The Challenge vs. the Enjoyment 2024

papajoe222 reply :

I will admit that the challenge of catching bass is a big reason why I’m obsessed with fishing. I like bench rest shooting, but once I’m dialed in, the challenge it offers is minimal because the variables are minimal. Finding new loads keep my interest peaked. Fishing is similar for me.
What I really love about fishing is the fight. It doesn’t matter if it’s a sunny, or a Muskie my total enjoyment comes from the time I set the hook, until the moment I’ve won the fight. This is one of the reasons I no longer compete. That ‘get her in the boat and go get another’ mentality started to creep into my every day fishing. My focus began to turn to my tournament goal and I began loosing interest.
I began fishing ultra light to put the fun back into the fight and I realized I was also leveling the playing field with the fish. Now, even though I use braided line, heavy power rods and reels that can winch a 30lb. flathead out of the muck, I’m in no hurry to get it to the boat. My enjoyment of the fight has returned and although a much higher percentage of the fish I hook never make it to the net, I acknowledge that the better of us won the fight.
Put the odds in your favor with the equipment you have, but don’t forget to enjoy the fight. That rod tip dancing under the weight of a head shaking 2lb. bass is true enjoyment and a trophy given a fighting chance and brought to the net is a true measure of sportsman ship. If you loose the fight, you can try for a rematch, but you will have the memory of the enjoyment of the fight and that rollercoaster of excitement.

The Bassman reply :

I would agree completely with one exception; A prolonged fight with larger fish especially in warm water can cause a lactic acid buildup that it might not be able to recover from. Better to be in control and land it quickly. Now that said, I get as much (almost) enjoyment out of a lot of action on medium size fish as I do catching a kicker.

nascar2428 reply :

That's the major reason why I target carp after bass. It's all about the fight for me.

MN Fisher reply :

One reason I regularly turn to my UL rig with 4# YZH when I want to Ned. A 2# bass on UL is a trip.

A-Jay reply :

For me, it’s about the passion, the adventure, the chase, and the thrill of catching big smallmouth bass from the vast, pristine lakes of the north woods.

Many of these Bronze Beauties have been roaming their deep haunts

unmolested for 10, 15 perhaps even 20 years.

I never know what the next casting is going to bring.

And that’s the adventure that I’m always chasing.

Hoping it will be that next memory that I can share & remember for the rest of my life.

That’s what keeps me going.

:smiley:

A-Jay

Russ E reply :

to me its a complete package. from trying to figure out how to get fish to bite, to the point of releasing them.

The actual fight with a fish is probably on the lower end of why I fish. I rarely use ultra light equipment, because I want to land a fish quickly. Then release it unharmed.

The most exhilarating part of fishing, is admiring a large fish after catching it, then watching it swim away.

TnRiver46 reply :

I don’t necessarily think of it as challenge vs enjoyment, rather challenge + enjoyment. I also like to challenge myself to stay out of the grocery store by eating fish that I catch. You can learn a lot from people that are meat fishing, they typically won’t fish where they might get skunked

Vilas15 reply :

On 1/30/2020 at 11:59 PM, papajoe222 said:

What I really love about fishing is the fight. It doesn’t matter if it’s a sunny, or a Muskie my total enjoyment comes from the time I set the hook, until the moment I’ve won the fight.

Sounds like musky fishing is not for you, but you already knew that. Long periods of nothing with short fights to minimize the chances of losing the fish or having it die of exhaustion.

Sounds like you need to fish saltwater, or at the very least target smallmouth on light line.

Craig P reply :

I fish saltwater as much as I fish for bass so I get my share of battles. In comparison, getting a bite and hooking up in saltwater is easy! so.... I enjoy the heck out of making bass bite and then successfully hooking them with the fight being the last part of the fun.

papajoe222 reply :

On 1/31/2020 at 2:44 AM, Vilas15 said:

Sounds like musky fishing is not for you, but you already knew that. Long periods of nothing with short fights to minimize the chances of losing the fish or having it die of exhaustion.

