Different fishing. I remember "the boat days" with my father. Oddly enough I was the youngest but always ended up doing the job of "mate". Cant say I miss many of the close calls I have had on a boat....(did I also forget to mention my lack of grace and coordination?)

I enjoy the surf way more but do enjoy a boat trip from time to time. However like Bigfish said I too feel out of my element. I like being able to move around or do whatever on shore and the scenery is better. I think the boat is just too confining after a days fishing. It wipes me out!

So I guess that being said....I DO believe boat fishing is harder in many respects!!!

Give it a rest !!!
This subject has been beat to death !
Who cares !!!
I can think of other advantages some guys/gals have over both surf and boat !

I sold my boat and shifted entirely to surf fishing because surf fishing in all is easier. When I'm done surf fishing I get in my truck and go home to bed. I don't have to spend hours cleaning and fixing the boat. I don't spend my winters shoveling snow off the boat and preping for the season. Boat fishing is easy if all you do is walk on to a charter and they do all the work.

From reading most of the posts, it seems like the boat guys are doing a decent job of defending themselves for boat fishing. I don't think Saltheart was talking about maintenance, AND....you don't have to defend yourself because you boat fish. It's OK....really it is.
Is there skill to boat fishing ? ABSOLUTELY!
Is it easier to catch fish from a boat ? ABSOLUTELY!
Will it be the quality fish you were looking for? This is where the experience and know-how come into play.
Give an idiot a rod and a ree and a box of sand-worms, send him off to the beach somewhere...and maybe he'll catch something.
Give the same idiot a rod and a reel and a box of worms, and he'll be out of worms before he catches his first fish.
Whether he catches or not, he will get MORE action from a boat. PERIOD.

O.K. Mr. Experience..........to add to your statement, Which style of fishing will give YOU more fish,,, boat or surf when you target LARGE ?

I am to Lazy to surf fish!! I boat only!! Catching fish is easier, but taking care of said boat, surf guys have us beat there!

I was in a spot today were we got 30 fish (stripers) 20 fish 30+ #'s 1 40# and the rest all in the 20's!! Best Bass day ever!!
O yea 171 pounds Fluke also!!

They are both easy, that is why it is known as recreation. When it becomes a job then it is a nuiscance. I don't know anyone that can't see a striped bass on a fishfinder,just look on the floor for crying out loud. You can't see all of them but you can certainly see your share.Anyone who is willing to pay attention to details and has the advantage of learning from a REAL fisherman can do well in a short amount of time.I speak from experience as I have been fortunate to fish with excellent surf as well as boat guys.Some years are better than others in their respective categories but I can't imagine NOT being able to land a lot of quality fish as long as I make the sacrifices that go hand in hand with catching large.I don't believe in a fishing log as much as instinct and I have NEVER caught at the keyboard.
Enjoy the fishing season,for it is gone before you know it. Fish have tails so if they are not in your honey hole one night try again the next. Sooner or later you will hit the jackpot.

Every time ive boat fished either on a charter or on my little boat i have caught more fish than from the shore. If you use the knowledge gained from surf casting and apply it in a boat you are going to catch some fish. The fishfinder is pretty much like cheating. I didnt even look for bait, just like when i fish a lake for LMB. I look for structure and fish it. Add in the tides against the structure and you have a recipe for success. I would like to say if you put any competent surfcaster in a boat he will catch some fish. i must admit i would like to hit a boat and cast towards shore on some of the boulder fields that i fish from shore. Im not knockin boat fishing, we all have seen the impressive results that good fisherman have had. More power to em, id rather catch a 20 from shore than a 40 by boat.

and thats a bad thing?

You sound like my brother.. I like that..:kewl::heybaby::laughs:

I cant wait to get back out for some easy fishing. The best and MOST easiest part of boat fsihing is that at 3am, I have nice warm cup of coffee easily within reach. Beats waking up by a cold wave down my waders.

Actually my 2 largest bass came from shore. I have had an equal % of the skunk boat and shore, not very often, but yes it does happen. It's all about timing and feeding them what they want to eat, that will increase your odds for sure..Boat or Shore. Be safe an enjoy, that's what matters most.

I think one problem here is that people think boat fishing means an 18 footer in a bay somewhere livelining pogies along a rocky shore. Get yourself behind Nantucket in late Oct on Pochet rip, when the ebb starts into a 25 knot SW wind with a 8ft SE swell running as well, gannets filling the air, sea herring being blasted into oblivion, and the bass of your dreams rolling in a seething roaring rip, a wall of water that can and has killed men in a flash towering above your cockpit,...........and your opinion of boat fishing will change plenty fast I assure you.

Boy that bring's back memories of fishing in shall we call it "the white knuckle ride"backing into 12'er's to drop a jig on a full moon nite.watching it crest and the top roll over...fish on.

