I usaully leave when its all small in search of larger.. I'm not interrested in running up a high fish count catching small fish. I usaully find what I'm looking for but, there has been times when small has turned to large and I missed it . Sometimes this method does bite me on the butt ..

Dammm . :scream: after re-reading post I'd be very happy with 20# and 30# fish everynight.. Those are nice fish .. where u guys fishing ? When i say little guys I mean the ones you can reel in skipping across the surface.. I get on the Trophy fish every 2 - 5 years .. Yup,, lost it this year too . :eek5:

Honestly ,I don't care.For me ,the trill of a hunt is a lot more satisfying than the actual fight.Seeing a fish engulf a metal lip and trash it's tail once it realizes its pine and not mahogany :bl: .......priceless

40 +
 

In prior years I fished water that would guarantee mid teen to low twenty lb fish every night, rarely would I not land somthing in that range. This year I decided to fish "big fish " water more cosistantly. I will agree 40 lb + fish don't come on a consitant basis from the surf, but being willing to hunt more in big fish water paid off this year with three 40 lb + that are logged, and I believe I actually have a forth but need to go over the pics and my log. The number of 25 to 39 lb fish from the surf increased dramatically also. I would say that for the season as a whole I was consitant in the big fish catagory from the surf. Mid july and into the end of august were good boat times for me with a 47 and a 41 lb bass and at least 15 over 30 lbs. Hooking up is only 1/3 the battle, the gear is the other 1/3 and the experience is the last and deciding 1/3 in being consitant. I only lost 3 big fish out of the 40 or better I hooked up.

I'll take 25 pounders any nite. I think the fish from 20-30# fight the hardest.

For some it sounds like the only thing that matters is catching and only large at that.

I'm just glad that I'm ABLE to fish.Ask someone in a chair or missing an arm what matters.

Sixty-shmixty,I'm just glad to be out there.If the cow of a lifetime comes along then fan-freakin-tastical,if it doesn't then it doesn't.Of course I'd love to catch a giant but its not the primary concern.

Enjoy what you have.There may come a time when you can't.

Fish are fish. It's really cool to catch something on the larger side, but I'm happy with anything and everything. Maybe it's because I've pretty much just started to fish...because every time I get a hit -- whether or not I can set the hook, whether or not I can land the fish -- it's just SO exciting to me. And we're just talking fish, but if I have a good day out on the water with a fishing buddy, it doesn't matter if we catch anything. I guess I'm easy to please.

Fist legal surf bass
 

I remember my first legal surf bass as well or better than any of the fish I've caught , 22lbs and it was awsome. I remember the first pick up and run i ever got even though I didn't land the fish, never fresh water fished again after that!

An in NJ there are days when we'll take a bluefish.

1 large... schoolies are as useless as bluefish :angel: until they grow up

on a more swerious note... before I get flamed to death. :af:

I don't like to slay schoolies because I feel that more of them are dying then surviving. I know someone will bring this back to haunt me when I post holdover pics this winter. But, this is my thinking and holdver fish are just to kill the urge. :D

I gotta get me one of her :hihi:

First I would like to catch one over 30 lbs :eek5:

than I will give you an opinion on the diffence.

I know I'm going to regret saying this, being irish and all, but Size Does Matter.

I'd rather have one large than a bunch of small.....I still have fun fishing no matter what I catch but I would rather catch that one large one instead of a bunch of small ones.

as long as the fish can take drag the more the better. i'v had fish in the mid to upper 20's not take any line then the next night have mid teen fish fight like hell.

i love bass period,i love to catch them, any bass.

I'd Rather be in a group of fifteen to thirty pound fish going after surface gear than caring about hunting a 40 with lead or bait. If you fish with this idea your big fish will come. It has, numerous times for me. The adreneline rush for me has to be with seeing the fish attack the lure, be it a 10 pounder or a 40, Casting for hours on end in the hopes of a forty is not part of my adrenelenne rush.

As for schoolies, rarely do I even fish the esturies where they spend there time.