There has always been a select few that have risen to the top. They have produced when no one else has. They have caught more, when we have only caught a few. They have caught many trophies while we still search for the opportunity to hook one. They are past and modern day masters of surfcasting.

What does it take to become one of "them"?

Post your answer, then say to yourself "Why am I not one of them?"


...then make your New Years Resolution and sell your soul to the surfcasting devil.

They have the vision, they put in the time, they work their asses off learning everything there is to learn.

Then again, sometimes its just pure luck.

Already sold my soul and am working hard at it Tattoo!;) Baby steps...paying attention to detail takes time!:D Five + years ago when I started striper fishing, I got so hooked I decided to start my own business so that I would have more time during the fishing season to hone my skills! (The other reason and first and foremost was to be able to be available to my sons whenever I wanted);) My work is busiest during the winter and leaves me much time to hit the sand during the season to fish! When I sold my soul, I made it a payment plan instead of a lump sum deal!:laughs:

untold time, a keen sense of observation, experimentation, and the aquired knowleage to be at the right place at the right time with the right equipment....i think.

They have had good teachers. They have studied tactics and techniques of other greats and adapted their own style from what they have learned. They have put in the time. They just get it.

Obviously, you have to be out there a lot and in tune with the natural world and technically proficient – but those qualities alone will not get you a place besides them. There are a lot of guys who fish 100+ days a year and do everything right, but never get there….So what is it exactly?

There is no paint-by-numbers solution.
It’s not any one thing, or any combination of things, or even any one personality type. The best are as diverse as they are talented.
I believe that the most successful fishermen have been blessed, and, as bizarre as it might sound, chosen.
It seems they are not only good, but deserving.

Time on the water is key. You can't be a weekend warrior (as I am) and expect to be a pro. I consider my Dad among the few. He has caught a number of trophy fish in the slow years between 1987 and 1994. He fished religiously 4 nights a week from MAy to Oct. He caught fish when no one did. He only fished between C-town and Pt Jude. A relatively small area. He knew when to fish and when to stay home.
Like anything, its dedication. Its not spending tons of $ on the latest lure or gear. Its using what you have, what you've learned and questioning everthing.
My Dad's advice have been echoed out here a 1000 times
- Fish at night with eels
- on those miserable days when the wind and rain are in your face and you wonder what the hell you're doing out here, the fish will be there

Also, there is some degree of wanting the limelight. You can catch 60lbers all the time and tell no one. My Dad was a ghost fisherman, talked to no one and told no one anything.

they are great students of the sea,they have paid their dues, & also obessed with the big one ////they have earned it///

for me ---I could give a chit on the size of the fish ,as long as it has stripes & not razors i,m happy ..

I,m out for the fun , don,t care about size ,screw tournments , everyone that I was part of had more cheats & lyers than survivial [sp]

If you don,t come back from fishing /with a good feeling inside // take up golf //I know toooooooooo many people that put the success of their fishing trip ahead of the enjoyment of just being there -- doing it /// :rolleyes:

Prepartion, hard work and learning from your mistakes.

An understanding wife & kids = more time in your qaurry. Luck is made.

Resolution : Land Large

living next to the water

Ithink rijimmy said it rt.fish an area you know,fish eels at nite and fish often.Tides,moon,locations are all part of the knowledge,but most important the more your out the better the chances.don't let the rain,fog and weather scare you away.i'm old and slow so i became a daytime schoolie fisherman now,but had a chance to fish fall run in fall in ri and did ok.when i was younger wife,work and kids made fishing sometimes impossible.fish when you can.

#1 is you learn by listening and watching more than talking . Books and magazines as well as oldtimers and a willingness to try something different and being flexible will make you a better fisherman The day I stop learning is the day i stop fishing. Keep an open mind and draw upon your past experiences and it will all come together for you. pete santini

It's about time you referred to me as your MASTER!!!

Good topic, and some good answers.

RIJimmy's is right on the money.

Some of the best I've known, fit that Ghost Fishermen profile.
Most of them pay a heavy price. Marriage goes in the crapper, jobs come and go, (quit, or get fired). Health isn't always the greatest, especially as they age. I know of one guy waiting on his second hip and first knee replacement, years spent stumbling around on the sand in waders, hauling multiple large up over the burm. He fished for the $, so if you ever ran into him, you got the same answer, it sucks, no fish. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
The real deal guys forgo sleep, food and drink, they have studied the waters and the sands, the bait, the time of todes and moons. They know what beach to be on, and when to be there, they know excatly how long it takes to get form one spot to the next, they can beat the fish there, and they know when to leave a bar on an incoming tide, even if it means leaving fish.... only to move to the next place the fish will be.
Also, 99 percent of them would never be caught dead gabbing about it, in a coffee shop, tackle shop, or especially online :p

Time on the water. The ability to focus your attention, Keeping your mouth shut and your ears open. Working hard

Time, dedication, more than a little grit in your gut with a capacity for hard work to become a surfcaster - and humility, in some of those I've tried to use as role models.

