Is Fishing a Sport?

[Daplumma]

If you can smoke and drink while doing it=not a sport!

Joe

[Clampet]

It's either a passtime or a means of earning a living, fer some.

[big guy]

No, it's a pastime, a hobby and in a lot of cases an excuse to get away from the wife for a while.

 

As to the question whether or not Pro Fisherman are athletes, good god. All I have to say is, do Bob Izumi, Darryl Cronzy, or Dave Mercer look like athletes?

[bowshep]

No its not a sport. Its kind of like Cooking. They both require knowledge, time and practice. Some have talant and some don't. Some get paid and some don't. But Never Tell a Cook that they have a easy job...

 

Peace Ken

[lew]

I think far too many of you people are putting the emphisis on how tough it is to fish all day, either as a pro OR a flunky, and thinking that somehow turns them into an athlete.

 

My gawd, I fish 10-12 hours a day on a very regular basis, and sometimes more, and that's casting large, heavy musky baits all day long, and I'm probably twice the age of the majority of the members of this board, and I'm certainly no athlete.

 

And someone else eluded to the fact he was an athlete because he spends all day fishing in lousy weather....so what ??...... If you want to talk to someone who REALLY works all day in lousy weather, talk to a construction worker, or a postman and see if they consider themselves an athlete because of it.

 

And their probably not even having any fun while their out there.

 

C'mon guys, it's a fun, relaxing pastime that we all obviously enjoy, but let's not make it out to be more than it really is.

 

But that's just my dimes worth

Edited February 13, 2008 by lew

[Roy]

ahhhhhhhh the voice of reason.....

[holdfast]

I think that when I go out and fish its of form of Recreation, like camping, hiking. No teams involved, no competitors involved. Me and nature and the elements, and of course I pick when and where. Now your Bass pro competitions, then I have to admit by my own words a sport. You have competitors, rules, trophies, no matter the elements you battle. Is my ole lady an athelete when she fishes. Nope.

Edited February 13, 2008 by holdfast

[Beats]

I think far too many of you people are putting the emphisis on how tough it is to fish all day, either as a pro's OR a flunky, and thinking that somehow turns them into an athlete.

 

My gawd, I fish 10-12 hours a day on a very regular basis, and sometimes more, and that's casting large, heavy musky baits all day long, and I'm probably twice the age of the majority of the members of this board, and I'm certainly no athlete.

 

And someone else eluded to the fact he was an athlete because he spends all day fishing in lousy weather....so what ??...... If you want to talk to some who REALLY works all day in lousy weather, talk to a construction worker, or a postman and see if they consider themselves an athlete because of it.

 

And their probably not even having any fun while their out there.

 

C'mon guys, it's a fun, relaxing pastime that we all obviously enjoy, but let's not make it out to be more than it really is.

 

But that's just my dimes worth

 

 

I agree completely. It's definitely not a sport. Its a past time/hobby. People like to think that anything they do that requires the smallest amount of movement is a sport. I just shoveled out my driveway in the cold (not a sport) and am about to go to my outdoors job in construction (also not a sport) momentarily. I think a lot of ppl dont do much physical activity such as play hockey or baseball, run, etc. so they always refer to their time spent fishing as a sport so as to not feel like they aren't athletic. Just because fishing isn't a sport doesn't mean there is no merit to it physically. Just getting up earlier than most people and getting out the door is good for you to do every once in a while. Yeah, you cast all day long out of a boat.... and I swing a hammer, and the guy next door walks to work both ways each day, etc. does that mean that it's all sport because there is a slight bit of discomfort and physicality to it? Who cares anyways? I don't think anyone is going to stop fishing because it isn't technically a sport. Also, don't you really need to be able to chose a winner to have it be a sport? Yeah, there are tournaments but that makes up maybe .01 % of all fishing done worldwide.... You can definitely have fishing competitions, but you can also have competitions for most hot dogs eaten, alcohol consumed, computer gaming (i dont care if they call them "cyber athletes", they are sitting infront of a screen) I think some of the confusion comes from the term "sport fishing", as in to fish for sport. The word recreation is what should be used instead of sport. Sport fishing = recreational fishing.

