Elements of Sport Fishing

Fishing is one of the greatest sports out there. With the huge variety of types of fishing to do and different species to catch, one can easily find something they like. There is so much more to sport

fishing than what meets the eye and through this reading you can come closer to understanding fishing, as a whole. Whether you 3 years old or 80 years old, fishing can bring a smile upon anyone.

Both commercial and sport fishing, all come from the roots of our ancestors going almost as far back as the fish themselves. Fishing’s history dates back to when people of ancient times began fishing as a form of survival, when pieces of bone were used as hooks and lengths of vine were used as line. Some Egyptian hieroglyphics of about 2000 BC shows figures fishing with rods and line and even with nets. In China of about the 4th century BC writings show fishing with a silk line, a hook made from a needle, and a bamboo rod, with cooked rice as bait. References to fishing are also found in ancient Greek, Assyrian, Roman, and Jewish writings (“Old Master”).

Sport fishing has many types of methods in catching fish. Fly fishing is one of the hardest to master and require the most amount of patience. Fly fishing is done by whipping a plastic line with a monofilament leader ending with an artificial fly. Bait trolling involves the use of live bait or artificial lures that are dragged through the water behind a slow-moving boat. Trolling is usually done inland on very large lakes and reservoirs, but it is also the primary method for big-game fishing in the oceans. This method has the advantage of covering a large amount of territory where fish might otherwise be difficult to locate. The correct depth and speed are crucial to catch fish. Three types of reels are used in sport fishing. Fly reels, spinning reels, and bait casting reels, all serve a purpose in certain types of species you after. Typically fly reels are for small game, spinning reels for medium to large game, and bait casting reels for the largest game. Rods are usually 5-7 feet long. They are made of graphite, composite, and bamboo with price ranges from 20-160 dollars. The lines, typically monofilament or braided, are usually weighted to get the lure to greater depths.

Sport fishing has an enormous amount of elements to it and can be divided into two parts, saltwater and freshwater. Freshwater sport fishing is huge. There are many species of freshwater fish but only some fall into the category of a “sport fish.” Among the sport fish, the largemouth Bass is probably the most popular followed by trout, walleye, pike, and crappie. Each species require basic techniques in order to catch them and some more finicky than others. Both catch able with live bait or artificial lures, but determining what type, size, color, and presentation depends on whether you will be successful in catching them, that’s why it is called sport fishing. Found in both lakes and rivers, these fish can be very illusive. Another element of this sport is the tournaments. Rapidly growing in popularity, B.A.S.S. or Bass Anglers Sportsman Society holds the biggest tournaments in the country with 1st place prizes reaching up to 500,000 dollars attracting thousands of people each year.
Salt water sport fishing is world renown. Many of the fish in the ocean are considered as game fish and unlike its counter part, freshwater fish, saltwater sport fish can reach an excess of one thousand pounds, typically the blue marlin. The ocean holds some of the meanest fish in the world and fishing for some species, like the great white shark, can be life threatening. Shark fishing tournaments are also growing in popularity. They hold biggest shark tournaments and they have grand slam tournaments which consist on three major species like hammerhead, mako, and tiger shark. There are categories of saltwater fishing. There is reef or bottom fishing and there is open water or like on the east coast, Gulf Stream fishing. Bottom fishing can produce a wide variety of fish like the grouper, red snapper, mutton snapper, and angel fish. Open water fishing, which is more popular, produce the bigger and more radical fish like the blue marlin, sail fish, wahoo, shark, and mahi-mahi.

Fishing has come a long way in the past sixty years. Manufacturers are now using exotic metals for the reels like titanium and magnesium. This makes them super strong and half the weight as conventional reels. Ball bearings are being implemented for smooth accurate retrieval. The rods have also come a long way. Compared to earlier rods made of a simple tree limbs, they now are made of advanced fibers making the rods light, durable, and extremely sensitive being able to detect the faintest of strikes. The electronics are revolutionizing the way people fish today. In earlier times people used a lead weight attached to line in order to tell what depth they were fishing at. Now, walking into the 21st century, boats are equipped with electronic sonar’s. Sonar’s, advancing from simple depth finders, now have digital displays of the underwater terrain, tracking fish and structure in the water. Lures have advanced a great deal in the past years. Now certain technologies are used for artificial lures today. Sound emitting lures are very popular and do a great job inducing a strike. The hooks, now made of strong alloys, and are chemically sharpened for easy hook setting.

Sport fishing is one of the greatest sports out there. Everyone should have an opportunity to get out there and catch fish. Fishing is great because you can do it all over the world, from your back yard to the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Whether you the once a year angler or part of the pro circuit, It is a sport that can bring enjoyment anytime.

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