And occasionally, it's just dumb-ass luck. But luck, as someone once said, is for the ill-prepared - and eventually runs out. You really have to prepare yourself in every way to take advantage of good fortune when it smiles on you. Turn mistakes into learning experiences.

Ultimately, I think, you have to be a life-long 'student of the game' - and I still believe the most important piece of fishing gear you have is between your ears. Use your head for more than a hat-rack, as my father used to say.

And yeah, I've seen plenty of guys in their quest 'sell their soul' - but I've also known a few who've found it.

And yeah, I've seen plenty of guys in their quest 'sell their soul' - but I've also known a few who've found it. [/B][/QUOTE]


Crafty, quite possibly the BEST thing I have ever seen anyone post out here...ever. Perfectly said

Sacrifice.......Time for sure, and the ability to learn..Being single wouldn't hurt either..:hihi:

they understand striper Behavior and only fish at night they know when the best tide is at a certain spot and they dont Waste there time at unproductive areas they avoid Crowds and prefer to find there own hot spots.they never Reveal how many or how big of fish they caught. they dont use light tackle. there Organized have everything ready and at hand.they pack only what they need. they keep 2 of everything back at the automobile. they are Stealthy and try not to give off clues to where they have been. they put there time in and never give up

Great topic. How about the ability to learn something from any given situation. Picking a relatively small area, fishing it hard, knowing it like the back of your hand and not jumping around all over the coast. That's my plan for the new year.

The TIME.

The SKILLS.

The KNOWLEDGE/EXPERIENCE/PLAN.

The GEAR.


And then there's THE most important aspect :

BELIEVING with every fiber of your mind and soul that there's fish....
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
right in front of you.

Awesome topic.

I'll agree with all that has been said. You gotta put your time in its a must, but there have been guys with golden horseshoes you know, that have caught large on their first trip, gotta have dedication the drive the want to succeed, I think its about learning and not just learning one thing and sticking to its, I thinks its about learning from elders, learning from peers in your age group, learning from younger people. How many have come before us that have taken their tactics to their grave? Is it selfish? Personally I don’t think so, but when someone is there in that persons “prime spot” haulin’ in the biggums I’m sure no matter where they are they’re smiling. Some guys do it to put food on their table, aint nothing wrong with an honest days work never has been as far as I’m concerned, some guys do it for the rush of the biggun, some guys do it for the love and the dedication it takes to be successful. I’ll tell ya what, if we caught trophy fish every time out, we’d all take up golf or something. Rest assured that the guys catching trophies have put in their time same as you and I bud, I’m sure they’ve taken their skunkings in stride same as you and I, but it works on a numbers system like those red tickets at the grocery or the dmv. You ever see someone get frustrated and just walk out, then their number is called? It’s a game that does not involve immediate gratification, it’s a game that is not fair in the least bit, the guy with the plug with the gob of squid on it wins the pool, what its about is being able to tell that guy that is catching “Hey congrats, I’m very happy for you” and mean it, because you know the time will come, when the shoe is on the other foot and you’d like to receive some well wishes on your success as well. It’s a balance of things and I’m still working on trying to figure out with the heck the balance is, 22yrs in the search this spring..Well all that stuff and hearing DRAG SCREAMING LIKE LIL GIRL IN A PINK DRESS, WHO JUST DROPPED HER LOLLIPOP!!!

the past......look at the stock they had to pull from.........MANY large fish.....almost everywhere they went......miles upon miles of unrestricked DRIVEable beaches, hole to hole they would go and other shore lines. they also had something we really don't have today is large BAIT crusing the shore lines.....

today.....alot of luck....alot of time......and money.

Originally posted by capesams
the past......look at the stock they had to pull from.........MANY large fish.....almost everywhere they went......miles upon miles of unrestricked DRIVEable beaches, hole to hole they would go and other shore lines. they also had something we really don't have today is large BAIT crusing the shore lines.....

today.....alot of luck....alot of time......and money.

