ok, this may sound silly but I am just curious how many of you feel about this. When your in the tackle shop, parking lot, etc.etc. and you are talking "fish talk" do you believe them? do you disreguard what they say and do your own thing any way? or do you believe just the opposite of what they said??? Now I am not talking about your good fishing buddy that you have known for 30 years....I mean just those you meet and chat with along the way.....

For me I tend to stick to my original game plan reguardless of what is said or believe the opposite is true of what was said (hey call me "Negative Nancy" but I have HEARD one thing and SEEN another MANY times)

So whats your philosophy????

Read my sig. :bo:

I pretty much know the areas I am fishing and have some kind of a plan,
I do listen to the reports and if nothing in my plan works I may try Plan B.
But reports from takle shops are 2 hand and a day or 2 old so who knows

it depends on who's telling the story..total stranger? I take it with a grain of salt...Sure they caught a big fish,that I believe but it might be as big as they say,I don't go by how many inches they say it was,if they can't say "I weighed it up and it was 50.5 lbs stripper" that I believe. Not "It must have been 3 feet long"

Believe none of what u hear and half of what you see:cheers:

ok, this may sound silly but I am just curious how many of you feel about this. When your in the tackle shop, parking lot, etc.etc. and you are talking "fish talk" do you believe them?

So whats your philosophy????

I bait ... I listen ,, never top there story,,they'll clam up ... This is fishing too... This is if your talking to some fisher in the parking lot . If the guy in the bait shop tells you he weighed in a nice fish caught on frozen pogie . I suspect he's trying to clean out his freezer ..
If a very reliable source (friend)tells there getting fish over there I believe it . I still have my own game plan . percentage following fishing reports , You'll always be where the fish were .. You missed it !

Doesn't matter if they're lying or not. If it's true, well thanks. If it's false, well thanks for the entertainment. I'm going fishing anyway. Nothing said in the shops will stop me.

I still think your best bet is listen to the Cap't chatter on the radio. They're out to help each other, no sense is making the other skipper trash across endless seas for nothing for his paying customers.

Fishaholic- you got it right -D.T.A. don't trust ANYBODY

Fishaholic- you got it right -D.T.A. don't trust ANYBODY
LOL:fishslap:

Doesn't matter if they're lying or not. If it's true, well thanks. If it's false, well thanks for the entertainment. I'm going fishing anyway. Nothing said in the shops will stop me.

Nailed it again Fred :claps:

One of my local haunts one day.. (love it).. on and on he goes to this guy in his shop.. guy leaves.. I start to say.. "-----, U R sooo fullachit".. when he waves his hand cutting me off.. "hey.. I gotta eat too!".. but he always gives a pissah report.. unles he knows ya know better.. But.. whats wrong with an encouraging word.. on your way to fish?

unless i'm fishin in a new area i follow my signature.:)

I still think your best bet is listen to the Cap't chatter on the radio. They're out to help each other, no sense is making the other skipper trash across endless seas for nothing for his paying customers.


Put your time in , keep a log, and do your own thing!
Forget 2nd hand reports, fishing reports in the papers and magazines, ect....
I try to stay off the vhf as much as possible (I keep the volume down most of the time anyway)
I've had way too many times when I hear people ( some charter boat captains) over the radio talking that there into fish and to come on over ect...., and it turns out that they maybe caught 1 dam fish !!!

Listen to everything that is said. Take that info and weigh it against what you know for sure already. If it all seems to make sense , it might be worth checking out. If the "fishtales" don't jive with what you know to be happening , just ignore the talk BUT DO LISTEN. :)

I don,t say or listen to anyone //

stay under the radar //don,t give a s hit what someone else has to say =been around too long ///silence is golden ;)

When I get a "story", I'll ask a couple questions. Then according to the pause, quality of the answer, and tone of the conversation I'll make an "assumption" of the posibility.
Bottom line though (from comm. fishing days) Can't catch already caught fish. Either way I congratulate the guy (either for the insight, or the story) and do my thing, my way.
Now if it's from a shop keeper,,,,, Assume "bunk" unless proven otherwise.
If it's from someone I know,,, it depends on who it is. Some will send you south in the north bound lane, while others try to put the hook in the fishes mouth for you.

Example;
Meet with an older friend 2-3 times a week. Each time he always ask about how I'm doing fishing, then he starts his story.
"Caught 2 this morning, About a mile down the beach from my back door. 1@37", 1@29", on a rubber eel & no weight. 10:00 this morning. Then nothing. Bunch of folks came and crowded me so I stopped. An older gent came and I gave them to him because he really wanted them and I've too many in the freezer already."

