Nothing quite like fishing...

     There is nothing quite like catching a fish.

     I’m not sure I’m a good enough writer to put down on paper what it feels like to catch a fish.  But I’d thought I’d try anyway.

     Some people only like to catch certain kinds of fish, I’ve never really been choosy myself. There are so many types of fish I can’t even list them all here. But here are some of the more popular freshwater fish people fish for, bass, crappie, catfish, bream, bluegill, shell-cracker, up north they like  walleye, pike, small mouth bass, musky, perch, sturgeon, salmon, trout the list truly could go on and on.

Then there is saltwater fishing where my knowledge is truly bare minimum. I know people trout fish, fish for redfish, snook, snapper, drum, whiting, and again the list goes on and on. In the deeper offshore fishing there is dolphin, bill fish, shark, barracuda, tuna and most likely one hundred more species to be caught.

     And I would enjoy catching any or all of them. I’m not sure what makes catching a fish so fun. I’m not sure if it is the mental part of trying to outwit the fish. Or if it is the actual physical part of fighting a fish and trying to land it, net it or get it in the boat.

     The mental part of fishing is often comical to me. I mean as silly as it sounds I think you actually have to think you are going to catch fish or you won’t catch fish. I don’t have any scientific data to back that up just 39 years of fishing experience.

     Other aspects of pertaining to the mental aspect of fishing is the ability to always be thinking positive thoughts and pushing yourself to stay focused on where fish might be, what they might be hungry for and what the weather and water conditions are for the day.

Some of the great fishermen of our day think about these things all day long every day. They also can catch fish at just about any time any day.

     But for me I like to keep it simple when fishing. I like to use basic equipment, a.k.a. cheap stuff. I like to fish for bass with plastic worms. I like fishing slow. I also really don’t care if I catch big fish or small fish, I just really like to catch fish. Whether they are the size of my pinky finger or the size of my leg I like catching fish.

     So after you have convinced the fish to bite whatever it is you are fishing with the party begins to get a little bit more interesting. Can you catch the fish? Sometimes all you have to do is lift the cane pole out of the water and “POOF” there’s your fish. Other times you fight the fish for a few seconds and you lose the fish or it breaks your line. Still yet there are times you fight and fight the fish for a long time maybe even hours and you outlast the fish and land it.

     Again I’m not picky about the fight in the fish, or the amount of time I have to fight the fish. For me whether it is a 3 second tussle or an all out war with a red fish that leaves my arms shaking I can’t help but enjoy both experiences.

     So what is it? Why is fishing so fun. Is it doing something different? Is it doing something outdoors? Is it doing something with friends? Is it the competition between me and nature, is it between me and another fisherman? I’m not sure?

     Maybe it is the quite tap, tap a bass makes when he first discovers your bait, maybe it is the zinging sound of line reeling off as a red fish seemingly runs out of sight, maybe it is the feeling of victory you feel setting the hook like your catching a shark on a 3 inch, bait stealing bream after several misses. 

It is a feeling of excitement yet nervousness mixed with expectation all at once.  That is what makes fishing fun, realizing the unknown, conquering the seemingly invisible, inhabitable deeps, these things make catching fish fun.

     Whether you are fishing the Peace River, a stocked pond, a little creek or maybe the flats off Bradenton Bay, miles off the east coast or Mosquito Lagoon may the fish you catch capture a place in your mind, a piece of your heart and a part of your stomach.

     There’s nothing quite like catching a fish.