What is Fishing?

Whether you call it a sport, recreation or just a hobby, fishing is an activity that has been around since the beginning of time. Putting a worm on a hook and throwing it in the water sounds simple enough, but there is much skill required in the art of fishing.

There is a great deal of evidence that fishing has been around as long as man has had to find food to eat. Ancient Egyptians drew pictures of men fishing from boats and along the shore. Biblical scripture describes men casting large nets off the side of a boat to catch multitudes of fish. The Greek sea god, Neptune, holds a Trident fish in many pictures. He was believed to be the god of fishing.

Fishing is still conducted in a similar manner today. Large boats lower nets into the sea to catch numerous fish at one time. Fathers and sons take fishing trips to create bonding moments in life. They teach their son how to put the worm or the cricket on the hook properly and then throw the line.

Fishing may be a simple pastime for some, but for others, it is a million-dollar business. Bass Pro Shops, with headquarters in Springfield, MO, banks on this sport as its major source of income. There are large fishing tournaments with hundreds of thousands of dollars offered as winning prizes. The top fishing tournaments are the Bass Masters Tournament Trail and FLW Tournament Trail, named after the founder of Ranger Boats, out of Flippin, Arkansas, Forrest L. Wood.

There are many other tournament trails that focus more on crappie and walleye, rather than bass fishing. Local fishing clubs are located all throughout the world. Fishing equipment may be purchased for less than $30 per rod and reel or as much as $500 for a specific reel. To some people, fishing is a great way to get away from the stresses and grinds of everyday life. For others, fishing is the only way of life.