the rod.... I never did get the heck of the fly fishing thing...every time i get a fish on.. i think of Master CPL Yano No mater where i fish wether it be on my boat on the great lakes trolling for Salmon or working a weed bed for bass or as late siting back on the bank fishing for carp... I enjoy fishing with my friends, friendly compition that seems to come when two or more us get together or the solitude of siting back on the bank watching the sun come up fishing for Carp... the sound of the drag... that sweet sound that sends chills up my back... thats what keeps me coming back. watching first time Salmon fishermen eyes... when that king make it first run. Seeing my grand kids doing a dance when they hook into a blue gill...seeing 200 pund men giggling like school girls when fighting a good fish... all these things are why i fish

[Chaff]

Thank you for sharing,I wish my dad would have took me fishing. I still take my two sons every chance we get they are 23&26 years old.It doesn't get any better then that.Mike

[WIG]

Great video!

[Sinker3]

I couldn't agree with you more.

Sounds like you have found a great past time as I have.

Regards

James

[PennYan20]

I drag raced at local dragstrips for many years(25) to be exact. It was my RUSH! I had to quit, for reasons......but still missed that RUSH. A very good friend of mine took me out on his 19 foot aluminum boat for salmon fishing. I cannot explain it, but you guys and gals know...When you hook up to a Salmon and line is screaming off the reel....there's nothing in the world like that feeling. The nice part is, the family can enjoy the outing with you. They can fish or suntan or listen to tunes. I learned more about what was going on with my kids when they were younger, because we were in a Neutral setting and relaxed to talk. Fishing...like my Drag Racing days, is a family of friends out there. As far as The BIG Pond....you never know what you are going to hook into. Each trip is a whole new memory and experience! Steve...................

[jonboat]

Great thread!!!! A lot of really good thought-provoking material that goes along with the one thing that I enjoy doing more than anything else - fishing.

My grandfather ("Poppy") instilled a love of outdoor sports in me. I grew up spending my summers at my grandparent's place on Keuka Lake. My days were spent fishing and swimming. I learned where to go and what to use for different species of fish. I snorkled all the time, taking the opportunity to watch fish while doing so. Every April 1st, I had my hip boots on and was chasing up and down Sugar Creek trying to catch a rainbow instead of all the suckers and chubs we would catch (I was never in school on April 1st). Fall and winter grew to mean hunting to me. I found that time in the woods is almost as good as time on the water.

The love of the outdoors, and of being around water are the primary reason I fish. I can have an absolutely terrible day and be miserable and stressed out, but put a rod in my hand and sit me in a boat or on a bank, and all of the crap that life throws at me flies away. I guess you could say that I fish because it brings me inner peace.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the catching part of the sport, along with the cooking and eating parts, but the fishing part is what matters - it soothes the soul. So if I spend an hour or six on the water, I come home refreshed regardless of what, if anything I may have on the stringer.

I've taught my kids to love fishing, and now that I'm a "Poppy", I've already got my first grandson hooked on fishing (he's 4). We have fun when we go fishing, but we also have fun "porch fishing" too (sit on the front porch and practice casting into the yard). I have a ball watching him when he climbs into the boat, sitting on its trailer in the yard. He would fish in the yard for hours if we let him. Grandson number 2 is only a year old right now. I figure I'll wait until next summer before his brother and I start working to hook him on fishing.

I think that if LOU had been around back in the day, MY Poppy would have taken the pledge just as readily as I did. The principles behind the pledge are ones that have been around for generations, and it's nice that you've gone so far as to make them the centerpiece of the premier Lake Ontario fishing resource on the internet. Thanks BlueEye!

[Bobber]

I've been pondering this for awhile, trying to figure out how best to put in to words. I fish for the usual reasons...because I love it, I love being outdoors, been fishing since I learned how to walk, gives me a break from reality, etc, etc. But, at the heart of my obsession with the sport is my son Kaden. I'll try and keep this short...Kaden has a very rare chromosome disorder called 48XXYY Syndrome. He is one of only about a thousand diagnosed cases world-wide. With this disorder comes a lot of learning disabilities and psychological / mental health issues. The best way to describe this disorder is to list everything else that he has been diagnosed with: Autism, Aspergers, Speech Aproxia, ADHD, Bipolar, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, PDD NOS, and probably a few more that I can't remember. All of this wrapped up into one. Needless to say, he has a lot of challenges. He is not "normal" and does not fit in with other kids his age. The biggest problem is...he KNOWS it...but can't change it. He struggles every day, trying his best to be "normal", to fit in, but just can't quite do it, which leads to a lot of behavioral outbursts that don't help his plight to fit in at all. I honestly cannot even imagine what it must be like to walk in his shoes. Fortunately for me, Kaden loves to fish. It doesn't matter to him if were pond fishing for bluegills, trout fishing, ice fishing, or trolling. Fishing gives him a chance to just be Kaden...to be himself and not worry about what anyone else thinks. It gives him a chance to feel successful...to feel good about himself... to be proud of something... to be truly happy inside. So, I guess, I fish for Kaden. And for me, being able to witness the glean of happiness, awe, and wonder in his eyes that I rarely see except when we're fishing is...honestly...undescribable. I can't put it into words. But...we fish every day.

