Stages of a fisherman

Since crappie boy thinks I post too many pix of my fish and don't give way to there locations of pursuit. This got me thinking, everyone goes through stages in there fishing and hunting careers. I define the stages as follows:

1. Man I want to catch a fish. At this point pursuit is just about getting into fish

2. I want to catch a lot of fish. After you have figured out how to catch a fish, catching more is the goal.

3. After you have caught many fish, you will shift to wanting to catch a big fish. Bigger the better.

4. After you have learned to catch fish, and you are catching fish regularly, you shift to wanting to catch the elusive fish or hard to catch. For some this may mean learning a new method of fishing or technique.

5. It no matters to you that you catch fish at all, but more about the fishing and not the catching.


I personally am between stage 4/5. I enjoy watching someone else catch a fish just as much as if I caught it myself. However, I am still in the pursuit of a 3lber lol.

What stage of fishing fits you right now!!

I had to chuckle. I've thrown out the "7 stages of hunting" for many years. They're similar.

1. I want to GO HUNTING IN THE WOODS. I just want to "GO!"

2. I want to see stuff. Anything. Just let me see stuff.

3. I want to shoot. I want to shoot SOMETHING. ANYTHING. Let me shoot this gun!

4. I want to kill something. I want to see blood. I want to bring home meat. Let me HIT something.

5. I want to kill LOTS of stuff. Let me bring home a limit. MUCHO MEATO!

6. I want to use gadgets and learn much stuff and kill GREAT BIG STUFF. I want stuff ON MY WALL.

7. I just want to GO HUNTING IN THE WOODS. I just want to "GO".

I'm in stage 7.

As for your fishing stages, I don't know what a 3 and a 1/2 is but I guess that's me, since that's the average of #2 and #5 added together!

im im stages 1-5 all together lol!!! whatever floats your boat!!! just get out and enjoy

I suffered through all of them and thinking about doing it again. Got to get past the thinking part first. :Rofl

Yep all that is true and I have been in stage 5 for a good while now

Tween 4 and 5

Buck rub you crazy

Between 4 & 5. Leaning toward 5. In my boat, it makes no difference to me who catches the fish. Especially if it's a kid or woman who gets really excited. I get a lot more enjoyment from them than me catching. I guess the satisfaction is knowing I made it possible.

I'm at stage six---I may forget my tackle, but always remember my cooler.

I am all of the stages but really am trying to learn the crappie fishing. Just getting started and ready to learn.

What a great post!
i have gone full circle i guess. Started out catching crappie... catfish, bream, did'nt matter, it was food. Crappie were the prize. Caught several in my life over three, never thought much of it, was just food at the time. Then, I grew up! Yep, tournament bass fisherman. wow. Broke up the ol'e body good at that one. ribs, twice/... back, kidneys, back, collar bone, ribs again, back, you getthe picture. Crappie are like your child hood sweat heart.... always there. now, i'm back at the crappie. 3# goes on my wall in a heart beat! And yea, after all the places i've been, all the people i've fished with, guiding for 20+ years.... i can set back and help someone else catch them all day, and never lift a rod, and feel great at the end of the day! especially kids! Man, do i love watching kids catch fish!
Sorry to ramble, guess you post on this subject just touched on that!

Just arrived at 4 learning to spider rig has been a blast so far!

If I'm out by myself, of course I want to catch fish. I, honestly, would rather see my dad (age 73) or my son (age 14) catch fish when we're out together. I'm the netter 99% of the time when we're out in my boat so I get to enjoy at least part of the fish catching.

I especially like it when I'm the guide, so to speak, and I take out someone who I don't normally fish with and they get to catch all the fish. I took a co-worker out last summer and he had not crappie fished very often. I got him on one of my favorite holes and the big ones were cooperating for us. He had a blast and thanked me probably 20 times for taking him out. I gave him one of my spare B&M jig poles and some Bobby Garland black knights and made a friend for life.

I also remember going with my wife's dad before we were married. Can't think of a better way to get to know your future father-in-law than by putting him on some crappie. "Old Milwaukee and catching big crappie" was one of his sayings.

I'm that way with deer hunting too. I won't pull the trigger unless it's a big buck, but I surely do like seeing deer moving and milling around my feeder. I like to hear the gunshot when I know it's Dad or my son. Get's me just as excited as when I actually do the shooting.

