Bass Fishing
Bass fishing is a recreational activity enjoyed by many folks in North America. This type of fishing, which is one of the most popular types of fishing in the world, is all about the pursuit of the North American fish known as the black bass. The black bass can be broken down into a few different categories. Bass fishing enthusiasts are out to catch largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and the often neglected Kentucky bass.
Bass fishing is popular all over North America, but it has strong roots in the Southeastern part of the United States. Its original purpose for those states was to provide a means of food for locals. From there, bass fishing has grown by leaps and bounds. No longer are people fishing to feed their families. Now, bass fishing has grown into a multi-billion dollar business that encompasses a professional tour, los of amateur action, and tons of apparel and equipment sales.
In 1950, the sport began to gain acclaim as folks began to enjoy the chase for the bass. Bass became the second most sought after game fish in that year, falling behind only the trout. That was the spark that began the professional bass fishing circuit, which has teamed up with a number of retailers to build bass fishing into a popular sport.
These days, most people who go bass fishing don’t do it for the food. Instead, they view bass as a “catch and release” type of game fish. That phrase was originally coined by some of the folks on an early bass fishing circuit and has stuck through the years. Tournaments encourage fishermen to release their fish immediately or keep them alive in a livewell. At tournament weigh-ins, dead fish are penalized with great force.
Though bass fishing has its strong roots in the southeastern United States and the black bass is a North American fish, the rest of the world is trying to catch on with the idea of bass fishing. With the growing popularity of professional bass fishing circuits and the readily available stream of bass fishing supplies, sportsmen around the world have expressed a desire to fish for bass. Among those countries that currently have programs for stocking bass are Japan and South Africa. This phenomenon can be directly linked to the fact that bass fishing tournaments have become extremely popular in those countries.
Bass fishing is an American creation, but it’s growing to become an international fad. With retailers such as the Bass Pro Shop popping up all over the place and bass fishermen getting their due on national television, it’s likely that bass fishing is on the way to steady growth. Most anglers around the world would agree that not many fresh water fish can put up as strong of a fight as the bass. In the coming years, more and more people around the world will have a chance to experience this sport and the sport will undoubtedly continue to grow at this ravenous pace.