Kyle

[Fish Hunter]

My son,(and brings his friends) and my daughter(on occasion now)fish with me.

My son is a genuine rod hog, especially on the browns in the spring.

[mrclean]

Because a day with your son makes everything else irrelevant...

P-W6hF-CnjU

[Just Fishin']

Bobber, God Bless you for understanding the issues Kaden faces and recognizing what makes your son truly happy. I have never heard a better reason to fish! Enjoy.

[Sk8man]

My dad got me into my first fish when I was 4 years old. Despite 60 plus years of fishing and thousands of fish caught afterward I still remember that first fish (12 inch smallmouth caught on a crab) :>) I got my son into ice fishing for the first time at 2 1/2 years (for a brief time of it) Then at 3 yrs he caught his first rainbow and this is a pic at 8 yrs. with his first 30 pound chinook. He is still my fishing partner after more than 30 years.

Bobber just said it all!

[T Dot]

impressive... great memories, and hopefully more great memories to come.

[DaveF]

Just watched the video. It's very touching and hits home. My Dad introduced me to fishing and hunting. We have so many wonderful memories of fishing and hunting trips together. My Dad is 83 now and starting to show his age. His days on the water or in the woods are coming to a close. I just wish I could turn back the hand's of time.

[hammer's down]

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[V_khotsky]

My father is not into fishing at all , insted im taking him and mom fishing , and he always working the camera and taking pictures 😂😂

----

But my grandpa loved fishing and thanks to him i DO , sadly he passed away in 2003 and we moved to canada , and i took my first spining rod witch he gave me with me to canada as memory of him.

Will post a pic when i have a chance

[Goatboy]

I've been pondering this for awhile, trying to figure out how best to put in to words. I fish for the usual reasons...because I love it, I love being outdoors, been fishing since I learned how to walk, gives me a break from reality, etc, etc. But, at the heart of my obsession with the sport is my son Kaden. I'll try and keep this short...Kaden has a very rare chromosome disorder called 48XXYY Syndrome. He is one of only about a thousand diagnosed cases world-wide. With this disorder comes a lot of learning disabilities and psychological / mental health issues. The best way to describe this disorder is to list everything else that he has been diagnosed with: Autism, Aspergers, Speech Aproxia, ADHD, Bipolar, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, PDD NOS, and probably a few more that I can't remember. All of this wrapped up into one. Needless to say, he has a lot of challenges. He is not "normal" and does not fit in with other kids his age. The biggest problem is...he KNOWS it...but can't change it. He struggles every day, trying his best to be "normal", to fit in, but just can't quite do it, which leads to a lot of behavioral outbursts that don't help his plight to fit in at all. I honestly cannot even imagine what it must be like to walk in his shoes. Fortunately for me, Kaden loves to fish. It doesn't matter to him if were pond fishing for bluegills, trout fishing, ice fishing, or trolling. Fishing gives him a chance to just be Kaden...to be himself and not worry about what anyone else thinks. It gives him a chance to feel successful...to feel good about himself... to be proud of something... to be truly happy inside. So, I guess, I fish for Kaden. And for me, being able to witness the glean of happiness, awe, and wonder in his eyes that I rarely see except when we're fishing is...honestly...undescribable. I can't put it into words. But...we fish every day.

Kyle

My son AIden is kinda in the same boat .... pardon the pun. He has FAS and has been diagnosed with Aspergers , ADHD, Opositional defiance disorder and so on and so on. THe only thing that seemed to slow him down when he was younger was a fishing pole. A child who would rage and beat is head against a wall or run around the house 32 hours without sleep could spend 16 hours quielty fishng and catching nothing at the end of a peer. I never could explain it. I never had that much interest in fishing but I went out and bought a 22 foot boat so my youngest son could actualy catch something. Now he is 11 and he drives and hunts for salmon like no other person I know. He has trouble reading or sitting still in class but he can fish for 9 hours straight and still have a smile on his face if the cooler is empty. I have to admit i have caught the bug now to. My wife and I used to worry about his future but I thnk he will one day make a great charter captain or failing that head out to the coast and hop a crab boat.

