Peter announces, "I go a fishing," and the others answer that they will go with him. They enter a boat and spend the night working on the lake.
Jesus in Context
I Go Fishing: Returning to a Galilean Livelihood
Peter's decision to fish places the disciples back within the commercial world several of them knew before becoming followers of Jesus.
Introduction
Historical and Cultural Context
Fishing was not merely recreation for Peter and several of Jesus' disciples. The Gospel traditions identify Peter and the sons of Zebedee with the fishing trade. Boats, nets, crews, catches, processing, and sale of fish belonged to an important part of the Galilean economy.
John does not say that Peter is abandoning discipleship or permanently returning to his former occupation. The safest reading is simply that these experienced fishermen go fishing while they are in Galilee.
Why It Matters
The occupational background makes the later miracle more striking. These are not novices who fail because they do not know how to fish. Their professional experience provides the setting for a night of failure followed by extraordinary abundance at Jesus' direction.