Bass fishing. What’s not to love? The sport gets you out into nature and away from everything else. But just what exactly makes it so popular?
In a few words, bass fishing is popular because you forget about your troubles while on the water, it’s easy to get into, it’s diverse, anyone can do it, bass fishing is a challenge, the anticipation is addicting, and bass fishing is a journey.
In the below article, I will go into depth on each of these specific aspects of the addicting sport we know as bass fishing and how exactly they help make our sport so popular.
1. You Forget About Everything Else
When you are out on the water, you simply forget about everything other than fishing. You’re constantly using your brain to figure out how to catch more fish which does not give you time to stress out about your struggles.
It is for this reason that many people turn to bass fishing to get away from their everyday struggles. Most other fishing involves casting out and simply waiting to get a bite which gives you time to think and reflect which can lead to stress. In bass fishing, you’re constantly casting and trying to get a bite even when working slower baits. Your mind is constantly trying to find ways to catch more fish.
2. It is Easy to Get Into
Bass fishing is SUPER addicting. Once you catch a fish and experience the bite, fight, and eventual landing, there’s nothing that can deter you from wanting more. This is what makes the sport so easy to get into.
Many professional-level anglers fish for a living in bass fishing leagues such as the FLW Tour, Bassmaster Elite Series, and the Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour. Many of them all started the same way I described above; getting hooked on bass fishing just because of the bite, fight, and landing of their first fish.
3. Bass Fishing Lets You Be a Part of Nature
This may seem like an obvious one but being the presence of nature is soothing. Whether it’s just a small pond or a massive lake that’s teeming with tournament boats and exciting competition, you will still be fishing in nature.
Even if you are surrounded by hordes of recreational traffic on a busy body of water, you are still enjoying the beauty of nature.
4. Bass Fishing is Diverse
Saying that bass fishing is diverse is an absolute understatement. Absolutely ANYONE can do it at any number of different capacities. You might be the person who wants to buy an upwards of 60,000 dollar bass boat and go compete at the highest level and try to make a living bass fishing.
On the polar opposite end of the spectrum, you might be the guy that just enjoys heading out to the pond every once and while to catch a few fish. You might be somewhere in between. Maybe you fish a Tuesday night tournament every now and again or compete in some lower-level tournament trails.
No matter what boat you’re in (no pun intended), you can always get lost in the scenery of backwater creeks, giant lakes and rivers, or in your back yard farm pond.
5. Anyone Can Do It
6. Bass Fishing is a Challenge
We like to do hard things. Conquering and learning how to master the sport of bass fishing is far from easy. Even the best bass fisherman in the world have said it themselves that they learn something new every time they head out on the water. The bass fishing universe is so diverse and there are so many different styles of bodies of water to fish across the country.
You can never be faced with the same fishing situation twice which is part of what makes the sport so great. As much as you can learn about these little green fish, there is always more for them to teach you which is the reason that the best anglers in the world still consistently have a rough tournament now and then.
7. The Anticipation Kills You
There is not a sport out there where you don’t have at least an idea as to what’s going to happen. That is until fishing came along. There is absolutely NO telling when you might catch the biggest bass of your life. It could come at any moment which is why you have to be on your toes throughout the course of your fishing day.
This is part of what keeps your mind off your daily struggles as we discussed earlier. You can’t ever lose focus or it might cost you the legitimate opportunity to catch the fish of a lifetime. This is especially true when tournament fishing since absolutely any fish can help win you money and get you closer to the top of the leader board.
8. Bass Fishing is a Journey
Bass fishing is not just a one time experience. It is a journey. To get to the point where you can catch fish consistently, you must stick with it and not lose hope. When I first started fishing, I would often go three or four trips in a row where I didn’t catch any fish. It was discouraging but I also knew in the back of my mind that with time, I would be able to catch fish consistently.
I can now say that I rarely go on fishing trips without catching fish. I can without a doubt attest this to putting time in on the water. That being said, I also feel that I learned more going on those streaks without catching fish than I ever could have just having it easy and catching a bunch.
Conclusion
Bass fishing is as popular as it is for a few key reasons. Forgetting your struggles, being a part of nature, ease to get into, diversity, the fact that anyone can do it, the anticipation of fish catches, the challenge, and the fact that bass fishing is a journey are all parts of what makes bass fishing so popular.
Hopefully you will get into the sport in some capacity after reading this article. Just remember to stick with it and enjoy the serenity of nature whenever you are out there.