Reality;
This guy is 87, has a hard time walking 75 ft. from the car to the door. Has a scope with a tripod on his back porch, and field glasses.
Probably saw someone catch the fish (maybe).

Summary;
Nice guy, his days are mostly gone (as far as fishing the beach goes). And it doesn't hurt to listen and makes the ol' codger feel good. Doesn't hurt a thing to be nice. PLUS, on a good day he'll tell stories of days gone by, leaving no doubt that in his younger days he was a very advid surfman. Listening to his stories is like a new volume of "Eastern Tides", and most enjoyable. (whether Fact, or inflated - don't matter, good stories all).

Believe none of what u hear and half of what you see:cheers:

I had a high school history teacher that said:"believe nothing you hear, half of what you read, and all that you see."

Thought he was nuts at the time, but as I matured it all makes sense now.

Isn't there a saying that "all fishermen are liars"?

i like fish stories.

I get a big kick out of canvassing different stores in the same area.

I think it's funny how often two stores will give you conflicting information.

I listen but it doesn't influence me.

Listen to everything that is said. Take that info and weigh it against what you know for sure already. If it all seems to make sense , it might be worth checking out. If the "fishtales" don't jive with what you know to be happening , just ignore the talk BUT DO LISTEN. :)

This is basically what I do, this season I've begun to understand what is going on around my parts (well kind of) so then you can start to determine what is BS and what just may be real.

Think about this. Fish have fins. Ever see a school of bluefish breaking? One minute there in front of you. Next minute they are 100 yards away. If you chase reports you will do a lot of driving for nothing. Stick with what you know and where you know. And remember NEVER LEAVE FISH TO FIND FISH!

///silence is golden ;)


famous last words.... spoken like the Smart as a fox guy you are Clammer.....


Quai Chang said.... when a mans words are not better than silence
.................................................. .it is better to be silent.

Read my sig. :bo:


That's a good e/m quote. However, "Even a broken clock is right twice a day" is my favorite.:uhuh:

As far as tackle shop stories go, if I wasn't there, it didn't happen.:hs:

Hi Jenn...- hope all is well.


My thoughts on your question -
I don't make chit chat at tackle shops or parking lots etc... a simple hello is the most you'll get out of me, not that I have the answers or the questions and that's why I never pretend to, like most on these sites. I think Tlapinski hit the nail on the head when he said the following:..,

I think some of us, myslef included at times, need to realize that none of our words are gospel. Every aspect of surf fishing from plugging to eeling to chunking comes with different levels of skill. The basic idea of each type of fishing is easy and basic, but the nuances of each is what separates the average fishermen from the consistantly successful ones. If you limit yourself to only one method of fishing, you are possibly losing out on some memorable experiences and catches. If there was one single way to to catch large every time, there would not be so many options available to us in the surf and the challenge many of us hold so dear would not exist

...I enjoy good company and will make a detour with a reel GOOD friend if my plans weren't carved in my mind. Like I said, I enjoy good company, Life is about having fun first, catching fish second. If you don't feel the same way, I really don't want to fish with you....at all. :D Doesn't matter if you know where the holy ground is either...I used to strictly fish alone but over the years I've learned that good company is better than a big fish <alone>...and sometimes a big fish will get you bad company, so you figure it out.

I may have strayed off the question, : Answer, I don't believe MOST people...I could probably count the people I believe on one hand and still have a couple of fingers left over to pick my nose. :gf: ....So, NO I don't listen or believe people...I don't even like to listen to most because time is always ticking....TIC TOC,,,TIC TOC....

Bloo, All is well, thank you!

the question didnt actually come from going out of my way to make chit chat at the tackle shop.....but for some reason I have found people OFFERING IT UP a lot lately!!!! Which strikes me as odd. I say a simple hello and they start talking! Myself, if someone asks me I never lie about it, but I certainly dont spew out details either. I like to keep it vague and simple.Anyway it just made me curious how much trust or distrust there is among fishermen. (hey I cant help it I am curious about silly things...)

Jenn....\

C'mon...you've been on hear long enough,,,, you should know by now, aLOT of guys just want the self-gratifucation of thinking they know it all...:musc:

....and better yet, to a young woman who'll probably out-fish them!!! :rotf3:

well I dont know about the outfishing part but.....:eek:


no it just seemed REALLY odd to me that 98% of the time it seemed that no body would speak a peep in the parking lot, beach, etc. !!!! it seemed like everyone wanted just to be left alone while fishing! Which is understandable but how many people do you pass and say hello and they act as if you arent even there! As for the self gratification, well yeah I do know better, though I think it' s odd that lately it seems EVERYONE I ran into was talking!

well I dont know about the outfishing part but.....:eek:


no it just seemed REALLY odd to me that 98% of the time it seemed that no body would speak a peep in the parking lot, beach, etc. !!!! it seemed like everyone wanted just to be left alone while fishing! Which is understandable but how many people do you pass and say hello and they act as if you arent even there! As for the self gratification, well yeah I do know better, though I think it' s odd that lately it seems EVERYONE I ran into was talking!

1 on 1 somebody might steer you right .. who wants to stand on a soap box and blab all thier fishing spots and experiences at those spots ... only a BSerrr .. or an insane person .

nope! i dont belive a word....

i walked into a bait shop and this i looked like i didnt know how to fish and i asked for eel's...... he gave me like half dead and when i was out the door he came running out going you know how to keep them alive right and i kept on saying yes and he's like you dont put water in and ect and i was like yes! just bc i was in a suit at the tim edoesnt mean i'm a newb! fddfhuihdzsdjgdnhgd bad times and anoying ones....

I try to be pleasant and polite, even when out fishing. If I run into a stranger and they start asking questions, I'll respond with a vague generalization. If they start asking specifics, I'll start lying, while maintaining a pleasant demeanor.
--- So if you're askin', don't believe anything

OTOH, if a random person starts telling me about a fish he caught, and how, and where, I'd probably believe them, but would not likely change my plans.

Bait shop owners? I don't ask, nor do I believe any of their "free" advice.

It seems that everytime I get a tip from someone, I get my expectations too high, and am unhappy when things don't work out. I find it more enjoyable to just fish where and when I want, and avoid crowds by doing so.

don't you just hate it when strangers come up to you while you're fishing and want to have a little chit-chat about thisnthat?

don't know about u, but it drives me absolutely nuts.

don't you just hate it when strangers come up to you while you're fishing and want to have a little chit-chat about thisnthat?
Yea, but what do you think about this wind? or light peanut butter? or chrome valve stem caps? or ...

-spence

It seems that everytime I get a tip from someone, I get my expectations too high, and am unhappy when things don't work out. I find it more enjoyable to just fish where and when I want, and avoid crowds by doing so.
same here George...I gave up on all types of reports/tips....spoken, written...whatever
I go when I go...and I go where I want...and make my own reports

Funny this just came up!!

I was at a local place and this guy was in there, he was asking some stuff and I was just listening.

He then started to tell one heck of a tale!!

He said that he and 3 budys were in there 16' tin boat, went to the vinyard from Falmouth. (must have been a lat day!!)

Said they caught no fish, but that on the way back they saw a DEER swiming to the main land ( I know dear do swim, But this was bull)

So he and his buddys went over to it, beat it to death with there paddle and then pulled it into there boat and had deer for dinner!!

At this point he looks at me and says isn't that a great day??

I said (since he was talking to me) You are so full of sh-t!!

I fish there all the time and I have never saw a deer swiming to the main land!!

2nd 4 people in a tin boat beat a deer and pulled it on board?? You really need to check your self into a Hosiptal if you think anyone will belive a story like that!

Have another beer and go to sleep!! Then I walked out with out him even saying a word!

I am not saying that deer to swim, and that they have never swam from A to B, as there has been many that have seen deer in the canal and other places!! Hell I saw a deer on the Bourne Bridge one night at about 2am that was 15 years ago.

But that I just knew that this guy was bull because of all the events that took place!

I never listen!! I listen then just go on my way, if it sounded real I might try it, but most of the time I just go do wht I know works for me!

i equate qaker lane to the national inquirer... bull chit. they tried to sell me yr old bunker that was freezer burned as fresh bait.

captn don,thats another story...good people. they'll give you the real scoop......

I take in all info in total, that is I listen to everyone in the tackleshops and VHF, dock reports and newspapers and buddies and recent personal results. I can generally weed out the over the top reports. But if it gels with what I heard elsewhere it can sway my thinking for the next trip.

I think you are foolish to ignore all reports, there is some solid info out there you just have to weed thru the noise.

Most shops will not outright lie to you. If they do, don't go back. They may not tell you everything but if you linger for a while when athe local sharpie weighs a fish or drops by and appear to look like you don't know what is going on, it is amazing the details you can pick up out of the background noise. Successful fishermen like to talk, few actually keep it all to themselves. Its all part of the game.