How Old Is Too Old To Fish?

[Stump bumper]

My Mom is 81 and even though she has never been a bass fisherman she is still working 40 hours a week as a CNA in a nursing home, mows her yard and trims a hedge that surrounds a large lot and runs around more than my 44 year old wife. She claims it is all due to exercise and despite my 20 years in the Army I have never been able to match her situps. She works out for 30 minutes every morning and I am not talking senior type workouts but full blown calisthenics and she can do more and keep going longer than my 44 year old wife.

I am convinced by watching her that it is not age that gets to someone but inactivity which after working in nursing homes for 40 years she has told me since I was 10 years old and now I can see it and believe it.

After having a heart attack at 42 I was convinced that inactivity was a path for me since working out and hard work hurt, but then I realized with the help of my doctor and mom the only way to feel better was to build that muscle back up. Now I am off the pills and don't even realize I have a clogged artery and am moving blood through new veins just like before.

So your answer is as long as you don't sit down and get old you won't but you can't sit around and wait for a good day and expect to be able to go, staying young is a daily chore.

[Mitch f]

Well, my Grandmother at 65 caught an 8 lb bass. I've been fishing my whole life in Missouri and never caught one that big.

[TrueMan]

Aged 78 with terrible pain from failed back to hip fusion; Stage 4 metastatic kidney cancer; Stage 2 prostate cancer; massive nerve pain in foot from 3 operations; neuropathy in both feet from strong chemo; knee pain from torn cartilege; and failed rotator cuff and clavicle excision on casting arm and it is gradually dawning on me that after 70 rounds of radiation; 16 weeks of chemo; and 12 surgeries, I may not be able to enjoy fly fishing or even spin fishing anymore, even from a dock.  In addition, my son and best fishing partner now lives up North.   It is making me very sad but I guess all good things must come to an end.  Still gonna try though!

[Al Agnew]

Funny...9 years later, so now I'm 68 going on 69 before too much longer.  And I don't think a single thing has changed with me.  Although I had to stop playing basketball when Covid hit, I'm now back to playing 2 days a week, 2 hours each day, full court...and I'm out in Montana now where the air is thinner.  I'm gradually working myself back into basketball shape...one of the things that goes away quickly and takes a lot longer to come back is simple balance, being in balance when you make a move.  I've been demolishing a deck off and on for the last week or so, and hit it hard today after playing hard yesterday; lots of lying on my back and unscrewing deck boards from the underneath, jumping up on joists and back down, using the crowbar to pry up 16 ft. boards.

Fishing?  I can't think of a single thing, yet, that I can't do now that I could do 30 years ago.  But I've probably mentioned this before...a lot depends upon how you treated your body your whole life.  Have a job doing hard manual labor?  You'll stay in shape for a long time, but you'll eventually just wear everything out.  It ain't hard manual labor to sit or stand at an easel and paint, which is mostly what I've done for the last 38 years.  I think I've kept myself in shape without wearing things out so far.

 

[fishinwrench]

On 5/9/2012 at 12:55 PM, fishinwrench said:

Hell I'm only 48 and already notice that I'm slippin. Balance ain't what it used to be, eyes do crazy s#!t, and I just don't have the drive to stay with it on the tough days like I did just a few short years ago. I'm hoping it's just an adjustment phase.....but I dunno. If I think about it too long I get kinda depressed. LOL

Wow! Flashback! 😂 

Apparently it WAS just an adjustment phase, cuz I'm fine now.   

I had totally forgotten about the eye thing....That was weird and kinda scary for awhile.  But whatever it was went away on its own.  I don't even need glasses, still.

 

[Mitch f]

9 minutes ago, fishinwrench said:

Wow! Flashback! 😂 

Apparently it WAS just an adjustment phase, cuz I'm fine now.   

I had totally forgotten about the eye thing....That was weird and kinda scary for awhile.  But whatever it was went away on its own.  I don't even need glasses, still.

 

You were doing a bunch of canoe trips with those pot smokin MFU types back then! 😂

[liphunter]

If you find your teeth in the livewell. You might be to old to go fishing...

[Johnsfolly]

If you have to take half of a Viagra to keep from peeing down the leg of your waders you might be too old to fish! Or at least you should go wet wading more often 😅

[bfishn]

3 hours ago, liphunter said:

If you find your teeth in the livewell. You might be to old to go fishing...

I'd have to call that a win... you found your teeth. 😁

[Maverickpro201]

My fishing buddy/best friend is 81 now, I am 67.  he is a retired Marine. He can bass fish all day, even though I out catch him, most of the time, when we are fishing. Never complains about much at all. When we fish it is generally 4 days straight, 8 to 10 hours a day. He will run the trolling motor generally more than me also.