A boat wouldn't hurt either, right Steve? :hihi:

these are all great answers, i have to say that knowing a few pld timers or someone to show you a few hidden spots that produce will get you to the top faster.

pay a guide, and stay out of boats

bob

YOUR right wee.....the beaches as I knew them 30 plus years ago are long gone[talking cape cod here].....soon they'll be closed altogether for driving....where ya going ta go fish when that happens?? IN A BOAT.....I just started abit sooner then some that's all :hee:

What it takes to be one of the best is a question you could probably ask of many avocations, sports or hobbies probably with some very similar responses. Some people are just plain born with natural abilities that allow them to do certain things effortlessly while others struggle. These people probably have an edge on the more physical or athletic aspect of fishing, but I'm not convinced someone could be born with the knowledge that would make him part of that elite cadre of anglers. I'm also not sure how much I buy into the luck theory. No doubt there is an element of luck involved in fishing, but I don't really see the Top Gun surfcasters being lucky that often as much as I would believe they are simply empassionately dedicated individuals who persevere and continue to focus their intentions on one thing. They spend more time studying, listening and picking the brains of their mentors and predecessors, and getting out there and seeing what works and what doesn't and committing that knowledge to memory, and doing it over and over and over again until it becomes second nature. Then they continue to push and hone those skills. That being said, I think surf fishing's best also thoroughly enjoy themselves in the mix.
Why I'm not one of them, yet? Well, as much as I'd like right now, I can only tithe my soul to the surfcasting devil, not dedicate it in whole like those other legends have.

Putting the time in has to be one of the biggest factors. You're not going to be as successful fishing part time as the guy who is out there almost every night ( no brainer). For the most part, the anonymous surfcaster is usually the sharpie unless he has something to sell (ego or merchandise).

Put in the time.

Learn as much as you can about stripers and their feeding habits.

Put in the time.

Scout the area you're going to fish at night during the day.

Put in the time.

Learn as much as you can about weather, wind and tide.

Put in the time.

Become one with the environment when you fish---notice subtle changes in wind, water movement, etc.

Put in the time.

Pay attention to what you're doing---never crank a reel handle mindlessly.

Put in the time.

Protect your eyes during the day. Wear sunglasses. Every great fisherman I ever knew had good night vision and could see things the average guy couldn't.

Put in the time.

Read the water---surface water behaves a certain way due to wind, and bottom and shoreline structure.

Put in the time.

When fishing moving water, plumb the bottom with a sinker to get a feel for irregularities in the bottom. Learn where there are drop-offs or isolated boulders, that fish use as amb-ush points.

And above all else--PUT IN THE TIME!!!!

Interesting subject
How much of the surfcasting mystique stems from the days when surfcasters fished for a paycheck, when if someone else knew your hotspot it meant less money.
Is the knowledge of how to catch big fish worth much unless it is shared?
Is teaching others to care about the fish important?
I am reminded of Bernard Moitessier who in a race around the world that he was leading said it's not important and went around again.
If you caught a 50 would you let it go? An answer is'nt necessary for me, but it is for you.

Always Targeting large is one not mentioned much yet...those who seem to repeat large often go right by the schoolie spots and concentrate their effort and time to the conditions and environment that produces large...they fish tackle rigged for large, always...they understand that they will catch much less and throw the skunk much more often but also have complete confidence that bigger is better...they are not bothered that so and so got 145 keepers up to 2o punds when they know the smallest their gear will attract are 30.

Good reply Basic Patrick... Now i have an excuse for when I get skunked. " I was targeting large" :hihi:

Number one in my oppinion is not to become a creature of habit, especially bad ones. You have to branch out and be willing to change tactics when the time calls for it and learn new locations.

i have read every book on stripers/blues,striper/blue fishing,forage and there biology. im studying marine biology in high school and have a A+ beacause i did a project on striper feeding habits ask me a question about stripers and i will Answer it in detail . i think if you read and study as much as you can about your prey it will help you come out on top of the surfcasting game. i think your first goal should be actually catching fish then go searching for something more than a schoolie or keeper. im happy with catching schoolies on light tackle all day in a local bay or marsh just having fun but catching a BIG striper is always nice

It's all slight of hand. The uncanny ability to feel as though a fish is always swimming behind you lure as you make it dance, shimmy and flutter about.

It's injecting your passion into every cast knowing the possibility to catch a fish that will shock the imagination and turn you into a local urban legend is always at your rods doorstep.

