Jim if i have room in the mako your welcome to come.. all i ask is you chip in for the 9 gallons an hour it burns and tell some good jokes :D

from my dock i can be at the mouth of the narrow river in 8 minutes :smokin:

I know you were just giving me a hard time.

I hear so much of "it's easier to catch big fish in a boat" "boat fish don't count".
Billy is right, I was in the school of thought once myself. I now have a new respect for anyone who can consistently catch fish in a boat.
As for easier, after the run up the Bay this morning with 25knots in my face and a 2 to3 ft chop, I'd argue that point.

it is my goal
 

to buy a boat....

because thats my only avenue ...with a permanently sprained ankle
its difficult to go stomping all over hell and back on shore
carrying so much gear....

but see, thats not the clincher... i know .... wah wah wah :bc:

it's when you've done that.... you make it all the way out there
and then you have complete ankle failure happen on your way back!
where you can't
bare any weight at all on your right foot.

what ya gonna do then... hop on sand all the way back?
crawl... ? i think not.

Any "dyed in the wool" surfcaster would never get a boat.
If "catching" is more important than the satisfaction you get surfcasting then get a boat because you were probably never meant to be a true surfcaster. Give it some thought and make your decision. Here's hoping you stay a member of the very small dedicated group of casters who enjoy the most gratifying pastime of prowling around the shoreline.

Good luck.

DZ

Jim - just remember this ('cause I've thought about it as well) - at least now we can fish mostly at night when the wife & kids are sleeping so as not to take away time spent with them, and it's still hard to find time with a busy family. THINK about how much time you'll have to use the boat when you try finding fishing time during the daylight hours mostly & spend time with your family & keep working your job to support your family...

I still fish in the dark. Now I run all over the Bay in the dark. My wife ddoesn't care. Joe, that's a cop out. What, you can't fish in the dark in a boat????

Dennis, that is an assinine statement! You are being judgemental without knowing all the facts and it suprises me that you would say such a thing in writing.
Perhaps you consider yourself to be an elitist who "crawls the rock" I'd bet you dinner that I've crawled as many rocks as you, fished as many beaches as you and taken as many waves as you. No excuses here. I decided to get a boat to prolong my ability to pursue what I love best.....fishing!
Don't get sick my friend. You may find yourself in a boat.

Easy Paul - all in fun.

DZ

my dedication is catching fish , on shore or boat

Take your family in the boat with you. Beats sitting home watching tv with them. Fish some, tube, waterski, fish some more, beach the boat, have a picnic, go for a swim, grabs some clams, daytime, sunrises, nighttime, sunsets. It's all good.

surf vs boat is all crap, its all fishing

Get a cheap tin boat and see if you like it. They are easy to maintain and will get you into most spots and will not break the bank.

um. actually, the boat will give you and your family the possibilities of fishing together during the day as a family. What better way to pass on your love of fishing to your kids??? Not to mention the fact that you will be at home when your wife goes to bed which might lead to more...... :tooth:

Nebe:
If Joe has any more kids he is never ever ever going to get to go fishing again.

Jim.
do what you want man, and do what you enjoy. I wont think less of you!

Like paul M said, after running a 14ft tin boat for research, I would upgrade my 13ft whaler to a 16ft tin w/ a good low emission 2 stroke if I could afford it. they are light, easy to trailer and not that expensive. Just get mark to keep borrowing Al's boat :D:D:D

exactly for the time

but thats what i would want ....a little bigger with center console\
tin, bump off the rocks..no damage

Bryan,

That's the plan...!!! Al and I are actually both buying new houses and after things settle down a little we're going to upgrade that 14' Dory to 17' CC..

Jim, I'm good to go tomorrow night if you want. that 2.5 gal tank is full to the brim...

Heard a bunch of things in my lifetime, but this BS takes the cake...write a dear abby column...Start a round circle and smoke the peacepipe of the dedicated bleeding heart mono a mono...me against the boat group...This whole thread was about something else...

I am happy with my boat, I am proud of the years I spent in the surf and certainly achevied every single goal I had...I am no less a fisherman because I own a boat I am however someone who now has a heck of alot more fish and an apreciation for a new way of fishing...

You know what I mean - yeah there's still some night fishing but all of the current stuff (that Jim is talking about) is daytime fishing.

Big difference.

Eben - I agree 1000%. The main reason I WILL get a boat someday is to use it mostly with my wife & kids.

But there's a big difference in the kind of "family fishing" versus "hard-core" fishing this thread is about.

I can't see my wife & kids sitting with me for 4 hours snagging pogies, livelining, ch#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&g eels into rocks, etc. twice a week.

You're talking about recreational fishing - I think Jim meant more serious fishing.

I think having a boat can serve two purposes

a fishing machine for me and a fishing/family activity for the family

And there's what you tell the wife...

If the boats a rocking

A baby is knocking..

