O.K. I've heard all the complaints about how the newbies ruin the fishing for the sharpies. So tell me what a newbie should know. What are the do's and don'ts that you love to bitch about? If you can supply me with enough material I'll turn it into an article which I'll try to get published in several local magazines to inform the uninititated.

A great idea Mike :bl:

-spence

Excellent idea, and all of us should add to this. I have a bunch of ideas, but for starters- the unwritten rule of surf fishermen. If I take you to a spot I know well and show you the ropes, do not go back with all your buddies and fish without me..... more to come

How about some common ones:

Don't keep undersize bass.
Don't litter.
Keep the noise down so as not to disturb local residents.
Don't crowd the next guy. He needs his space too.

more...

You shouldnt publish an article. Newbies need to work hard to learn what they shouldnt do. They need to earn their strpes, make their mistakes, burn sharpie's spots. Risk death and beatings from true sportsman from saying "Hey, hows it going", "Getting any bites?" "Gee thats a funny looking reel, whats a Van Staal?
All things that make surf fisherman real men.
:usd:

Keep you use of your light to a minimum and try to never flash it in the water.

Regarding equipment: You get what you pay for! The 29.99 combo will be broken by the end of the night save your money and buy your self a decent combo. 150$ for a combo is not expensive.

Show respect. Respect for the fish, respect for the environment, respect for local residents, and respect from your fellow anglers.

Surfasting has a learning curve (or reverse cliff for most - me included). It is a rare individual that lucks across a trophy bass in their first season.

Keep your eyes and ears open and your mouth mostly closed.

Walk out with more than you walked in with.

Join a club!!!!!! Joining a good fishing club, be it a Weekapaug, MSBA, RISAA, Newport, CT, Salties, or Gansett. You will learn etiquette better and quicker, have an eye opening to what goes on behind the scenes. Gain comraderie, insight, and might get a couple people to point you in the right direction.

Enjoy fishing for more than just a tight line.

Show respect....

johnr you could write the article your self!
makomike, if you get all your info for the artcile from s-b, why not make it an s-b backed (publicly) write up and maybe donate some of the money from the article back to s-b.com?

You don't step on bass to remove hooks and then kick them back into the water. :wall: If you can't hold a fish and remove the hooks, then get a lip lock device. Bottom line, respect the fishery.

"Don't even take up fishing, it's already over-crowded and over-rated"....


Drink Beer, it costs less -

Join a club!!!!!! Joining a good fishing club, be it a Weekapaug, MSBA, RISAA, Newport, CT, Salties, or Gansett. You will learn etiquette better and quicker, have an eye opening to what goes on behind the scenes. Gain comraderie, insight, and might get a couple people to point you in the right direction.


BEST Piece of Advice I've ever gotten here.....just finishing up my second year w/ the Plum Island Surfcasters and have met more great people and learned more than I could have ever learned on my own.

"]

Drink Beer, it costs less -

Golf is the other 4 letter sport and its easier on the wallett and the marriage...

Choggie - I have thought of it in the past. But that is also part of the mission statement here at S-B. To allow fishers to become better anglers, more involved and more aware, and to give back to the fishing community....

I think MakoMike would be writing for another site :hee: :hihi:

Get offa my rock :af: :wall: :bc:

Golf is the other 4 letter sport and its easier on the wallett and the marriage...


I don't know about easier on the wallet....or marriage. Everytime you want to golf 18 it is going to cost you at least $40 (and thats w/out a cart)and at least 5 hours of prime (for the wife) daytime hours to do it. and not to mention the $2 a ball for everyone that i put in the woods.....and thats usually at least a 1/2 dozen per nine. :D


definitely not easier on the wallet

I should've mentioned this in my post up above... but I have a friend who sometimes comes fishing with us. Great guy, however... All you'd have to do is come with us and write down everything he does. You'll have enough what-not-to-do etiquette tips to last a lifetime. <insert frowning icon here>

go freshwater fishing till you learn properly how to fish . just like kids learn on sunnies .

johnr you could write the article your self!
makomike, if you get all your info for the artcile from s-b, why not make it an s-b backed (publicly) write up and maybe donate some of the money from the article back to s-b.com?

It depends on where its published, a lot of the magazines, except for the fisherman, have their own web site and would probably frown on mentionig a competitor. The money ain't great, but if enough magazines pick it up, I will give some $$ to S-B.com.

