What was the one thing that you learned about fishing for striped bass, that you could not have been taught, that you had to learn for yourself by putting in time.

Was there somthing that you learned that made it just click for you?

I do quite a bit of eel fishing and always try to get the wind directly at my back for maximum casting distance. Some of the places I fish you simply can't get the eel where it needs to be without a stiff breeze at your back. I call them my "Northeast Wind" spots. They're especially productive during a big blow due to the helping wind which might add as much as 50' to a cast. Not sure whether the fish only show on a NE wind, but countless nights its been good with the helping breeze. Same goes for any strong breeze you can get at your back. Some of the early fall SW blows this last year had us into fish we normally couldn't reach

Lesson leaned= flat water with wind at your back is good, don't believe what you read in the books about needing white water and all that crap to catch fish. I used to boat fish alot on the outer cape and noticed many, many nights the fish would be just out of range for the surf guys unless there was a strong SW wind.Since I got back into 100% surf fishing, I've always employed this principle of using the wind as a catching aid. I actually learned it as a result of my boat fishing experience.

The one thing I have learned more than anything else is there has been times when I didn't feel like going fishing because of the weather or other circumstances or thought I should have my head examined for going fishing at a certain time or place only to have some of the best fishing days I can remember.

Now when I don't feel like going or think that I should again have my head examined remember those days when I did go and have been rewarded many many times again.

When i started, it was day fishing strickly. Of course it was the only time i could get out. but since, night time is the right time. lol

One thing I learned useing a small wader pouch for my soft plastics is when putting it on in the dark make sure the zipper part is on top and the two rivet drain holes are on the bottom. :tooth: I've done it so many times what a pain in the butt when your deep wading.

Also the art of fan casting and changing up distance, this was learned while fishing with guys who know what there doing.

:bl:It's better to be lucky than good!:hidin:

I learned that the wind CAN be your friend, particularly when fishing the canal during the summer. It can add distance to your cast and, Damn those skeeters!)

I also learned how to differentiate between a bump from the bottom and that of a fish when jigging the canal (much easier with braid).

But most importantly, I learned that fun of this nature should be shared / taught to someone that can appreciate it. My brother, who had limited fishing experiences as an adult, has learned to fully appreciate the experience. It doesn't matter if we get a "keeper" or not, but just to get out and fish. He now knows why I love fishing so much, and now describes me as "my brother, the fisherman". He will even go as far as to explain that I will (and do) fish ALL YEAR ROUND!

I have a sister that is catching on, as well as a few nephews and nieces too!

Presentation of a lure at the right position, angle, speed, and depth; and feel for the current. Improvement in these areas will increase the success rate on every gamefish not just stripers and the only way to improve is the same as with everything else, practice, practice and practice. I don't think you can ever really master it, just hope to get better.

not to tell everyone the secrets that I had to learn the hard way. I will share with a select few though.

This whole thing we do, really. One can read all of this stuff, on oll of these forums. But the real learning is getting out there and doing this thing we do. :wavey:
But the one thing, I know today, is; the very bottom of the tide, I mean when there is just about no current on the ebb, is very productive.

The nastier the better, I've had my best nights in hurricanes, downpours, wind in my face, rough seas, etc....

excellent thread, CH!

sumthin' i taught myself 2 years ago during
the Fall Run at the corner rocks of 1stBeach.

it was about an hour into first light, and
i was into multiple schoolies on a classic Atom's blue/white.

so then i says to myself,
"self, switch to a storm bunker to reach the mid/bottom
of the water column, and two casts later,,,,,,,,,,,,BAMM!"

25#er in broad daylight and a huge, ahaa!

since then i've applied it to several UDL's to
know that water depth and tide position is HUGE
and that ALL spots are tide specific,,,,,among other conditions.
:uhuh: :uhuh: :uhuh: :uhuh:

I think putting in the time to know your spots is key. Weather, tide, moon, wind, and time of day all very your spots and knowing which conditions increase your chances takes understanding of these variables. Once you get a handle on these, you can better decide what rod/reel combo and lure or bait are appropriate for the location you pick. For instance, at inlets, high tides can pull a lot of weed and pickiing the right lure or bait is key to having a shot as well as knowing the current food source for the fish. It takes time to soak up all these things before you can target more successfully. I am still learning. If it were easy it wouldn't be as fun or challenging.