 

"Sport fishing is a term (often used interchangeably with game fishing) that describes recreational fishing where the primary reward is the challenge of finding and catching the fish rather than just the culinary or financial value of the fish's flesh. The distinction is not completely rigid - in many cases, sport fishers will also eat their catches. The philosophies and tactics used for sport fishing, however, are usually sufficiently different from "food fishing" to make the distinction clear enough."

Edited February 13, 2008 by Beats

[TOM C]

Before we all start changing the English language, according to:

 

THE WINSTON DICTIONARY OF CANADIAN ENGLISH:sport,1 a game,pasttime,or contest that requires a reasonable amount of physical activity along with individual skill,Skiing,tennis,and billards are all sport

 

WEBSTERS DICTIONARY:sport,An interesting diversion, a particular game or physical activity with set rules

 

 

So unless you want to change the ENGLISH LANGUAGE its a sport

[fisherguy]

I'd have to give the folks that tournament fish full time the benefit of doubt. Based on physical endurance fishing most weekends and prefishing competitively takes the physical stamina of an athlete IMO.

[Beats]

Before we all start changing the English language, according to:

 

THE WINSTON DICTIONARY OF CANADIAN ENGLISH:sport,1 a game,pasttime,or contest that requires a reasonable amount of physical activity along with individual skill,Skiing,tennis,and billards are all sport

 

WEBSTERS DICTIONARY:sport,An interesting diversion, a particular game or physical activity with set rules

So unless you want to change the ENGLISH LANGUAGE its a sport

 

 

Again, people will always be trying to call their hobby, whatever it may be, a sport. Can we find loop-holes in the definition of the word "sport" to make fishing sound like a sport? Sure. And by that same definition you can call almost anything you do a sport. I think the topic here is more about standing back and looking at what you personally do and asking yourself if you think you are an athlete participating in a sport when you fish.

 

There is tonnes of exercise involved particularly if you don't have a boat. Walking to spots and climbing around and all that stuff. This is all part of a day of fishing but not technically fishing in itself. It's part of the "pre-game".

 

Another issue is the huge variety of types of fishing that people do. It's hard to compare carp fishing in the grand to mackerel fishing in Nova Scotia to tuna fishing in Hawaii. The differences in line strengths, rods/reels, boats etc all makes them very specialized and I think that having specialized gear and lots of equipment again makes people feel they are real athletes in a specialized sport.

 

Does catching a huge shark make the angler more of an athlete than the guy reeling in panfish? At the end of the day it really doesn't matter. It's just another argument/debate that will come up over and over again. If you truly can say that you feel like an athlete when you go fishing than go for it... I just don't see it.

 

Most of the year I spend my time walking many km's along rivers and often having to fashion a spot to stand and cast from at shore to even get a few casts in. That's the most physical activity involved in the day's fishing. Can't say I am really put out by reeling in small bass or the odd pike. I mean, that's what I'm there for. But I can honestly say that getting up early and getting to the moment of making the first cast is more physically demanding than actually fishing by far.

 

 

I will be going to Lake Simcoe this weekend to ice fish. I will be sitting in a heated hut 20+ feet above fish with rods sitting on pails and a beer in my hand. I know I'll sure feel like a competing athlete when I raise a 9" perch from a hole in the ice....

[tonyb]

There are 2 breeds of fishermen, and each falls into seperate categories.

 

Tournament angler = Sport & Pro athlete

Weekend/Fairweather fisherman = Hobby & Not an athlete

[TOM C]

You seem to be confusing what a Sport means, and what your interpretation of a sport is, A fishing tournament falls into all the catorgories that make it a sport, so you can argue the point that you dont think anglers are great atheletes or not, but tournament fishing is a sport as much as a baseball game or any other game your want to compare it with. So maybe the Question should be changed to, in your OPINION is fishing a sport. Because agian TOURNAMENT FISHING HAS ALL THE CRITERIA OF A SPORT.

 

 

I dont think a 400 pound lineman, because he,s fat enough not get pushed very far is an athelete, but thats just my opinion, because in reallity he,s called an athelete and meets the criteria to be called one

[Terry]

and you can try to make fishing not a sport

but the MNR the gov. and the DICTIONARY all call it a sport

there are sport fish and course fish

 

"Sport Fishing Licence: For anglers who want full catch and

possession fishing privileges.

