I’ll start writing little by little about my hobbies too.
And first up: boat fishing, which I started about five years ago.
To be completely honest, my past self had almost zero interest in fishing.
My experience level was basically:
“a bit at a fishing pond”
and
“killing time on a remote island.”
No seriousness whatsoever.
I didn’t even like fish that much.
If a supermarket fillet smelled slightly fishy,
I was the type to think,
“Yeah… maybe not today.”
And yet, here I am now,
thinking about boat fishing all the time.
I never expected this to become a life fork in the road.
It Started With a Ridiculously Casual Invitation
One day, a friend messaged me out of nowhere.
“I’ve been fishing on my own boat. Wanna come sometime?”
The message was casual.
The tone was casual.
Everything about it was suspiciously light.
I had always avoided shore fishing because:
- too many people
- fighting over spots felt stressful
- and honestly, etiquette drama scared me
Charter boats also cost a decent amount,
and I knew myself well enough to think,
“If I like this, it could get dangerous.”
But at that moment, a hypothesis appeared in my brain.
“…Wait. On a boat, there aren’t many people, right?”
At that point, the answer was basically decided.
Without thinking too deeply, I said,
“Well, just once.”
Looking back, that was clearly the entrance.
The Moment We Hit Open Water: Too Comfortable
The day came.
We took my friend’s boat offshore.
A few minutes later, my inner monologue got loud.
“This is… huge.”
“There’s no one here.”
“It’s just… ocean.”
360 degrees of unavoidable freedom.
No worrying about distance from other people.
No tangled lines.
No eyes watching.
“What is this? This is way too comfortable.”
At this point, it wasn’t even about fishing.
I felt like the environment itself had already won.
I Was Basically Guided, But It Was Still Fun
This day was fully guided by my friend.
What we caught:
- Tilefish
- Japanese whiting
- Crimson seabream
Did I target them myself?
No.
It was more like,
“Yes, right here,”
and I obediently dropped my line.
But then, the bite.
The little taps transmitted through the rod.
Tap. Tap-tap.
“…Wait. This is fun.”
This was the first time
“fishing itself” actually entered my brain.
Only Later Did I Learn What Kind of Boat It Was
The boat I rode that day.
At the time, my impressions were:
“It’s bigger than I expected.”
“Feels stable even standing.”
“Easy to fish from.”
The name?
No idea.
Later, I looked it up.
It was called the “Perfecter 13.”
Apparently, in the portable boat world,
it’s considered a pretty legendary model.
I unknowingly had a premium experience.
Like being given the best dish at a tasting without realizing it.
On the Way Home, My Brain Became 100% Boat
After fishing, on the way back.
It was already over.
My brain was stuck on one thought:
“How would I buy my own boat?”
No license required.
2-horsepower engines?
Inflatable boats.
Outboard motors.
Before I realized it,
I was already searching online.
My head kept spinning:
“If I do this, can I afford to keep it going long-term?”
“Is this a hobby that fits my life?”
Being on the Ocean Is Freedom
The first taste of freedom on the sea.
Fishing isn’t just from breakwaters.
The ocean is freer than I imagined.
And that freedom,
apparently,
is powerful enough to pull in someone
who doesn’t even like fish that much.
At least, it completely got me.
I’m not fluent in English, but I really wanted to share this story.
So I tried my best using translation tools to write this post.
If you find anything that sounds strange, unnatural, or offensive,
please let me know in the comments.
I’ll check it carefully, translate your feedback, and fix it.
Thank you for reading!
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