John, I intend to queery more than just Nor'east on this, so it may appear in several places, including one of the nationals.

If you show up to a place where people are pluggin take your bait bucket about a hundred yards away. We dont cast just straight out in front. And at the canal, realize that stuff tends to drift with the current, like my eels, and they drift pretty far so once again keep moving. Lastly, n matter how bad the urge if the fish start biting infront of one angler dont do the mad dash and crowd it up, just wait and they will likely head towards you and if they dont, you know I FEEL.

I'd say go over:

1) How to handle the fish that they are most likely to run across like stripers and blues. You can grab a bluefish behind the head to hold it - don't need to step on it. Put fish back in the water - don't throw them back in the water from any height.

2) Don't keep the fish out of the water for prolonged period of time. I have seen more than a few people on the Merrimack with obviously short fish drag the fish up through the soft sand to their bag so they can root around for a tape measure. Inevitably the fish ends up belly up.

3) If fishing from jetty - have an idea where you are going to land the fish, so you aren't banging it off the rocks up to you and if you do go close to the water you have a decent place to stand.

4) Know the regulations for your state, or the state you are fishing. Higrading fish is not legal - keeping them on a stringer in the hopes that you will catch a bigger one.

5) Don't litter - not just bait containers, but also mono - don't toss mono on the beach or in the water.

6) Don't crowd other anglers - give them some space.

7) Maybe add something about conservation. Catch and release as an option. That the older larger fish are almost always females and that they are more fecund than the smaller fish. If you don't intend to eat it - then why not consider putting it back. Also, for someone new to fishing - tell them about using proper gear to do the job. While you can catch fish on light gear - why not wait until you have more experience playing and landing fish. Get an outfit that will do the job, not overly heavy, but good enough to land a decent fish - don't want to bring a knife to a gunfight.

My $0.02

Pete

[QUOTE=JohnR]Join a club!!!!!! Joining a good fishing club, be it a Weekapaug, MSBA, RISAA, Newport, CT, Salties, or Gansett. You will learn etiquette better and quicker, have an eye opening to what goes on behind the scenes. Gain comraderie, insight, and might get a couple people to point you in the right direction.QUOTE]

johnr, excellent point, but to go one step further, GET INVOLVED IN THAT CLUB! anyone can join a club and be a "member". sure, you learn some things from other anglers, but there's more to it than that. many clubs have committees and are always looking for new blood, ideas, and especially help! so, again, get involved! those of you in risaa, did you know risaa has about 2 dozen committees?

all of us fall under one label, "fisherman". (this can be used in your article makomike). whether you are a wetsuiter, kayaker, fly fisherman, guide, captain, "weekend warrior", scupper on wet rocks, whatever, those people and groups that fight against "us" look at us as one label, fishermen. numbers speak volumes, but money can beat numbers. clubs need your volunteerism. so, dont just join, get involved!

i'll try and add more later, busy now. this subject could easily be broken up into several part in different months. or, one summary.

1) The first people to a spot establish the front line...if you want to wetsuit the outer rocks, better get there before anyone else.

2) If someone is unhooking a fish, do not step into their spot while they're out of the water...may seem obvious, but I've seen it time and time again.

3) DON'T kick fish back into the water...I hate seeing that

4) Match the technique...If everyone on a strong rip is throwing bucktails, showing up to throw eels or a slow retrieve swimmer (or worse yet a chunk) is guaranteed to get you tangled with everyone and pi$$ people off.

5) Take out everything you bring with you and it never hurts to pick up an extra piece of garbage on the way back to the truck...if everyone did this, there wouldn't be anything on the beach.

6) Take a kid fishing

Tight lines

1. If I bring you fishing, don't set up right next to me, I like my elbow room. Viloate my space and you will go swimming.
2. Hook the fish, not me. If you do hook me I get to keep the plug. And you will go swimming.
3. If you go with me in my boat, bring lunch, or you will go swimming.

In regards to: "1) The first people to a spot establish the front line...if you want to wetsuit the outer rocks, better get there before anyone else."

The one time this doesn't count is when someone shows up at a spot while I'm suiting up with my rod leaning against my truck, eyeballs me, grab's his surf rod, doesn't even put on waders, and runs to the point to beat me there. I really should have just walked right on past his tennis shoe on black rocks wearing ass.

