People play sports for a myriad of reasons. Some do it to exercise their competitive muscles,  pair themselves against competent opponents, and rise above everyone else. Others play sports to spend time outside with friends, relaxing and enjoying the beauty of the natural world as they engage in team-friendly exercises. Some have taken up sports just to get outside their homes, with the COVID-19 pandemic effectively shutting down most indoor forms of entertainment and social gathering hotspots.

Yet even for those who love sports, it can be difficult to find a sport that perfectly marries competition and relaxation. For some, the aggressive, confrontational vibe of popular sports such as football is just a bit too much, whereas the monotonous, quiet concentration of golf just doesn’t do enough to scratch their competitive itch.

It can also be challenging to find a sport that is fluid enough to become whatever you want from it in the moment: a sport that can be more or less relaxing depending on your mood, a sport that can oscillate between individual and communal without losing anything in the process. For people looking for a sport that is flexible and adaptable as they are, fishing might be an outdoor hobby worth adopting.

Fishing is often held in the same regard as golf, considered by our culture to be an activity akin to watching paint dry, unfathomably enjoyed by people past a particular age group. But the reality is that fishing is a competitive, entertaining sport that also allows for relaxation and is accessible enough to be picked up by absolutely anybody anytime.

Not sold? Here are some reasons why you should give fishing a try.

Individual and Communal Sport

Fishing is fundamentally what you make of it and can be as isolated or as communal as you want it to be. For some, fishing provides a unique opportunity for relaxing in a solitudinous location, enjoying the natural beauty of the area while occasionally being stimulated by a bite at your hook. For others, it prevents an opportunity for socialization, allowing them to escape from the rigor of daily life, pull up a few lawn chairs with their buds, and drink a few beers. From there, it can be as competitive or as friendly as you want it to be. As such, fishing is one of the only sports adaptable to every personality type and mood. You can fish whether you’ve had a terrible day at work and want to be alone or whether you’ve just gotten promoted and want to celebrate with friends.

Fishing Holes Near You

You don’t have to go fishing for shellfish in Costa Rica to take advantage of everything fishing has to offer. You can fish in any nearby body of water, and nearby lakes and rivers will likely have an assortment of unique catches to keep you entertained. While you should follow your state’s regulations for the bodies of water you can fish in, and while it might help to troll fishing forums to find the best fishing holes near you, anyone can fish at any time so long as they have a body of water nearby. This fundamental principle is part of what makes fishing so accessible to so many: that and the widespread availability of cheap fishing equipment.

A Sport that Changes Every Season

While other sports have dedicated seasons, fishing actually evolves with the changing of the seasons, providing fresh new challenges for anglers that are willing to adapt. Fishing in the winter usually takes the form of ice fishing, allowing for a mystery-box-like approach to the sport where anglers lower their hooks into the water via holes they’ve carved out of the ice. While different kinds of equipment are required investments for this kind of fishing, tools like ice fishing tackle kits from Tailored Tackle can make fishing during the wintertime fun and easy and are relatively cheap as well.

Low Cost of Admission

If any of the above has piqued your interest, you can start fishing today with a relatively low investment. Just order your fishing tackle kit and find the nearest lake; You might be surprised at how addictive this low-investment, high-reward sport can be.