I've been bass fishing a long time.When I first started, catching bass(any size)was all that matters.Now that i can consistantly do that,(I don't )I find myself looking for them hawgs.I want to cath the biggest bass out of any given water.I'm not saying I do but that's what I'm after.I would much rather catch one nice bass over ten dinks anyday.  

 I'd have to say #3 and #4

Just the desire to fish or hunt autmaticly makes us all 5's. And I think everyone wants a 3. And besides tourney, the rest is,well, fishing. It's what we do

These are all interesting posts. Thanks for them.  I'm going to let the post run a couple of more days and delete it; I don't want to beat a dead horse.  I still expected a few more tourney stages than indicated though.  It's good to see that the thrill of being out there has taken presidence over the other stages.  That's what fishing is all about.

-Fisher

I'm in the sportsman stage as I plan my vacations around fishing for 2007 I have made reservations for 4 one week vacations 1 week at Lake Wallenpaupack in northeastern PA and 3 separate weeks at Black Lake, NY as Black Lake is considered NY's premier Largemouth lake I just started exploring this lake in 2006. Getting away from the rat race, catching fish and enjoying nature are my prime directives.

Chow

Quite a question. I had to think about this one for a while. I started out in the limit out category. When I started, fishing was putting meat on the table. It was all about live bait and catching, not about sport. The other half of that category does not apply to me. I did a few tournaments, just enough to find out that this was not for me.

I quit fishing for several years and took up golf. Yeah, I know, but we all get an aberation or two, don't we? That has since been corrected. I got back into fishing via a stack of InFisherman magazines. Bass fishing was something I just had to try. So I guess I went straight into category one. Got a box of cranks and spinnerbaits and hit the water. Threw them anywhere and everywhere.

Didn't take me too long to get to category four. The engineer side of me is into methods and processes. This is the fascinating part of the game for me.

I've never really been a trophy hunter.

I do like to get out and enjoy the "real" world while I'm enjoying the "reel" world.

So I guess you can call me a 4 with strong 5 tendencies. Or maybe the other way around.

Great posts, great thread, thanks Fisher

GK

I am a hardcore # 2. Catching a limit in a tourney consistently is much more difficult than most people make it out to be. Once the limit is caught I turn into a # 3 though. LOL!

Guys,  

For some reason, I thought that I could delete the post (can I?).  I thought all of you had time to respond to the poll and deleted it, but the thread still remains.  I can't figure out how to delete it (if I can).  So now the poll is gone.  I vaguely remember what the percentages were:

60% of you said that you were in the sportsman stage, while around 20% said that you were in the trophy stage, another 10-15% said tournament/limiting out, and around 5% or less in the casting stage. . . I think.  

Thanks again for all your input to make this an interesting thread!!

-Fisher

i would say a 2 becuase i fish tourneys alot but all other times a 5 with some 3 thrown in