 

God bless the damn fishing pole

[monkeyman2269]

I'm 27 and me and my dad fish and hunt all the time. To me fishing is my life I love the outdoors and the peacefulNess of it. I also love not knowing what's gonna be in my line that day

[st.croix.boy]

My father and I disagree on everything under the sun EXCEPT for fishing. It is the one thing that we love completely - fishing for trout, steelhead, and salmon. We are a team and we work together to make each other better anglers. Not to say our outings aren't without some competitive edge.   On everything else in life we disagree, at times its even gone to the point of contempt. Being avid anglers keeps us centered and focused on what's positive in our relationship. 

 

Oh, and I like to fight fish! Duh!!! lol

[Ronald Allen Sellers]

I will always remember fishing with my single parent Dad. We were broke and lived off the land in the 80's Now I see people trying to profit from our resources with their pretentious attitudes and fancy gear some by running charters. We ate what we needed and didn't pull up hundreds walleye's a year. We never over fished and I find it sad that people boast about there catches and don't give a damn about the future.

[terror-n-up]

[Quiet Man]

I've just always fished.  Never a great fisherman, but I always loved the outdoors.  My earliest memory is bullhead fishing with my Dad on the Chenango River.  From there is was always the occasional bass, perch and sunny.  My most vivid memory was when I was 12 and fishing with my Dad and friends in the 1000 Islands.  I caught a 32" Northern and it was the thrill of my life.  In high school and college it was bass and walleyes in the rivers around Chenango Bridge, sitting on an overgrown lock wall that hadn't been used for 150 years casting for bass;  reading the river and zeroing in on bass with a six pack looped through my belt.  I went to college up in North and discovered the Adirondacks.  Fishing for trout in lakes, with one of my best memories being a day that myself and two of my roommates limited out on trout (10 apiece back then).  What a day.  We went back to the college and had a huge fish fry (the kegorator helped too).  I spend years chasing trout after that, never had as good a day as that.  Hitting streams around Syracuse and making trips back to the Adirondacks to hike back into remote lakes to fish, camp, and if we were lucky, use those bread crumbs we brought to fry up some trout.  In between trips to the 1000 Islands for bass and northerns have peppered the years.  Seven years ago I got a boat and got into the Lake Ontario trolling thing.  What an education.  The best part about it has been great days on the water, learning as much as I can.  All those years of fishing and knowledge, but trolling out on Lake Ontario was like learning a new language, but I'm now catching some nice fish and hopefully creating some great memories for my kids.  In the future, I dream of trying big game in the Florida Keys, maybe someday when I retire.  Hopefully I'm passing it on to my kids.  They have loved yanking sunnies and perch and the occasional rock bass out from by the dock.  I've got them helping to reel in some nice salmon and steelhead, even got my wife to reel a big one one in (now she gets it).  Dad got me started, and we still fish.  We got out twice this year, got Dad a nice steelhead;  last outing we got blanked, limited time fishing as we were chased off the water by storms, but sharing a nice time on the water and a beer at the dock (maybe more than one)  I'm not the best fisherman, but I've always fished.

[Fishnut]

My Dad has been my hero all my life and he is the best fisherman I know. and he has made me a fine fisherman to. when I was growing up we didn't have much, we fished and ate what we caught. we fished for others too we would catch fish for Preston the guy who always fixed the lawn mowers, old lady Johnson enjoyed a couple meals of fish each week all summer long. and several other neighbors.  I guess I started fishing to help feed our family and friends, and I fish now because I couldn't imagine live without fishing. its not just something I enjoy doing its a part of me. I still look forward to fishing with my Dad and I go every chance I get. He's getting up there now at 76 years but we still go fishing together several times a year, most of what we catch gets put back in these days. but its still as exciting as it was 40 years ago when I started fishing with Dad. of course now when we go he gives most of his pointers to his grandchildren.

I am a very blessed man to have a father that loves fishing as much as mine we have spent thousands of countless hours fishing and discussing life.  I was asked one time if I could go back and change something in childhood what would you change? I thought about this for a long time, I would change nothing.