Conservation Fishing Licence: A reduced catch and possession

limit licence that is ideal for anglers who want to live-release

the majority of fish caught. Under this licence, anglers must

immediately release muskellunge, Atlantic salmon, lake sturgeon

and aurora trout."

 

 

the gov. call them walleye and not pickeral, so many people call those who refer to them as pickeral as stupid, hicks that don't know any better..right guys you know who you are

 

so same must be true about fishing being a sport..the gov says it is....LOL

 

CASE ClOSED

lets go sport fishing

[mistyriver1]

[Moosebunk]

Is golf a sport??? Is John Daly an athlete??? Darn tooting.

 

 

It's quite sporting... and to go all day somedays can take some energy and conditioning.

 

 

Don't much believe it's one or the other though. Fishing is in a league of it's own.

[Reef Runner]

Not only is it a sport but it is considiered THE MOST DANGEROUS SPORT IN THE WORLD. (according to the show Manswers) Apparently there are more fishing related deaths per year than boxing, MMA, sky diving combined. Don't know the exact number, but it's a fact.

 

Be careful out there.

 

reefrunner

[Beats]

I guess what I'm getting at is this. Most of the people who are indeed calling fishing a sport are referring the naysayers to tournament pros as proof. OK, but what % of ppl here saying this are themselves regular tournament fishers? That's like calling driving to work a sport and when someone calls you on it referring them to Nascar drivers. Forget the technical definition and actually evaluate a day (any day) of fishing that you do/have done and make a personal judgment for yourself if you really think you were involved in athletics.

 

I'm sure plenty of ppl on the board are true tournament fishermen. I'm not doubting that at all. Im just surprised that so many ppl who don't fish tournaments/competitively are still considering themselves athletes for their weekend fishing. The real poll question should be "Do you consider the fishing YOU DO to be a sport and YOURSELF an athlete". I think the results would be a little more honest and realistic. At least I would hope so. People are calling it a sport based on a very tiny percentage of the fishing population that makes a living off of tournaments and who fish competitively compared to the massive numbers that do it for a past time.

 

If I go for a few km walk in the woods every weekend am I justified to tell people its a sport since it is a sport in the Olympics? You definitely can't go off definition for this.

[Terry]

yeah but

 

if you play baseball for 5 minutes are you playing a sport

 

if you see kids in a field playing soccer and football, do you say hey it's good to see the kids playing sports

 

or do you stop and time it to see they play for the full day to call it playing sports....

 

and you are right

it isn't much of a sport if you put bait on the hook with a bobber and sit and drink beer for the next 8 hours

 

 

however if the bait you put on is a 10lb roast beef and a 500lb shark takes it and give you an 6 hour fight....is that sport fishing...

 

it's all in ones perspective

[lew]

sheesh, pretty soon someones gonna say golfers & bowlers are athletes too

[Terry]

athlete and sport are not interchangeable words nor needs the one in order to be the other.....

 

I don't think you need to be an athlete to play gulf or baseball or fishing, but it can help

 

and I think a sport can be if you want to be a hobby....or a passion or a relaxing time....

 

it's whatever you want to make it

 

 

 

so make it as often as you can

[kickingfrog]

No and No. Why does it matter? It does not make it (fishing) any less enjoyable, for me or anybody else.

 

Just because something is physically demanding or difficult does not a sport it make.

 

Example: a radio contest to stand and maintain contact with a car. Not a sport.

 

An essay writing contest can be mentally demanding (and physically if you have ever seen me type). Not a sport.

[capt bruce]

Guy Lafleur, smoked two packs a day(at least a half a pack during games ) , was he an athelete, how many base ball players have admitted to useing cocaine during games are they ,what about punters in the nfl ????? is curling a "sport" ???? who cares its fun aint it .

Edited February 13, 2008 by capt bruce

[Terry]

yeah but the dictionary and the gov. hasn't labelled standing and maintain contact with a car or essay writing a sport

 

but they have labelled fishing as a sport...maybe in your eyes not much of a sport, but I feel that same way about US football...but they still get to call it a sport....LOL

[kickingfrog]

Yeah, the government has never been wrong before.