Actually, I’m an avid Muskie angler, but I only target them during the colder water periods and never fight them anywhere close to exhaustion. Same goes for bass.

plawren53202 reply :

Interesting to hear different perspectives on this. For me, it's nearly the opposite. The thing I enjoy most about fishing is figuring out the ever-changing puzzle as to what will make a certain fish in a certain location bite on a certain day (or even figuring out where they are in the first place). Once the fish has bitten, the fight to land the fish is kind of an afterthought. Certainly I'd much rather land every fish that bites, but getting them to bite in the first place is the puzzle that I enjoy solving the most.

But having said that, I like hearing from those with a different opinion on this. Good thread.

Ksam1234 reply :

I don’t all of it, the fight , the puzzle to find them and the unknown.. never knowing what your going to catch or if it’s going to be your biggest fish ever or the smallest. It’s relaxing to

Tizi reply :

I've been fishing since I was kid, like 7 years old. I love the challenge of the chase. There is always one more cast, one more fish to catch, never ending adventure. When I retire, I plan to fish even more! I thoroughly enjoy being outdoors, on the water, fishing.

Hewhospeaksmuchbull reply :

I have several neighbors that ask do I still enjoy fishing when I don't catch(I fish daily), my response is fishing is the cake, fish are the icing.

The hunt is fishing for me, I love surveying the water. Lately fishing has been tough and to add to that the canal I am fishing is constantly in flux, constant water level/current change as farmers order water or not. The low water has reveled to me where I'll be casting my baits come spring and summer. Rock/wood/holes that I had no idea were there.

Its the learning that I like the best, developing techniques that will give me a shot in the unique conditions that I fish in. And when all of those ah-ha moments, come together. Priceless!

Mike L reply :

For me it’s all about the hunt.
Once she is hooked, playing with it until I can touch it is secondary.

Finding, enticing and overcoming a prey in its environment where I don’t belong is the juice for me.

Being good enough to Improvise when needed....

Wise enough to Overcome the temptation to Improvise when tempted....

Using experience and knowledge to Adapt to every changing condition is key....

Mike

galyonj reply :

On 1/31/2020 at 5:00 AM, Hewhospeaksmuchbull said:

Its the learning that I like the best…

A thousand times this.

I love catching fish, but what I love about it is figuring out what I need to do given the environmental variables in play. What're they eating now? What's that thing look like anyway? What's the weather and temp and bariatric pressure and all that like? Do I have 2 inches of visibility today or 2 feet?

Further, I like pushing myself. I hate finesse fishing because it's all I can do to sit still and do all the nothing that something like a ned rig requires to be successful. But I want to be successful and solve the puzzle, and I don't want to short myself that way.

Bankbeater reply :

For me it's about the traveling on the water, the challenge of figuring out the fish, but mostly it's about leaving everything behind for a few hours, or a few days, and clearing my mind.

fishindad reply :

For me, the three most enjoyable things about bass fishing are feeling the bite, then setting the hook into a big bass, and topwater fishing. I’ve been lucky to have fought big freshwater cats, carp, drum, sturgeon and steelhead and those fish pull drag and fight much more than even smallies, my favorite fish. But none of those fish make my adrenaline rush more than a big smallie or largemouth busting a topwater and getting 3 feet of air 3 or 4 times.

Ive never caught one but my bet for ultimate fighting thrill goes to tarpon on a fly rod.

NittyGrittyBoy reply :

Good thread. I cant add anything to what's already been said. That's the reason were members of BassResource because of the passion we have for bass fishing.

Bird reply :

It's the whole package for me.

Watching Eagles hovering above and otters swimming below, enjoying God's great creation.

It's a natural high just simply fishing.

txchaser reply :

Three things for me:

1) Figuring out the puzzle of where are they and what do they want. Both the "cold read" of assessing the situation and immediately getting on them, and the sometimes painful trial and error.

2) The second puzzle of "yeah good for you, you found them" but where are the bigger ones? and what are they eating? (targeting vs getting lucky sizing up on #1)

3) Every now and then that perfect moment on the water. Sometimes there's even a fish involved. Time stops and I get to keep that moment.

