OK, I'm coming clean. I'm not sure if I'm a fisherman or not. I love to catch fish, but if I don't, so be it. I take off every Friday during fishing season to do my thing. I read all the fishing magazines and books, and quite frankly, I know I have the "fever". Yet, I'd rather spend an enjoyable morning on the pristene beach with my rod in a spike than navigating rocks, ledges and other obstacles in search of more fish. If I get home after 5 or 6 hours fishing (usually from dawn until about noon and sometimes early evening until just after dark), and don't catch anything, yes I'm a little disappointed, but I'm still usually content. Here's the scoop. I have a summer home in Ogunquit Maine which has one of the prettiest beaches in New England. By fishing the beach, I'm never more than a quarter of a mile from my car, close to restroom facilities (I usually wear waders) and near enough for my wife to join me when she gets down to the beach. I have no problem when the beach walkers ask me sensible questions. I usually bail out when the beach gets too crowded with swimmers. If things are really slow, I'll rest my sore back in a beach chair, but never more than a few feet from my spike. It's not that I don't catch fish. Last year I caught a fat 41" and just last Friday I landed one that was close to 37" (my only fish that day). However, for the most part I don't catch more than a few fish per day and I catch far less than the people who fish the rocky areas, go out late at night and never use sand spikes. So, am I a fisherman or not? Please, this is meant to evoke some discussion on this excellent board, not to create name calling and controversy as I see on some of the other boards.

Hi Marty. I guess you are either a fisherman or a mackeral ch#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&g tourist. Since you live there , I guess we can't call you a tourist. <img src="/Images/Happy_Face.gif"><!--e1--> I like beach fishing in the fall although its seldom with bait. I like the whole fall scene on the beach. Breakfast sure tastes good when cooked on a coleman stove on the tailgate! <img src="/Images/Happy_Face.gif"><!--e1--> In my opinion , being a fisherman is a state of mind. Whether you go once a year or every day , its the enthusiasm and the anticipation of the catch that make you a fisherman. Example , a person gets to go fishing only on Columbus day weekend. That person gears out everything , puts in the time with his line wet. Tries his best. That person is a fisherman. I think there are different levels of proficiency and dedication among fisherman but anybody who has loved the thrill of catching a fish and can't wait to get back to do it again is a fisherman.

The only answer is this: (from the bill nolan dictionary on "fishing" angling,the pursuit of said finned friends.

You cast out a chunk and the chunk is attached to a hook, the hook is attached to a line ,the line is attached to a reel and, the reel is attached to a rod,having said that, I would say you are actively engaged in the sport of fishing,your hook and bait have a good chance of being eaten,therefore you are...A FISHERMAN!!

Come on saltheart!! fishing isnt a "state of mind" its life!! You need it as much as you need to breath air!! its balls to the wall!! No sleep, mono "a" mono!! Take no prisoners!! cast till your arm falls off!! Its about being the best , with the most!! its about out fishing everyone on the beach!(which I do often)!!! Its about who catches the biggest!! its love its hate!! its saddness! its romance!! its secretive!! Its about cahsing a quarry with the intensity of a marine at war!! its sticking every bass in the ocean!!

There is no OTHER FISHING THAN STRIPED BASS FISHING!!!!!! Any other species of fish does not count at all!!! bluefish are for wanabes!!! tuna are for rich,stuck up oristocrates!! and politicians!! and ALL BOAT FISHING IS FOR LAZY BUM'S!!!!

Surf casting for morone saxatillis is the essence of life!!!!!!

The only "FISHERMAN" I know are the ones who chace linesides with abaondon,tio the end off almighty time!! and then further!! Thats what a fisherman is!!

BTW, Did i maention you need to do all this with um..Live eels??

Gee Bill you have an opinion or 2 (hundred) on what fihsing is huh? <img src="/Images/Happy_Face.gif"><!--e1-->

fishing is simple it sa a jerk at one end of the line waiting for a jerk on the other end. <img src="/Images/Happy_Face.gif"><!--e1-->

LMAO,

MartyK, How was the Maine Vacation???

You're a fisherman. Your eye twitches, your back hurts, your knee aches. You thought the rod tip moved because you stared at it for 20 minutes without allowing your eyes to blink. Your time spent on the beach with the irregular heartbeat that occurs to every man, woman, child, and clam tossing tourist <img src="/Images/Tounge_Wink_Face.gif"><!--e5--> means you have the obsession. Fact of life.

BTW - I have a couple local spots that you can get to on a school night. Interested?

Hey Martyk, how are you doing? Yes you are indead a fisherman. Fishing to me is a passion, its the night salt air, looking at the stars, enjoying the peacefulness of the surf crashing the shore, and wondering just what is out there to crush that hook. We bought a boat this year, but it is not the same, give me the surf any day or night any time. It is the mystery that draws us out in the rain and wind. Just because you can't go out and try and kill yourself to get a fish doesn't mean you are not a fisherman, not all of us are healthy enough to truly fish the way we want, so we take what we can get. People have different obligations, spouses and work schedules that just don't permit the time you may want or need to spend on the water. So you enjoy it as much as you can, and if it happens its a wonderful feeling. If it doesn't so what at least you are not at work, sitting in traffic, or doing the household chores!!!! its about each person individual enjoyment on the surf.

Tight lines my friend!!!!!!
fisherwoman

Fisherwomen, Im sorry to say that marty should probably take up trout fishing.Striper fishing needs to be all out war!! to be done right.He may be better off sitting by the local pond fishing for bluegills.

#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&, LMAO, you are too much, not everyone wants to try and kill themselves when they are stiper fishin ya know. How is the fishing down your way, I am hearing some good activity down that way, saw JohnR last night at the tackle shop, he was on a mission after his latest illness.