When I sit and think about this I can't seem to come up with any one thing that strikes me as the one that made anything click for me.For me it kinda came in small bits and pieces.I have a nephew who is 6 and is growing like you can't imagine.I went a stretch where I saw him often and I you take it for granted.After a while had passed I noticed him again and he doesn't even resemble the kid that he was at Christmas.
I have been fishing all my life cept for a short period when I found out why god made women.I learned the importance of wind as a kid.I learned fishing prior or during storms was more productive as a kid.Same with the art of hunting fish,fishing ambush spots like points or any cover or structure.
If there is any one thing, I would have to say it was my commitment to learn to fish moving water.I was a average striper fisherman.Catch some here and there.One year I decided I was going to learn the moving water and that was all I did.The aspect of fishing moving water opened up a entirely different style of fishing for me.I found it invigorating. I never left.
Moving water puts the fish where they are supposed to be.
One of my favorite bit's of advice I ever read is if you find the moving water you will find the fish..
If I could think of a second one.Years ago I decided I would never bring a gun to a knife fight.If I had to say one thing that has helped me to become a better angler was the sacrifice I made to fish gear that could get the job done.Staying with the same tackle for continuity reasons.I learned my gear better, learned it's limitations and landed fish that may have been question marks for me at a earlier time..Fishing is full of sob stories.I have no desire to take part in that aspect of it.

you just can teach someone how to fight a bass through a boulder field at low tide... how much drag to use, how to properly identify the best area to land the fish, and then actually getting the fish in your hands... all while staying on your feet in the pitch black night... you have to experience it all, and learn every bit of it one mistake at a time... oh yeah... AND you actually have to get a large bass on the line first before going through all this...

check your knots... Lost some beauties because I dd not load test my knots..

A few things learned over time:

1) Listen to people who have a very high success rate. Look for the minute details that they employ and copy them.

2) Have confidence in yourself and the lure/bait you are fishing.

3) Stay the course.

4) Don't be afraid to think outside the box and experiment.

5) Enjoy the experience not just the "catching".

6) The more time on the water the more proficient you become.

7) Teach your kids the right way of fishing and let them be part of the entire experience form prep to clean up.

the wind right in your face, you are golden. uncomfortable weather. weather so bad you cant even drink your beer(cause you are into so many fish)

Presentation. Swinging the plug/fly with/across the current to a to a spot through a rip, and pay attention to your line as you do it.

Just one of the million things I've learned,this one stands out.When unhooking a bass or blue,never hesitate while grabbing the fish.Once you commit,commit.Hesitate and youve got a fish attached to your plug and your plug attached to your hand.
You cant teach this.It must be learned.You all know what I mean.

Just one of the million things I've learned,this one stands out.When unhooking a bass or blue,never hesitate while grabbing the fish.Once you commit,commit.Hesitate and youve got a fish attached to your plug and your plug attached to your hand.
You cant teach this.It must be learned.You all know what I mean.

And you don't learn it all at once

so then i says to myself,
"self, switch to a storm bunker to reach the mid/bottom
of the water column, and two casts later,,,,,,,,,,,,BAMM!"



BD, are You Emeril? Your sure as hell sound like him. Put some essence on it.

A few things learned over time:

1) Listen to people who have a very high success rate. Look for the minute details that they employ and copy them.

2) Have confidence in yourself and the lure/bait you are fishing.

3) Stay the course.

4) Don't be afraid to think outside the box and experiment.

5) Enjoy the experience not just the "catching".

6) The more time on the water the more proficient you become.

7) Teach your kids the right way of fishing and let them be part of the entire experience form prep to clean up.

