I think its a sickness and yes its contagious. 
Guess I’m sick too! 
When I was a Baby, I was dropped on my head. Upon inpact, a small piece of Ruble was noticed to have fallen out from one of my ears. Further X-Rays confirmed an abnormal brain structure simular to what you’d find on a lake master map with simularities of 4 & 5 mile gravel on Lake Mille Lacs.
Doctors notified my parents that I had a rare Disease known as “Excessive desire to Fish Syndrome”.
They were warned that this disease would worsen with age.
The Symptoms would start to over rule the brain and cause abnormal spending of money to help feed the disease and cause the brian to override ones judgement to the conditions that they will put them selves through, again feeding this horrible disease.
The good news from all this was, the Doctors confirmed that as long as the body didn’t try to fight this condition, that the brain would stay healthy and one could still live a semi normal, and very happy life for years to come.
I took the doctors advise and haven’t faught it for years.
That’s my story and I’m stickin’ with it
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I’m a hardcore walleye fisherman. I’ve fished walleyes in about every type of weather that Mother Nature has dished out.
Why do we do it?
Because we love it and live for it and dream about it when we aren’t doing it.
Depends on each person I’m sure. For me, I just love being out there.
I could say the same about hunting. Why would I be willing to spend $14,000 to kill myself for 10 days chasing a moose over mountain after mountain and call it a vacation? Because I loved every second of it and I day dream about going back all the time (at least when I’m not day dreaming about being on the water).
We do it because we think people that sit in a warm house in front of the TV or on a beach for 7 days doing nothing but reading and sitting are absolutely nuts. What a waste of a perfectly good vacation. 
There were 2 boats out when I left the River yesterday at about 6, man did they botch that wind report!!!! It was nasty, when the ancor broke loose for the 3rd time we aasked ourselves what are we doing out here! Oddly enuff the next morning when Im stuck at home for the day I would trade that wind and madness for anything right now
That is an excellent question and I really don’t have the answer. There is just something very special about catching walleye consistently. I started out fishing sunnies and catfish then evolved to bass fishing and once I stumbled onto walleyes I have never looked back. Fishing walleyes in some ways is like deer hunting—you have to pay attention to the smallest of details and some days even when you do everything right you can get skunked. When it comes to fishing walleyes the size of your boat and the money you have in your equipment isn’t nearly as important as what you have between your ears and how you use it. To consistently put decent walleye in the boat is a challenge most of us struggle with but at the same time it is so rewarding when all the pieces fall into place. You mentioned thinking if you were crazy some days—that is how I feel in July and August when I am out there in the 90 degree heat and the wind dies down. At those times I long for the days of March and I question my sanity.
I am the top of the food chain,… mother nature fears me. Maybe I was dropped on my head too 
Seriously though, for me, it’s the competition within myself. I have lived my life so far doing everything I was told I can not do or was impossible. I don’t know if its a learned or acquired attribute, but I have a natural drive to exceed expectations. I fish so I can relax and make about 3,000 casts a day and not deal with the elements of which I can not control
Primal wiring. I find myself waking up at 3:00 and driving an hour in the rain while standing in water and breaking ice going what the hell am i doing. Then when you catch that first walleye, or when the first gray blob locks up in the dark and goes splash and the dog flys out the boat and brings it back with a smile on his face and tail waging and its the most beautiful drake wood duck you have ever seen as you watch the dark melt into a mellow orange you get that feeling. It is the feeling for me.
For me it is the challenge. Putting myself up against weather conditions, water flows, fish, other fisherman, and mother nature in general.
The feel when you set the hook on a nice fish, the excitement when you get a newbie on that same excitement.
Watching my sons eyes light up when he sees a fish come to the side of the boat or up the ice hole.
Watching the sunset on a beautiful summer day, sitting with great friends shooting the bull.
Getting chills right before you see the sun come up over the trees, and then feeling the warmth of the sun on your face.
Watching the fog roll across the lake like it is alive when you are running to the first spot of the day.
The amount of friendships that I have made and improved while in the boat. Spending time with my Dad, and now my son without cell phones, computers, stress, and all the other day to day crap that hold our lives down.
For me it is all this and more. There are people out there who have never experienced this. We are the lucky ones 
I wonder if age doesn’t temper the urge a bit though?
I remember us guys hitting Milacs back in the 80’s and we find 35mph winds and storms approaching and we make comments like, as long as we don’t get too much lightening we’ll be ok, and did anybody bring them heavier jigs???
And off we’d go…
Now days it seems many of my friends tend to stay off lakes in that kind of weather, either waiting for better conditions or finding a more calmer lake to fish, have to admit I lean that way too.
Still love to fish, but that hair raising feeling you get just before the lightening strikes, just isn’t as exciting as it was years ago..:)
Still, hard to beat a day on the lake.
Al
It’s that, what’s gonna happen next, mystery of it all thing.
Being two sandwiches shy of a picnic explains alot too 
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I’m a hardcore walleye fisherman. I’ve fished walleyes in about every type of weather that Mother Nature has dished out. I’ve asked myself many times, “Am I going to be the only crazy walleye fisherman out there?” And, as soon as I see the public access, the answer is no.
Why do we do it?
When most people ask that question my reply is usually “you just wouldnt understand….”
AllenW
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I wonder if age doesn’t temper the urge a bit though?
I remember us guys hitting Milacs back in the 80’s and we find 35mph winds and storms approaching and we make comments like, as long as we don’t get too much lightening we’ll be ok, and did anybody bring them heavier jigs???
I completely agree that age does temper the urge. I still remember those days when my 8ft Loran-C antenna sounded like an electric motor getting ready to burn out. Fishing the mud, and seeing a lightning bolt hit the big fish at Garrison. I still limp and walk a little crookedfrom fishing the shallow water rocks in 5ft waves on the southend of Mille Lacs. I still love to fish. And, thank god for duct tape and Vicadin. 
I don’t walk the ice to the edge of the open water anymore I don’t push the boat across the ice and hop in anymore but I know guys that still do.
I do LOVE to get out there and go after them and I do prefer to be in the boat when I do. I always aim to have the boat out on the water 12-months out of the year. and most folks I know say I am nuts or crazy or some other comments .
I go because I love it and because I would much rather sit in the boat and be comfortable than sit on a pail on the ice.
My name is Dave and I am an addict. I have a problem and the only cure is more fishing
The coolest thing about this fever, or addiction is it can be caught at any age. My Grandma infected me with it when I was about 4. Thanks Grandma.
I suppose we can start a support group for all this, just have to figure out what lake to meet on and what’s we’re fishing for…..:)
Al
According to the ol’ man,
he says we’re all crazy!!
Its the best drug around My wife tell’s people when they ask how come you let him hunt and fish so much? She tells him at least hes not sittin in a bar and he can get a lil crabby when he’s not uotdoors
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Its the best drug around
Yes sir, you ARE correct!!!
Mark
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Why do we do it?
Because I know its the one place in the world I will never run into one of my ex-wives.
I fish because I need something to do. Cant handle sitting around the house for long periods of time. Never been much of a gardener. Golf is stupid. The wife gets mad when I spend 8hrs or more in the bar. Fishing it is.
As far as fishing in poor weather. One thing now a days is the gear we have to wear in poor conditions makes it a whole lot nicer out. Quality rain gear to keep us dry. Quality snosuits to keep us warm.
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Why do we do it?
Because I know its the one place in the world I will never run into one of my ex-wives.
God forbid they find out just how much you spent on your fishing equipment
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Why do we do it?
Because I know its the one place in the world I will never run into one of my ex-wives.
Part of the reason they are ex-wives.
Cause its addicting!!
I personally enjoy the thrill of Ice fishing & watching that mark on my graph come off the bottom and smack my spoon or jig!
Or during open water season on a cool October full moon night trolling that crank bait over the rocks & weed lines waiting for that rod to double
over!
Thanks Dad, for introducing me into fishing at an early age!
Along with all our memories & many more to come!
A guy could go on & on why he enjoys searching for the elusive walleye, they’re a challenge that where constantly trying to master & out wit!
That’s what drives me.
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