Do you agree with this quote?

[roadwarrior]

10 minutes ago, gimruis said:

Coming home empty handed from big game or turkey hunting happens a lot more often than punching a tag does.  You will fail a lot more than you will succeed. 

 Whether it's hunting or fishing, better planning produces better results. My hunting properties were well scouted and very productive. I fish where I expect to catch  the biggest fish in the lake. Just one cast away from the next World Record!

[gimruis]

Just now, roadwarrior said:

Whether it's hunting or fishing, better planning produces better results.

I completely agree.  Hunting or fishing when you have better conditions suited for success also plays a big role for me.  Planning, scouting, and execution during optimal conditions...you could still fail, and certainly will.  Doesn't mean its a wasted trip because you came home empty handed.  If anything, you probably learned something along the way that might help you next time.

[ol'crickety]

22 minutes ago, Mike L said:

Why does everything have to be explained?

 

Why does there have to be reason to do anything?

 

Why does there have to be an answer for every question?

 

 

 

 

Mike

 

 

For us Yankees, we can't go fishing, that's why.

 

Now, why are you asking questions when you could be fishing? ?

 

[Mike L]

8 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

 

 

For us Yankees, we can't go fishing, that's why.

 

Now, why are you asking questions when you could be fishing? ?

 

Good Question!!

 

 

 

 

Mike

[Catt]

39 minutes ago, Mike L said:

Why does everything have to be explained?

 

Why does there have to be reason to do anything?

 

Why does there have to be an answer for every question?

 

 

 

 

Mike

 

Cause inquisitive minds wanna know 

[MN Fisher]

6 minutes ago, Catt said:

 

Cause inquisitive minds wanna know 

Or maybe you're just getting nosy in your old age?

[Hook2Jaw]

I don't agree with this.  I fish at least once a week, if I end up going twice it's typically because I skunked the day before.  It eats me alive to fail, and I work hard to never fail.

[Buzzbaiter]

2 hours ago, gimruis said:

Coming home empty handed from big game or turkey hunting happens a lot more often than punching a tag does.

I’m well aware of that; my deer season has been quite fruitless lol. My point wasn’t that results are guaranteed (or should be expected to be so), but that many of us engage in these activities to see a result at some point. Of course some goals require an extended amount of effort to be fulfilled, but these arduous endeavors are undertaken with the intention of actually accomplishing the target. With fishing (or big game hunting), the catch/kill is the ultimate culmination of the effort put forth. You’re going to strike out in some days, but that’s the learning process. It might sting, but what matters is that you get back up, piece together the rest of the puzzle, and finish what you started.
 

Someone in this thread mentioned that fishing in waters that didn’t have many fish was a bit pointless, since it’s impossible to reach a stated end. I agree. If some divine being came to me and told me with 100% confidence that I would not catch anything all year, I probably wouldn’t go fishing. Of course, that’s just my philosophy ?

[gimruis]

Good response @Buzzbaiter.

[flyfisher]

probably a fly fisherman......i enjoy fishing but i am not at the point where just getting out ther is fun to me, well because the fun is the catching.  

[Junk Fisherman]

"If you don't enjoy fishing when you don't catch a fish, you shouldn't be a fisherman."

 

It takes a tremendous amount of time, energy, and money to go out fishing the way many of us do.  I am going to bed early the night before, waking up very early, hooking up the boat, driving 45+ minutes, launching, dealing with people on the water, and then I have the entire journey home.  If I don't catch a single fish then it was not an enjoyable day for me.  Sure, I'll still enjoy watching the sun come up and the beauty of being in nature but I can get that by taking a 2 hour hike in the woods.  Hell, I've spent a lot of money on my truck, boat, and all my gear.  I watch videos and think about fishing constantly.  Going out and fishing all day without catching a single fish is extremely disappointing and it's a waste of day in terms of learning.  Thankfully I have only been skunked a couple times over the last 10 years.

 

I will say that I still enjoy fishing even if it isn't a very good day.  I'll go even if the weather isn't favorable and I don't think the fishing will be great since I love the other parts of fishing and enjoy being out in nature.  But if you're talking about not catching a single fish then I would say I don't enjoy it.

 

And in terms of the quote- maybe I shouldn't take it so literally.  If the message is that you need to enjoy the other parts of fishing to rightfully call yourself a fishermen- then fine.   I agree and this definitely applies to me.  But I don't enjoy a day of fishing if I don't catch a single fish and would always choose to have done something else that day if I knew that a skunking would be the result.  

[AlabamaSpothunter]

How many things in life truly make you shake out of sheer joy, excitement, and release a massive dump of adrenaline/dopamine, especially the older you get?  

 

How many things make you stop cold in your tracks and thank the universe, or your God for?

 

The reason these things happen is because of the rarity of catching a large Bass, thus one at least has to tolerate the process of "fishing" in order to score the drug that is "catching" a large Bass.   

 

I'm not addicted to fishing, however I'm a hopeless junkie for catching.    An addict will go to great lengths to score a fix, a Basshead is no different, the process is just called fishing.   

 

We're all here because we're addicted to the truly indescribable feeling of catching a large Bass, prove me wrong  ?

 

 

 

 

 

[Tennessee Boy]

If they suspended fishing for a year, I would still go out and look for them.   Catching them is the goal but finding them is a lot of fun.  

[Chris Catignani]

5 hours ago, roadwarrior said:

Hmm...

In this part of the country you are one cast away from the best day of your life.

Yup...and for some reason....it seems like those slow days is when you catch a really good fish.

[LrgmouthShad]

5 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

We're all here because we're addicted to the truly indescribable feeling of catching a large Bass, prove me wrong  ?