That really ticked me off and most days I would have walked on by. Luckily he disapeared 10 minutes later when the sun set and I went on out to where I wanted to be, but it still irritated me.

just fish... dont litter and be respectful. its that simple.

oh and stay out of RI :thanks:

For all newbies if you want to save time and money, hire a good professional guide who can teach you a lot about how to fish certan spots, give you idea's on how to read the water, what lures to use in what situations and what tackle to buy. Which can save you money and time. :kewl:

capt.bill

If someone catches a fish don't run over there and cast right next to him while he is taking it off!

And for taking a kid fishing I get nothing but eye rolls on the breech when I bring my son and he gets caught up. He dosn't even want to go anymore :(

If someone catches a fish don't run over there and cast right next to him while he is taking it off!

And for taking a kid fishing I get nothing but eye rolls on the breech when I bring my son and he gets caught up. He dosn't even want to go anymore :(

Its too bad i was not with u to see the eyerollers.i would set em straight.People are jerks.anyone who would discourage a kid from fishin should have their poles snapped in half.they don't deserve to own em.The other day during a blitz a kid was trowin behind me an he had some kinda reel problem.His plug got hung when he could not retrieve it. he was gonna just bust it off i saw this an got off my rock an went to the beach to get his plug back in for him.Was the only thing to do.

If someone catches a fish don't run over there and cast right next to him while he is taking it off!

And for taking a kid fishing I get nothing but eye rolls on the breech when I bring my son and he gets caught up. He dosn't even want to go anymore :(
Right on NIB...good 4 you helpin the kid....and greenmeanie the next time those elitist turds shoot you a look give him the finger and tell your kid he has as much right to be there as anyone else......

we are sportsman are we not? lets not turn this thread into a moaning and groaning session. my input. keep youre distance away from the next fisher so as not to tangle youre lines. and if thats not possible go somewhere else. simple common sense. its fishing and having fun.

Tell them to take up golf or bowling :nailem:

I've seen so many guys fishing I've never seen before out there. This time of year brings 'em out anyway. There's always been magazines or books telling guys where to go and they'll always be guys or gals writing to make a buck. But being on the web I see so many guys looking for clues and spots and what to use, it's pretty unbeleivable. That's what happens with all the modes of communication and information. What ever happened to going out there and learning the hard way. Everyone wants instant gratification. It took me years before I was able to learn spots when I was younger. Meeting the right person on the water or just getting lucky and finally figuring things out. When I see guys spouting on the web or guys writing specifics in a magazine to make themselves look like they're some kind of master fisherman makes me sick. What about all those guys who've spent years learning to catch fish with their mouths shut. I'm not gonna discourage anyone from fishing because over time the people who fish to be trendy will fall to the wayside and the guys who really enjoy and respect the water will keep at it. As a person whose passionate about fishing there's a time to open your mouth and there's also a time to keep it shut.

When fishing on a Jetty, leave the radio at home or in the car.

I've seen so many guys fishing I've never seen before out there. This time of year brings 'em out anyway. There's always been magazines or books telling guys where to go and they'll always be guys or gals writing to make a buck. But being on the web I see so many guys looking for clues and spots and what to use, it's pretty unbeleivable. That's what happens with all the modes of communication and information. What ever happened to going out there and learning the hard way. Everyone wants instant gratification. It took me years before I was able to learn spots when I was younger. Meeting the right person on the water or just getting lucky and finally figuring things out. When I see guys spouting on the web or guys writing specifics in a magazine to make themselves look like they're some kind of master fisherman makes me sick. What about all those guys who've spent years learning to catch fish with their mouths shut. I'm not gonna discourage anyone from fishing because over time the people who fish to be trendy will fall to the wayside and the guys who really enjoy and respect the water will keep at it. As a person whose passionate about fishing there's a time to open your mouth and there's also a time to keep it shut.


good post :D

If you travel to another state to fish take the time to learn the fish size regs and limits.

That the older larger fish are almost always females and that they are more fecund than the smaller fish. If you don't intend to eat it - then why not consider putting it back.

