Most Gratifying thing about fishing? 2025

Bass_Akwards reply :

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

BigEbass reply :

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

grimlin reply :

A smallmouth bass catching some serious AIR.

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

Hooked_On_Bass reply :

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

Fishing Rhino reply :

Being able to do it my way.

jerkw8nonajerk01 reply :

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.

J Francho reply :

Teaching and learning.

Crestliner2008 reply :

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

roadwarrior reply :

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.

D4u2s0t reply :

Quote
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.

Dwight Hottle reply :

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

A-Jay reply :

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

Catt reply :

Satisfaction of the primal instinct to hunt

J-B reply :

Quote

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.

brushhoggin reply :

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

Bassin_Fin@tic reply :

Quote
Teaching and learning.

Agree 8-)

Fish M4ST3R reply :

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

swilly78 reply :

Peace and quiet.

Bass_Akwards reply :

Quote
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.

Matt Fly reply :

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!

bassman31783 reply :

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.

RiverFisher13 reply :

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.

Brush Hog20 reply :

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!

Smiths.R reply :

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 #*(&^$#".

SirSnookalot reply :

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

Luke at Gouldsboro reply :

Every time I catch a bass, I won, I figured that fish out. that's what I like.

BigEbass reply :

Quote
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 #*(&^$#".

HAHAHA - I do the exact thing many times "BAM I got you little bast#^d" but with the utmost respect of course ;D

burleytog reply :

Hearing the pop of the hot peanut oil...

J Francho reply :

Quote
Hearing the pop of the hot peanut oil...

Does this get you going?

DINK WHISPERER reply :

Spending long nights in my garage working on all my equipment(boat, gear etc) down to the letter and than enjoying my labor out on the water.

And the freedom i feel out there too.

SBM-RL reply :

Used to be the some of the drag burning when i fished spinning reels. Ill go with bass thumb!

Hellbenderman reply :

...that at sixty three, I am still kicking bass...

Jaben reply :

Just being outdoors for me.

fishermantony reply :

The anticipation of it all. Then when the day you lost so much sleep over comes and it's as good or better than you anticipated.

NBR reply :

For me it's the total experience. I can't recall ever having a bad day fishing. However, there have been some real bad days catching. When I come in my wife always asks how the fishing was and I always say good. Over the years she has learned to ask about the catching and that varies.

I guess even year I took my lower unit off on a rock in a remote lake in Ontario wasn't that bad. I got better in 3 days with a very lucky repair job so I fished the last of the first week and all of week 2.

zaraspook_dylan2 reply :

the first strike you get of the day.

NorcalBassin reply :

Just being out on the water and enjoying the outdoors hanging out with your buddy/pops.

burleytog reply :

Quote

Quote
Hearing the pop of the hot peanut oil...

Does this get you going?

Catfish thawing right now... ;D

bobbyc reply :

I may have caught bigger fish in my life than the one pound eel my son caught two years ago, at age 12, but none of those catches bring quite the smile or memory of my son's first fish.

bass or bass ? reply :

I simply enjoy the peace, quiet, and solitude of being on my boat on a remote cove on the lake, watching blue herrons, bald eagles, hawks, etc. Catching fish is just a bonus, the icing on the cake. And I love icing.

Red Bear reply :

just the relaxation and calm it brings about me is great. and when the fish dont seem to be biting, making a change that works and sharing it with others around me

shutupnfish reply :

Most of the time it's about gettin' out with ol' maw nature and the peace and quiet. Yesterday was no exception for the first hour or so. The fish didn't cooperate much though, only one dink and he managed to run up in the cattails and break off. Then pop cruises up in the Gator with his entourage, two dogs and my 4 year old daughter. One lap around the pond with pop hollerin' at one mutt to get out of the water, echoed by my young'n I figured I might as well pack it in. I was determined though and my daughter and I hung around. And I'm sure glad I did. After a few minutes of trying to keep the little one still and quiet, I managed to hang another piglet about two feet from the bank. I knew the young'n would want in on the action and she got to reel up the last foot of the battle. When it was all said and done, we caught one more piglet and one that went about 2lbs. The best part of it all was listening to her tell my folks and her mother about the fish we caught. That's what it was about this time.

Steve

bear7625 reply :

That after 60 years of fishing, the passion is still burning inside. Seeing that fire now burning in my 3 sons from a small flame I may have started in them.

Lund Explorer reply :

When I'm just out fishing, it has to be that first part of the day when the sky to the east starts to brighten up, and all of nature starts to wake up around me.

When I'm in a tournament, its those rare times when you haul a sack full of hawgs up to the weighin stand. All that muttering noise behind me is almost better than the cash.

TommyBass reply :

For me its the satisfaction of figuring out the puzzle and outsmarting the fish. Its like the daily newspaper... sometimes you get hard puzzles and other days they are easier.. but you look forward to them either way.

I also like the friendly competition of tournaments. Makes it a little more interesting sometimes and it gives you goals to shoot for.

The calm quietness of mother nature is always a plus too, but I feel like I get that feeling better with hunting than fishing.

Big Fish Rice reply :

Preparation and seeing the results are great, but "feeling" the bass on the line is what keeps me hooked (no pun intended).

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