Good points on both sides.

No I was not including showeling snow off your boat in the winter time as part of my analysis. :)

Oh , BTW , I had a boat for 23 years so I know there is work in keeping it up and yes , it can be dangerous out there. I have sailed through 16 foot waves wind driven against the current. Very hair raising!

To the guy who threw in the stuff about handicap people , well you are pretty far off the mark. Unless you are handicapped , I know more about it than you right now. I have also seen handicapped guys fish from van platforms on beaches and from wheel chairs on boats. They have a ball and some are very knowledgeable.

Minor miracle that the thread goes 53 posts with no explosions. I knew we could discuss this subject inteligently.

I'm a little disappointed steve didn't chime in. He seemed to have a strong opinion on this in another thread and I'd be interested in what he thinks.

Here in China , they use a 21 foot pole to fish for fish the size of the palm of your hand. You know what...its a lot a fun. You should see the excitement as the fish are measured to see who wins the big bottle of beer prize. Of course the difference between the biggest and smallest fish is just about 2 inches. :)

:btu: Way to go Joe - Sounds like a great day.


......I have days like that from shore at least once a week :laughs:

The chances are, the surf heads who haven't converted to boat is one or both of 2 reasons. The first your body hasn't caught up with you, if you fished/worked stupid for many years then sooner or later it will. Second, money. Either you can't afford it, or you have other priorities.
Fact of the matter is, if you've been fishing for a long period of time your skunk/dink outings has surpassed your memorable fish outing 25 to 1 something like that. Fish don't fight any different in a boat the biggest difference is there fat price that not everyone is willing to pay.

Then you head over to Japan and those guys are catching fish that would slap around a 50lb striper then make it call it daddy. :shocked:

(Giant Trevally if you're curious)

It seems like the boat guys feel like they have to defend themselves and the shore guys have to have an excuse as to why they don't catch as much or as big as the boat guys. There are guys (and gals) on this site that fish only from shore that could go out on a boat and catch with a Walmart combo and vise versa for the boat guys.
Bottom line is if you know what you're doing and you put in enough time, you'll catch. I fish both boat and shore and enjoy each for different reasons. Wading at night is relaxing for me while being out on the boat seeing all the sea life is pretty cool too.
Saying boat fishing is easy compared to surf fishing is like saying fishing the canal is easy compared to fishing the surf in south county. Just because some guys go down the canal and consitently catch big fish in the dead of the night doesn't mean that it's easy.
Any fishing for me beats the hell out of my job or the work I have to do around the house.

Thanks Bloo!!!!

Good post !:kewl:

I'm ready when you are, Spongebob Sharpiepants...

At least you admit that you'll bail fish with abandon.. :bl: Next trip departs Franklin at 3 AM sharp Sunday. Coupla hours of linesides, then I'm going to try to bail some fluke.

Not sure I agree with the boat fishing is easier if you're referring to actually catching fish. If I think of all the best numbers days I've ever had Striper fishing, most of them have been from shore on the canal or back beach with my sharpie brother.

I will agree that I've had much better luck consistantly catching high numbers of bigger fish from the boat, but it took a few seasons to learn how to fish all the spots correctly and be productive. I wouldn't say it takes any less time, effort, or skill to get really good at it, it's just different. Correct me if I'm wrong Mike, but I don't see any drop off in your yearly #'s compared to boat fishing. Maybe fewer giants, but that's about it.

I know enough superbly skilled surf guys that catch a pile of big fish to think that it's not really any easier. Good fisherman will find bigger and more fish whether they're on the beach or in a boat. They'll work hard to understand the conditions under which fish will be at certain areas and be at those areas at the right times. Also, how many of the folks that claim boat fishing is "easier" say so because they spent the day on the water with a charter captain or very experienced angler that fishes a lot, and therefore knows where, when, and how to catch a lot of fish? Guys like that can tend to make it look a lot easier than it really is. There's dozens of boats out in SoCo every weekend and I don't see tons of Bass being hauled over the sides of many of them. The ones that do catch a lot are the guys who are out there a lot, grinding it out, adapting their methods to the conditions.

Though I don't get out in the surf often due to ruined knees and a job that doesn't lend itself to being tired and smelly in the A.M., I think that there's nothing quite like getting a bigger fish in the suds. You're stationary and more subject to where the fish is going than in a boat. The fight is certainly a lot more interesting. Both ways are fantastic ways to fish!

I find myself going the other way. Shore fishing eliminates a whole lot of complexity and lets you test yourself against the fish on the simplest and most intimate of scales. There is a lot to be said for that.

My sentiments exactly. Despite your propensity for wood, I consider you to be of above average intelligence....

Don't be fooled so easily.

I just spit broccoli and cheddar soup on my flat screen!!!LMAO!!!

made me choke on my lunch.. :jump1:

I was one of the guys stirring the pot in the other thread so I feel I should give my take even if it might not be popular.

