I saw some people fishing the other day in 16 degree Fahrenheit (-9 Celsius) weather at 4:30AM. They were not ice fishing with a little hut, but standing at the base of a bridge with no shelter or campfire. People are at that bridge fishing regularly when it is cold but that was the coldest temp I have seen so far. Why is it so appealing to them?
It’s really fun to battle a fish.
They’re much stronger than you think and even a 9-pound catfish really tests your endurance and strength, moreso with every extra pound.
You also have to be sure your line doesn’t snap or the fish doesn’t unhook, whether you should be reeling or letting it run, tons of variables.
And there’s so many types of fish and they all act differently, have different diets and preferences, every bait and fly works amazing on one fish and is terrible for others.
For me, the battle with the fish is probably the most fun, and if you win, you get to eat hotpot or roast fish or whatever.
It’s awesome!
I was fly fishing once and came across a school of some tiny little fish that hit basically anything I threw at them, and then fought like they were a big largemouth, especially with a fly rod. I stayed there catching and fighting them for a good hour before they got tired and swam off.
I think they were having fun, too because none of them swallowed the hook, just nice and clean through the lip.
Sounds like some kind of sunfish