Are you a “Man with Fish?”

Nothing draws more complaints from women than a photo of a man holding a fish. For most women, it’s an immediate swipe left.

Let’s get into this, shall we?

From the male perspective, it makes perfect sense to them to post “Man With Fish” because…

• It shows a man outside, engaged in an activity
• It demonstrates an accomplishment
• A man holding a fish is always smiling — something many men forget to do in their other profile photos

Furthermore, men don’t take as many selfies as women, but “Man With Fish” is one photo that most men have of themselves. And “Man With Fish” is one of the few instances in which a man welcomes the opportunity for someone to take his photo, so he tends to be at his best.

But from the female perspective, “Man With Fish” is all wrong, because…

1. It shows a man holding a dead animal. Granted, even if the angler is practicing “catch and release,” a man holding a fish is still a human holding an animal in distress. And women hate seeing an animal in distress. Even worse if that animal is a deer. Worse still if the deer is dead.
2. The man is wearing sunglasses, so you can’t see his face. Keep in the mind that profile photos — for both men and women — should show what you look like. So anything that creates an obstacle defeats the purpose.
3. The man is wearing a hat. See #2, above.

In a perfect world, these plusses and minuses would even out. If women merely understood why men post “Man With Fish” then their objections would melt away.

But it isn’t a perfect world. You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression, and the message of “Man with Fish” is a universal turn off to most women.

First and foremost, an online dating profile must be appealing. So “Man with Fish” has got to go.

And while we’re on the subject of “Profile Photos Women Hate,” let’s add the following:

1. Man with Motorcycle
2. Man with Truck
3. Man in Bathroom Mirror with Shirt Off
4. Man on Bed with “Come Hither” Look

Men, you can go a long way toward improving the appeal of your online dating profile by eliminating these photos that women love to hate. Your photos should make women curious about you, not what you’ve caught or killed.