It's the little things. Re-tying, tying 100s of bucktails until you get that special magic one.

It's getting the first fish of the day and smelling the salt as you pull it from the surf and looking into it's eyes telling it to alert his friends that your in town and ready to do battle until your hands are swollen from gripping and ripping all day.

I'll tell you what it takes. It takes leaving a great paying job in the city and telling your wife to leave her's or stay but your moving to the Cape and basically throwing away a made future. It takes moving to where you know no one, except on the beach and those you could not rely on too heavily. Leaving half your combined income to go to work for a little better than minimum wage cause "hey, this is the Cape". It takes shorting the family budget ten to twenty bucks a week so you can get gas or a plug or some eels when you could be taking the wife and kid's out for pizza which would be a treat to them and you know it but still you do it. It means leaving your wife and kids at home with nothing to do while you are out surfcasting and enjoying yourself but subconciously knowing your screwing them. It means buying an impracticle 4 wheel drive that once the monthly payment goes in just gets you by on the mortagage, food and clothes. It means no

Originally posted by bart
living next to the water

I agree Rob, what the hell are we doing in Franklin? :smash: ..that's it, I'm moving in with Eben..you have a spare room for me? :D

it takes leaving at 9pm on a saturday night in october
when your wife has tears in her eyes, and driving 2 hrs.
to RI to fish until sun up and then driving home half asleep
and sleeping all day sunday.

bob

The truly elite, even with their work and sacrifices, wizened mentors, and love for the fish are blessed with a God-given gift. As with musicians, sculptors, and painters, even they may not understand it. Only that they are compelled to fish. Just my take on it. The truly great surfmen just blow my mind.

An old business associate of mine phrased it perfectly. He asked me how my business was doing? I replied, very well, I have been extremely lucky.

He replied; the harder you work the luckier you are. This is true in all aspects of life. I just started fishing hard again this year and had fair results. 15 years ago, I was much luckier because I fished over 100 times a season.

I re-learned alot this year. Hopefully, I will learn a little more next season and thereafter.

Time on the water, a disciplined fishing log and more time on the water, is the key to being lucky.

Wishing you all hard work and good luck in all you do in 2005.

I've always said that luck has very little to do with it, yes there is some luck involved, but that isn't what the topic was about, unless you believe that the guys that always can beach the biggin's (or just more fish) are just luckier people....No, see, they put in their time, they know what phase of the tide the fish are cruisin' through (feeding) and they know what they are feeding on and match it, they know how to get the most out of there plugs and present the plug so it's irresistable to the fish.They keep logs, from good outings AND BAD, because you will see patterns year to year.They keep their eyes and ears open and their mouths shut.It's alot more difficult if you are married, hopfully you have an understanding wife .I know several top rods who have trashed marriages and careers for time at waters edge.
But to answer, what does it take?, time fishing (a LOT), keep a journal and being able to adapt to changing conditions and don't be affraid to experiment with new techniques.
There's no doubt that guys that live on or close to the shore have it all over those of us who travel.But that doesn't mean they love it any more than we do...
Good topic Mike. :) johnny

It takes someone with more desire than I have to get wet, stay wet, get cold, stay cold, get tired, stay tired, fish nights on end searching old and new water sometimes without so much as a bump. Been there done that, I just don't have that drive to catch large I once had, sure if they come my way I'm one happy fisher; but it's not my driving force anymore. Not to say I'm not driven, because I suffer a different cold and work hours to bust through ice to work my boat to open water all winter long, but it's just not the same as standing waist deep with a cold wind driven rain pounding you in the face.

My hat goes off to those that still have that kind of energy or desire. For a once a week fisher, I probably have my rod bent more than most on this board, even guys fishing numerous nights a week, in fact I've had it bent over 400 times in the past 5 weekends; but I appreciate it's boat fishing and they don't count:). I think a lot of it has to do with my background and my freshwater routes, or more importantly that I thrive on catching with light tackle and smaller plastics.

Even so it takes time, aquired knowledge, willingness to learn and pay attention, experimentation at times, ability to listen to others but more importantly to the fish, attention to even the smallet details at times and as Clammer knows good maintenance on your top end equipment:).

How do I do it Easy.I'm gifted.An i use big hooks.:cool:

Dave Hammock late of Murats, once told me that "you gotta put your time in". I agree with Saltheart. Hundreds of hours with out sleep every year, year in and year out. Time on the beach, attention to detail, check every knot, sharpen hooks and listen. Most of all talk to a select few.