Fishing
Fishing is a recreational activity, a sport, and a way to put food on the table, and it can done with one's bare hands, fishing rods, nets, baskets, harpoons, trained animals, and several other means. Fishing is done and enjoyed by human and Transformer alike, and probably many more species out there in the universe, though almost certainly none of the fish and equivalent species. If the aquatic animal being hunted is something special, a more specific verb like whaling or sharking may be appropriate.
Funnily enough, while fishing is a form of hunting, hunting is often the prerogative of villainous types and fishing is that social or introspective activity heroic figures drift to. Fish get no respect.
Fiction
[edit]Generation 1
[edit]Generation 1 cartoon continuity
[edit]The Transformers cartoon
[edit]
Outside the walls of Autobot City, Hot Rod and Daniel were fishing. It wasn't going so well with the fish not biting and Daniel missing his dad until Hot Rod did catch a fish and a message came through that an Autobot shuttle was coming in for landing. Daniel wanted to go welcome the newcomers, so Hot Rod threw his catch in the lake and followed after the boy. The Transformers: The Movie
At some point in their lives, the Dinobots had made a habit of going fishing together. Their method was to stand in a body of water in dinosaur mode and open their mouths in the direction of fishes and chewing down as soon as they got one, although Grimlock could use his hands for catching. Snarl, Sludge, and Slag were fishing together when Grimlock refused the invitation to join them because he had more important things to do. They were dismayed, but after Grimlock's important business was over he joined them in another round and everyone was happy again. Grimlock's New Brain
The two-man crew of a fishing boat in Japan got into trouble when they ended up in the middle of a fight between Devastator and Predaking and Broadside. Broadside chased the two Decepticons away and saved the fishing boat from capsizing amidst the waves. The Burden Hardest to Bear
Ask Vector Prime
[edit]In a universe where Primax and Gargent realities were merged on the eve of events of cosmic significance, Hot Rod was enjoying a relaxing day of fishing with Nick Burns when they discovered that Cy-Kill was about to unleash an ambush on Autobot City.
Japanese cartoon continuity
[edit]Kiss Players
[edit]Shaoshao Li originally found Hot Rod's love for fishing, which always ended in him releasing the fishes back into the water, interesting in the sense that it was novelty not only to see a robot fishing but also to see him being good at it. However, the smell clung to him and made kissing him a disagreeable experience. Kiss Players #17 Hot Rod further broadened Shaoshao's horizons by acquiring a gigantic fishing rod that in times of danger could be transformed into a weapon. Shaoshao was genuinely impressed and insisted he'd always bring her along on his fishing trips. Kiss Players #20 One particular day, Hot Rod had a feeling that he would catch a lot of fish, which would be good because Shaoshao needed to eat and their options were limited what with being off the grid and all. Shaoshao wasn't too fond of the situation, but went with her partner to Tokyo Bay. As a fish tugged on Hot Rod's line, Hot Rod tried to reassure her about the future but the arrival of a pack of Legions diminished the effectiveness of his words. At first, Shaoshao refused to kiss Hot Rod because he smelled of fish again, but pushed through when it became clear they would not survive the battle otherwise. Tonight's Big Catch!?
Legends comic
[edit]Hot Rod didn't care for the work that went into affording a transtector or searching for the lost Targetmasters and instead spent his time fishing, believing that the universe would sort itself out. His philosophy paid off when he caught a Sharkticon that immediately gobbled him up, which allowed Hot Rod to discover that the creature was hollow inside and outfitted with controls. Given that Sharkticons were not native to the Legends World, he realized that it had to be a clone and a lead towards the Targetmasters, whom were believed to have mutated and developed new abilities. LG44 Sharkticon
Super-God Masterforce cartoon
[edit]
When the Headmaster Juniors were invited to come along on a work camping trip to the Rocky Mountains, Shūta's and Cab's thoughts immediately went to fishing and catching a king salmon. Minerva was convinced that the best they'd catch would be sardines and so when they left to go fishing, there was both a meal and dignity to lose out on if they failed to bring in a salmon. Things looks bad when after a long time of no bites, the one they got was nothing more than a dead tree that had been lying on the lakebed. Just then, the park ranger Ranger dropped by to arrange his own dinner and with the bait he made himself he immediately caught a king salmon. The congenial sort, he gave Cab some of his bait and Cab caught a salmon even bigger than Ranger's. The Autobots are it that evening along with the mushrooms Minerva had picked. An Enemy? The Third Godmaster, Ranger
Victory cartoon
[edit]After Decepticon activity turned his field into a large lake, Tom went with the flow and set up a fish farm. Mach and Tackle
Beast Wars II cartoon
[edit]
While waiting for Diver and Scuba to return from their underwater reconnaissance mission, Tasmania Kid killed some time by tying a line to his tail and going fishing. Bighorn kept him company. He wasn't getting any biters until the two scouts returned and what he caught, to everyone's horror, was Halfshell. The Space Pirate Seacons!
In a fake love letter intended to lure Bighorn into a trap, the mechasquid Scylla wrote that she'd be waiting for "his tackle". Showdown in the Sea
Marvel The Transformers comics
[edit]There are no fish in Lake Dena. Despite this, Professor Morris apparently went fishing there on more than one occasion. The day after a failed attempt to convince his Roxxon superiors to allow him to use his neural relay link to control the Transformers, Morris finally caught something in Lake Dena—the deactivated body of the Dinobot Swoop. The Icarus Theory
Out on the Matrix Quest, the Pretenders Longtooth, Pincher, and Doubleheader made it to the harbor town of Gottlieb on Pequod. In the mercury sea on the other side of the harbor, a whale-like creature known as the Klud, which was believed to be extinct, had recently shown up. Believing it to be a possible clue, the Pretenders decided to check it out but in doing so Longtooth was attacked by the Klud and lost his leg to it. From that point on, Longtooth's priorities shifted to vengeance as all he wanted was for the Klud to perish by his hands. Both his fellow Autobots and the Decepticons led by Thunderwing tried to stop him, the former to prevent their friend from doing something he would regret and the former because a living Klud was a better clue than a dead one. As the four parties struggled, the Decepticons got the information they needed and left the scene while Pincher successfully talked Longtooth into lowering his harpoon gun and letting the Klud live. Deadly Obsession
It's not out of the question that even Unicron likes to fish, because when he had the chance, he reformatted three low-life criminals from the planet Ghennix into Hook, Line, and Sinker.
Forest Rescue Mission
[edit]The first thing Butch did while on a trip to the forest with his dad and the Autobots was fishing, certain he'd land a big one. Forest Rescue Mission
Island of Fear
[edit]
Swimming past some of Nali's fishermen tending their nets to go fishing later that day, you went beyond Rangda's Point to a secluded cove where you hope to be alone for a bit. Instead, you met Beachcomber as he came out of a nearby cave, a fishing rod slung over one of its shoulders. He was just as surprised to see you as you to see him and he ditched fishing to have a chat with you. Island of Fear
2005 IDW continuity
[edit]General Allenby enjoyed fly fishing yet was pulled away from a fishing trip for a video conference with Major Witwicky. Scrapper
Transformers Go! Go!
[edit]
In the fall, Optimus Prime and Bumblebee encountered Megatron and Long Haul on their day off. Optimus and Megatron decided to hold a fishing contest, with Bumblebee acting as the referee, but when the competition came to an end Bumblebee admitted that they hadn't laid down any actual rules before they started. Warriors' Day Off
A giant mechanical shark was discovered making the coast unsafe, so on Hot Rod's advice, he and Bumblebee went fishing for it. Hot Rod caught it, but it swallowed him as it was hauled to shore. Not easily deterred, Hot Rod activated his flames and baked the fish from the inside in preparation of readying it for mealtime. Marvelous! Fire Shark Fishing!!
Robots in Disguise
[edit]Robots in Disguise cartoon
[edit]Kelly was out at sea on a UF-28 S/C fishing boat after months of planning for her fishing trip. She was enjoying the clear sky and the calm water when a police car suddenly came raining down next to her boat. She chose to ignore it and keep fishing and then had to fight really hard to also ignore the fire truck that flew overhead. She succeeded, but a talking SUV passing was too much and she broke off her fishing time to go take a nap. The Hunt for Black Pyramid
On the evening before his father's birthday, Koji reminisced about how they always went birthday fishing, especially for bass. To keep his emotions in check, Koji set out the next day to buy a fishing lure as a birthday gift for if he and his father would ever reunite. By coincide, he encountered Sky-Byte just as he was transporting the professor in a pod that hid him from view. Koji tried to get the Predacon to bring the lure to his father, but Sky-Byte, being a shark, noted that he wasn't comfortable doing that. However, when Koji explained the significance of the gift, Sky-Byte got all choked up and agreed to help out, but the arrival of the Autobot Brothers prevented him from taking the lure. In the subsequent battle, Sky-Byte lost the pod and Koji discovered his father inside. One can assume he gave him the lure himself after their reunion. Koji Gets His Wish
Hall of Fame bio
[edit]Left behind on Earth after the final battle, Sky-Byte devoted his time to attacking illegal fishing vessels. Transformers Hall of Fame
Unicron Trilogy
[edit]Armada cartoon
[edit]On a camping trip, Rad took some time for himself to fish in the river with the intention of turning his catch into dinner later. Smokescreen joined him and was curious about the proceedings. After Rad showed him how his fishing rod worked and lamented that due to a dam the river contained less fish than it used to in the past, Smokescreen offered to help by dumping his hook in the water. Rad was initially put off that Smokescreen was chasing away all the fishes, but he changed his tune when the splash threw one right in his hands. The two kept fishing until the rain forced Rad to stop. Vacation
Cybertron cartoon
[edit]Robert Hansen was called by his neighbor George to inform him he'd bought a new fishing pole and would catch more fish than Robert now. Robert countered he could "outfish him with a string and a safety pin." Collapse
Years ago, young "Mikey" Franklin went on a fishing trip to the Green River Rapids with his father. The fishing trip became a bust when he nearly drowned, but he did get to meet Evac. Revelation
Movie continuity
[edit]The Veiled Threat
[edit]Erasto Khalfani didn't make enough money as a fisherman to stay afloat, so he turned to piracy. Following an encounter with Ironhide, who mercifully let the pirate leave, Khalfani returned to fishing, having already made enough money to live comfortably. The Veiled Threat
Rescue Bots cartoon
[edit]
The Burns have an annual family fishing trip. While the older siblings made excuses not to go, Chief Burns and Cody were willing to go and took the Rescue Bots with them. Heatwave had a low appreciation for fishing at first, but he soon gained a new admiration for the sport when he wrestled with a mechanical shark. Deep Trouble
BotBots
[edit]Unreelz Dealz is a member of the Wilderness Troop who transforms into a fishing pole.
Notes
[edit]- In the Beast Wars II cartoon, Ikard's spaceship is shaped like an octopus pot.
- In the July 1998 issue of TV Magazine, an activity page depicts Lio Convoy fishing along with GingaRed and [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}Ultraman Dyna|{{#if:||Ultraman Dyna}}]].