Playlist and Pursuits
A look at outdoor world's love of music
Music is deeply ingrained in outdoor culture. Sure, we love the peace and quite, but there is also an appreciation obsession that many of my friends in the woods and water have with the songs and artist they love.
We were two hours into the fight. My drag system failed almost instantly and required me to keep both hands engaged in battling a large fish. A fight that would inevitably end in heartbreak.
Chase Hancock was pouring Celsius down my throat like an athlete during a 4th quarter time out. Fifty yards away our buddy Vince Stegura was on a nearby skiff spectating and blaring Creedence Clearwater Rival on the Turtlebox for what felt like a lifetime.
To this day when I hear that band, I am transported to that morning.
We all have music like that. And the fishing community's connection with music can’t be ignored.
Anglers love music…and maybe in some sort of fluffy, New Age, metaphysical way —music loves us back.
That’s how music works. It loops back and anchors our memories. And if you’re an angler, you know the marsh has its own music too—the slap of mullet, the buzz of cicadas, the sound of a push pole through shallow water.
But why? What draws us to love our playlists almost as much as the pursuits we choose?
I recently had a long conversation with a friend of mine, Andy Prince of Manchester Orchestra, who chipped in his two cents.
Andy shared that we are all “seeking a feeling.” We fish to feel something. We make playlist to feel something, and as a musician, he makes music to feel something.
Whether it’s to turn up, calm down, overcome heartbreak, celebrate a victory, or just to laugh and have a good time. The songs we play set the stage for our experiences.
Music is all about chasing a feeling, just like all of our other pursuits.
Here are a few more connections that I have seen as well.
We are Drawn to Complexity
Fishing and music both reward obsession. Neither are simple “hobbies” you can master overnight. On the water, you’re always reading the elements: the tides, the weather, the birds, the displaced water above the bait. In music, the layers stack just the same—timing, rhythm, harmony, tone. The deeper you go, the more you appreciate. And strangely enough, that’s what keeps you hooked.
In his book Flow, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi writes about how we find joy from pushing into complexities and challenges —not away from them.
In our outdoor pursuits we love to push into the nuances and details…for many, music works the same way.
We are Resistant to Conformity
Part of what draws anglers to the water is the way it resists conforming to neat boxes.
The fish don’t care what time your meeting starts or whether it’s Tuesday or Sunday. The water has its own clock. The fish don’t follow the stock market, pop culture trends, or stress about keeping up with the Jones.’ At least I think they don’t.
Music works like that too. Sure, there’s pop radio and algorithm-driven sameness, but every angler I know prefers finding their own sound—the deep cuts, the overlooked bands, the songs that feel like a you discovered something outside the ordinary.
We don’t do what everyone around us does. We don’t like what everyone around us likes. If we aren’t going to conform in other areas of our lives, why conform with our music.
*Disclaimer: I like plenty of popular artist. I would be embarrassed if you saw my Spotify search history.
We are Creatures of Curation
Every angler curates. We pick the rods, the lines, the flies or lures, the spots, the seasons.
Music is no different. Every playlist is a fingerprint, telling a story about where you’ve been and who you are. There’s a song for the long road trip, a mid-day mix for when the bite slows, and a dock-beer soundtrack that just feels right.
These choices are more than background noise; they are often deeply conscious curated moments. If you don’t believe me, see what happens when you put “the wrong song” on during a boat ride.
Finding good, new music is like finding a good fishing spot.
And sharing that music feels like sharing a technique, story, or approach. And although anglers are often selective with who and what they share…they often love to pass things along to those they trust.
History and Lineage
Both fishing and music are steeped in history. Knots, flies, and patterns passed down across generations. Blues, folk, country, jazz—each rooted in place, stemming from specific lives and stories.
Anglers are natural historians, remembering tides and seasons, holding on to details from years past. Music is the same way. It connects us not only to moments in our own lives, but to something older, something bigger.
In the end, it’s the memories that matter most. Fishing trips aren’t just measured in fish caught, they’re remembered in songs, laughs, good snacks, and cold beers.
Our playlists become soundtracks to some of the best memories of our lives.
Music loops back years later and drops you right into a skiff at sunrise, an early morning drive through the Everglades, or a rowdy night at camp. Or for me a horrific loss of what might have been a fish of a lifetime…
That’s why anglers love music. Because both remind us that life has rhythm, memory, and meaning—
Looking for some good music? Check out a few of our Drifter Fish Club Playlist.
Here is our St. Augustine Playlist which makes you feel like slipping on some aviators and cruising down Highway One in an old Bronco. SPOTIFY LINK
Here is our Montana Playlist which will make you feel like putting on a hat that you would never normally wear, and drinking a beer in the gravel parking lot of a boat launch. SPOTIFY LINK
Here is our Redfish Camp Playlist that will make you feel like drinking a beer around a campfire and complaining about how “There is no real country music on the radio anymore.” SPOTIFY LINK
LEARN ABOUT DRIFTER: www.drifterfishclub.com
SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:
Skinny Water Culture, YETI, Turtlebox Audio, Florida Fishing Products, Purpose Built Optics, and My Captain.
FOLLOW US:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/captainscollective/
Website: https://captainscollective.com