A question we often get is: is fishing a sport? Yes, fishing is a sport because it’s a competitive recreational activity that has rules and regulations by a governing body and also has competitive events or spectators, so fishing is definitely a sport.
Why Is Fishing A Sport?
The definition of a sport according to Dictionary.com is as follows:
“A sport is an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.”
Additionally, sports typically have governing bodies that make rules and regulations and sports also involve competitive events.
Governing bodies like the American Sportfishing Association and National Professional Anglers Association organize rules and tournaments for fishing competitions, and many of these are also televised, adding additional legitimacy to the fact that fishing is a sport.
Fishing does not involve teams, rules, regulations, or competitive events, making it an outdoor recreational activity or hobby – not a sport.
What Aspects Of Fishing Make It A Sport?
Physical Exertion
Just like other sports, fishing requires a certain level of physical exertion and fitness to perform.
Reeling in fish (especially heavier ones) requires lots of upper body strength, and you also must have lower body strength to steady yourself while reeling.
Competition
Some variations of fishing involve competition, and there are fishing records for things like the most fish caught in a specific amount of time or many records for the biggest fish of a certain species caught on local, national, and global levels.
Skill Level
Fishing requires plenty of skill, just like sports and many other recreational activities.
A skilled angler must have a good working knowledge of how to find spots that fish may be in, as well as knowledge of equipment like rods, string types, baits and lures.
Heck, even learning how to string a fishing pole can be a real challenge!
They must also be proficient in knot tying, casting, setting the hook, and reeling in the fish.
You also must understand that the equipment and techniques change based on the location, weather, and each type of fish, so the sport of fishing requires a deep skill level to do it at a competitive level.
Entertainment
While fishing can be personally entertaining, rewarding, and fun, it is also spectator event for others to passively watch, with many televised fishing tournaments broadcast throughout the year.
Can Fishing Be Competitive?
There are variations on fishing or activities that involve fishing that are directly competitive like fishing tournaments and records held throughout the world that are recorded by location, the type of fish, and even the total amount of fish (or pounds of fish) caught.
Fishing Is A Hobby And A Sport
While fishing is certainly a sport (as we covered earlier), fishing is also an excellent hobby.
A hobby is defined as an activity done regularly in one’s downtime for pleasure.
Well, fishing certainly fits that bill: people routinely fish solo or with friends or family to enjoy time together and for recreation or relaxation.
In fact, one of the most relaxing things can be spending some time by a lake or river fishing the afternoon away.
What Are Some Similar Activities And Sports Like Fishing?
There’s no substitute for fishing, but fishing itself has many different variations. Here’s a few:
Traditional Fishing
Traditional fishing, also called angling, is the fishing most of us grew up with: you’ve got a rod and reel and some bait, and you cast the bait into a body of water to catch fish.
Bowfishing
Bowfishing is done above the water with a compound bow or crossbow and involves shooting fish with stringed arrows.
Spearfishing
Spearfishing involves the use of harpoons or spearguns while diving to catch fish underwater.
Big Game Fishing
Big game fishing is usually done out in the open sea and involves heavier equipment to haul in much larger species of fish like marlins, sharks, and tuna.
Is Fishing A Sport? Wrapping Things Up
Ultimately, fishing is a sport and a hobby that involves some physical exertion and while it’s approachable by anyone, it takes a highly expertised level of skill to get consistently good at it.
There are many variables in fishing from the location, weather, species of fish you’re after, and all the gear and bait that make it an extremely scalable activity that provides endless challenges.
Do you think fishing is a sport? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments below!
While you’re here, check out our reviews of the best 2 person fishing kayaks so you and a friend can get out on the water and catch something!