Psychology of Fishing and why it is good for your health

Fishing is one of the most popular hobbies around the world. Have you ever wondered why so many people love fishing but don’t really catch a whole lot of fish?

Well, it’s due to how our brain is wired up. Most of us love the outdoors, to get away from nature and to let our minds wander. It’s the same reason that people buy houses near the beach, river, or with a view of the mountains. It makes us feel great.

If the purpose was to always catch a boatload of fish most hobby anglers would have given up by now. There is a whole stack of other reasons why we go fishing and it’s buried deep down in our subconscious.

I grew up on the coast, so fishing is in my blood. Apart from having fish for dinner every second night, I loved the fact that it is a very relaxing experience. Even if I don’t catch anything its the timeout that I craved.

Fishing is like the lottery, the better the bait, and the more lines you have out, the better your chances of catching some fish. But when you do catch something big, then wow adrenalin is flowing through your body and you feel on top of the world.

Fishing for relaxation not sport is why we love it.

As men, our brains are wired to provide food for our families. It goes back to our caveman ancestors. Traditionally the man does the hunting and the women do the cooking. In our modern society, there are no more boundaries and we both share these responsibilities.

But there is still a higher number of men compared to women who like to go hunting and fishing. But this number is getting closer each year as more hunting and fishing licenses are handed out to women.

As a sport, many people like to catch and release, otherwise known as tag and release. This is where a tag with a special number is attached to larger game fish hoping to be retrieved by another angler at a later date. This way the Department of Fisheries can track the migration patterns of some marine fish.

I will only keep enough fish to feed my family and then return the rest if its a good day. This way the fish get to breed up and repopulate the area. Releasing a fish is just as good a feeling as catching one.

6 Reasons why fishing is fun

There must be a reason people love to fish? Well for me it’s all about these 6 key points

1. Its if fun, otherwise I wouldn’t do it. Sure there are some aspects that are less fun like gutting and filleting fish but hey the reward is eating some mighty fine fresh fish.
2. It keeps my mind and body healthy. It gets me out of the house and into a boat or walking to a secret fishing spot. It is all about being active.
3. Saves you money from not having to buy expensive fish for dinner.
4. It helps me relax and forget about the rat race world.
5. Gives you quality one on one time with a friend or spouse. My wife was never a keen angler but she does it to spend quality time with me. Some of our best conversations have been out in a boat just drifting in the breeze. Now she sometimes catches more than me.
6. Anyone can do it. No matter your age, weight, disability, or race, fishing is for all mankind.

Psychology of fishing into 3 key areas:

• Preparation and relaxation
• Meditation
• The excitement and hard work

Let’s look into Preparation and Relaxation

When preparing for any fishing trip or expedition it’s all out the gear you take to whether your trip is successful. If you have a boat then you will want to read our post on which equipment boat operators should have onboard.

If fishing on land then you will need some basic gear:

• Fishing gear – Rod, reel, bait, tackle, lures, knife, etc.
• Esky for drinks and the fish you catch
• Torch, hat, sunscreen, and a camera for some memories.

Don’t forget a good chair to sit down to make your trip more comfortable. Fishing is all about relaxation. Many people don’t grasp this concept. Catching fish is just a bonus that will give you a quick buzz.

Ok now that we have the tools needed to actually catch some fish lets get into the psychology of fishing.

Its the time we spend with friends and family that makes the fishing trip fun. The view we have makes me forget about the world and just chill forever. Saying that there is no reason you can’t go fishing by yourself. It can be just as rewarding.

Just remember to tell someone where you are going in case of an emergency

Sometimes I just prefer to take a certain friend because he understands the value of being quiet at times. When there are 3 or more people fishing it can get rowdy and I lose my relaxation time. Guess it’s part of being slightly introverted.

When I am not fishing I like to experiment on making some homemade fishing lures out of household items like bottle tops and other rubbish.

Why fishing is good for your health

If you go fishing even for an hour or two every week you will be giving your mind and body the time out it deserves. There is also exercise involved as we trek to our favorite spot. Look for areas that are slightly difficult to get to as most people won’t make the effort.

The fresh air and direct sunshine are essential for a healthy body. When your skin is exposed to the sun your body will synthesize vitamin D which your body will use.

Our body and mind crave relaxation at times. This is why we look forward to a long vacation every year. Have you ever been on a holiday that was so full-on and busy that by the time you came back, you are already worn out and needed another vacation?

This is because your brain has not had the downtime it required. Even though you may have had a great exciting time you also need to have balance in your life.

Casting a rod also uses your upper body muscles. The constant twisting of your whole body will loosen up those ridged back muscles that are used to sitting in a chair for many hours a day.

I like to use a castable fish finder sonar to see what the bottom of the lake bed or river looks like. This way I can make a quick determination if I should stay in the one spot or move onto another to increase my success rate.

It is all about using technology to find where the fish are. As the sonar connects to my phone I have underwater viewing capabilities.

Fishing for meditation

I find that being close to nature can help me meditate more, with deeper and better results. Being a shift worker means I get to go fishing at odd hours in the day either in my boat or just off the beach.

When alone and the fish are not biting try closing your eyes and meditate with the sounds of the waves or the wind around you. It is so much better because your other senses are being stimulated like touch, light, smell, and sounds. What a great reason to go fishing.

Try to slow down your heart rate relax and think about being one with nature.

I often struggled with meditating at home and I had to buy the world-renowned Muse brain sensing headband to help fine-tune my technique. It’s a great little device and the whole family uses it now.

Excitement and Hard Work

There can never be a reward without hard work. Catch that prized monster trout, cod, or bass take preparation, research, hard work, determination, and patience. For you to succeed you will need to be prepared to research each area.

But then there is also luck, I have been on a boat where everyone around me was catching fish except me. Same bait, the same line just a different seating position. It was so hard not to get discouraged.

But that is the key to fishing, sometimes I just love the boat ride, or walking on the beach. Catching a fish is the optional extra. If we expect to catch something each time we will be disappointed often.

So the key is to relax and enjoy the surroundings, then if the fish are not biting it’s not a big deal. This simple trick will make your fishing trips so much more enjoyable.

Check out our cool gifts for a fisherman to make their life easy, fun, and most importantly feel loved.

Conclusion

Men and women are wired differently that’s why men are from Mars and women are from Venus. We relax differently so what works for one may not work for the other.

If you have never been fishing before just search for what fish can be caught in your local area. Go for a walk to your local jetty or lake and talk to some of the old-timers who look like they have been doing it forever.

They will be more than happy to give you some tips. Generally, the angling community is a very friendly bunch of people. Probably because we have all learned to just chill and relax, and sometimes we get excited when we have a large marine creature at the end of our line.

Now you have many reasons to fish, get out there, and be the master of the water.

Good luck.

Mathew S

I am a qualified Industrial Electrician for the past 20 years and I love to share my knowledge on home repair and maintenance jobs.

I love fast toys like Motorcycles, Cars, Jetskis, Boats, and Computers so writing about them is easy. Working on them is fun.
To keeps costs down I do all my own mods, repairs, and servicing. These skills I want to share with everyone. DIY is a skill everyone can learn.