Thread: Crappie Fishing

Not really unless you have some kind of tournament. That's just me.

I do especially when they are not cooperating.

I think there are too many factors out of our control to call it a sport. A challenge certainly...to great fishermen such as yourself, it could be considered somewhat of a game. I know there are tournaments, magazines, etc all calling it a sport, but to me it's just a fun way to spend time and try to get a meal. People can make anything a competition...doesn't necessarily make it a sport. JMO. interesting question though!

Therapy!

A sport is something that is a challenge and unpredictable like a football game or ski event at the Olympics. You speculate on who has better odds of winning and some people are good enough that they can stack the odds in their favor but you can never really know the outcome until it is over. Any team or player can have a great or bad day unexpectedly.

Fishing is along the same lines because even if you are Kevin VanDam himself, and you've won 4 Bassmaster Classics and hundreds of other major championships including 7 Angler of the Year awards, you can still have a bad day and come home empty handed. Fishing is the art of attempting to catch fish, if it were not a sport it would have been named "catching" instead. Many people, in fact the majority of fishermen/women are not near as skilled and millions come home empty handed each year with no fish to show for their efforts. I have had amazing fishing trips where every cast was a winner but also had trips where nothing I put in the water seemed to be of interest to the fish that day. That is the "SPORT" of it and that is why it attracts me and makes me daydream of the next trip. the thought of filling the boat is a thrill I wish everyone could experience but I also know that I might strike out at the same time.

We can prepare by stacking the deck in our favor. Things like knowing the water temperature, spawning times, feeding times, sunrise, sunset, clarity of the water, topography, terrain, and structure beneath the water, as well as having the proper equipment, fishing line, lures, hooks, etc., all make a difference. However at the end of the day, you can still go home empty handed, thus the 'sport" of the hobby.

Now, I do not think using gill nets, hoop nets, traps, or possibly even jugs and yo-yo's is as sporting as fishing with rod n' reel. That being said I do enjoy jug fishing and yo-yo's too but I am respectful of other anglers in the area and I always follow the law and remove my jugs and yo-yo's when I am done. I use these methods to put a lot of fish in the freezer to supplement my food bill during the year if my regular attempts at fishing do not yield enough. I am never wasteful and hate throwing fish away and in fact I can't even stand it when people throw trash fish on the banks and make the fishing area stink to high heaven with rotting fish.

Oh it's late and I got a bit off topic, lol sorry, but yeah fishing is a sport!! So get out there and play!!

Sport. Yes. Love competition. Losing only makes you improve. JR MUST HAVE LOST ALOT, a long time ago.

If tourney fishing then it's a sport. For normal every day recreational fishing, no. I've only fished a company tournament twice and it was fun, but it's something I will only do a couple more times.

I fish for the fun of it, for the relaxation, and the getting together with friends and family. It's also great therapy as Bowbender stated. It's a great way to put aside the worries of the times and connect with ourselves and others. To me it's one of the great pleasures of life to be enjoyed whenever possible. To me it's not about number of fish, number of times fishing, boat speed, and any of the other distractions that take away the simple pleasure of fishing. To me fishing is fun.
"gene"

Not a sport, more like an obsessive compulsive recreational activity