[Killerk]

My Dad has been my hero all my life and he is the best fisherman I know. and he has made me a fine fisherman to. when I was growing up we didn't have much, we fished and ate what we caught. we fished for others too we would catch fish for Preston the guy who always fixed the lawn mowers, old lady Johnson enjoyed a couple meals of fish each week all summer long. and several other neighbors.  I guess I started fishing to help feed our family and friends, and I fish now because I couldn't imagine live without fishing. its not just something I enjoy doing its a part of me. I still look forward to fishing with my Dad and I go every chance I get. He's getting up there now at 76 years but we still go fishing together several times a year, most of what we catch gets put back in these days. but its still as exciting as it was 40 years ago when I started fishing with Dad. of course now when we go he gives most of his pointers to his grandchildren.

I am a very blessed man to have a father that loves fishing as much as mine we have spent thousands of countless hours fishing and discussing life.  I was asked one time if I could go back and change something in childhood what would you change? I thought about this for a long time, I would change nothing.

 

Hi All. I have read all of these post and can’t help being envious of the relationships many of you say you have had with your fathers and your times together on the water. I unfortunately did not have that type of relationship. What I do have is a ten year old son and love for him that is beyond comprehension. I also have this unrelenting desire to fish and fish and fish and fish, much to my wife’s chagrin. There is no better feeling to me than heading out of port in the morning with my little guy Jack not knowing what the day may bring. The time we spend together fishing is what I longed for as a kid and I am so proud that I am able to give to my son what most of you got from your fathers. This time together is irreplaceable. I hope one day when he grows up he looks back and can utter the same sentiments you all have. Thanks for the inspiration guys!!

Tight Lines!!

 

 

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[SkookGirl]

I'm a fishing mom, but I know it's my fishing dad, grandfathers and uncles who are inspiring my son to fish -- they are all smiling from above and having a good laugh, as well.

Here's something I wrote last year for a local magazine on getting back to fishing, with my son leading the way.

https://www.centralpennparent.com/2017/adventures-in-fishing-with-my-10-year-old-son-suburban-resistance/

[Hachimo]

After reading this post and pondering the reasons y i spend TO MUCH money and TO MUCH time fishing,I think i can finally answer WHY I FISH? My grandfathers paved the way for me into the world of an outdoorsman. One grandfather was more into hunting then fishing and  tought me the appreciation of the woods and world of hunting and fishing the deleware river. My other grandfather was a great fisherman.  At the age of 8 i was running leadcore lines and sending downriggers down fishing for lake trout on Charleston Lake, Ont. Canada.  When i was 12 I had a friends dad ask me to go to Cayuga lake  with him and show him how to troll for lake trout with his new downriggers and leadcore combos. This style of fishing in NEPA isnt very common ,but becouse of grandpa it was second nature to me. In 3 hrs of fishing we got 4 lakers then had motor problems but had a great time. Also at the age of 12 i got my first lick at a king salmon. Grandpa only had a V-bottom 14ft smokercraft so for our birthdays (1st week of September) we fished salmon river durring the salmon run.  We caught fish and it was a blast. Occasionally the lake would be nice and we would troll for a chance at a silver salmon and only once i hooked up and after a 30min fight i lost it at the boat. I wasn’t a bit upset thou. I told grandpa that was incredible. Nothing like the battle of big king on the lake. As the years went by grandpa couldnt do the drive nomore(3hrs) and as i hit my teens i lost interest and started hanging out with the wrong crowd. It took me a few years to figure out what i wanted in life but I always knew One thing i had to have.  A big boat all setup to fish lake ontario so i can put a silver salmon on the deck. After meeting my fishing/hunting partner (my fiance) we bought a flat bottom 16 ft boat and hit the salmon river and caught a few kings running the river. I even had that boat (equipped with an evenrude 4.5hp) on the lake trolling tryin for my silver salmon lol. That’s what nightmares are made of, when the winds blow out of the north and im fishing 100fow from port Ontario.  So we bought our “86” trophey 2460.  Last year i achieved my silver salmon many times over.  Alot of my rookie success comes from the members of this site showing me the ins and outs of the lake.  Lake Ontario fishing has now become a huge part of our lives now. Me and my fiance are getting married in August and my bachelor party is gonna be me and my brothers fishing Lake Ontario.  Our honeymoon? Yes me and her last week of August fishing Lake Ontario. I take a lot of pics and videos on the boat and there was a short video i took last year,that i look at now and think these are the best days of our lives.  I reacently lost my grandfather Who showed me Lake Ontario fishing on 12/9/18 and not a day goes by i dont think about him and what he instilled in me and i fish with him every time im out there.  My pop pop passed away march 2016 and every time i walk in the woods he’s there walkin right along side me.  It is becouse of these men “WHY I FISH”