If what you mean by "relaxing" is getting away from it all and enjoying yourself, then bass fishing is absolutely relaxing.

I agree. While it is not the same type of relaxing as say lounging on the beach, or sitting around a campfire I find myself significantly less stressed after a day of fishing. I may be physically and/or mentally drained, but when that is the result of something I enjoy doing I feel more 'relaxed' as a result.

So I guess that is to say that while I may not find the physical act of fishing to be relaxing, the overall experience can be.

Only when I'm catching fish.  

I find fishing to be very relaxing.  gets me away from everything else, and even if i'm very focused and working hard at what i'm doing, i still find it to be nice and peaceful.

I'm anti Semantic.

When fishing becomes stressful I will gracefully bow out because the fun will have gone out of it.

I find fishing very relaxing. Tournament fishing----not so much.

I find it to be both relaxing and extremely frustrating in the same.  Although, I don't find anything relaxing about cranking all day.

Yes, very relaxing. This afternoon I was float tube fishing in my local 14 acre lake. I had caught two nice ones and the sun was just about gone and the sky was glowing red. The water was flat and still as glass.

I threw a chigger claw up to the bank, bounced it twice and felt a strong bite followed by a spirited fight from a beautiful healthy largemouth. It was exciting, satisfying and yes, relaxing.

She had a nice clean hookset in the upper lip and the 1/16 oz. jig head hook came out easily. When I set her back in the water she swam away seeming hardly upset. Nice fish. Nice day.

Edit to add, these fish were caught on the new to me, braided line on that ML St. Croix rod with the Shimano spinning reel.  I think the braid has improved my hooksets.  I have had two or three wind knots which I was able to clear.

yes, I find it relaxing. But to each his own I guess. Last night I took my 9 year old and my 3 year old down to the river. We got skunked but fun was still had by all. It sure beat chasing them around the yard, or actually doing work around the house.

Fishing is not relaxing at all, I come home exhausted everytime. But it is still enjoyable and fun

Bass fishing is not at all relaxing for me. No matter if I get 3 hours to fish or 10 hours, I'm trying my hardest to get 5 good bites and get them in the boat. When I can get on some fish pretty quick, the trip becomes more relaxing but it never gets to the point of being an all out relax-fest.

When in a tournament, once I have a limit I feel a calmness come over me for a few minutes. Then it quickly goes away and it's time to upgrade my catch because the clock is ticking.

Hell no.  Sitting on the edge of your seat or standing on one foot all day long with every muscle in your body wound up like an 8 day clock is FUN not relaxing.  Relaxing is getting home, putting everything away and having a cold beverage and reliving a GOOD day.

Yes, but only recently.

After fishing tournaments for over 20 years competitively it was always work!  Even practice fishing for the tournaments was work.  To win is almost always concentration, preparation and presentation - at all times.  Only now, in the last couple years, am I forcing myself to slow down and make bass fishing less work and more relaxing.  Still, I occasionally find myself switching into "tournament mode" - which, like I said, soon becomes focused much more and eventually becomes WORK!  It's very hard sometimes to just turn it off.  But, I'm working on it!