How Many Calories Do You Burn Fishing?

Fishing can be a great deal of fun for anyone. Whether you are a first-time fisherman, a novice angler or you are a seasoned veteran, the thrill of the catch can be a hard feeling to rival.

And not only can fishing be fun and exciting for virtually anyone, but it is also a sport that is known for helping to bring people together; fathers teaching their sons, who will one day teach their sons; and whole families spending their afternoons out on a boat catching fish.

Either way, if you are reading this article, you probably already know this and are wondering how many calories you can burn while fishing.

Unfortunately, this is not really a simple answer to calculate.

Everyone’s body has a different metabolism and there are many factors that contribute to your body’s ability to burn calories.

But with this in mind, in today’s blog post, we will be taking a look at how many calories you can burn while fishing.

Specialist Howard Jones, an armourer for the 189th Military Police Company, puts a squid on a hook during a joint military fishing trip in the Guantanamo Bay, 08 July. Jones is one of several troops stationed at Joint Task Force and Naval Station Guantanamo who volunteer to teach in Morale Welfare and Recreation sponsored basic fishing classes.

Fishing For Some … Exercise?

For most people, fishing is not usually thought of as being a particularly intense or physically active sport.

In fact, when most people think of fishing, they imagine a person standing still on a boat or dock, occasionally jigging their line, or gently casting lures into the nearby water, all without exerting themselves all that much.

But when you really break it down, fishing can actually be a fairly intense sport and in some cases, does require a decent amount of strength. For example, when fishing in waist-deep water or fighting with a big catch, an angler needs both strength and stamina in order to be successful.

So how many calories can you burn when fishing gets a bit more intense? Could fishing really become part of your physical fitness training routine?

Different Types of Fishing

According to DelcoNewsNetwork, the number of calories you burn while fishing averages from around 130 to 175 calories per hour, depending, of course, on the type of fishing that you are doing.

But while you may only burn between 130 and 175 calories when casting gently or still fishing, you can burn significantly more when doing other types of fishing.

For example, when fishing in a stream, it is estimated that a person can burn up to 350 calories an hour due to the strength needed to brace themselves against the current. Similarly, an intense session of deep-sea fishing can burn anywhere between 250 and 400 calories per hour.

However, the keyword here is “intense”.

So keep in mind, that just because you are standing on a boat with a fishing rod in your hand, it does not necessarily mean that you will be burning all that many calories. But, if you are using a setup and reel for bottom-fishing, especially if you are trolling through deeper waters or targeting larger species, you should easily be able to burn off a few calories.

Lastly, there are several other factors that contribute to the number of calories that your body will burn while fishing. For example, your sex, age, weight, and height will all have a significant impact on your body’s metabolism.

To get a better idea about how many calories your body is capable of burning while fishing, check out this handy calorie calculator.

Just Starting Out

Spincast reels are considered to be the perfect choice for anglers who are just getting started in the sport of fishing. They are simple to understand, easy to use, and anglers are just as capable of catching any type of game fish species on spincast reels as they are spinning or conventional reels. Click on the link for more information.

Burning Calories While Catching The Big One

The main muscle groups used for fishing are going to be your wrists and forearms, your abdominals and lower back, as well as your shoulders and upper back.

Even your thigh and calf muscles are going to get a bit of an intense workout by helping you keep your balance while reeling in your next catch.

To sum it all up, it is possible for a person to burn anywhere between 130 and 400 calories per hour, depending entirely on the type of fishing they are doing and the amount of exertion required.

And if we take a median caloric burn of 235 per hour, and multiply that by a full eight hour day of fishing, the average fisherman can burn roughly 1,880 calories during a day out fishing. That is pretty impressive for a day out on the water, especially when you consider the fact that most people consider fishing to be more of a “lazy man’s sport.”