What's the most gratifying thing for you about fishing?  Seeing your kids fish?  Buying your new boat?

I'm going to cheat and leave two answers instead of one.

1. When the studying pays off.  It is amazing when I have consistant good days, and I know it's because of how hard I worked to do it.

2. The topwater strike

The topwater hit just a couple years ago first "hooked" me - but I will say that getting that bite and setting the hook (topwater or not) NEVER fails to produce absolute joy...I tend to yell "BAM" loud when I hook one

Secondly, even just being out fishing in general is a break for me - I am never thinking of a to do list, or responsibilities - just sort of meditative and looking forward to that strike.  Even if the strike does not come (this winter has been that kind of winter) I still very much enjoy fishing - although the exitement of the bite tops the cake ya know

I have my first child on the way - we will see how that alters my best list  ;D

A smallmouth bass catching some serious AIR.

It's almost like watching fireworks on 4th of July for me... ;D

Catching bass with consistency. This is when all of the hard work pays off.

Being able to do it my way.

When I use learned data from all the "studying" I do pays off..regognizing a pattern and working it to catch multiple bass always gets me going.

Teaching and learning.

Just being out in my boat, amongst Mother Nature's splendors. Makes me feel like I really "belong". 

Fishing the Tennessee River, knowing that every

cast has a legitimate chance of hooking-up with

the next World Record Smallmouth! More specifically,

perhaps having her on once...To the boat, but not

in the boat.

:

Just being out in my boat, amongst Mother Nature's splendors. Makes me feel like I really "belong".

x2.  Catching or not, I enjoy being out on the boat.  Bringing in some nice fish is a bonus.  I fish a private lake, and the most boat "traffic" i've ever seen is about 3-4 other boats.  It's a very calm, relaxing lake on top of a mountain. 

Kinda like what grimlin said. Seeing your first spring prespawn smallie try to jump but it's to fat to get airborne.

Going fishing is one of the very few things I loved as a boy that I am still loving as a man- and it's just as good now as it was then.

A-Jay

Satisfaction of the primal instinct to hunt 

just being out fishing in general is a break for me - I am never thinking of a to do list, or responsibilities - just sort of meditative and looking forward to that strike.

X2

being away from the grind. letting my mind and body unwind. ima poet and didn't know it

Teaching and learning.

Agree  8-)

kayaking on a WARM day where paddling is not neccessary just sit back throw the line and listen to the water roll. 

Peace and quiet.

Fishing the Tennessee River, knowing that every

cast has a legitimate chance of hooking-up with

the next World Record Smallmouth! More specifically,

perhaps having her on once...To the boat, but not

in the boat.

:

I hear you RW! Thats my absolute dream. KNOWING that every cast could be THE ONE. That every bite you get could potentially land you in the record books.

I'm freaked out happy when I fish a lake with a potential STATE record in it, and you get to go for world records every time you make a cast, that's just got to be the best thing ever! I couldn't be more envious.

If the fishing gods gave me a choice and said "You can only fish lake X for the rest of your life and catch lots of nice big bass" OR "You can only fish lake Y for the rest of your life." "Lake Y has only ONE bass in it, but it's world record 23.6 pounder that you might never ever catch." As hard as it may be, I think I'm going for lake Y.

Now being able to share the passions my dad bestowed upon me from the outdoors with another generation, my grandson.

  Threads like this make me miss my dad!

Making memories.  Every big fish caught, & the tons that got away.  Sharing time with my dad, or best fishing bud.  They all end up being memories that I love. 

wading the river in the middle of nowhere with my dad has got to be one of the best things in it for me. Though a close second was teaching one of my good buddies how to bass fish. His eyes the first time a smally hit top water on him was priceless.

Solitude and serenity that comes with being immersed in nature.  Fishing for me always gets my mind right and gets my perspectives back in the order they should be.  Its reflective, theraputic, and FUN!

Great question.

Being outside is enough for me...but.

Setting the hook.  I usually curse at the fish when I know I've got him.  "Got you you #*(&^$#".

Bone jarring strikes, screaming drags and 50YD + runs off the beach with light spin tackle or fly rod.