Boat fishing is easier that shore fishing period. There are statistics to back that up too. If you check the daily weigh in for the Derby on the vineyard each fall there are consistently more and bigger fish caught from boats. Last year anything over 20# from shore was big and there were dozens of fish that size weighed in everyday from boats. See for yourself http://www.mvderby.com/

I primarily fish from shore. I don't hate boats in fact I have a 17ft Boston whaler, It's sitting in my driveway and I find that the $ and Maintainence is just not worth the reward. Granted I'm 27 and in good health but like most people my age don't have tons of $. So my opinion will most likely change as time goes on. I can understand why older people or with bad health might prefer it.

In my personal opinion pulling a nice bass up on the sand at dawn is nicer than throwing a gaff in a bass and throwing it in a cooler with 2 cycle exhaust in the air. I'm starting to fish from a kayak this year or at least use a kayak to get to the spots I need too. I think this is a nice happy medium and not to mention better for the environment

Squibby, if your motor is properly tuned and cared for ( I have a two cycle) it should not smoke and I catch bass all the time, do not carry a cooler ( I RELEASE THEM ALL) and if I have to gaff a fish it's a lip gaff to hold the fish steady to promptly remove the hook(s) which is way better than slipping your hands into thier gills and is only done with large fish otherwise it's a lip grip with my hands.

At 52 I guess I am a retread though so your right on that point but I do many many nights crawling onto slime covered rocks and standing in surf while the sand washes away around my feet as the suds recede, and most nights on sand are spent walking lonely stretches for miles from high banked parking lots cause the oversand routes are shutdown.

Just a point of contention here is all, carry on.

Doesn't prove anything. Maybe boat fishermen are just better...... ;)

:hidin:

seriously though, a lot of those fish come from charters that are out there all day every day and are very tuned into where the fish are and what to feed them.

I want to let this thread die, but its statements like this and many others above that get me. If you thinks thats what boat fishing is, man you guys are missing out. To me its.......

A cove all to myself, drifting in perfect silence, watching bass inhale a bunker while it runs for its life...or...
2 am, not a soul on the water, tossing an eel into a rockpile most people can never get to. or....
tossing a pencil along an island wathching bass blow up on it one after another as the sun sets.....

no fumes, no crowds, no people, ..... no $hit :buds:

I just got back from a long day at Valiant, Race, Little gull and the sluiceway. We capped it off by stopping at the Watch Hill reefs.This body is very tired from BOAT fishing.As far as solitude, we fished next to less boats and certainly saw less anglers than the majority of my shore outings. Some are fortunate enough to find solitude in the suds via a beached boat. Otherwise get used to some company.

What a dumb thread :hs:

Put simply...if you had feed your family, would you fish from shore or from a boat?

-spence

Dangles,how'd you do?That's my territory.

Yes, this is a dumb thread. And that, to me is a dumb question to ask. That may be a pertinent question to ask yourself, but it's everyone elses own choice to fish however they choose to.:bs:

Amen Jim, amen

To me its not that one is easier or harder its that they are very different experiences. I used to be solely shorebound, and there is nothing like landing a big bass on an eel in the middle of an October night on the Cape...

However, I have had a boat for 4 years and have gradually shifted most of my fishing to the boat.

I'll say the learning curve is about the same if not harder on the boat. I spend most of my time on the helm and fish a lot less. Weather, sea conditions, other boats, charts, safety, etc. all come in to play on the boat.

The techniques and tackle are different and require new skills.

Yes I have access to more locations and can easily move around in the boat, it is different and has advantages, but easier.... I don't think so.

to those that think boat fishing is earier, i guess you have never fished places like the rock of Block island the rips of Montauk ,inlets like moriches and shinecock, the waters of fischers island, the race ,sluiceway, the deep water stucture of the vinyard and a million other places were boat handling skills are paramount to catching fish and staying alive.as a boat fisherman of at least 40 years i will take surf fishing any day over the boat,much easier with your feet on solid ground.

Agreed 100%. There's no doubt in my mind boaters assume a greater risk factor when you look at all the variables involved with doing it safely and coming home alive. In addition, you must assume the safety of the people on board if you're hosting others on your vessel.
As always, we've beat this topic into the ground only to arrive at a stalemate.

"Must" assume safety? This from the guy with whom I once launched a crotchety 15ft MFG from chest deep water into a pounding back beach surf like an Aussie search and rescue team. All because the cut at Nauset was too shallow, too wavy, and too "dangerous".

"Bri, I'll jump on the wheel and hold the nose into the white water, you push us into deep enough water from the stern then jump in when I fire up the engine. If we time it just right, we'll make it out over the swells...."

Of course we did manage to brave the 6-7 ft swells to land my personal best fish that day.
:tooth: