I thought the fishy sticks were gay back in 2003 when people were mentioning them all the time. Now when i see people giving them out i just think "uggh". It's like beating a dead horse.
It is a tradition man, it is even talked about in-game (Morrowind) and on the Elder Scrolls Wiki.
The original Fishy Stick site is here: http://www.mwmythicmods.com/fishy.htm This was the customary introduction for new players who needed info on mods, as you see it had nothing to do with the forums in general. It was used as a hub to inform people about mods. Unfortunately, most of those links are irrelevant now, and there is much better info to be found elsewhere. But it is a great tradition.
There was a time when we gave fishy sticks and still you will see it happen on occasion but we have long deemed threads about it spam. There are very few left who have a true understanding of what the original meaning of giving a fishy stick even meant.