Going fishing becomes a reward in and of itself, but you have plenty of other benefits to hitch up your fishing boat trailer and head for the lake. Let’s have a look at some of the biggest benefits that come with going fishing and what you can gain from doing it.
Benefit #1: Chilling on the Water
As I have said before, my dad’s doctor originally prescribed fishing to him as a way to relax after his lung cancer diagnosis. Not only doctors, but you also have psychologists who have seen the benefits of fishing, and they recommend that you go fishing to deal with depression and neurosis.
The sounds of the water lapping on the shore, the occasional fish cheerfully leaping from the water, and the joys of being out in nature all contribute to a great time while fishing.
Fishing outside of the city will also give you access to cleaner air to breathe, and the breeze on the lake feels wonderfully refreshing. In addition, I find it interesting how you have a lot of people nowadays who will use the sound of water on their computer as a way of relaxing.
Benefit #2: Family Bonding Time
Some of my fondest memories come from fishing in the boat with my mom and dad when I was four or five years old. I can think of countless good memories doing this type of fishing, and the best part came from the memories I had with my family.
Many times, fishing even becomes a hobby where the elders teach the younger generation how to fish, passing on tradition. If you want to have a bonding moment with your son or daughter, head to the lake with them in tow. You won’t regret the fun memories set.
Learning how to bait a hook, cast a rod and hold a rod all becomes an essential thing to the sport. Strengthening your family bond through fishing has become one thing that you can do to have stronger family ties.
Benefit #3: Physical Health Benefits
In particular, standing to cast and casting your line out on the water comes with a host of health benefits. You employ a variety of muscles while fishing that includes:
- Latissimus dorsi
- Deltoid
- Pectoralis major
- Rotator cuff muscles
- Carpus radiallis
Getting your muscles working becomes one of the benefits of fishing. I’ve seen some articles recommend that you warm-up before you do fishing, but honestly, I’ve never in my life seen anyone do warm-ups before fishing.
Benefit #4: Get Your Dose of Vitamin D
One of the best sources of vitamin D comes from the sun. Getting enough vitamin D comes with plenty of benefits for the nervous system and the muscles. You have countless benefits that include:
- Better sleep
- Healthy bones
- Stimulates and absorbs calcium
- Lowers the risk of type 1 diabetes
- Lowers risk of heart attacks
- Decreases the risk of rheumatoid arthritis
Some studies even suggest how vitamin D could lower your blood pressure. You have countless benefits, and it all comes from getting vitamin D through being out in the sun.
Benefit #5: Turn into a Wellspring of Patience
You will have times when fishing where nothing on the water bites your hook. Times like this test your patience to its limits, but the slow times have a necessity because of how it makes the times of reward worth every hour spent doing nothing.
In those golden moments where you crank in a monster pike fighting tooth and nail to keep from the boat, you have to first push through the moments where nothing bites. The joy of fishing comes from how you never know if you’ll go home with fish or go home empty handed. It’s the mystery of not knowing what will happen next that turns fishing into a fun sport.
Some people don’t have the patience for fishing, which is why I’d recommend that you start with catching sunfish. You can learn more about that in my article, “How to Catch Sunfish. ”
Over time, you will feel a love of the sport start to develop to where you can fish for some of the harder species with greater patience.
Tip #6: Eating Fish is Good for You
Fish meat ranks as one of the healthiest foods to eat. The doctor even recommends that you have it at least twice a week to help your body to get the nutrition it needs. You can learn more about the benefits of eating fish through my article, “The 14 Best Fish Eating Benefits.“
You have a lot of different benefits that come from eating fish, such as:
- Better sleep
- Fights diabetes
- High nutritional value
- Lowers the risk of stroke
- Lower the risk of heart attack
- Fights depression
- Keeps your vision
- Increases the grey brain matter
Through fishing, you can add fish to your diet at no cost. In general, you want a serving of 8 ounces of fish per week.
Benefit #7: Improves Your Coordination
When you move around in the boat, it rocks back and forth. At first, it takes some getting used to, but after a while of fishing, this will improve your coordination. Along with that, when you go fish, you have to stand carefully. If you don’t stand carefully, you will most likely fall in the water.
Fishing also requires balance as you go to crank in your catch. For those who lose their footing, there’s a good chance their fish will get away. As you fish in the boat, you will try to coordinate all your movements in balance with each other. Especially later in life, having good coordination will save you from falls.
Benefit #8: Teaches Kids About Nature
As a child on the water, a learned a lot about fish up close and personal. I have a lot of fond memories of fishing because of how I got up close and personal in nature. While I don’t have a son, one day I will, and I plan to use this opportunity to teach my child about wildlife and fishing.
Fishing hands you invaluable lessons on a variety of subjects, and it especially becomes a valuable teaching tool to children. As an important note, you may want to begin fishing for sunfish with children because this requires less patience.
Getting up close and personal with nature, I learned about the fish, but I also learned about the bait as I played with it. I played with the nightcrawlers and every other bait that we ever used when I was a child.
Benefit #9: Learn Independence
One of the biggest benefits of fishing comes from how it teaches you to catch your own food. As you build your fishing skill, you will grow more confident that you can depend on yourself. You will learn the safety measures needed, and you will learn how to engage in this activity.
Even as I write about fishing, I find it interesting because I realize how this sport helps to teach you self reliance skills. You learn to develop skill, and you will gain confidence over time. Self reliance skills come in handy, and they could even save your life one day. While you will probably need more than fishing skills to survive, you can use this as an excuse to get deeper into survivalism.
Benefit #10: Anyone Can Do It
You don’t need any special skill to go fishing. You can make this sport as deep as you want, but you never have to think too deeply about fishing. Anyone can head out to the lake, drop a line and get the fish biting on their line. As a said before, my dad was a lung cancer patient, and he went fishing to relax.
What’s more, I have known people who broke their arm or even had a disability, and they were able to go fishing. You don’t have any special requirements when it comes to fish. All it requires is a willingness to head to the lake. The person might need help with casting if they’re disabled, but outside that, they can usually do everything else. This sport welcomes everyone.
Like with gambling on slots at the casino, anyone can win the jackpot. It doesn’t necessarily take a lot of skill to get start, but you can turn this into a game of skill as you get deeper into it.
Benefit #11: Memories, Memories, Memories
Finally, the biggest benefit comes from the memories you set when you go fishing. You will have memories that last a lifetime. I liked fishing because of how I looked back on my life, and these were the things that I remembered the most: the memories.
Some of the fondest memories that I have of my parents came from fishing on Lake Vermillion or casting a line out on the dock while camping. Fishing goes with just about anything, and the memories that you set can be either on your own or with friends and family. Personally, I’d recommend that you go fishing with friends and family because it will give you the opportunity to bond with people.
These are some of the benefits that you will get from fishing. I’d recommend that you try it for yourself because you might find your own reasons for doing it. Myself, I have always enjoyed the fact that I’m out in nature and enjoying the sport. You can change settings each time and go to a different lake. That’s part of the fun is fishing on different lakes and enjoying the beauty of nature on different lakes. You have to try it for yourself to learn what this sport has to offer you.