Just stress the together time tell her a boat would allow for you 2 to be together more (then the first time she’s out in it hit the highest waves and choppiest seas you can find) :cheers:

I can completely understand why you guys want to get boats, and I am a real newbie (only been at this for a few years). I think one day if I can afford it, I'll end up with one, I will probably start with a kayak though.
I gotta admit when big time surfcasters like #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^& go to a boat, it's kind of makes me as a younger surfcaster think that surfcasting is on the way out, but now I realize that he put in a ton of time in the surf and did very well for a long time, so whose to say that I can't acheive even a fraction of that success, which would be fine with me!
As you guys said, whatever makes you happy, that is what fishing is all about in the end.

Some people like the destination... others enjoy the journey.

To be bashed by two of my good friends is hard to take – that hurts. Jim asked a question and I responded. I should know by now that opinions are often misunderstood when posted online. I apologize to those who took my statements the wrong way.

DZ

Whoa guys, come on now


the last thing i wanted this thread to end up is the way its going

we are all fisherman, land or sea ( just so happens the sea is a lot more productive right now) and we all have one goal....to catch fish

didn't want this to end up being a pissing contest

I have taken my kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews out in my boat. The serious eel/bunker fishing is nightime/ early morning alone.

DZ, you have some of the most thoughful posts out here and I always value your responses. I was pretty suprised when I read your response.

This should not be a pi$$ing contest. Fishing is fishing to me. When I do get a boat, I wont stop fishing the surf., but I'll fish the surf at the BEST times and ideal conditions. Now, I fish it all the time, even when I know there wont be anything around.

Since being back on teh east coast teh last 6 years, I never even thought about Narr. Bay. I only fished the So. Co. coast from Narr to Charlestown. Fishing with P23 and all of the pics and posts out here opened my eyes to how much water to cover there is and the opportunities for fish within the confines of the bay. I love targeting bass, but I would love to chase schools of blues all over the bay in Sept, on light tackle, I'd be i heaven. We all enjoy aspects of fishing, i do feel the elements of what we enjoy is the same, shore or boat.

This is a well thought out and well written post...Look, Surfcasting aint easy and yes you will catch more in a boat...a 30lber in the surf is a great acheviement...Its a lot of work ,time and effort...takes years ....I personally see no need to subject myself to that anymore, whats the point? Yes I love being under the stars etc...but now I do it from the other side in my boat alone on some remote Island where no one else is around...its different and its the same all at once..

Yes in my mind Surf fishing is a young mans game...it wears on you after many years, there is no way a 40 or 50 year old guy is going to be able to keep up with a 25 year old guy..I was there once fishing with older guys and now finally I know what they meant everytime they told me "what 2am? you go Bill, Go get em" call me and let me know how you did" And, I did go get them...I had my share for sure, but it takes a price on everything...Now with the boat I leave the dock at 4:30 Am, and I am back home by 8am with a couple nice fish, can do other stuff at night and during the day, My body thanks me for it, no cumbersome surf bags anymore, no waders, corkers etc..

I fully admit here, I am out of the surf game for good.let the younger guys go hit it hard everynight and I aplaud them for there efforts...Just dont knock a guy who was ready for a change or diminish what they accomplished in there Surf years..There is nothing wrong with having a boat and you only go around this way once! If it makes you happy do it!

As for Rockport, just put in your time and the fish will come!

DZ, We all lose our heads now and then...No harm done..And I am glad to call you friend! Now would you like to come out on my boat?:rotf2: Anyway..Its all forgotton...

I totally agree I just don't have the stamina needed for serious shore fishing any more, or at least the way i used to fish. I prefer to be more comfortable and love being able to fish where others aren't.

Mixed Blessing
 

I bought a boat last year, and all it's doing is keeping me from fishing. I've spent more freakin' time and money trying to get this boat in-shape and launched than you can imagine. Bottom line, it's cost me most of my spring shore and kayak fishing time. Suppose it'll be nice if I ever get it in the water...

BTW.. It was my wife's idea to buy it.:doh:

Owning a boat is a love hate relationship for sure and helps if you are handy

And the truth shall set you free.
Boats are a blast, you can catch multi species, and have unlimited freedom. I got rid of my boat primarily because of time restraints. The last year I owned the 17' key largo, I stared out my living room window at it too much. Eventually I couldn't justify owning it and not be in the thing 3-5 times per week.

jim it should only come down to one thing money,if you have it then spend it,I love the surf yet would buy a boat if I could there is nothing wrong with boating one day and hitting the surf 2 or three nights a week.If you can have the option to do both then way not?May is a good time to be in a boat in the bay lets hope june is a good time for the surf.

WOW! Lots to be said on either side of this equation...............

However, DZ is right about his opinion.

So, also, is Bill.

What's important is that the fishing part remains. Boat or surf, to each his/her own..................yet, the two could not be further apart.