I think it's all in the the maturity or the been there, done that experience. I think that's what moves us to the next level.

I like this thread. Good idea. Thanks for starting it. GTT

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Originally Posted by rockmike

I'm at stage six---I may forget my tackle, but always remember my cooler.

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You mean stage Six-pack. :)

I'm at that "boy this sure is a pretty sunrise on the lake...wonder if it's too early to eat my snack yet" stage lol...I just love to go and try new waters and new techniques...great post JW

I'm a 2 and 3. I like to catch a lot of big fish. Isn't that what all anglers want us to do with lakes? More and bigger fish?

I go back and forth between 1-4 depending upon the bite. Been a 2 since the spawn. Looking forward to being more consistent as I continue to learn more.

I'm mostly a 5 but at times the 4 takes over. Techniques is not really my gig, but I like to fish water I have never fish and try to figure it out. That's what brings out the 4 in me.

I will probably digress into the earlier stages, 2-3, once I get my boat back in "fishing shape". :biggrin

Catch and Release is my favorite thing to do when crappie fishing. Once I get my supply of filets , I don''t need any more. I enjoy watching the grandkids fish but now they like girls better than fish. What goes around comes around. They will come back... But When??? Age has caught up with me now and can't take the heat like years ago. just hanging in there and waiting for Fall weather. May all your days be filled with Joy.. Because every Day is a Gift.

At all stages I guess, this spring most the fish caught out of my rig were by someone else. I really enjoy watching someone catch the best fish they have ever caught and it happened a bunch of times this spring.
I like to start the day with a sunrise pic and a rod bending double, love summer time fishing and the challenge of learning new techniques. Put most of my fish in the freezer in the summer time, up early and back at the house early, by noon most of the time.
Learning from folks and being willing to teach others builds some pretty good friendships, most of which wouldn't have been possible without Crappie.com (thanks Slab).

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Originally Posted by Rees Guide

At all stages I guess, this spring most the fish caught out of my rig were by someone else. I really enjoy watching someone catch the best fish they have ever caught and it happened a bunch of times this spring.
I like to start the day with a sunrise pic and a rod bending double, love summer time fishing and the challenge of learning new techniques. Put most of my fish in the freezer in the summer time, up early and back at the house early, by noon most of the time.
Learning from folks and being willing to teach others builds some pretty good friendships, most of which wouldn't have been possible without Crappie.com (thanks Slab).

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Good......you can take me and watch me catch them then

for me all levels still have their moment of pleasure but my favorite is still either helping someone catch a limit or giving one away and eating the size that taste the best

After much thought, I'm pretty sure I'm still at stage 1. Is it a requirement to move to the next stage, or can I just stay here? I don't go to watch sunrises even though they are enjoyable. I don't go to watch other people catch fish, even though that is enjoyable. I don't go to spend time boat riding or operating any appliances that may be on the boat. I go for one reason, and that is to see the pole in my hand bent in a semi-circle as many times as possible. I do like to run the dip net for someone else from time to time and I like to set down in front of a cooler plumb full of fish with my fillet knife at least occasionally.

Not sure I would say at any certain stage, just love fishing!

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Originally Posted by RCC

After much thought, I'm pretty sure I'm still at stage 1. Is it a requirement to move to the next stage, or can I just stay here? I don't go to watch sunrises even though they are enjoyable. I don't go to watch other people catch fish, even though that is enjoyable. I don't go to spend time boat riding or operating any appliances that may be on the boat. I go for one reason, and that is to see the pole in my hand bent in a semi-circle as many times as possible. I do like to run the dip net for someone else from time to time and I like to set down in front of a cooler plumb full of fish with my fillet knife at least occasionally.

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I'll call you Saturday afternoon and you can clean my fish! :Rofl

Rcc come on over my way and we can get that pole bent like a pretzel lol

Can't beat that. Got at least 2 peoples trying to make me happy. Appreciate it.:biggrin.

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Originally Posted by D10

I'm a 2 and 3. I like to catch a lot of big fish. Isn't that what all anglers want us to do with lakes? More and bigger fish?

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Just Protect the fisheries we have for the future fishermen and fisherwomen!!!!

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Originally Posted by jackie53

Just Protect the fisheries we have for the future fishermen and fisherwomen!!!!

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I can handle that request.

After this tourney season, I'm at #2. Heck, maybe #1.