Columbia Craw reply :

I just like the stuff.

Catt reply :

On 1/31/2020 at 5:02 AM, Mike L said:

For me it’s all about the hunt.
Once she is hooked, playing with it until I can touch it is secondary.

I'm a simple man ????

I don't even care if I touch it just knowing I was in the right place at the right time using the right technique is quite satisfying.

whitwolf reply :

The goal is always to catch fish. BUT... As I'm approaching my 6th decade I have been of this mindset : I feel very fortunate to be able to do what I love. There's not one minute that I take for granted and while I would rather catch fish if I zero it's ok.

Challenge vs. enjoyment is more about those days where I see a wild Turkey in flight, catch some fish, and see five boats all day.

Mike L reply :

On 1/31/2020 at 6:41 PM, Catt said:

I'm a simple man ????

I don't even care if I touch it just knowing I was in the right place at the right time using the right technique is quite satisfying.

Ha!

You’re not as simple as you think you are!

It took me 3 times as long to say almost the same thing. ????????

Mike

Mobasser reply :

I enjoy hooking and fighting bass, but I enjoy the challenge of locating them and hunting for them a lot also. If the fish are nicer size that's even better

BassNJake reply :

I typed out a few different replies but I just love fishing

Its the challenge, its the enjoyment, its the being surrounded by the peacefulness of nature, its the rainy days and the days the fog takes all morning to lift, its that look on my kids face during the fight, the sun warming my skin, the awesome way darkness gives way to light and the whole morning comes alive with the sounds of birds, frogs and dogs barking because I swear I always hear dogs barking, it's the making the decisions on where to start, what to use, how deep to go. It's the way it has led me to making some of my own lures, it's the close personal relationships that I have built by sharing this appreciation of fishing, its the way I spend my time off the water reading, learning, thinking and posting about all this greatness that comes from fishing.

Bassheads come in all shapes and sizes and by spending time here kinda verifies you are one

TriStateBassin106 reply :

Don't care what size it is, the fact that I have a bass on the end of my line and that feeling of sensation is enough to keep me motivated and continue fishing.

The fight is the best part of fishing for me.

Fishing_FF reply :

On 1/31/2020 at 6:41 PM, Catt said:

I don't even care if I touch it just knowing I was in the right place at the right time using the right technique is quite satisfying.

I think I’ve heard this somewhere before. ????

The sentence is the sum of the challenge and enjoyment.

Bigassbass reply :

Top water bite for sure and let it be LMB wow can't get any better. I love being outdoors so nature is wonderful can't be duplicated, every fishing event is a memory of how good life is!

Jaderose reply :

My favorite way to fish is froggin in HEAVY slop. The thrill of the explosion (or that toilet bowl flush sound if it's a REALLY big one) is what drives me when I'm dialed in on a warm summer day. When you set the hook on a heavy slop frog fish, you d**n well better NOT be "fighting" them. If they get down in the mess, you have most likely lost. You got to get them up and out FAST. I like to have them skiing over the top of the slop.

Bass_Fishing_Socal reply :

Fishing is enjoyment for me period, doesn’t matter if I catch any or what kind as long as I can go out and fish. That is one of the main reason we moved here to Canyon Lake.
I also like to challenge myself from time to time, to catch bass with different type lures. It wouldn’t be that much fun if I went to same spot catching bass with the same lure everyday. Two year ago, I leaned and caught a lot of bass with jig, last year I caught my first bass with lipless crank and this year I learn how to fish paddle tail swimbait and caught quite a few of bass already.
Fighting fish is not really in any part of enjoyment or challenge, but it is part of the game to land fish with proper gear. I’m not gonna use 15/20lb with MH rod to land 2-3lb bass and be happy nor to land 4-5lb with UltraLight rod, ultralight line and be proud of it. I admit I like Ultralight fishing and caught a lot of bass with it, I have fun but most importantly is technique to land bass.

WRB reply :

I brought up this topic on another forum under Line for Texas rigs and jigs.

