I’ve often told people that fishing is my therapy. It’s a major stress reliever, especially from a rushed & hectic job and sometimes hectic home life. I think people that don’t fish, they don’t understand this or can’t grasp it. I feel like it’s something that has to be experienced. 
 

Caught this view on the water last evening about 30 mins before rain chased us off the lake. Even if we hadn’t caught any, I woulda said…… this was a good day!

 

Also, since my Dad recently passed, I finally stored some of his ashes in a small urn that are now in my tackle bag. Now I can take a little part of him with me every time I fish. So thankful I had a Dad that taught me to fish.

I am right there with you ~

A-Jay

I agree it has a lot more than just catching.  For my whole adult life it has as much about friendships, sharing, and having fun as it is about bass.  It has never officially  been about competition, although a little competition always manages the climb in the boat.  The most important thing is enjoying nature, and have fun.  

Thanks for sharing that story about your dad.  He shared a love that remains within for a lifetime.  

Being the water has always been a stress reliever, peace of mind to recharge me. Enjoy life on the water often it will not always be there.

Tom

Just now, WRB-2.0 said:

Enjoy life on the water it will not always be there.

 

So true.

I completely get it.

 

Yup.

 

 

Absolutely. Fishing is a spiritual and meditative practice for me. I feel "meh" and disconnected from nature if I can't get a line in the water for a prolonged period. 

Fishing, along with other outdoor activities, is a way for us to connect with God through his creation. It's often referenced as soul refreshing or renewing.

 

"The way that you wander is the the way that you choose.

The day that you tarry is the day that you lose.

Sunshine or thunder

A woman will always wonder

Where...the fair wind blows,

Where...the fair wind blows."

On 7/27/2025 at 4:12 PM, wdp said:

I think people that don’t fish, they don’t understand this or can’t grasp it. I feel like it’s something that has to be experienced. 

I think you're right, and for people close to me who can't comprehend why I fish given my devotion to my animals, I offer them this: Walking through the gate at my local lake is like passing through a filter for my mind. Whatever might have been burdening me beforehand is magically screened out, even the worst news imaginable, and nothing else is left to think about other than fishing.

I agree half the time I just like being out there and observing and enjoying. The fish are just a bonus. 

Agree with everything above. My wife doesn't get it, but she has her reading and her art. For me fishing has always been therapeutic--in fact its often the only thing that will get my mind right. Last week was pretty awful at work yet there I was yesterday morning out early standing in the water watching the sun peek out while a beaver was tending to his home and a heron was stalking down his breakfast, and suddenly things seemed right in the world. Yeah I caught fish, had I not I still had got what I came for.

I see things when I'm fishing that others only see in movies.

 

 

5 hours ago, wdp said:

Also, since my Dad recently passed, I finally stored some of his ashes in a small urn that are now in my tackle bag. Now I can take a little part of him with me every time I fish. So thankful I had a Dad that taught me to fish.

Thanks for sharing.

 

Sounds like you had one heck of a dad.

9 hours ago, PhishLI said:

Walking through the gate at my local lake is like passing through a filter for my mind.

Love this. You nailed it. 

Just the smell of the water gets me motivated. We see cool things every time we go fishing . Cant experience  those things in the house. 

20 hours ago, Swamp Girl said:

 

"The way that you wander is the the way that you choose.

The day that you tarry is the day that you lose.

Sunshine or thunder

A woman will always wonder

Where...the fair wind blows,

Where...the fair wind blows."

Love this!!! 😁

@wdp: It's this song from the movie, "Jeremiah Johnson":

 

 

Something I ponder quite a bit, that is related to the topic, is that some people

go their entire lives without ever witnessing a sun rise over a lake. For most fishermen, it’s a common occurrence, and one that’s beauty can be taken for granted after hundreds of times witnessing it. But for some folks, it’s something that they’ve only seen pictures of. I pity those folks. 

4 minutes ago, Jar11591 said:

I pity those folks.

 

One night I was in the middle of a pond the windows of the camps were glowing yellow and I could smell their wood smoke. I both envied and pitied them.

fishing is way more than all of this for me....it's like breathing for most people....if I don't fish something inside me, and I can't for the life of me describe it.....goes out of balance. some people get therapy.....I go to the water.....way cheaper and more effective.....

It's a time to refocus, recalibrate, and recharge. It's a time to commune with what is real and and step away from the artificial reality that is a construct of modern living. It's a time to honestly look within and review our actions and chart azimuth corrections. It's a time to listen to the wind.....

 

 

 

After 60+ years of bass fishing it’s not about the catching for me. Just being on the water is enough. 
 

I figure I have caught enough bass in my life that anything I catch now is just a blessing. 

I remember a trip from about 40 years ago. It was a particularly busy and stressful time in my life, and I decided to take a day off to go fishing. It was spring, and I was expecting to absolutely slay them. I was focused on catching a lot of fish.

 

I hit the lake early and fished for a few hours, but I couldn’t get a bite. I loaded up the boat and headed to another lake. A few more hours passed, and still—nothing.

 

At that point, I gave up on catching fish and decided to just ride around and explore parts of the lake I’d never seen. I spent several hours just enjoying being out there.

 

As the sun sank low in the sky, I remember very clearly thinking: I can’t remember the last time I felt this relaxed.  It's easy to get so focused on catching fish that you forget to enjoy just being out there.