If fishing wasn't your passion.....

[crappiemaster]

Just curious, other than fishing, what are other Wa lakers passions? I have been thinking/looking at metal detectors. I was talking to an old fella who does it and some of things he has found over the years at beaches, parks and old homesteads are incredible. Some are not worth much, but just the nostalga is pretty cool. I think that may be my next hobby.

[natetreat]

That's a hard one! I guess if it weren't fishing it would be hiking. I'm a graphic designer, so art and writing are a necessity, and music would be a close third. I read lots of technical manuals and coding books and love a logically written algorithm, but don't like the way that computer monitors suck out my brains. I used to be in a couple of bands, and played a lot of music when I was younger. But those pursuits don't offer enough time outside, which is where I'm happiest.

[Marc Martyn]

Metal detecting is fun, I did a fair amount of it while I was in college. You can find some interesting things. My best find was a 1928 S Mercury Head Dime in Ex. Fine condition. I found that under a big old maple tree that was planted on an island in the middle of the street intersection. I figured that a lot of kids had played in that tree over the decades. It was about 2 inches down in the dirt.

You do find a lot of junk, a lot. The only thing that bothered me about detecting is a lot of people stop you in parks and tell you that you are breaking the law and destroying public property. Most cities require a permit to do it. In Spokane, it was only a few bucks and wasn't a big deal.

Some of my best finds were in the boulevards between the street and the side walk in residential areas. You'll find a lot of coins in those because people would pull out their keys and coins would drop into the grass. This area, at least in Spokane, is city property and you can legally search on those. However, the homeowner will come out and tell you to get off of his property. He thinks because he mows it, it is his. Not so.

[Lotech Joe]

Fishing has been with me for so long it's hard to say what I would do without it. That being said, I'd probably go back to archery, and learn how to make my own longbows. I always did dip, crest & fletch my own arrows. I once made a darned nice leather back quiver too. That was fun. If I didn't do that, I might seriously consider prospecting. Although the cost of gas to get to camp might be prohibitive. Camping, prospecting, music, archery and camp cooking. If I had the $$$$, I could show you how to have some fun in life.

[Fish_Bait111397]

Football ! :bball:

[The Quadfather]

Good thread....
Regarding metal detecting, that is something that I enjoy also. I grew up with my Dad having a metal detector. We would go out and have some good times. I bought a decent one a couple years ago. I admit now thinking about it, that I hardly every use it. Yes, there are a lot of rules as to where you can use it, and getting certain permission from certain types of parks. but I will say that if you get on a metal detecting forum, and talk to the peeps. They will set you straight on the laws.
My biggest passion outside of fishing is woodworking. I greatly admire things made well with good wood. Look at a beautiful wooden bowl. That is called "Wood turning" wow! wish I could do that. I started building a wooden boat (unfortunately started it about 18 months ago!) I have times when I work on it diligently, and then I stop for 6 months.
I was encouraged into this from another member on this forum... "Gistepo" from Spokane. Now THAT guy can build some boats!
I greatly enjoy live music also. I'll go out to local clubs on weeknights til 1-2 am, if it is a good band.

[curado]

shooting or wheeling =)

[Dave]

I can't imagine not being able to fish. I've been doing it since I was about 5 years old, so 31 years. Thanks Dad! I hope to retire somewhere where fishing is abundant (likely Alaska). My other favorite activity is camping so if I didn't have fishing in my life I'd be camping.

[Gonefishing]

Man now listen up man.... oh man... lordy man I just can't put it into words man. But man... oh wow man... you .... man ... take my fishing pole away from me..... man.... like call 911 man... won't whooooa man it won't be for me man but for you.... man.

Seriously you take my fishing pole away I take up an even more expensive sport...... like um Golf..... Gotta have that nice set of wheels thinking a Beemer but a Mercedes will do. Then we will start up with stupid pants, and shirt, then the shoes. Then balls (gonna need lots of em I'm going to lose the suckers faster than I do jigs). And then we have the clubs.... starting with big EXPENSIVE drivers... and irons.... and pitching wedge.... and one of those danged high tech putters... oh and a caddy... and a shovel. Gonna need a shovel after I bury the caddy on the 2nd hole. And a lawyer... gonna need a lawyer after they uncover the caddy and find the shovel. And a metal detector... gonna need that to find the rest of the clubs cause man cause I'm gonna bury em if I don't shoot no damned birdies or eagles.

Oh don't give me that look just give me the damned fishing pole back... and a boat. I deserve a boat after you even thought to remove the rod from me.