I mentioned that Jason Lucas was my mentor reading his articles in Sports Afield in the 50's. Lucas was the fishing editor and author of his book Lucas on Bass. Jay was a sportsmen who believed in giving the bass a fighting chance by using appropriate tackle and influenced my bass fishing presentations over my lifetime.

Bass anglers are influenced by the pro tournament anglers who ski bass across the surface followed by bouncing the fish into boat letting flop around on the carpet. Nothing sporting about using tackle with line strong enough to land fish the anglers weight.

Average bass is somewhere between 1 1/2 to 3 lbs, why use 30 lb test line unless the lure requires it like big heavy swimbaits.

My 5 heaviest bass listed were caught using jigs with 10 & 12 lb mono line. Develop skills to fight and control the bass using sporting tackle and you will enjoy catching these special fish more.

Tom

Bass_Fishing_Socal reply :

To be fair for those that use braid line including myself, 30lb braid is the diameter that less prone to have problem when use with casting gear.

soflabasser reply :

On 1/31/2020 at 10:18 PM, BassNJake said:

I just love fishing

That is how I feel about fishing as well. I will gladly fish for bluegills just like I will go saltwater fishing for big gamefish. I just love being on the water fishing and enjoying the outdoors.

PhishLI reply :

I love all the obvious things about bass fishing. What's not to like? Friends, laughs, and photographs. The adrenaline pump is beserk. It's multiple challenges are relentless. Bass fishing checks everyone's ego constantly. But there are intangibles that are just as important to me. Firstly, regardless of how sophisticated my fishing has become compared to when I was young, I feel exactly the same now doing it as when I was 12. Fishing is the only activity I've found that never feels old to me. I'm never bored by it. I've revisited other former hobbies but the juice just wasn't the same. The bass fishing vibe is unique and has remained unchanged for me. It's like stepping through a timeless time machine. Perfection.

What's even more valuable to me is this: The absolute peace of mind it gives me. The woods I walk through on my way to the lake act like an invisible filter. Every step I take through the filter removes any and every burden or grown-up mental stress spinning around in my head. Once I make that first cast I'm truly free. As free as a 12 year old. Awesome.

schplurg reply :

I want to catch fish.

I love the outdoors, and I do notice and appreciate it when I'm there - I love it - but I want to catch fish. That's why I carry a rod and tackle when I visit nature.

Put it this way, if I never ever caught fish I would find another outdoor hobby. Wouldn't you? Fish come first, nature-watching a very respectable second.

All this "getting with nature" is fine and dandy, but that ain't gonna cut it forever. Come on admit it! Nature Shmature! Thoreau can eat my shorts! He probably just sucked at fishing.

Harold Scoggins reply :

I'll always enjoy fooling a fish into eating the fake food I throw at it. However, I'm getting to value sights like this even more, because at my age I'm not sure how many I have left. (Sunset on our local refuge.)

The Bassman reply :

On 2/1/2020 at 2:58 PM, schplurg said:

I want to catch fish.

I love the outdoors, and I do notice and appreciate it when I'm there - I love it - but I want to catch fish. That's why I carry a rod and tackle when I visit nature.

Put it this way, if I never ever caught fish I would find another outdoor hobby. Wouldn't you? Fish come first, nature-watching a very respectable second.

All this "getting with nature" is fine and dandy, but that ain't gonna cut it forever. Come on admit it! Nature Shmature! Thoreau can eat my shorts! He probably just sucked at fishing.

This is why when I fish neighborhood lakes that I have to just "tune out" the trash I see laying around. Of course I love a pristine setting but I love catching fish more. Good thought @schplurg.

WRB reply :

On 2/1/2020 at 6:53 PM, Harold Scoggins said:

I'll always enjoy fooling a fish into eating the fake food I throw at it. However, I'm getting to value sights like this even more, because at my age I'm not sure how many I have left. (Sunset on our local refuge.)

Assume photo!

r3825 reply :

For me every time I get out on that water it's like I'm 5 years old on my grandpa's pontoon again, I love everything about it, there's nothing like it in the world.

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