#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&, I read your response to bragging thread and it got me thinking about different priorities, goals, weight vs numbers, that kind of thing. Maybe it's my age, the fact that I've caught my share of cows over the years, or that my 48 year old body sometimes acts like it's 60, but I much prefer going after numbers these days with lighter tackle. I certainly agree with the saying "night time is the right time", when it comes to putting cows in the boat or on the beach. It's been probably 8 years since I pulled an all-nighter and I just don't have any burning desire to burn the midnight oil waiting for the one or two big bites.

I'm also fishing waters that will not only give up good numbers consistantly, but also give up the occassional cow, even during the day. I try to have my cake and eat it too however, so I typically try to be heading out of the harbor at around 4:30 am, so I at least up my odds on hitting a big one early. That paid off two weeks ago, with a 30 lber on a live eel just before sunup. Once I can actually see (yeah my eyes aren't what they used to be anymore either, lol) my lures at the tail end of a cast, I switch back to my hand poured plastic jerkbaits and go have some fun. I do passively drag the eel in an aft rod holder for the first couple hours just in case, lol. To me catching numbers of nice chunky 5-10 lb schoolies on light gear is a blast and the occassional keeper makes it even more interesting.

I'm just curious how many striper nuts are just that, striper nuts; living and dying for the big bite, schoolies and a good nights sleep be damned. As the saying goes "been there, done that", but I just don't have the mental and physical stamina to go for it these days. I wish I did, because there's nothing more thrilling than tackling a big cow striper in the dark. Something almost surreal about drifting a live eel as the boat slowly drifts in the current, watching the stars, smiling after to odd shooting star, gazing at the moon, thumb on the spool, knowing any second that thump and run could and probably will happen. Man, I've almost talked myself into getting out there one night this week, lol.

Well, I was just curious who the true nuts are and those of us who are comfortable with just some good fishing. Tight lines.

I think it comes down to an addiction,The guys I fish with are 50years old and older,They fish all night and still make it to work in the morning.Me?Im a stay at home dad but, still have to be up at 6am with the little one and,Im responsible for her well being.Thats a heavy responsibility.Im 35 and, I have been bass fishing as long as I can remember.

There is something about fishing the night I love,I think things change at night and I also think your senses are ten fold at night!! You hear everything,you feel everything,The surf looks different,more fishy!! I could stay home and watch television till midnight or,go fishing for a tide and put myself in the best position to land a cow.I like the solitude of night fishing,I like the way a hit feels at night,I like the fact that its just me and the bass at 2am while the rest of the world sleeps!!

I also go alone alot and dont tell my friends,just so I can be alone!! and enjoy the night in quiet!! Just the sound of the surf,sometimes the hits come so hard on my eel that,I can hear it!!!

I have no problem with your fishing daytime,if thats what you like its fine by me!! Its a free country!! I just prefer to fish under the stars,always have,always will.I have caught tons of small fish,I like the brutes.I would gladly give up 1000 school bass for one 50lb striper any time!!

If its big bass someone is after,then the odds go way up at night!

Last couple years I've gotten into a cycle, focus on schoolies in the spring and come late May/June - fish many more nights than days. My wife thinks I'm nuts going fishing after work then coming in fromn the beach at 7am, sleep for a couple hours and go back out to repeat the same process...

Yeh, Nut...

Got to agree with the #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^& here. I'll be 41 in Sept and although I've slowed down somewhat,
mostly because of increased responsibilities, I prefer the darkness of night and big fish. I've
never been a schoolie fisherman and never will be. I don't make a 1-1/2 to 2 hr drive to
Rhode Island to catch a bunch of 24" fish and don't consider it a good trip if I do. I also
much prefer to go alone, there is nothing better in my book than the take, hookup, fight and
release of a 30lb striper at 2am with nobody else there. Darkness to me is everything the
#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^& descibes solitude, hope and excitement at the same time. It's funny how even when
I fish with the #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^& or other friends we all still seem to spread out to have our own space.

Geezz jeff ?? I had no idea you were 41 !!! Not that thats old but,you always looked about 31-32 to me !! Good to see you post here! Hope to see you in the fall down south.

C'mon Bill, you make him sound OLD <img src="/Images/Tounge_Wink_Face.gif"><!--e5-->... Jeff, if its any consolation, I'm 32 but have the body of a 50 year old....

I love catching both, but its two different animals.

When I'm getting hits every cast on topwater and light tackle, that is as fun as it gets. I had a few weekends this spring where I caught fish until I was in PAIN! That's cool. Throw in a few keepers to severely test your light tackle and I go home a very happy man.

Like #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^& though, there's something about the solitude of being out there at night while waiting for something big to bite. The surf at night is incredible... in Nantucket, I drive out on the beach sometimes and just hang out for hours. And from what I remember (its been awhile since I got a nice fish), I get more of a rush and retain my high longer after a lunker. Those are the fish you remember all week, all season, and in the case of #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&'s 50lber, your whole life. I still remember when John came over with pictures of that monster... I didn't even catch the fish.

But, you work 40 hours a week, add another 10 hours on for commuting, got a new house with a thousand projects, a 2 and 1/2 year old daughter who I'll never be able to keep up with... man, its nearly two hours for me to get to the cape or rhody. And two hours back after being up all night! I just can't always do it. So I'll take a few hours and catch a few schoolies anyday over not going.

Ya know, I should become a politician... I can waffle with the best of 'em. Anyways, I wouldn't give up either schoolies or cows.

Tight lines. Later.

Well i have to say that in past years I had fished mostly from 4:00am through the morning, or evening into dark, and mostly all I caught were smaller fish up to mid 30" range at best, except in the fall when you do catch bigger fish during the day. And don't get me wrong, catching the smaller fish is lots of fun on 12lb tackle. But I was gettting sick of heaaring about bigger fish (25lbs and up) being caught and me only catching the small fish, the last 2 years i have been fishing more all nighters, losing lots of sleep, but yes catching bigger fish, including ths year my biggest ever surf caught fish a 46" that was probably 35lbs or so. SO i am now hooked on fishing at night and giving up chances to catch more smaller fish in hopes of catching bigger. I think the lure of fishing at night for me most of all is the CHALLENGE. I now have this wierd desire to fish only at night because that is what the big-timers do to catch big fish, and I'm trying to get there! That's my reasoning.
MZ

Well i have to say that in past years I had fished mostly from 4:00am through the morning, or evening into dark, and mostly all I caught were smaller fish up to mid 30" range at best, except in the fall when you do catch bigger fish during the day. And don't get me wrong, catching the smaller fish is lots of fun on 12lb tackle. But I was gettting sick of heaaring about bigger fish (25lbs and up) being caught and me only catching the small fish, the last 2 years i have been fishing more all nighters, losing lots of sleep, but yes catching bigger fish, including ths year my biggest ever surf caught fish a 46" that was probably 35lbs or so. SO i am now hooked on fishing at night and giving up chances to catch more smaller fish in hopes of catching bigger. I think the lure of fishing at night for me most of all is the CHALLENGE. I now have this wierd desire to fish only at night because that is what the big-timers do to catch big fish, and I'm trying to get there! That's my reasoning.
MZ

Where I do most of my fishing (Canal and South Shore Ma.)I tend to work the 3 a.m. to 7 bite. It seems like daybreak can bring some bigger fish to the top and when you can get a big fish to smack a popper that is my ultimate thrill. I don't go schoolie chasing that often usually I will fish bait trying for a larger bass. Chumming can be very effective even from shore with keepers caught at all hours of the day.I will admit my biggest stripers have been caught on eels at night with cut bait coming in at second.

I'll take quality over quantity anytime. In fact, while I generally believe in the axiom that you don't leave fish to look for bigger fish, I have left a good schoolie/weakfish bite to take a shot at the possibility of a pick of quality fish in a different location. I'm an inlet fisherman when I'm on LI. I generally don't fish the ocean until the fall run. I have a shallow-water situation with tons of small spearing bait close to home--this is usually schoolie/weakie/small blue/fluke heaven. There have been nights when I've had the Grand Slam of all 4 species there. But quality bass are few and far between here in July and August. A little farther out on the Island, I have a deeper inlet similar to the Canal--deeper water, flanked by a rock jetty and much faster current. The rocks hold a variety of critters that hold some decent bass even during the dog days. If time permits, what I'll usually do is leave the schoolie bite close to home and head east for the chance at bigger fish--even if it's only one. I get more of a thrill out of landing--or even hooking--one bass that I have to horse to keep from wrapping me around rocks and that can actually peel off 30 yards of drag at a clip.

Let's face it, small bass aren't the greatest fighters in the ocean. 3 pound blues give you a better fight than the average 22" bass, and weaks are better fighters pound for pound than either. Plus, even as good a fisherman as you may be and as much TLC with which you release 'em, you have to hurt at least one or two out of 50 bad enough so they're not going to make it.