Howdy fisherwomen! The fishing down here is holding up good for august! Had six fish over the last two nights on eels and all were over 34inches.I have no idea why the cape is so slow?? Block island is also red hot!! Im just surprised the august fishing is this well in rhode island but, not in ma.

FW, got into some action 45min after I got down there(after moving around some), got a 10-12# bass on my only good, black, nice sized eel. Had another really good hit and run that I screwed up on and that was it for that eel. After that, the skinny light browns and greens got alot of hits, a couple half hearted 2 second runs and drops, but no takers. Was very encouraging (pissed that I had lousy eels) to see the amount of hits in this spot that has not been as productive as it should have been this season (but I did fish it differently last night than I have this season)...

There was some boat guts working not too far from me and looked like they were doing well also...

Hi John. I haven't been on vacation, just quiet. I use most of my vacation time by taking every Friday from Memorial Day through the end of September. This lets me fish my brains out on Friday (without any family pressure) and put in five or six hours on Saturday and Sunday.

I'll tell you, if passion makes someone a fisherman, I'm there. When I get to Maine on Thursday nights, I'm so hyped up to go fishing the next day that I have to take a sleeping pill. Even then, I'm lucky to get four five hours of sleep. I'm always the first one out in the morning and usually the last to leave when the crowds start arriving. Usually, I go home around noon, but wind up back again by 4:00. I've fished one week after breaking three ribs and have foregone stitches in my fingers in order not to miss tides. It's just that I'd rather be safe and comfortable than catch more fish. I've done enough crazy things in my day and seen some of my contemporaries as guests of honor at wakes to know when to cool it.

In terms of joining you on a weeknight or even a weekend, we close the house on Columbus Day. I usually drop off the reels in Kennebunk for their annual service, but this year I'll take them home. I'd like nothing better than to fish with some of the Mssachusetts guys and learn something about plugging. I do some plugging in September, but end up going back to mey mackerel after a dozen or so unsuccessful casts. I'm told that once I get a hookup with a plug, I'll change my ways. Let's hope that happens next month.

Hey, we still have to do lunch. My office is moving to Kenmore Square in late September, so we should do it soon.

Hey John, glad to hear it was a somewhat productive night, stormy weather tonight should kick things up a little bit, maybe we should skip the meeting and go fishing LOL.

Martyk, would like to hook up with ya sometime, we are not going to make the tournament in ME this year, but maybe somewhere local, I think the whole lot of us should have a fishing get to gether, It would be nice to put some faces to names. Keep the passion my friend!!!!!

Fisherwoman

Hey Marty, FW and I know this great little local place, where you can get into some nice schoolie action. Couple hours after work, get some schoolies... Passion and desire makes one a fisherman (for simplicity's sake, your a fisherman fisherwoman <img src="/Images/Tounge_Wink_Face.gif"><!--e5-->). You've got that, you are happy. Nothing more to say. There are different levels and different types of fisherman and some are more hard core than others but all can still be fisherman if there is that desire and passion....

FW, I'm having a hard time going tonight!!! I want to but, get some real eels, got a decent wind shifting, mildly snotty....<img src="/Images/biggrin.gif"><!--e7-->

JR, me too, could be a great night on the water, not to tough of a decisions though is it, LMAO. Would you rather hear pissin and moanin or fish a bustin!!!!

Is tonight the big 50th Anniversary meeting??

John and Fisherwoman: As I mentioned, I'm 100% free anytime after October 9. I'd like nothing better than to join you after work or on a weekend day. Hell, I can even get "sick" on a few day's notice and miss a day of work. My wife says it would be nice for me to come home after fishing and not smell like mackerel.

Hey Marty if you want to catch a big bass up Maine, go into Perkins Cove at night or early in the mornig, get the strongest boat rod with at least 50# test and throw chuncks off the docks. The bass in there are huge they even have names for them!

Canalratt1, it's funny you should mention Perkins Cove. I avoid the place as much as possible due to the crowds and traffic, but my wife was there a few weeks ago and told me that she saw someone catching fish off the pier. I figured they were flounders, but remember her saying they looked like stripers. I kind of just dismissed the idea. Why 50LB test though? My smallest rod is 9' medium action with 17LB test.

MartyK, as soon as you hook up - they make a dash for the pilings!!! Need a real meat stick with heavy line and reel to brute-force them away from wrapping a pylon and wrecking your gear...<img src="/Images/Tounge_Wink_Face.gif"><!--e5--> Much like bridge fishing...

Good luck up there, fellow fisherman!!

John

Marty that place is loaded with big stripers. With all the boats and structure you don't have a chance with light line. The bass feed on the scraps that fall off the lobster boats and some of the big ones are under the Finestkind boat. I used to fish at Hewits Cove off the floats with my cod rod and drag tightened all the way down, you would drift a chunk under the main float get a hit then run to the end of the finger peirs cranking the whole way. It was brutal meat fishing but I landed some nice fish. I go up there once a yearfor the last three years and i'm going back Sept. 22 for the weekend. The best place I found up there is Wells Beach on the north end where the beach meets the rocks.

Canalratt 1, are you talking about Moody? One of the guys who used to fish with me on Ogunquit Beach now swears by some rocks on Moody Beach right next to the Grey Gull Inn. The problem is that there's no parking, so someone has to drop you off. By the way, I did some of my best fishing last year the last two weeks of September. Let me know when the time gets closer. Maybe we can hook up. I'm off to Maine tonight.

Marty I think its near there I would have to look at a map I just know how to get there by taking some roads from the Arcade heading south. Parking is tough but I usually find some spots.