:agree: :agree: :agree:

Words of Wisdom,,,,,,,,,,,

thanks for "keeping it simple", and
speaking from your experiences,,,,,,,,,,
:claps: :claps: :claps: :claps:

BD, are You Emeril? Your sure as hell sound like him. Put some essence on it.

sorry, m'man,,,,,,,,,,,
i'm not trying to rip him off, but

i DO tend to go over the top like that, and i have been doing so for as
long as i can remember!! Emeril is one of my favorite Chefs.

very down to earth and keepin' it lively and authentic.
i can definitely relate to his personna,,,,,,,,,ya think???

funny thing is, i am very quiet when i'm fishing or have one AWWWN!
:bl: :bl: :bl:

Slow means realllllly slow.

Ed stole my thunder wrt angles of presentation, but I'll repeat, as it also makes a huge difference in the boat. I've spent hundreds, if not thousands of days in the boat casting eels in SoCO. I'm always paying attention to how those angles make a difference depending on tide, boat positioning, wind, etc..

Shut your motor off during a drift (so obvious, yet I see hundreds of people doing this all the time), and don't start it back up again until you've drifted well over the area you're fishing(over 90% of the people I see do this and foul up the spot they're fishing in short time). When you've passed said area and want to re-drift, make a big loop around to the other side instead of driving back through the fish. I learned that one early, and it's uncanny how many folks I see doing this sort of thing. Many of them are out on the water a LOT.

That, and a light drag in a shallow rocky area is the best bet for landing big fish, not the opposite (which I learned the hard way too many times early on!). If you're patient enough, it's uncanny how often big fish will find their way out of the rocks. I've waited nearly half an hour for fish that I thought were big enough to wait for. It's resulted in some nice fish coming over the gunnels.

Just one of the million things I've learned,this one stands out.When unhooking a bass or blue,never hesitate while grabbing the fish.Once you commit,commit.Hesitate and youve got a fish attached to your plug and your plug attached to your hand.
You cant teach this.It must be learned.You all know what I mean.

Big time.

fish everywhere w/ flap beach n boat .. alot ...iv'e learned alot ....ie.. when fishin b-harbor in june.bring sun screen ,fresh water .wide brim hat .and most importent is alcohal ars wipes for steve , for that very special moment that nature calls and theres not a thing but sand and seagulls:kewl: ......:topic:........

fish everywhere w/ flap beach n boat .. alot ...iv'e learned alot ....ie.. when fishin b-harbor in june.bring sun screen ,fresh water .wide brim hat .and most importent is alcohal ars wipes for that very special moment that nature calls and theres not a thing but sand and seagulls:kewl: ......:topic:........

Lesson leaned= flat water with wind at your back is good, don't believe what you read in the books about needing white water and all that crap to catch fish. I used to boat fish alot on the outer cape and noticed many, many nights the fish would be just out of range for the surf guys unless there was a strong SW wind..

that is an exaggeration and misrepresentation of facts. I usually don't comment on stuff like that as my pail of Preparation H supply is dwindling but i do resent posts that are misleading. I think white water helps me in a lot of ways but it certainly not the only way to catch fish. If that is true, we'd have a hard time in the fall with winds in our back for weeks at the time

one thing that surprised the hell of me was just how good were 9 inch Tsunami shads in the inlets. I wish I knew this before I wrote what I did but better late then never
Another thing that I learned,even though I have had this feeling about this for years.............even though I had most success with "numbers" when a wind was strong in my face the better fish almost always came on calm conditions and wind in my back.

sometimes a fast retrieve is better, even at night

you always hear and read stuff like "go a slow as you can, and then go slower"

slow is good most of the time, but in the right conditions, fast can really slay them

I learned...Don't trust anyone...:humpty:

Not to horse a big fish with a tight drag. I lost a nice fish on a jetty one night this year because I didn't let it run and tire out, I was so concerened with getting it to the rocks. When the fish turned to go around the other side of the jetty I started to tug on it to turn it back my way and pulled the lure right out of its mouth. My friend looked at me and said "how tight is your friggin drag?" I said to him "I always fish with a tight drag." He simply replied "it just cost you a 40!"

What Back beach and Zeno said about wind is 100% true. I am definitley fishing the shads more this season. They are deadly in current!

NW wind is your friend, thats for sure!

Steve, we call fishing with shads a nd jigs Plan B. You know where!


