How old is too old to fish?

[forrest]

I know first phrase that is coming to a lot of minds is "your never too old". But, I am thinking that as life goes along a persons ability to do certain things starts to diminish and they stop:

 

-hiking up and down the river

-tying knots

-staying out in the cold

-other physical vigors

 

So, if I live to 100 I still want to be able to fish....what happens with fishing and getting old. Do perch start to feel like large walleye?

 

forrest

[Beats]

lol, what a depressing post.

[misfish]

Do perch start to feel like large walleye?

 

Thats like saying dear,do I seem larger too you? LOL JK

 

Interesting post Forest.

[Fisherman]

As long as you're holding a fishing rod when casting and not the other one, you're good to go.

[HTHM]

As long as you are not looking up at the sod you are not too old

[Nanook]

What's the matter Guy's? afraid to face the inevitable ?

 

It WILL come. Got to me when I was 71. Too much effort to hook up the boat, launch it, then get it back on the trailer. Knots are'nt real problem, just takes a bit longer.

Dont see the point in getting cold or wet just to catch a fish anymore, bin there. done that.

Priorities have been re-arranged, I still go fishing when it suits ME. Fortunately I'm not stuck in a five days a week job,and only got w/ends to fish.

Size of fish no longer matters, I get a kick out of a good sized 'Gill on 4lb line, as i did with a 5/6lb Bass on 20lb

No, I havent quit fishing yet, but its getting close

[silvio]

Dont think about it do what ever you can in your power to get out. There always someone there to help you and either perch or walleye its about getting out not what you catch. lets hope we all never need to stop. Take care

[misfish]

What's the matter Guy's? afraid to face the inevitable

 

Very sobbering comment.

We all know it will come. Guess ones like I and others laugh at it til it,s our time.

You have made me shamed, as I laughed at my pop for not seeing his knots he was tying. He could tie like no other.

 

TY

Edited November 16, 2008 by misfish

[sonny]

I teach my son so when i am old he can take me fishing as i have taken him!I the inbetween that i am sure will be the most fun!!

[bassjnkie]

[Radnine]

I can imagine sitting at the end of the dock in a Muskoka chair with a cup of coffee and cursing the kids with their jet-skis. And, telling everyone that will listen that the fishing is better off the end of my dock than any where else on the lake, Goddamnit!

Hey, it could be worse.

Jim

[crappieperchhunter]

Jack(Nanook) As long as I am up Caygeon way you can count on a fishing buddy. In the big picture of things I don't really know poop...but I still like to get out. BTW I still haven't had a chance to see the new pup. Maybe once Debbe and I get back up in May. Crappie opener next April is really not that far off.

 

I have a fishing buddy who is 88. Just think about that. Don't get out together as much as I would like, but I sure enjoy it when we do. I just pray that I will have the "urge" that long.

 

Tightlines to all CPH!!!

[bigugli]

I am not yet 50 and I already suffer the inconveniences and embarassments that come with arthritis. I do not go canoeing anymore. There are days I cannot tie more complex knots ( Thank God for the palomar). I can no longer go out in the boat by myself. So What?

Lately a number of us have placed posts of taking older family members out fishing, despite their age and frailties. I don't care if they have to wheel me out onto the dock in a wheelchair. My uncle does not mind half crawling to get into a boat from the dock. There is no limit on doing what you love beyond the limits we set for ourselves. We learn and adapt.

[Mark Kulik]

When they pull the rod from my dead hands!!

[OhioFisherman]

When the white bucket doubles as a port-a-potty? When you can no longer stand in the boat? and need to take naps on a fishing trip? When someone else has to carry your tackle bag? The rods double as canes?

 

When the young old guys have to take your fish off the hook, cause the dang sheephead don`t have enough class to fall off?

[Rich]

My great grandfather died of old age.

 

He's now too old to fish.

[Alumacraft]

My dad is going too be 82 years old in April and he is still going strong.Here he is this past week fishing Port D for trout ( he went 5 for 10 1 bow 3 browns and 1 salmon)

 

 

 

He has his aches and pains but he loves his fishing, he still goes on his walleye week with his old fishing buddies up too Horwood and still walks the Bluejay in the spring for Bows. We get out as often as possible on the Niagara all winter for the Bows. Here's a shot of him wading the niagara a few years back

 

 

That picture was taken by a friend of mine Loonie King who writes for Ontario Out of Doors and that picture was used in the magazine for the destinations advertisment for Niagara.

That is my dad on the left side in the green shirt if you look close I'm right behind him you can barely see me and thats my buddy Johnny on the right. My dad was so thrilled he was in a magazine, We got in touch with OOoD"s and the sent him a beautiful 8 x 10 which he has framed in his den.

 

I have him to blame for my fishing obsession and love of the outdoors and I can only hope that I'll be able to keep fishing into my 80's.

 

Thanks Dad

Edited November 16, 2008 by Alumacraft

[Beans]

I am a year younger than my good friend Nanook so I know first hand what he sez...I need to bring a chair with me or be sitting down in a boat as my back won't take standing to cast for hours on end anymore...

 

This is where carp fishing lends itself to us older anglers...once we are all set up we park ourselves in our chairs and tell each other lies while waiting for a hit...

 

Thanks to Crappieperchhunter as he is still agile enough to scramble down to the shoreline to unhook the odd carp I manage to bring in at Carp Point...

[crappieperchhunter]

Beans there not lies!!!! Well mostly not...the fishing ones are true...well mostly true....sometimes....

[Guidofisherman]

Here is a quote that sums it up...

"You do not cease to fish because you get old, You get old because you cease to fish !" unknown

This past summer, I finally took my mother fishing for big brookies after years of telling her about it and sending her photos of my trips. She is almost 80 (but don't tell or I'm dead meat), loves fishing and the outdoors. Here is her first "Nipigon brookie".

[mbac31]

You are never to old. My Grandfather is 96, living in Newfoundland and still rides the Quad runner each moring at the crack of Dawn. Still hunts and fishes and goes to Walmart for a drive and gets Mary Browns chicken every time he goes into the city. Drinks a glass of straight wiskey every night and loves eating fish and I cant wait to take him out again when I go home. Love every minute of it and I hope that I'm able to do the same when I reach his age if I even reach there. Age is just a number

[Greencoachdog]

I think as you get older, fishing slips down the list of priorities... with "checking" your Depends and drooling on yourself taking precedence.

 

 

... aint that right Jack?!!!

 

 

 

... and Roy!!!

Edited November 16, 2008 by GCD

[Sinker]

You are never to old. My Grandfather is 96, living in Newfoundland and still rides the Quad runner each moring at the crack of Dawn. Still hunts and fishes and goes to Walmart for a drive and gets Mary Browns chicken every time he goes into the city. Drinks a glass of straight wiskey every night and loves eating fish and I cant wait to take him out again when I go home. Love every minute of it and I hope that I'm able to do the same when I reach his age if I even reach there. Age is just a number

 

Mine is the same.......92 and still going strong. In fact, my dad moved back there a year ago, and says he can barely keep up to him. They're in the process of renovating the old home that the whole family (14 kids) was born and raised in. My grandfather cut the logs, milled them in the mill, and put the nails in. My dad just took it off his hands, now the 2 of them are pretty much rebuilding it with the old materials.

 

They've been out moose hunting, and bird hunting the last month, and fished every day the season was open in the summer. My grandfather wouldn't survive long if he couldn't do those things. If you never slow down, you never grow old!!!

 

I can only hope and pray that I go as long!!

 

Its in the blood, when I can no longer get outdoors........I'll die shortly after.

 

Sinker

Edited November 16, 2008 by Sinker

[Canuck2fan]

The type of fishing you might be able to do may change but as long as you can walk 100ft unaided and someone goes with you, you can probably fish till the day you drop. I agree getting in a boat or wading rivers might be beyond someone with severe arthritis. The bright side is that sitting on a pier and fishing bow, perch, bass and salmon though likely something anyone can do well into their later years. I see guys coming out in their eighties all the time to the piers all over SWO. Lastly, the newer technology with clothing and boots means you never have to cold or wet unless you want to be!!!

 

I admit I have to wear glasses now when pre-tying leaders at home for the smaller hooks. For a more than a few of my fishing buddies I have to do all the tying when out for steel but so what? It keeps me practiced up on doing it and if I do the tying I can vary things a lot easier to increase our chances of hitting fish. It is win win they get to come out doing something they still love, I get some great companionship and a bit of help with the gas. Not too mention some of the older guys know tricks that increase the catch tremendously, because they want to try stuff the fish aren't old enough to have seen before LOL.