Fishing. 50 million Americans claim it’s their favorite pastime. That’s one out of every six people in this nation. More people than play tennis and soccer combined. It's no secret, fishing is my favorite pastime too. I’m Joe Thomas, and angling has been in my blood for as long as I can remember. As a matter of fact I not only love to fish, but I get to do it for a living.

But what has really intrigued me throughout my 25 plus year career as a professional bass fisherman is what makes fishing such a part of the American lexicon. Why does the popularity of angling continue to grow?

That my friends is the question we seek to answer on Stihl’s Reel in the Outdoors, my new series airing every Sunday morning at 7am and Friday night at 12:30am on Outdoor Channel. There’s something we as Americans love about fishing, and I’m in search of it wherever it may be.

Whether you do it from a sleek bass boat on a huge reservoir or in a pair of ratty old Chuck Taylors wading in your favorite creek; whether you do it with a fly rod and 4 pound test line or a flipping stick with 50 pound braid, there’s something about the anticipation, the excitement, and the thrill of feeling that tick…that tug…and the full throttle force of a fish on the end of your line. It’s a sense of satisfaction in knowing that you’ve outsmarted a creature that more often than not gets the best of you.

So join me on Stihl’s Reel in the Outdoors only on Outdoor Channel and discover what makes America fish.

Joe Thomas- Host, Reel in the Outdoors presented by Stihl