Probably the best thing I've learned; there are NO FACTS in fishing. too many perfect nights on the water with everything but FISH....

Zeno, could you clarify as to what you mean by stating that BB's input that 'flat water with wind at your back is good, don't believe what you read in the books about needing white water ' and 'I used to boat fish alot on the outer cape and noticed many, many nights the fish would be just out of range for the surf guys unless there was a strong SW wind' 'is an exaggeration and misrepresentation of facts'. I'm not trying to start a flame war, but I happen to strongly agree with both of these points. I have also found that you don't need white water (white water is a very good thing, but not needed) and I have found that flat water with the wind at your back is good, especially on the back beach - it is one of my favorite conditions (and if you are not familiar with the back beach, sw is at your back in most spots). I've learned to take advantage of gaining even more distance in such conditions by tying up some larger than normal dressed hooks just for those times - they act like a kite. And back before seal when you could flip eels the extra distance of a strong wind at your back made a big difference in reaching fish/covering more water. As far as his statement regarding the fish being just out of range, over the years I have worked hard at lengthening my casting distance to get to these just out of distance fish. One of my favorite tricks to get that extra distance is to tie on a 3 oz bank sinker trailing a fly and letting it rip - always good for an extra 30 yards. In a place where distance is king and no one else can reach that far, your offering is the only game in town. This is also why over the last 5 years or so we have seen the proliferation of the kayak bait droppers up near Race Point. If you are not familiar, these guys kayak bait out a couple hundred yards to reach the fish, drop it, return to shore and put the rod in a sand spike - and they do well. This tactic illustrates BB's point - these fish are out of reach for a surfcast, but still relatively close to the beach.

Would you be kind enough to explain why you feel his statement is an exaggeration and misrepresentation of facts? I'd be interested in your point of view because I believe his assessments to be accurate, and if I'm missing something I would like to be enlightened.

The one thing that I've learned about fishing for striped bass over the years is the importance of asking questions of other fishermen. I was fortunate enough to have one of the late old timers take me under his wing when I first got on the beach, and the knowledge he had about conditions, situations and history was astounding. If I didn't understand why or why not something was happening I could always ask him about it.

The second most important thing I've learned is to know a few areas close to home very very well rather than covering large areas in search of.

When fishing in current and rocks, if I'm casting in the right place sometimes I hit the rocks. If I never hit them I'm not casting close enough.

It is dificult to make general statements about fishing throughout the whole Northeast.
We in NY live on white water for most of the year as we are befitted greatly by SW flow most of the year. Out neighbors which are cast away in NJ are not so fortunate in this regard. I felt that bb post was stating that some of us advocate that you must have white water which is far from the truth. I made numerous trips to Cutty over the years and I am still yet to see white water....yet fish are plenty.And back bay casters wont see a white water unless the tsunami rolls through. Yet they all catch plenty of fish.
A lot of places in NY , in the daytime when water is flat your daytime catching will go down dramatically even during fall run
For some reason the big girls seem to prefer calmer water which usually coincides with a wind in your back

I can see where you could get that drift re: white water from his post, and I see on your subsequent post you state 'the better fish almost always came on calm conditions and wind in my back' - thanks for clearing it up.

Just about the only general statements about fishing throughout the whole Northeast I can think of would be that water is wet and sometimes fish are in it - each area has its own unique characteristics which may be diametrically opposed to other areas. I see where you are coming from.

