A fishing device 1, for automatically hooking a fish, has a spring 23 that can be tautened and held in a taut condition by a blocking device 37. An end of the spring 23 is coupled to a hook 27 behind which a fishing line, coming from a fishing rod, can be hooked. The fishing line also runs over a sensor 47. If a fish bites the fishing line is pulled taut and the sensor 47 lifts the blocking of the spring 23. Thus the spring 23 loosens, and the hook 27 gives a pull to the fishing line and the fish is hooked. During the hooking the fishing line is held in place by a clamping device 53, and after the fish is hooked the fishing line is released. Thus the reel of the fishing rod can continually stay in the slip position to prevent the fishing rod from being pulled into the water by the fish, to facilitate quick catching of the fish without first having to remove the reel from the blocking position.