I’m just here for the posts @Deleted account makes on A-Jay’s Working to Stay Lean, @dodgeguy screaming “GET THE LEW’S!!!!”, and @Jeffrey Walker’s latest research question for his readers on some ultra high end piece of gear. 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

10 minutes ago, LrgmouthShad said:

I’m just here for the posts @Deleted account makes on A-Jay’s Working to Stay Lean, @dodgeguy screaming “GET THE LEW’S!!!!”, and @Jeffrey Walker’s latest research question for his readers on some ultra high end piece of gear. 

That last one ?

[slonezp]

If pictures serve me correct, I caught my first fish 49 years ago. In the last 49 years, the only time fishing wasn't particularly enjoyable to me was during the 10 years I was competing. 

[Deleted account]

6 minutes ago, slonezp said:

If pictures serve me correct, I caught my first fish 49 years ago. In the last 49 years, the only time fishing wasn't particularly enjoyable to me was during the 10 years I was competing. 

I'm like that too. I enjoy both recreational and commercial fishing, even though the latter is literally work, but I don't particularly enjoy fishing tournaments, though the checks are nice. I tried keeping one of those giant ones once, Happy Gilmore style, but the tournament wasn't going for it.

[king fisher]

3 hours ago, Mike L said:

Why does everything have to be explained?

 

Why does there have to be reason to do anything?

 

Why does there have to be an answer for every question?

 

 

 

 

Mike

Because I am at home instead of fishing, and I am bored.

[Big Hands]

On 1/4/2023 at 5:39 PM, ol'crickety said:

"If you don't enjoy fishing when you don't catch a fish, you shouldn't be a fisherman."

 

I'd be more inclined to say:

 

"If you can't enjoy fishing when you don't catch a fish, you shouldn't be an angler."

 

But that's just me and fishing means different things to different people.

[garroyo130]

Agree with the quote and also don't agree with most here making it seem like getting skunked is as bad as it gets. 

 

What do you consider a skunk? No fish at all, or no significant fish? bc a dink or two is no better than getting skunked IMO 

[king fisher]

    I spent many days in miserable weather freezing, glassing for brown beers on Kodiak Island and the Alaska Peninsula.  Many times I had clients that would tell me they spent as much on the Brown bear hunt as they did on their latest African Safari, where they had the opportunity to shoot multiple animals every day.  We would go days without even seeing a bear, and spirits would be very low.  They thought because they had spent the same amount of money they the hunt should be equally easy, fun, and way less miserable.

       I always tried to explain to them, that they didn't pay for a bear, they paid for a bear hunt, in wilderness Alaska.  I would tell them, it was my job to try and get them a trophy brown bear, but it was there job to enjoy the hunt.  Even if I failed at my job, It didn't mean they had to fail at their job.

      Most of the time after getting their Bear, all they could think about was getting out of camp as fast as possible.  Even if it was on the first day, and they had payed for a 15 day hunt, all they could think about was getting a plane in to get them out and back home.

       Once in while a hunter would want to stay for the entire hunt, maybe catch some fish, tell stories and enjoy the time camping until the planned pick up day.

       I always considered the few that wanted to stay to be true hunters.  The ones that wanted to leave as fast as possible, I only thought of them as people with enough money to add a Brown Bear to their trophy room.

       The odd thing was while visiting with clients years after their hunt, they would talk very little about the bear, how high it scored, or the actual kill.  Their fondest memories, were always of the grueling 12 hour hike back to camp, packing a heavy bear hide, the wind blowing the tent over and having to sleep under a tarp, eating nothing but candy bars for a couple days, because we elected to try and stalk a bear to far away from camp to make it back, watching two bears roll down a mountain fighting and causing an avalanche, or many other experiences they had on the hunt, that had nothing to do with killing their bear.  It seamed the more obstacles, we had to over come, and the more miserable the condition, the better the experience, and the fonder the memories.  Of course, I had experienced plenty of hardships, making the hunts that we had good weather and easy pack jobs my best memories.

       After a couple hours telling stories and having some drinks, I always would think, I bet they didn't do that in Africa.

       My only goal, when I go hunting or fishing is to bag an animal, or catch a fish, but that is not the reason I go hunting or fishing.  I go for the chance to bag an animal, or catch a fish, and an opportunity to make great memories in the process.

       The main reason I go fishing is because it is in my DNA.  As long as I can remember I have wanted to fish, and I always will, even if I can't explain exactly why.  Kind of like why does a man climb a mountain?  Because it is there.  Why do I fish? Because I am a fisherman.  Why do I fish for bass?  Because they are my favorite fish to fish for.  

      I don't recall any time I ever went out on a boat for any other reason than to go fishing, but I have never gone out on the water only to catch fish.  That is the difference between simply catching fish, and going fishing.

      

[padon]

complicated for me. when i was younger (53 now) i wanted to catch every fish in the lake. if i didnt have a good day it was ok but not a successful day. as ive gotten older, life has gotten more complicated , work more stressful, free time more precious.now i understand what the old guys meant when they said it was nice to get out.But i still wanna catch fish but i am able to enjoy the challenge. when i get skunked or only catch a couple little ones it makes me even more determined to figure out why. i truly enjoy tyring to put the puzzle together.thats also what i love about bowhunting. the failure makes the success even better. but if i go too long without getting into some good ones i go to the river and put the hammer on some smallmouth that are mean and aggressive.lol

[Catt]

12 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

Or maybe you're just getting nosy in your old age?

 

My oldest grandson says it's Pawpaw's job to cause hate & discontent! He will make you think about why you believe what you believe. 

 

With deer hunting I see tracks, dung, scraps, & an occasional glimpse of deer. 

 

With fishing the only way to verify the bass are there is to set hook on everything!

[Team9nine]

Got a chuckle and thought of this thread when this picture came across my feed this morning ?

 

CATCH FISH, NOT FEELINGS