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Why folks get hooked on fishing
[Times photo: Ron Thompson 1998]
Reeling in the relaxation: Florida’s special combination of waterways and weather lures people to cast their lines, even when the big one gets away. |
By FERDIAN L. JAP
© St. Petersburg Times,
published December 10, 2001
The great benefits anglers reel in make this hobby fun, even on the days you don't land a big one.
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It is 90 degrees, and the sun is beating down on you on the pier at Fort DeSoto Park. You are sweating, waiting for a fish to bite your bait.
Suddenly, your line is pulled; your rod bends nearly in two, as if it is going to break. Adrenaline rushes and your heart starts beating faster as you try to reel in the fish, an 18-inch mackerel. But after a one-hour wait in the blazing Florida sun for this first bite, your line suddenly snaps as the fish gets away.
Isn't this frustrating?
Of course it is, but that doesn't stop people from fishing. According to a Bass Fishing magazine national survey, 35 percent of the people who fish say they do it for relaxation, 33 percent fish to be with family and friends, 13 percent to be close to nature, 7 percent for the sport of it, 5 percent for food and 3 percent to catch a trophy fish.
In Florida, we are surrounded by waters that are like gold mines to anglers of all ages. These freshwaters and saltwaters are home to many kinds of fish, ranging from the size of a football player (a tarpon) to the size of your toenail (a minnow).
G Mac, 16, who lives in St. Petersburg and is a junior at Osceola High School, says she goes fishing because it is a good way to spend time with her parents. They often go to the Pier in St. Petersburg.
Dede Setiawan, 43, who manages the House of Bagels in Largo, says that he goes fishing whenever he has a day off from work to relax and to relieve the stress of work. Fort DeSoto is his favorite spot.
Manuel Bello, a regular at the Fort DeSoto and Sunshine Skyway piers, says he has been fishing for almost 60 years. Bello started to fish when he was just a kid back in his home country of Cuba and has been fishing ever since. Now retired, he fishes almost every day, whenever he has time to be with his friends and to get fresh air. Bello says fishing is beneficial to health. He says everyone should go out and try it.
Fishing is a very fun and easy sport. Here are four simple things to do to start catching fish:
1. Get the gear. All you need is a fishing rod, a reel, bobbers, hooks, sinkers and a tackle box. These items should cost you less than $30. Not bad for a lifetime of enjoyment.
2. Get the bait. There are lots of artificial baits available, but the easiest bait to use is either live or dead shrimp. The most fun thing to do is to catch the bait yourself. There are lots of small minnows at most fishing spots that can be caught with a cast net.
3. Find the right location. All of the local piers are hot spots, especially if you don't have a boat. Some of the piers will charge admission. A very good place to fish for free is the pier in Fort DeSoto Park in southern Pinellas County. Depending on the route you take, you will pay 85 cents or 35 cents in road tolls to get into the park. Parking is free.
4. Have patience, patience, patience. This is the most important thing!
So, get out there and start fishing; you have no excuse not to try.
- Ferdian L. Jap, 16, is in the 12th grade at Osceola High School in Seminole. He has been fishing since he was 9.
Here's the rest of today's Xpress
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