Fishtales
Fishing Is the Oldest Sport in the World
By
Aug 25, 2004, 12:35

Archaeologist and biologists are finding remains of fish bones in ruins thousands of years old, so I can assure anglers, fishing is one of the oldest sports in the world.
The Indians and early Americans were known to have built traps or tidal weir or as we would call it, a dam. This was very well engineered with posts and willow limbs as webbing to connect them. Some of these traps have been found along the New England coast with archaeologist telling us that the wood in them was tested and is believe to be more than 4,000 years old. They were elaborate and not just mud and stone.



The catch of the day for Don Dillon was a 21-pound, 38-inch cobia. He stopped at Fisherman’s One Stop for a photo.

Rick Bollinger was fishing in a pond for bass when he landed a 4-1/2 pound, 22-inch trophy bass. He stopped by Fisher-man’s One Stop with his catch.




It is a complicated question as to when early fish hooks were used. I know that records show how bone hooks were used as far back as 5,000 years ago.
Some hooks were made from the thorns off trees, deer toe claws and even bird claws and beaks.

One team of archaeologist in Africa found fossils of catfish which were thousands of years old. (I know the catfish couldn’t have been caught by hand.)
Two thousand years ago, North America Indians were using bows and arrows to shoot fish.

There is a story I heard about stunning fish: Rocks along or in the water near shore were beaten with a heavy object to make a loud noise, which stunned the fish. People would then go along the water gathering the stunned fish. I know this method started before the hook was invented.

Man has been catching or fishing for fish for many years, as far back as the Indians, the Up-Creek People, and from Ruskin’s earliest history, that their livelihood depended on fishing.

Most of the history stories relate to fishing:
Mothers and children laying nets out to dry and using a wooden hook to mend them.

Nebraska Buzbee always coming back to shore with a load of fish and giving them to those who couldn’t fish.
Remembering Captain Smith who had many boats and employed many pioneers. How they camped out along the banks of the rivers for weeks, taking along a mess hall cook.

The Castillos who lived on Cockroach Bay mound. The McRoberts, Red Lanier, Charlie Jahns who told the story of a 55,000 record catch in the Little Manatee River. Yes, Ruskin was once a fishing village.
Back in the late 80s there weren’t any saltwater fishing licenses to buy. Times sure have changed since then.

Ever wonder why people go fishing? I talk to some anglers and heard:

“Have you ever held a pole and had a fish tugging at the other end? Now, that is the best time of my life.”
“I fish for the peace and quite of the outdoors.”
“The best entertainment in the world is fishing.”
“It is a challenge.”
“Catching a fish is the best pure excitement in the world.”
“Ever see a fish break water, jump and take off...that is a thrill of a lifetime.”
“No noise, no traffic lights, no idle chatter, just beautiful sights and a thrill of a lifetime when you bring one in.”
I can’t help from wondering how a fish, with a very small brain, can outsmart man and why man still keeps trying to outsmart the fish.

Today fishing takes much more than ingenuity, it takes money, lots of money if you want to spend it. It is man who has invented and marketed millions of different types of objects to better fishing.

There is an endless option in the types of tackle and gear anglers can buy, but fishing remains a pleasure and salubrious exercise.

Today there are approximately a million boats registered in Florida.

* * *
Redfish are still tailing the flats and catches are being made.
Silver trout have been caught around the piers.
Snook are out there being caught and released.
Freshwater catfish have been caught in the upper parts of the Little Manatee River this week.
Large mouth bass have been surfacing for food in the freshwater.
Trout are being boated.
Mangrove snapper are swimming in the channels.
Tripletails are appearing in the Bay.
Sheepshead are being outsmarted by anglers this week.
Whiting are appearing in the rivers.
Flounder have come off the bottom and are searching for food.
Enjoy the great Florida waterways and keep your table laden with fish.