It is true that larger females of any fish species do tend to produce more eggs in one season than their smaller counterparts. But reproductive potential also comes into play -- the number of mature offspring a fish can be expected to produce at a given age or size. The smaller fish actually have a better probability of living to the next year (and onward) and reproducing again, so that leaves them with many years of fish babies ahead of them, and, therefore, a higher reproductive potential, which can be just as important as straight up fecundity. But guessing which individual fish is gonna die first? It's a crapshoot. If you're gonna eat it, keep the legal fish that you fought the longest and/or seems least likely to survive.

More rules:

1. Please don't assume I'm a man and address me as such. It's especially disconcerting if you still deny my gender once I and my exclusive-to-women parts have turned around to face you.

2. If you feel you must give me advice, be helpful and not condescending -- no matter how good a fisherman you think you are.

3. Don't set up to fish a cooking current just 20 feet away from me unless you want to spoon later.

4. Leave your lantern/bat signal at home.

5. Realize that some people are much more serious about fishing than others, and heed the collection of rules. It's way easier for you to not piss them off than for them to get their panties out of the knot your presence/googan-ality/newbie-ness will cause. Think of the greater good, and reduce the grump section of the board.

PS I had a real good fishing teacher and majored in fisheries, so I got to hop, skip, and jump up the learning curve a bit, but technically, I am still SO new that it feels weird, like I should be the one these rules are directed towards, and I should have a bucket of chunk and upside-down spinning reel, shining a light in the water. :hihi:

should be....

.............be excellent to everyone....





and great thought Mako.... your on the "perfect" quest.

thinking....

one think I dont like is people who leave their head lamps on while they are fishing or shine lights into the water.

people casting over other lines is not a big deal, it happens and generally people spread out if it happens enough. What I dont like is people who will intentionally cast over other peoples lines in effort to displace people who were there first and then brag about displacing the people to fish "their" spots. It seems to happen alot these days.

People using the dark as an excuse to pee just about everywhere is not necessily good. It tends to leave a stink by morning and its not hard to figure out where it came from.

The thing about spot burning is not something that everyone agrees on. There are limits to how much pressure a spot can take and to much pressure is not good. For guys who consider themselves local experts, its probably good to find out of the way places with rights of way to fish rather then public spots that are common knowledge. Most of the public spots are listed everywhere, from newpapers, internet reports on bullliten board sites, tackle shops, online tackle shop fishing reports, shore fishing books/guides (on the water and Daingaults), online magazine fishign reports (ex: on the water online report), newspapers, surf fishign club reports and lectures, private message from bulliten boards sites, and magazines like on the water and the fishermen. Some people do try to over exaggerate the extent of influce of one source without looking at the whole and those people are probably new the sport or ever had to take the time to learn it on their own. .. There really is about 90% more people out in the last 5 years and most of them are new to the sport and dont even know it.

Its too bad i was not with u to see the eyerollers.i would set em straight.People are jerks.anyone who would discourage a kid from fishin should have their poles snapped in half.they don't deserve to own em.The other day during a blitz a kid was trowin behind me an he had some kinda reel problem.His plug got hung when he could not retrieve it. he was gonna just bust it off i saw this an got off my rock an went to the beach to get his plug back in for him.Was the only thing to do.

its true, i witnessed this random act of kindness :btu:

Great! Keep them coming guys, after you all wear yourself out I'll print out the whole thread and consolidate all of the advice.

If you come to a spot and someone is already there fishing lures, particularly in an area with strong current, do not place yourself 8 feet downtide and spike two rods with bait directly wher ethe other person has been casting all while you cast lures on a third rod with every two casts over the other persons line. Also, Do not allow your 13 year old to repeatedly run back and forth on the rocks 2 feet behind a person perched rather precariously on his own rock all while he swings a long rod with a rather heavy lure with a rather sharp hook. it is neither safe for your child or the person already established at that location, particularly at 1 a.m. :rocketem: :thanks:

Can we get these suggestions printed in Spanish, Portugese, Creol and Vietnamese ?

Are you guys done now?

Surfrat666, I liked # 2 (so true). All great comments, I would like to add, have the proper gear for the proper situation (example: always wear korkers on a jetti, always have life vest while fishing on a boat, ya know the common sense type stuff that people seem to leave at home sometimes). Jetti etiquette, now that might be a whole 'nother article in itself. I've seen both the good/bad when it comes to jettis and I must say the "good" outweighs the bad...."mostly"

Ice