If it's one good day a weekend, I'm more likely to end up on a golf course, don't have the same drive to do it.

Thanks all, I really do appreciate the suggestions, today I start my vacation, we will see what develops.

I actually tried fishing the canl the other night after a vsit from Numby which got me fired up a bit but after several hours in the dark shadows of the canal just west of the Sagamore, I went home with the big skunkeroo. I had some delicious looking 3 oz eelskins bouncing bottom, some RonZ's and some jig head w/ sluggos and some bottle plugs wiggling thru the water but to no avail.

Obviously I have the big stink on me for some reason so I would stay away from me until I sliop out from under it's grasp.

Piemma, my thoughts are with you and your new round of health issues, I send you the very best of luck and may God's hand be on your shoulders. You'll beat it no doubt.

I have been fishing trout in a local salt creek and doing very well and that is one of the things that have kept me away from the bass fishing. No other people at all, a beautifull sunset each night that the sun is shining across a broad salt marsh, hell I even found a few plugs this past week on the marsh that must have come in on the new moon tides. My perserverance in the salter fishing paid off last Monday evening with a once in a lifetime catch and release of an 18 inch sea run Rainbow. I guess you could call it a Cape Cod Steelhead.
Neon green back crimson swath along it's sides with a broad tail and solid as a rock. It still swims there still along with several Browns I have caught and released to just under 21 inches, the bug has even taken a few school bass mixed in the bunch.

Like the construction trades the hard life of a surfcaster is a young man's game, knees and back get sorer each year and the urge to sleep more prevails. Crowds more than anything are what make me not want to get up and go. I stopped fishing the cnal when the herring run and chunk bait fishing peaked several years back. Last year was phenomenal plugging there, higher gas prices kept a lot of people away and boat traffic to a minimum. This year, now that plugging has come back into vogue and gas prices are lower, the crowds are back.

I look forward to this next two weeks, to seeing Prof M laughing his arse off whikle chatting out loud to the bass and the many ghosts that haunt the flats we fish and seeing Saltfly walking in ankle deep water flyrod in hand surrounded by hundreds of backs, dorsal fins and tails and of course the applauding bass. To fishing with 2na on the outer Cape and numby, sauerkraut, stiffy and ESL along the upper cape and island shores.

Like someone said previously, I will do it with no pressure, no expectations and just to have fun.

I will report on our progress.

Flap

Atta boy. I will be there early Monday morning, perfect tide. hope to see yeah out there.

Flaptail, if you decide not to spend as much time fishing as in the past, I hope you devote more time to writing. I love reading your older stories about fishing experiences on the Cape. You have a great way of making the reader picture exactly what you are describing. Each winter, I go back and read your Monomoy piece from the OTW compilation and I enjoy it just as much each time. You have a real talent.

After reading this thread over, I've come to realize that I may have contracted Mac-NewellGuy's Disease.*- A realizition that I have other pressing responsibilities and tasks to be done.
One day I woke up to find my house is in need of attention, my yard is knee high, my garage has fallen down, and on and on. I have so much to do and only so little time.
That coupled with my dental health episode, I had a dentist who took x-rays but never bother look at them and now I'm paying for that too. My time is limited, I'll fish when I can as a reward for a task done here and there...

* you could look it up in JAMA, Similar Peter Pan Syndrome only curable.

LOL. I think we all have some form or another of that. I know I do Fred. Good luck with the dental issues. I hate the dentist, sadistic bastards.

What Jake said.

Sooner or later you get to the point where you realize your life is out of balance - otherwise you just end up completely fishing yourself around the bend.

Reread #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&'s post on the darkside of fishing, sometime - you're having a fishing epiphany, Flap. And it is age related without a doubt - you're just going through the labor pains of wisdom.

Lay off for a while, take care of whatever you feel you need to do and come back to it when it feels right...you'll appreciate it more in the end...:uhuh:

I don't think your alone with these feelings. I think this has been a tough year, as years go. With all the change and uncertainty that is around us, no wonder folks are laking desire or motivation. I too feel it. I just play the whole tape, and I shake off the negative feelings. I look for the reasons to go, for it is easy, when down in the dumps to just say, " the heck with it". It's early yet, but being in a funk for too long is no good, for anything, not just this thing we do.:kewl:

I think I average about 6 trips to the canal a year the last ten years. Many times I'm on the Cape but its on the great sweetwater ponds chaseing bass, trout and salmon. Midsummer on a quiet lake with very few others and its nice and quiet. My canal trips are usually between midnight and early morning, then I'll hang with the boys and hit Gray Gables for lunch.

steve....its not u...here it is. sometime life sucks big time , why me ? or worst ...we all been there .i'm there right now ! but we all get over it and move on u have no choice .u got a case of the dont give a sh its. you'll b ok .life could b worst..........

I have to echo Fishbones sentiments......I love reading anything you write Steve! Have not read anything new for awhile? You have a gift for crafting a great story and I would love to see more!:rtfm:

Steve I hope you enjoy your vacation and find your mojo!

Good to see you fighting through it...1@15 on a mm last night.....anything else after that ? Nada here.

You'd be horrified if I told you what you missed after you left on Wed.

Well, I just cut the lawn for the first time in 12 days. I have fished 12 early mornings straight. I have neglected my yard, my job, my family and I don't care. After 40 odd years of chasing the striped ones I have it all in perspective. Fish when you want and everything else can wait. This year I just don't care about anything except snagging pogies and crushing bass.

I am actually taking the boat out with the intent of pursuing fish.
I haven't had the desire nor the time. I think nailing down the new job has stimulated me to actually want to fish now.

Flap, I know exactly how you feel, but challenging your self with other methods does help. This is how Sponge Bob came into my life a few years ago. I was bored with the same rutting of catching fish. After a while something does go missing and why sometimes I envy new comers and children to the sport. That first time feeling of catching fish or your first blitz ect. is amazing, I will never forget mine but you only get to live it so many times before it all starts to cloud together. The fact that I fish so much and for so many diffrent species in both fresh & salt makes it hard to motivate my self sometimes...so your not alone........I spent a whole tide with fish in the 28lb-38lb range busting on top the other day and just sat back and took pictures of the guys I was with enjoying them selves and it felt good...........Your not alone.

When the time's right...
 

YOU WILL KNOW IT! :bl:

I finally got the urge to go, and this AM and it was a great kick-off to my season from the get-go.

I saw my good luck fox at the parking lot - had the place to myself- tide was perfect- had 4 bumps my first drift- hooked up on the second drift- and had steady action for over an hour and landed my first 4 fish of the season before the tide let go. IT WAS MY TIME! :kewl:

Patience young grasshoppa- your time will come, and you won't rook back.


Jon

I hear ya..I just sold my boat last month, bought another street bike, been busy with that, work, the girlfriend, and a lot of other stuff..haven't been out once this year. Usually I'm out after schoolies in April and fishing hard by the middle of May.. This year something has been different.... things/friends have changed, my life and priorities are differnet I guess... once in a while I think about going (some fresh food for the table would be nice) but I just dont have the time for it.. Im starting to feel guilty because my uncle has been doing well lately and keeps asking me go with him but Im just not interested.

Once I stop drinking long enough to have solid movements again I plan on fishing seriously this year.Some years are worse than others.This one is a slump for me so far.Haven't got a fish yet !Only went out twice and just casted a few times then packed it in.Glad to hear your having success doing what your doing.I hate the crowds just the same.Last time I hit my local spot there was two guys with at least 15 rods each covering most of the area and a cooler full of 5 inch scup.:yak: