Super User Bankbeater Posted February 14 Super User Share Posted February 14 I grew up fishing. I stopped fishing in the late 80's after I graduated college. Work and family filled my time. My dad was able to drag me out on the water maybe once or twice a year and that was it. In the early 2000's a BPS opened up near my house and that was big news. Some guys at work were talking about it and I stopped in one day just to take a look around to see what the hype was about. Walking through the fishing aisles jumpstarted my urge to get back out on the water again, and I've been fishing ever since. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woody B Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 I fished every chance I had from the time I was old enough to remember until the early 90's. Then I was working full time, and racing. Between work, racing and family I no longer had time to fish. I sold my boat in 1992 and didn't fish for a couple decades. I had always planned on buying another boat and starting back fishing. Watching my Dad get older, and no longer being able to do things he used to do prompted me to accelerate my plans, but buy a boat before I retire. I bought my current boat in Dec 2021, and with the exception of one or two I've fished at least once a week since then. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Aquarium Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 On 2/13/2024 at 9:38 AM, 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 agree. I’ve felt this. I’ve been fishing since I was 3 years old. I’m now 34. Idk if it’s because I’ve been doing it so long that I don’t have to go anymore. I used to be hungry and go all the time but if I don’t “feel it” I won’t go. I go if it’s worth it! Especially winter time. I used to go cuz I have to go. But I find myself saying ehh it’s not worth it. Saltwater I’m done with that, not completely but it’s a sore subject for me. I can’t do it 100% so I’m not going. I don’t have a boat, stuck on shore. I’m tired of driving 2 hours to go get skunked. So I’m done with that crap. I live on the ocean and my backyard is the only saltwater I’m doing. All the cool fish and big fish are a hour plus drive. Being limited to shore or the random invite on a boat just to get skunked I’m done with that. I can’t tell ya how many times I’ve gone and have it be a bad day chasing awesome fish like tuna, sharks, albies, big stripers, you name it, fish I don’t normally catch or have many opportunities to catch. If I get invited on a boat chances are it’s going to be a bad day. I always get excited going. I buy all the stuff I need. Beer food gas bait gear and we don’t catch fish! THATS WHY I NEED A d**n FRIGGIN BOAT. So I can go when ever I want, not be stuck on shore or wait till I get invited on a boat! I’m getting aggravated typing this. End rant! 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User DogBone_384 Posted February 15 Super User Share Posted February 15 Nearly every time I fish a certain lake on Cape Cod. @Mr. Aquarium and @Saltysmalljawsknow exactly where I'm talking about. A couple days later I fish another water, catch a couple decent fish, and am interested again. In all seriousness though, yes, I lose interest in fishing. It's usually the late winter transition when it's the least fun for me. I regain my interest when the water temps get close to 50 degrees. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User ol'crickety Posted February 15 Super User Share Posted February 15 On 2/13/2024 at 4:47 PM, PhishLI said: 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. Gosh, ^this^ man can write. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User Catt Posted February 15 Super User Share Posted February 15 Bass fishing...never! Tournament fishing...yes! I got burnt out on fighting freezing temperatures. fluctuating barometric pressure, rains, high winds, triple digit heat, & so on. I've recently been helping a couple friends who are high school fishing team captains, still don't miss it. Now I try to pick & choose my days. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Brown Posted February 15 Share Posted February 15 @Catt tournament fishing sure is worse now than ever as far as I can tell. I've been indulging in archived tournament coverage from 80s and 90s and 00s BASS and FLW tournaments and it just isn't what it was. It used to be people trying to use their skills to figure out fish with wisdom and experience. Seems like now it's just watching people do their taxes on a boat. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MGF Posted February 15 Share Posted February 15 I was an avid scuba diver for a number of years...opened a shop/school and became an instructor of just about all things scuba. Always preferred diving fresh water because I grew up fishing fresh water but I did very little fishing during the diving years. Part of it was because of time limits but fishing came seemed a little silly to me for a while. I knew exactly where I could swim up and be nose to nose with trophy fish of multiple species any time I wanted. I just lost interest in fishing. Once I stopped diving I got the bug again. Now I go back and forth between focusing on fishing and focusing on bow hunting. Fortunately my favorite time of year to fish doesn't really interfere with hunting. I retire this June so I won't be spread so thin. LOL 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User T-Billy Posted February 15 Super User Share Posted February 15 Nope. Some of my earliest memories are of fishing. I've never lost the passion for it. If anything, the obsession burns hotter now at 54 than ever before. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaubsNU1 Posted February 15 Share Posted February 15 Fished a ton as a kid growing up...access to a nice lake full of crappie and bluegill. Loved it. Dad too me and brother to a stocked trout pond here in Nebraska...fun times! I thin it was $6 to catch 4 fish. We would race to see who could limit out first. Lots of smack-talking! First job after college was in NE Missouri, co-worker was from Texas...we quickly became good friends, and he taught me a TON about bass fishing. Got an old tin boat, and fished a lot, even through daughter's being born. Slowed down, waaaaaay down when daughter's activities and sports picked up. Did not pick up a rod for probably 15 years. When the kiddos got off to college, I found this site...and the fire was re-ignited! The bait-monkey bit hard...and the boat-monkey followed...a few years renovating the old 1960 Rich Line...then last summer sold that old trusty boat, and picked up the Lund. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OmegaDPW Posted February 15 Share Posted February 15 I definitely did. For about 4 years. Job change, financial strain, kids, etc. had me working part time jobs with my regular one and going out every weekend to play stopped. I didn't give it up totally because the boss of one of those jobs had a couple of ponds to fish and I went a couple of times but didn't catch anything- or at least not enough to re-ignite the fire. Did another job change last year in May and was finally able to get rid of the part time jobs and still stay afloat. Started back in October because I had two work conferences to go to that were on lakes and I figured I may as well buy my license and fish some while on breaks from classes. That re-ignited it again and I hadn't missed a week now since October 12th of last year. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User A-Jay Posted February 15 Super User Share Posted February 15 1 hour ago, T-Billy said: Nope. Some of my earliest memories are of fishing. I've never lost the passion for it. If anything, the obsession burns hotter now at 54 than ever before. Same Same. circa 1967-ish A-Jay 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User MN Fisher Posted February 15 Super User Share Posted February 15 16 minutes ago, A-Jay said: Same Same. circa 1967-ish Ditto - also circa 1967 or so 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User Jar11591 Posted February 15 Super User Share Posted February 15 Honestly, no. Fishing, and bass fishing specifically is my number one passion in life, and I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m completely, hopelessly, addicted and obsessed. There have been times in my life when extenuating circumstances have prevented me from being on the water as much as I’d like, but even during those times, bass fishing is usually my last thought before bed and my first thought in the morning. I cant see myself ever losing interest. I sure hope it doesn’t happen because that will be a sad sad day for this guy. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Aquarium Posted February 15 Share Posted February 15 Anybody else have this problem? I have a burning passion for fishing. But I get depressed AF or sad, or angry when I can’t do well or complete a goal. See previous post about my saltwater fishing. When I go on a boat say for tuna, big stripers anything, I get all excited for it. When it’s a bad day I get really sad. Cuz there’s nothing more that I want then to go crush it or at least have a good day when I get invited. Cuz my bad days out number the good ones. Another example. I’m a species hunter so I want to catch anything I can. I’ve been fishing NY for 10 years now. It’s a 7 hour drive. I go in the fall for the trout and salmon fishing. It drives my crazy I haven’t caught a coho salmon yet. I get angry just thinking about that I haven’t done it yet. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User Bankc Posted February 15 Super User Share Posted February 15 4 hours ago, Pat Brown said: @Catt tournament fishing sure is worse now than ever as far as I can tell. I've been indulging in archived tournament coverage from 80s and 90s and 00s BASS and FLW tournaments and it just isn't what it was. It used to be people trying to use their skills to figure out fish with wisdom and experience. Seems like now it's just watching people do their taxes on a boat. I won't ever enter into a tournament for reasons like this. Not even a friendly tournament. I won't even do a friendly wager with a friend. I want to keep it as pure and simple as possible. I don't want to get frustrated out on the water. I go to get away from pressure. I want to relax. I don't want to make it exciting. There's enough stimulation in modern life. I want to let go of my thoughts and embrace my instincts. Get back to my feral roots, lose myself, and blur the lines between me and nature. Now if others want to tournament fish, that's fine. I'm not suggesting it's wrong. I'm just saying that I've burned out of so many things in my life, and largely it was due to becoming too involved into it, until I sucked all of the joy that I once found in it. If you're not careful with your passion and allow yourself to deny yourself, you can become nose-blind to it. Nothing is special that is common. 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User Bankc Posted February 15 Super User Share Posted February 15 5 minutes ago, Mr. Aquarium said: Anybody else have this problem? I have a burning passion for fishing. But I get depressed AF or sad, or angry when I can’t do well or complete a goal. See previous post about my saltwater fishing. When I go on a boat say for tuna, big stripers anything, I get all excited for it. When it’s a bad day I get really sad. Cuz there’s nothing more that I want then to go crush it or at least have a good day when I get invited. Cuz my bad days out number the good ones. Another example. I’m a species hunter so I want to catch anything I can. I’ve been fishing NY for 10 years now. It’s a 7 hour drive. I go in the fall for the trout and salmon fishing. It drives my crazy I haven’t caught a coho salmon yet. I get angry just thinking about that I haven’t done it yet. I did when I was younger. As I've gotten older, I've developed a more existential outlook on life. I've failed enough times at enough things that I'm comfortable in failure. I can accept that there are good days and there are bad days. We can't control what happens to us, but we can control how we feel about it. And all of those negative emotions don't benefit us, so there's no benefit in indulging in them. Seek and ye shall find, so, seek the good. Instead of getting mad at not catching a coho salmon, dream of the day that you do. Every time you fail is just sweetening the eventual time you succeed. The story of the hero who wins without trying isn't a story worth telling. The story of the hero that wins after failure after failure is the story we pass on. You're not failing to catch a coho salmon. You're writing a better story. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Aquarium Posted February 15 Share Posted February 15 40 minutes ago, Bankc said: I did when I was younger. As I've gotten older, I've developed a more existential outlook on life. I've failed enough times at enough things that I'm comfortable in failure. I can accept that there are good days and there are bad days. We can't control what happens to us, but we can control how we feel about it. And all of those negative emotions don't benefit us, so there's no benefit in indulging in them. Seek and ye shall find, so, seek the good. Instead of getting mad at not catching a coho salmon, dream of the day that you do. Every time you fail is just sweetening the eventual time you succeed. The story of the hero who wins without trying isn't a story worth telling. The story of the hero that wins after failure after failure is the story we pass on. You're not failing to catch a coho salmon. You're writing a better story. Great way to look at it! Thanks for the wise words! That’s why I’m taking a break from saltwater. I need to have a better look at it. I need to appreciate the times out there even if it’s a bad day! Cuz WHEN!!!!!!!!! I get my boat. It’s game on! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carolina Pines Posted February 15 Share Posted February 15 I grew up fishing but didn't take it very seriously when I was a kid up through my teenage years. I'd go canoeing with dad on the river, and I'd bring a fishing pole and maybe catch a few fish occasionally. It was fun but I didn't really know much of what I was doing. As I got older, I got into cars, music (playing the drums for the baptist church and local bands), and hanging out with my friends. Around that time I suppose I kind of lost interest in it. I would fish occasionally, just a few times a year. What really got me back into it was when I was in my early 20s, renting a house that was on a pond that I shared with my neighbors. One day I decided to carefully walk out on a log and cast a few times. I caught some bluegill along with some small bass, and suddenly having all of this available right there in my backyard was eye opening for me. I started walking down to the pond almost every day after work. I built a small dock and I had some great times catching bass of all sizes (mostly dinks), catching a few crappie, but mostly just enjoying the peace and relaxation from the time in nature. Sometimes I'd just sit on the dock and drink a beer or take a nap. It was very therapeutic for me during some stressful times in my life, and I got a new appreciation for time spent in nature even if I didn't catch any fish. Fishing and hunting started to take on a new meaning for me, instead of only having fun if I was successful, I learned to appreciate the entire experience. Eventually I moved out of that house on the pond, but I missed it terribly... mostly because I felt like I lost a great way to relax and get in touch with nature. I started to think about how I could get back into fishing. Where I live, we have a lot of great local lakes, but they get a lot of pressure. I started to seek out harder to access places on these lakes, in order to get away from the crowds and find some peace and quiet. It took some effort, lots of searching on Google maps, and lots of scouting, but after a year or two I found some great local spots with quality fish that didn't get nearly as much fishing pressure as the main lake areas. Having a canoe, along with a small aluminum boat with a tiny 6hp outboard helped me tremendously because I could go places other bass boats couldn't get to. I enjoyed the challenge and thrill of scouting and finding new spots to fish. I finally found my "escape" once again, and it's better than ever because I'm learning more and more, catching much bigger and better fish. I like to mix it up with different species / different locations when I get too bored. I'll fish inshore down at the coast with my little aluminum boat, catching trout, drum, and flounder. I have a new buddy who is big into surf fishing, looking forward to going with him some this fall. I haven't got the canoe out in several years, this spring I'm looking forward to floating the river again with my dad. There's always something out there new and exciting... for me the common theme is the peace and tranquility I get with spending time in nature. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
osummerer23 Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 Not fishing in general, but what and how I fish yes. Used to be bass only, then that went completely away for 4 years. Was only doing saltwater and some creek adventures. It doesn't help almost all of the lakes around me, the very few suck (yay NJ). My saving grace is I had a major attitude change, and trying to have more fun. Lake Champlain is my saving grace trip I take every year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User flyfisher Posted February 16 Super User Share Posted February 16 I have always enjoyed fishing from the time I was a kid dodging traffic on my bike to get to the little *** lake with my rod strapped to my bike to now where I fish from a kayak primarily. There were times I switched up what I did but I have never abandoned it completely. The last 5 years or so I have switched to primarily fly fishing 99% of the time where before I only did it on moving water. I chase all the species of trout that are within a couple hour drive and the warmwater species when they are available too with being on the river chasing smallies being my favorite without question. Sometimes a change of scenery/water helps, at least for me it always has. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zcoker Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 On 2/15/2024 at 5:28 AM, Pat Brown said: @Catt tournament fishing sure is worse now than ever as far as I can tell. I've been indulging in archived tournament coverage from 80s and 90s and 00s BASS and FLW tournaments and it just isn't what it was. It used to be people trying to use their skills to figure out fish with wisdom and experience. Seems like now it's just watching people do their taxes on a boat. If you watched Scott Martin with his recent win on Okeechobee, he basically parked his boat and watched the screen all day. He also showed that screen to the viewers. The detail was increadiable! It showed the contours of the grass swaying, the dark holes and secret holdouts, schools of tilapia swimming by. I never knew those things could make out so much detail down here in our shallow water grass infested stained water but they do! Martin also showed how he put this blue paste stuff on his baits from a small tube that he was carrying. He explained that it gave his baits a higher sonar signature. 93 pounds later was the results. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Brown Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 Scott is a great bass fisherman and for tournament anglers, I understand the need to use the means available to them to win. I think the tournament organizations have their hands tied because of the money that Garmin and Lowrance and Humminbird kick them. It's all good people can do what they want but IMO, AI controlled robot Jerkbaits with cameras on them and reels that will set the hook for you are coming. When do we draw the line for a professional sport? I don't have the answers, but it doesn't seem to be about instinct or skill or accumulated knowledge about bass fishing now, it's how good at electronics are you. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super User gimruis Posted February 16 Super User Share Posted February 16 4 minutes ago, Pat Brown said: When do we draw the line for a professional sport? Maybe we should bring in Randy Blaukat on this one. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Global Moderator TnRiver46 Posted February 16 Global Moderator Share Posted February 16 ^ Worlds biggest livescope salesman. 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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