[The Quadfather]

Gonefishing.... So is you sayin' that you like to golf?, lol.

[sickbayer]

I played rugby for 25 years so there was little time to do fishing. I am retired now but still am passionate about it, rugby world cup starts next weekend. if i didnt fish i would prob find a team i could offer my skills as a coach.

[racfish]

For me its cooking. During summer months as our local fruits and veggies ripen I makes jams jellies pickled products. Im a lil obsessed with home canning.Cooking has always been my passion.Just this last weekend I put up 25 lbs of pickled beets,Blacberry jelly,nectarine jam.Canning is an American tradition that needs reviving. When you open a jar of pickles from veggies you grow its quite a treat in the winter.
Off roading was another fun hobby. I dont go much now but when my Bro gets out I plan to be back at it.

[flinginpooh]

Anything out doors works for me. I have the expensive driver irons putters I dont have a caddy and I find alot of balls or buy cheap ones cause I do loose alot myself. But I love golfing. I dont golf that much because Im always fishing. My wife loves golfing and probably would prefer me to golf then to fish. She hates me fishing that much sometimes. I told her I was gonna go today and OMG the look I got said alot. Her mouth didnt move once though. So for me something outdoors close to nature one way or the other.

[jens]

I was a 6 handicap before I started fishing. Golf was all I thought about. But of course life happens and having to take care of my honey during pregnancy, I just couldn't afford to keep up my game, so I took a couple years off when my daughter was born 3 years ago. I haven't touched my sticks whatsoever when I got into fishing for Salmon and Steelhead.

But, I can say I spend waaaaaaay more money fishing than I did golfing. Way more..

[BentRod]

I've got so many interests, my list is darn near endless. I used to do a little of everything, but now with kids, I hardly have time to do just one thing. I chose fishing as that is one of my favorite pass times. However, for as few times as I get out a year, I don't know if it even qualifies even as a hobby anymore.
Ok, to list a few other options if fishing wasn't available:
cooking, hunting, camping, hiking, golfing, metal detecting, prospecting, welding, fabricating, 4x4 (building and offroading), rock hounding, woodworking, snowboarding......I think there are a few more, but I'm sure you get the picture.
Just not enough time and $ to do them all.

[Matt]

I spent a lot of time riding street bikes between 18 and 23 and would love to get back on that wagon. After a drunk driver backed over my bike in a parking lot in 2008 (uninsured) I sold my bike and bought a boat, that really changed things for me. I was always adamant about fishing, but after buying a boat it became an obsession. Then once I graduated college in '09 it was all over, and I started getting out in the boat multiple times a week. Then 2010 rolls around and I pick up an even nicer boat, the rest is history, lots of weeks 5 days a week or more fishing, 3am after 3am time and time again. It would be impossible for me to ever justify getting rid of my boat in pursuit of a street bike, and the only way I would ever buy another one is if I had the money to do so, so at this point it is way deep on the back burner.

Aside from that, I love music. Can't really say much more on the subject other than music has always been an instrumental facet of my life.

My last (of 6) streetbike, pre-runover:

[Gonefishing]

Gonefishing.... So is you sayin' that you like to golf?, lol.

No.... I hate golf. It would be my get revenge thing with whomever took the fishing pole away... assuming it was my wife and her money.

If it was my money.... hmmmm Don't know what I'd do then. Maybe take up biking. Lose weight, get totally lost on 2 wheels, possibly run over by a car....

[Gringo Pescador]

If I didn't fish I'd probably be retired by now#-o

For me, Long distance motorcycle rides (my last one was 4000 miles in 8 days) and
Metal Detecting (found a dead guy once - ok, it was a brass urn with about a tablespoon of ash in it, but still a good story).

[A9]

Like many of you, my other hobbies also involve the outdoors.

Skiing (snow) and surfing are my other big hobbies and would probably get more attention if I wasn't spending 50-100 (depends every year) days a year fishing. Not only is riding down a mountain or a wave fun but you get to see some cool areas and travel to new places, meet people with similar passions and be outside.

Would love to get into camping and hiking as there are a lot of areas I'd love to see in this state, namely the Olympic peninsula and mount rainier area

[rjn cajun]

If I couldn`t fish I would be locked up in a funny farm. But when the cold hits and even before I`m in the woods hunting deer and elk. Can`t really say which one I`d rather be doing. I love both and one passes time till the other gets here. Although fishing season last alot longer. That`s why I`m not on the site much during hunting season never home. Going set up camp in two weeks and the rigs will stay till November. After November hunting season is over to cold for me and the bass then I stare outside during NFL Sunday.:bounce: