Anyone ever lose interest in fishing and have it come back?

[Texas Flood]

I got into fishing as a kid then other interests came into play. Met my now wife and her family was big into fishing, so that started it right back up again. I would say it was a 15+ year break.

[NorthernBasser]

I haven't dealt with this yet. But on some rare days/morning I have to push myself to go just because my body is so beat from my job. And being 49 now isn't the same as when I was 29. But once I'm out on the water I'm glad I went.

 

Mentally, I don't think I'll ever tire of it. Bass fishing consumes me in every way. I can't get enough of anything that has to do with it. Living in WI where I can't fish 365 days a year may help with not getting burned out, as well. 

[LrgmouthShad]

From the day I started fishing at age 16 it became really clear to me that this was going to be my main hobby. When I get too much free time, I will nose dive very deep into this stuff and won’t care about too much else. It’s sort of dangerous. I’m at least encouraged that when I need to work, I can set fishing aside. I will likely never lose interest, though. 

[Southernbasser]

Last year, I broke a bone in my foot and wasn’t able to walk around very well. During that time my passion for fishing declined, so I started pursuing other hobbies. 
Now that the bone is healed and Spring is just around the corner, I’m starting to get into fishing. 

[fin]

34 minutes ago, Gera said:

Where's the thumbs down button.. 

 

 

I'm no longer a workaholic. I'm completely recovered. I'm 13 years clean.

[Bankc]

38 minutes ago, USMC22 said:

I've been there. Gone through periods of time where it wasn't possible to fish. Fished a lot and then fell off. Hopefully it's not a sign of depression. . . sometimes losing interest in hobbies can be a sign. It was with me.

True.  I've battled depression for most of my life so far.  Funny enough, my pattern seems to be getting depressed, losing interest in my hobbies, then at some point, channeling that depression and getting super deep into a hobby, and then working my way out of depression through the hobby.  I'm not sure that one has a direct impact on the other, but there's definitely a relationship there.  

 

1 hour ago, The Maestro said:

Interesting that you mention your friend losing interest at about the same time his daughter leaves for school. Sounds a bit like he might be questioning if dedicating all the time and energy to fishing was worth the price in terms of the inevitable sacrifices that come in other aspects of your life. I'm going through something like that myself. My son is now a teenager and it feels like I was just so one track minded with fishing (he doesn't really like fishing that much) that I sort of missed out on father son time when he was a young boy that I can never get back. I turn 50 this year and honestly I'm not sure if questioning my choices with regards to fishing aren't really just part of a mid life crisis and a natural transition phase of life. Then there's the obscene amounts of money I've spent on gear over the years, much of which just gathers dust. 

We can't change the past, but we can change the future.  It might be a good time to re-evaluate.  Actually, it's always a good time to re-evaluate.  

 

I'll say that what you're describing is very common.  You don't have time to spend with your kids when they're young, and then as they become teenagers and want to break free, they suddenly don't have time to spend with you.  "Cat's in the Craddle" by Harry Chapin is the definitive work on this subject.  It's one of those guarantees of life like death and taxes.  Still, if you're feeling something, then there's a reason for it.  Explore what that is and why and what you can do about it.  It's not worth regretting past mistakes, so don't focus on what's lost, but instead focus on what you have now and where you want to be in the future.  You won't find a "solution", but you might find a better way.  

[TheSwearingAngler]

I got my drivers licenses June 20 1997… and don’t remember fishing a single day after that until July 2 2022 when my father in law gifted my wife and I a couple rods he can’t use anymore. I’ve fished probably a solid 75% of days since and spent about a quarter years salary. I never even had his kind of interest as a kid but fishing with my father was unfortunately terrible. I have no children so I won’t be repeating any of his mistakes.

[Fishing_Rod]

Greetings All,

I am grateful, I have not experienced those significant variations in angling passion. I attribute this to my perspective of "recreational" fishing. So the fun factor is good for me.

 

I have had interference from professional and personal responsibilities which temporarily prevented me from devoting time for fishing. My angling passion has never dimmed, just scheduling challenges.

 

Oh, I should add that in my location there are no convenient angling opportunities. So there is at least an hour of travel involved. This changes the consideration for scheduling goof off time as you've got to program in that round trip aspect.

Wishing each of you happiness, well being, and good fortune for the New Lunar Year! Cheers!

[Aaron_H]

2 hours ago, The Maestro said:

After about 15 years of being pretty hardcore with fishing I'm kind of finding my interest waning. I'm not sure if it's just age starting to catch up with me but I just don't have that fire that would drive me to dedicate so much mental and physical energy to the hobby. Or if maybe I just need to step away from it for a bit. Anybody else go through something like this and have their passion return?

 

I grew up bottom fishing offshore for big snapper and grouper. It's what we did most weekends (weather permitting), and every single family vacation a couple of times per year centered around staying on the water in St Pete, Fort Pierce, or the Keys in order to fish.

 

As much as I still love that pull of a big fish, eventually I kind of burned out on it and I didn't fish for quite a few years. Summer of 2016 and my Dad and youngest brother picked up bass fishing in some of our local canals and invited me out a handful of times. I was hooked on it pretty quickly, and in September I caught my then-PB of 7lb 5oz (fish in my profile pic) and it really reignited that fire in me. I bass fish around 100 days per year on average these days, and though it can be a slog and a grind, I don't see me stopping anytime soon.

[padlin]

Might not count... I get burned out by October, but by Feb I'm chomping at the bit, like now.

[Functional]

Sometimes I wish I was like a lot of you. My interest never went away but I have/had/love so many different hobbies that its impossible to fit them all into life. My biggest struggle is focusing on 1-3 and having to temporarily cut the others out for a while or forever.

 

Fished all the time with my father until 14/15 and took a few years off. Then got a buddy at work who loved to fish and wed go out all the time for a few years. Then college happened and I got into racing dirtbikes/airsoft and fishing took a back seat for a few years (more like 10). Moved south and motorcycles and airsoft stopped but I got into shooting competitions HEAVY for about 8 years. Wife and I moved into a community with a lake and now I'm back into fishing during the good seasons. Now I'm just down to fishing, shooting and hunting. Some winters I'll throw in a model to build when everything else is slow. 

 

Through all of that a few other hobbies have come and gone, always competing for time.

-scale model building

-rc car racing

-painting

-restoring motorcycles

-street bikes

-knife making

-hiking

-Jeep rock crawling

 

Its life and it changes constantly with how the truly important things to me have evolved. Finding my wife, marrying her, relocating, having a daughter (and a son in 4 weeks!), buying a house, etc. Regardless of that its still very important to have at least 1 hobby that relaxes you and takes the stress away. You are no good to your family burnt out, depressed, etc. Just make sure its in proportion to those that matter to you. 

[Gera]

30 minutes ago, fin said:

 

I'm no longer a workaholic. I'm completely recovered. I'm 13 years clean.

I'm happy for you, that thing destroys families. 

[fishhugger]

interesting how a few guys have had so many hobbies.....  lists of hobbies - some very time and cash consuming.

 

i got back into fishing after a LONG break.....  about 35 years.  when i got back into it, it was pretty overwhelming, trying surf fishing, bass, rock fishing, crab snaring, no trout yet (too far away)...  and all the techniques. i was carrying, i guess like some of you guys, a small handful of rods. little plastic boxes of lures....   i'm a bankie.

 

then, another break of a couple years. just lost interest.  my cousin passed away, and since we always exchanged fishing info, such as about his crazy fishing buddies (one poor buddy of his whose wife took away his credit cards, and he had to sell cans to get gas money to go fish....  ), i went fishing once in my cousin's memory, at my favorite pond.

 

now i've gone out a few times, just one rod, a couple worms and things.... i keep it simple, local, and try to relax.  met a couple guys.... we all love that pond.  i don't care if i even get a fish --- it's early february, after all.

[bowhunter63]

Nope for 50 or so years 

[Zcoker]

Regardless of what anyone does as a hobby, sometimes those hobbies need to be taken to another level to reignite them. As far as bass fishing goes, bank fishing can become kayak fishing or kayak fishing can become bank fishing or both can become boat fishing. Can fish lakes or bogs, everglades or marsh pits. Can join a local fishing club or start a YouTube channel or hit the tournament scene....I'm sure you get the idea. Adding a bit of spice to things can open up many new doors. The word "boring" can vanish instantly. I will be the first to say that if anyone is doing the same thing over and over and over again at the same place and at around the same time, then it should get boring! It's the mundane things in life telling ya to kick 'em up a notch! 

[volzfan59]

1 hour ago, The Maestro said:

I hear you. Normally this would be the time of year when fishing would really start to dominate my thoughts but this year I'm questioning if I even want to pull my boat out of storage. It's all happened quite suddenly too. I'm realizing the true price I've paid for my one track minded obsession over the last 15 years. It even cost me a good friend. The last friend I had from my childhood.

@The Maestro @Eric 26This year, for bass fishing, I'm going all spinning gear and light tackle. See if that doesn't help as I prefer finesse fishing. I'm probably going to do more bluegill fishing than anything else. I've just lost my hardcore drive for bass fishing. I know that I'll get out on the water, just not as driven to go. My boats in the carport, batteries charged with the cover on it from last November.

 

Same thing sorta happened in the early 90's. I used to build, own and drive stock cars. Spent a couple of years with the NASCAR weekly racing series. Racing two to three nights a week, working on the car and travel (+ working a full time gig) sucked every bit of the enjoyment out of it. My wife was pregnant with my second son, I quit. Sold everything with the exception of my tools, jack stands, garage floor jack.......stuff I had a use for. That's kinda where I'm at with bass fishing. Funny, I had some pictures out last night looking at them and reliving it.

[Bird]

Been fishing for over 50 years.

As a child we mainly fished the river and farm ponds, we ate everything we caught.

I hit a major slow down when we started having children and I became a workaholic. Ended up selling the boat.

Fast forward -

Retired in 2019 and bought another bass boat and ended up engulfed with this incurable desire to fish. 

 

[The Maestro]

2 hours ago, NorthernBasser said:

I haven't dealt with this yet. But on some rare days/morning I have to push myself to go just because my body is so beat from my job. And being 49 now isn't the same as when I was 29. But once I'm out on the water I'm glad I went.

 

Mentally, I don't think I'll ever tire of it. Bass fishing consumes me in every way. I can't get enough of anything that has to do with it. Living in WI where I can't fish 365 days a year may help with not getting burned out, as well. 

I was like this too. I could just never see the day when fishing wouldn't be like that. It's kind of depressing in a way that something I was so passionate about for so long (ever since I was a kid) just doesn't seem to get me pumped like it used to. I was always so sure that I was making the right decision with regards to prioritizing fishing over other things I  my life but now I'm not so sure.

[Junk Fisherman]

3 hours ago, volzfan59 said:

@The Maestro, I'm kinda there right now. Haven't completely lost interest, but I'm not chomping at the bit to go either. 

 

I'm there as well.  I've made some small purchases at BPS a couple weeks back but that has been it for me this offseason.  Buying some new tackle and multiple TW purchases has been a staple for me for about the last 20 years and this offseason I've spent around $20.  I didn't have a great summer last year and my fall was quite lousy.  I actually decided multiple weekends last fall to not even go which was unheard of for me in the past.  And there's so many tournaments nowadays that every weekend my local tournament waters are packed.  That just sucks the joy out of my fishing.  I fish for solitude and enjoying nature and that is harder and harder to find where I've been fishing.  I've actually been thinking about getting a smaller boat in the future to fish some of the non-tournament waters I used to but cannot any longer due to my boat size.  I still have my trips lined up for this year and we'll see how those go.  I know when I get to my favorite lakes I'll be excited.  Hopefully, I have some good days and the fire returns.  

[crypt]

NO.......never once.......I don't think I would be the same without it. kinda like breathing....

[1984isNOW]

I feel this way about work, I'm 33 and I'm so over the fact that I have to work 40-48 hours a week until I'm 65 or die.

 

Then add time preparing for work, showers/shaves/ships, house work, other miscellaneous responsibilities.... so little time left for family and even less left for self (which is also important for self care and mental well being). But its the time I lose with family that drives me nuts, and knowing it's practically endless and I have no choice.

 

@The Maestro and others feeling this way about fishing, I absolutely get it. Sometimes for missing time with family, and sometimes thinking I could've just invested that time and energy into something that could build a skill or earn money.

 

I'll add this, I'm learning it's not the quantity of time you spend with family, or your kids, or even fishing. It's the quality. Some days I look back at it in bed like why did I just waste so much time doing nothing with the kids? I'm tired or whatever so we just hang in the house doing very little or maybe watch a movie,  and that all has its time and place, but if I put in a little energy to do something different or very intentionally fun for an hour and then fished for a few hours would've been better than all day just doing the basic stuff.

 

Not always

 

Almost nothing is always

 

But it's also very easy as humans to look back and be critical of ourselves. Of course we could've done better, but if we did do better then we could look back and say " I coulda done better " see what I'm sayin?

 

It's uncomfortable to think of good enough as being a good thing, but ironically that's what good enough means, it's a good thing. We're not prefect and can't be, but good enough can be a good thing if we let it be and keep pressing forward.

 

Be the best dad you can be right now

 

Be a better dad tomorrow

 

Be a good enough dad every day and you'll be the best dad ever, because if you try to be the prefect dad you'll be so on despair you'll totally miss the whole point of that good desire.

 

I've experienced days where I've literally forced myself to go fishing, and it did make me feel better when I got there.

 

Maybe it's a different day than you think fishing should be, leave the boat and hit the bank. Just get up and get going, because we are so often our own worst enemy.

 

I have such a terrible memory it's like I'm not even here anyway, it's actually tragic. Mt wife is like you remember when... she tells a story of us and the girls and I'm like nope... no idea! Literally makes me sad I can't remember my babies first steps or the time she or we etc etc.

 

But all I can do is try to be in the now, and the tomorrow.

 

 

TL:DR

just go fishing after the kids go to sleep

 

 

 

[WVU-SCPA]

Was blessed with a brain that revolves around fish.

Any species river, lake, ditch, or sea I'll catch them and let them swim free.

Not a gear snob...spinning, casting, fly rod, trolling, seining net, or push button paw patrol rod...don't care as I'm fascinated with the capture and understand of the why and how I did it.  I'm a real sucker for sight fishing any species of fish.

Went to school for fisheries and it hasn't made me a dime.

Read and talk to random strangers online about fishing that I most likely will never meet.

Stumbled into competitive fishing a few years ago and love the thrill where I don't sleep at night.

Have had multiple fish tanks varying from natives to exotics(currently only 2 but one being a 120g saltwater tank that is very time consuming.  Do not recommend with other hobbies or children).

My family fishes, wife's family fishes, dated the wife by fishing, and family vacations are typical planned on some type of fish activity. 

 

Through all that, my greatest joy is in the current moment by taking my son and hopefully eventually daughter to lake to catch whatever we catch.  At the same time have 2 under 3 certainly has limited my time on the water to quick trips around their schedules, but that's all fine with me. 

 

Life will change/evolve again in the future years, but I'm positive fish/fishing will play a part in someway. 

 

Rereading this makes me question my sanity, or maybe fishing is what keeps me sane?

[PhishLI]

7 hours ago, The Maestro said:

After about 15 years of being pretty hardcore with fishing I'm kind of finding my interest waning.

Do you fish very challenging waters, or at places where there are tons of fish? Are you discouraged by the difficulty in finding them, or are you bored because it's just too easy?

 

My local waters see massive fishing pressure by anglers and despicable poachers, so every trip is Rubik's-Cube-tough. With those issues, I'm always challenged. It's never close to boring, so when I catch one, or get on a rare rally, it's cause for celebration. Even only one bite and miss during a trip will feel like a win because it's downloadable info. Something to work with for the next time.

 

However, if I happened to live 75 miles east, like somewhere in Hamptons, and had total access to the resident's only lakes, I would definitely get bored. I know this because I have access to a few of them because I can fish there as a guest occasionally. When you can close your eyes, cast backwards, and catch a bass, it gets old very quickly. For me anyway. I've actually capped off a day of fishing out there with a night trip to one of my local grinder lakes just to wash off the easy. Once or twice a year at those places shooting fish in a barrel is enough for me.

 

Do you fit into either category, somewhere in the middle, or has it simply all just gotten old? One of the reasons it stays interesting for me is that I like to go down rabbit holes. I don't like to keep it simple. One day I'll be fishing big swimbaits, and the next I'm fishing small finesse baits. I've proven to myself that I can find fish, so catching them in new and challenging ways outside of my middle-of-the road comfort zone has kept things spicy.

[TriStateBassin106]

Yes, I started fishing as a kid back in 2006 but for seven years I wasn't fishing at all, from 2011 to 2018 I was in middle school and high school and at that time I'd rather do teenager things instead of fishing. i finally got back into fishing after graduating and haven't stopped since. to a certain sense though bass fishing saved me from myself. I was able to meet people through it and made connections which helped me with my current education level and job. plus it's a great cure for depression or other stresses in life. 

 

I am thankful for bass fishing. 

[Bigassbass]

I love to fish, I have other hobbies and fishing doesn't get boring because I love nature and the out doors so if I'm outside I'm happy.   Teach a kid to fish, catch different species, bank fish or boat fish or both.  Fish salt water, rivers then you'll see a lot of beautiful country.