I'm 47 years young and have been fishing since I was about 6 yrs old.
This will be my second full season on the rocks, and I absolutely love the thrill of the hunt, the risk factor involved, the adreneline rush that comes with landing 20-30# fish from the surf (with eager anticipation and high aspirations to land that 50 from the rocks), and reading the water under the stars in the pitch of the night. I LOVE being out there, finding the bite, and feeling the tug of some BIG GURL (those would be the 4 that I lost last year due to poor positioning and inexperience) as she is trying to dislodge me from me rocks whilst I endeavor to wrest her from her seas.

DZ is right, and I'm sure that earlier on in your career Bill you thought "BOATS, Schmoats! This sheet is tha baaaallzzzzz!!!" Why is that? It's because they are two completely different types of fishing. The common denominator is fishing, but surfcasting is far more difficult. Hence the agreed upon idea that it is a "younger man's game". It is undoubtedly more taxing physically, it is more perilous from the rocks and sea perspective alone, and the reason it is tougher to catch large from the shore rather than a boat is the surfcaster does not have the Lowrance at his disposal or the added leverage of a boat, heavier gear, and a motor or two. In my view, the most pronounced contrast is that you've introduced the boat into the dynamic and given yourself a huge edge against our beloved prey. Surfcasters and boaters are both fishermen granted, but they are two entirely variant breeds. It doesn't make you any less of a fisherman, just a different kind of angler.

Mr Nolan, you are right as well. From your perspective it is definitely easier to cover more water in less time with the advantage of twin Mercs speeding one around The Bay and harbors. Looking from the sea to the shore, as opposed to the shore to the sea affords one a myriad of viewpoints and the accessability factor increases more rapidly and quite exponentially. You also have a much broader view. From the rocks I am limited to how far I can rockhop & cast/swim & cast. From a boat you can survey an entire area and prolly see the bait before it sees you? From a boat you can not only see for miles, and miles, and miles; but you can GET there and get there quickly! Less harm to the body, less stress from the rocks, and better opportunity for some 50's, 60's, 70's, eh mates? Not wrong or right, just different.

And this is where the more rewarding part comes in. Because the two styles of fishing are so diverse, and surfcasting is much harder for many reasons, that is why a 30#er from the surf is a "great achievement" as you said Bill, and more the norm from a boat. It is more commonplace than rare, expected rather than "achieved" everytime you fuel that fiberglass up isn't it?. Could this be why OTW, in its Striper Cup, adds a weight differential to its surf division? Is it fair to say that a "great achievement" from a boat would be a 40#er and up?:cheers:

Please don't misunderstand me, both types of fishing are equally rewarding in their own rights, but both are extremely different and that's what separates those that fish from a boat and those of us that (at least for now) subscribe to the philosophies like:

"I wouldn't be caught dead in a boat!"
"Boat fish don't count"
"Fish Hard, Live Long"
"Chunking is for cheaters"...................Oh wait, that's an entirely different thread :D.

Not sure basstracker...I found it pretty easy to get 30lb fish from shore also:hihi: And it was always expected..thats the attitude you need to score in either a boat or in the surf...Your post is good but I fished the surf for 23 years or so...so I have seen and done just about everything in the surf....I think my perspective is as god as anyones....I can say that a boat doesnt always mean a big fish...its still a hunt and has its own set of nuances...So basically I have been there done that in the surf..

definitely a hunting game, with the wind today it wasnt easy to see them breezing but once we found a school big enough :angel: Game AWN! I have to balance the boat thing hitting the surf in under an hour. And Oh Jim get the boat, if it means you'll enjoy it, make yoursef happy, I did the math this week and running to the canal each morning and fishing home waters at night from my truck I would have saved money AND KNOCKED THE SNOT OUT OF FISH had I had a small bay boat I could trailer... Guess who's taking strippers off his winter budget?:bl:

say it ain't so....I'm talking about taking the strippers off the winter budget

jim ..... dont b a girly man .... enjoy life. do what your selfish heart wants .... the hell w/ everyone else.f-um i can have a wife n f-n kids later...... b a man....also dont play w/ loaded guns....signed... your pal...

"It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. The hard... is what makes it great."

I think DZ's post touched on this a bit. There's nothing easy about surfcasting, and there's no question that's part of the appeal for many. I don't think his post smacked of elitism, just truth. When you're on shore, it's surfcasting. When you're on the boat, it's striper fishing. It's not elitism, it just is what it is.

That said, I've been afloat almost as much as I've been standing or swimming in the water so far this year. It's fun and challenging in it's own way. To be honest when I'm on the boat I'm usually content just driving and letting other people do the catching. It's not that I don't have the "drive" to catch when I'm on the boat, but the hunt is as much fun as the catch there.

When I'm on shore I'm extremely competitive. I want to first to a spot, catch the biggest, push the hardest, etc. That's there in the boat too, but in a different way.

Both boat and shore offer qualities I really enjoy. What ever floats your boat, so to speak...

Take what you need from fishing however you can get it.