Zeno, could you clarify as to what you mean by stating that BB's input that 'flat water with wind at your back is good, don't believe what you read in the books about needing white water ' and 'I used to boat fish alot on the outer cape and noticed many, many nights the fish would be just out of range for the surf guys unless there was a strong SW wind' 'is an exaggeration and misrepresentation of facts'. I'm not trying to start a flame war, but I happen to strongly agree with both of these points. I have also found that you don't need white water (white water is a very good thing, but not needed) and I have found that flat water with the wind at your back is good, especially on the back beach - it is one of my favorite conditions (and if you are not familiar with the back beach, sw is at your back in most spots). I've learned to take advantage of gaining even more distance in such conditions by tying up some larger than normal dressed hooks just for those times - they act like a kite. And back before seal when you could flip eels the extra distance of a strong wind at your back made a big difference in reaching fish/covering more water. As far as his statement regarding the fish being just out of range, over the years I have worked hard at lengthening my casting distance to get to these just out of distance fish. One of my favorite tricks to get that extra distance is to tie on a 3 oz bank sinker trailing a fly and letting it rip - always good for an extra 30 yards. In a place where distance is king and no one else can reach that far, your offering is the only game in town. This is also why over the last 5 years or so we have seen the proliferation of the kayak bait droppers up near Race Point. If you are not familiar, these guys kayak bait out a couple hundred yards to reach the fish, drop it, return to shore and put the rod in a sand spike - and they do well. This tactic illustrates BB's point - these fish are out of reach for a surfcast, but still relatively close to the beach.

Would you be kind enough to explain why you feel his statement is an exaggeration and misrepresentation of facts? I'd be interested in your point of view because I believe his assessments to be accurate, and if I'm missing something I would like to be enlightened.

The one thing that I've learned about fishing for striped bass over the years is the importance of asking questions of other fishermen. I was fortunate enough to have one of the late old timers take me under his wing when I first got on the beach, and the knowledge he had about conditions, situations and history was astounding. If I didn't understand why or why not something was happening I could always ask him about it.

The second most important thing I've learned is to know a few areas close to home very very well rather than covering large areas in search of.

Hey I know who started that kayak thing and boy is he sorry.

that's what is called the law of unintended consequences, Bobby. And don't flatter yourself, someone else would lowered themselves to it before long.

What Back beach and Zeno said about wind is 100% true.

Back Beach and Z ,,, apples and oranges . I believe BB's main squeeze is the canal (world of its own ) and Z's main squeeze is open beaches .. I fish both .. On the beaches I like the 1st day of a front coming in with the wind in my face . The more miserable and harder to cast will soon be forgotten with the hook up of good fish . I've done this multible times over many years ,, not just once. I consider the Canal its own world , somewhat sheltered with alternating east, west currents . Cape ,,mainland side,, fish are caught on both,, and if you don't like the wind in your face go over the other side and it will be on your back . I don't believe its a factor blowing fish in, as much as open beaches. I highly respect both ,,but don't think Z and BB should be comparing notes . I'm 99% shore guy .. I don't think shore and boat guys can relate experiences either.. imho

TIE DIRECT !!!! thats what i learned and it paid off after a heartbreaking loss two years ago .here what happens when i went direct.wait a minute i gotta figure out how to post pic.

To some extent what Ed is saying is right. One thing I am constantly being reminded of is just how different the conditions are depending where you fish. I remember speaking at a seminar in CT and I could have talked about poached eggs, it would off have more interest then white water. After all, you don’t see whitewater in CT. So it’s a learning process and you know what, in some ways that is what makes this sport great. I remembered first trip to Cutty, damn, I though I was going to pull my hair out with a weak currents and no white water. Struggled mightily till I attached a rigged eel…just to make sure, I don’t harbor ill will towards bb, he certainly is entitled to his opinion. He knows the areas that he speaks of much better then I do but I think I can hold my own here at home. Besides I am pacifist and the fact that Mr. Phelps just left my house and the smoke has not cleared out yet means nothing:hidin:

One thing I've learned is cold eels are cooperative eels. For years used a mesh bag to carry eels. Now I keep them in a small cooler bag with a small ice pack wrapped in wet newspaper. They seem almost dead while your hooking them but as soon as the hit the water they wake up. Haven't had to deal with an eel ball or the slimmy things wrapped around my arm since. They will last for a couple of days if you keep a fresh ice pack and wet paper.

I would also say most of my bigger fish have come when the water was calm with light winds. This may be because I mainly fish very rocky areas. I think the reason is because it is under these conditions that I can fish eels the best. I can reach the spots I want to cover and you can keep the eels where you want them to be.

that's what is called the law of unintended consequences, Bobby. And don't flatter yourself, someone else would lowered themselves to it before long.

There is still a secret to that that only I know, and I'm not telling.

i have learned to forget the conventional wisdom that only certain plugs work at night...i have been using top water poppers at night for the past 3 years with good succcess...both fast and slow retrieves!

one thing i learned is that i'm a lot weirder than most 25 yr olds...

the most important thing i learned from puting my time in is you have to put your time in!

The one thing I learned from reading all of the posts so far is I really do know a lot about fishing for strippers. ( That was a Joke)

The most important thing I have learned and what I think we all learn someday if we haven't learned it yet is when we think we have it all figured out, the fish prove you wrong time and time again.

that is an exaggeration and misrepresentation of facts. I usually don't comment on stuff like that as my pail of Preparation H supply is dwindling but i do resent posts that are misleading. I think white water helps me in a lot of ways but it certainly not the only way to catch fish. If that is true, we'd have a hard time in the fall with winds in our back for weeks at the time

Z,

My post wasn't a misrepresentation/misleading. Its what I've experienced from fishing the outer cape,RI, and canal for many years. I fish eels alot and wind at your back is the way to go. An no, you don't need white water by any means, either. In some places its(white water) great to have, like Race Point, but most other places I've fished its just not needed. I stand on my opinion 100%.

Alot of publications/books, etc. imply white water is needed and little heed is paid to fishing the flat water. I know you recently put out a couple books, but I haven't read either of them. My "crap" comment certainly wasn't an admonition of your work, but more a criticism of a thought process people sometimes employ, regardless of where its printed.

my biggest lesson this year was "loose lips sink ships'' and don't believe any thing you read about fishing.

Fishermen in general are dumber than the fish they pursue.

one thing i learned is that i'm a lot weirder than most 25 yr olds...
Another progressive disease.

To stay out of the Political Thread when I'm in a Good Mood.....

...and to alway change things up....tried and true is great 80% of the time....but what about the other 20%?

Where I flyfish for stripers in Maine knowing not just what holes they may be in , but also exactly where and how to present to them makes ALL the difference. They will hold in very specific spots. I learned this over years, not hours or days. You have to put in the time.

Mr. Phelps...smoke clearing?!?!?!? Here I thought he kept that to dorm parties at large Southern institutions of "higher" learning.

Another progressive disease.

tell me about it. like i need any other issues :doh:

that is an exaggeration and misrepresentation of facts. I usually don't comment on stuff like that as my pail of Preparation H supply is dwindling but i do resent posts that are misleading. I think white water helps me in a lot of ways but it certainly not the only way to catch fish. If that is true, we'd have a hard time in the fall with winds in our back for weeks at the time

No it's not! It's just Mike's opinion....which he is entitled to.

I like all wind..Off shore winds can lead to good fishing.It depends on the bait present and the time of the year also.Wind will also effect water temps..There's more to this than most realize..
Hard off shore winds will bring a upwelling here in NJ. That is all the warm water blows off the top.It gets replaced with cooler water from the bottom.This can be good late spring early summer as the temps creep into the High 60's. S-SW will even lower the temps some more.As it pulls water from the deeper regions in my area..Water temps near 58-60 degree's are the catalyst for the big fish blitzes here in NJ.
We'll have the bait for days/weeks and little to no action from the beach.Then the wind turns hard S or SW and all hell will break loose.Warmer water slows their metabolism and they don't need to eat as much.They will sit on the rockpiles off shore and pick.When the temp's get to their optimum range they can't eat enough..
It is my belief that a heavy off shore wind will also pin the bait against the beach.As they can not deal with the unpleasant conditions in the sawtooth on the horizon..Especially your smaller baits like peanuts mullet herring and sand eels.A good day of this and they run out of room and the bass know it.

I have learned that it sucks to try to micro manage fishing to the point of rocket science.......and its not that there is no merit to it as many of you are great at it.....I just am not! So.....I try my best to pick my spots and hit them when I feel the best opportunity will present itself but mostly.......to have fun. Alot of the time, spot depending, I will go fishing there just because I want to go.....it may not even be the best tide or time but I just want to go wet a line and clear my head! More often than not those times are the best times!

Most importantly I have learned that everyone has their own theories and that nothing is etched in stone as to why, when and where! Also I have learned not to chase yesterdays fishing.....it more often than not does not show up for a repeat performance!:)

Fishing can be many things to many different people.
It's all good..

:oZ,

My post wasn't a misrepresentation/misleading. Its what I've experienced from fishing the outer cape,RI, and canal for many years. I fish eels alot and wind at your back is the way to go. An no, you don't need white water by any means, either. In some places its(white water) great to have, like Race Point, but most other places I've fished its just not needed. I stand on my opinion 100%.

Alot of publications/books, etc. imply white water is needed and little heed is paid to fishing the flat water. I know you recently put out a couple books, but I haven't read either of them. My "crap" comment certainly wasn't an admonition of your work, but more a criticism of a thought process people sometimes employ, regardless of where its printed.

If that is the case then I owe you a sincerest apology.I (like an idiot) assumed that you were talking about a white water chapter in my book. Please except my sincerest apologies. I'll even send you both of of my of my books,free of charge if you PM me your address. Sometimes i read into things that I shouldn't and end up with an egg on my face :wall::o not the first time and probably not the last

I have learned that it sucks to try to micro manage fishing to the point of rocket science.......and its not that there is no merit to it as many of you are great at it.....I just am not! So.....I try my best to pick my spots and hit them when I feel the best opportunity will present itself but mostly.......to have fun. Alot of the time, spot depending, I will go fishing there just because I want to go.....it may not even be the best tide or time but I just want to go wet a line and clear my head! More often than not those times are the best times!

Most importantly I have learned that everyone has their own theories and that nothing is etched in stone as to why, when and where! Also I have learned not to chase yesterdays fishing.....it more often than not does not show up for a repeat performance!:)

That sounds right:wave:

:o

If that is the case then I owe you a sincerest apology.I (like an idiot) assumed that you were talking about a white water chapter in my book. Please except my sincerest apologies. I'll even send you both of of my of my books,free of charge if you PM me your address. Sometimes i read into things that I shouldn't and end up with an egg on my face :wall::o not the first time and probably not the last

Z,

Not a problem and no restitution/apology necessary, but I appreciate the gesture. After I read my post a few times its easy to see how it could be misleading. Believe me, no offense was taken on my part. Good, constructive debate is always welcome. :btu:

Z is a great guy who cares how he's perceived! (rare these days)... Don't think anyone here really took offense Z! We love reading your take on things! :)


I CAN tell you though, back from my Outer Cape years... during stable Fall fronts featuring mild temps & Southerly/ SW erly or even cold NW erly winds-- during those periods in Sept. & Oct. (pre- Seals :devil2: ) ... I made sure to head to the Cape & would stay the duration! :drool:


Once the next bad- weather Front was arriving... & the wind went heavy SE then E / NE ... that's the time I'd be driving down to New London to catch the earliest Ferry back to L.I. & M.! :love:


Different (weather/ wind) conditions definitely affect different areas/ surf- fisheries differently! :spin: :uhuh:

I was offended!:tooth: Z....I will PM my address...if you could just personalize both books with...."To my dear fishing buddy Larry"!:btu:
Then I will forgive you!:bgi:

You better have some "extra" plugs when we meet at Cutty in few months...you'll be going home a lot "lighter"

If you find a plug on the beach don't use it until you replace the hooks. 6 big fish in a row lost on an Atom 40 with %$%$%$%$ted up hooks. It was can painted black top, silver belly with a red chin. The fish didn't even bump my other plugs. I think that was the most frustrating nigh out all year.

one thing i learned is that i'm a lot weirder than most 25 yr olds...


My girlfreind tells me the same thing.

I learned the word "Danny" is owned by Gibbs

Seriously though, being new to this sport can be difficult. As someone who has been fishing less than a decade and didn't grow up fishing, wading through the huge amounts p info online, books and magazines can be overwhelming.
I've learned to ignore 99 percent of the expert opinion.
As BB likes to say, show me the slips and what have you done lately, those are the only people I look toward for answers.

I've learned that "The big fish go farther North than I ever expected" and there is no crowds there.....:happy: