What Are Your Expectations?
 

This is a spinoff of another thread.....but I am curious as to exactly what are your expectations of a typical trip out fishing??? Are you keying on catching a trophy? Are you looking for quantity of fish?? Are you looking more for just a way to get away from it all, relax and just take what comes? :huh:

For me, it all depends on where, when, and whom I'm fishing with. If there are big fish around, and I'm not bogged down by family or inexperienced friends, I target large. But, some times I just fish to relax, or show someone the ropes.

My typical planned trip is to hit a spot that produces well at a particular time of year.....spring I focus on spots south of me down around the canal area.....later season I fish more local to me with occasional forays to the Capes backside or Cuttyhunk.

Mostly, regardless of the time of the season, I am simply looking for a great day or night out fishing! I am always trying to be ready when that "SLOB" might happen to take my offering but mostly I am looking for enjoyment of the place, the moment, and hopefully some productive fishing! Sure I want that trophy fish but that is not my focus when I head out! Fishing all plugs I am simply looking to entice a good bite in a place I enjoy and all that goes along with that be it a beautiful sunrise or sunset, a rainy, sloppy afternoon on a jetty somewhere or a dark night combing either a rocky shoreline or a sandy backside beach under a partial moon.....my basic reqirement for a successful and enjoyable trip is 1 fish minimum. No size requirements......just to get out and catch fish and enjoy the moment no matter where I am or when I am there.....each fish I catch is a moment savored and one that I am always thankful for! My best fishing buddies have been blessed with their big fish......mine has not come yet and I learned over the last few seasons to enjoy the moment and eventually.......mine will come in its own good time......and I will enjoy it all the more when it does!:fishin:

I target large every trip, and expect to catch large every trip. Sometimes the fish cooperate, sometimes they don't. Not in the "at least it was a good sunrise, sunset, pretty moon, etc." camp. I don't drive an hour each way for that, I can do that at home. I fish to catch.

spoken like a true warrior.....

Amen.
I set the mark at 20+lbs, or it isn't a successful trip...

i think this site has warped my sense of expectation. During the season you see everyone post their "best" or just damn big cows.... It makes me think when I go out that I should always catch something of size but of course, this is hardly ever the case.

I am happy with something on my line per trip. I am satisfied when I hear the peel of the line that tells me its something more than a typical trip.

My goals when I set out are alway the same...To first find fish...My overall goals are to strive for consistancy! I want to catch fish everytime out and expect to do so..Thats just my attitude towards it..Confidence is the main goal, if I dont feel that I will just stay home

I agree with both of you here. It just happens that you get skunked a fair amount of times and is a part of many fishing trips. Just have to learn from days like these.

-mike

Here's what I expect, and I'm rarely disappointed:
I expect to enjoy some fresh air and clear my mind.
I expect to learn something new or at least see something new.
The fish are a gift, I don't expect gifts. Large of small I'm happy, but they are icing on the cake.,

Oh my god!!! When I'm not bogged down by family...I seriously hope you don't mean me!!!:bs:

to have fun .

BTW I prepare myself to catch big fish...I really don't know how else to TCB.
That's it from my end.
Rick

No Rick, I was talking about my wife.

I REALLY REALLY want to go over 35#'s by the end of May- shore in ri

I expect to come home happy and content.....fish or no fish.

I ALWAYS leave the house Expecting Large

I mostly come home saying WTF....:hee:

But I always enjoy just going.....I think the anticipation is just as much fun as getting out there. If I'm getting up at O'Dark Thirty to go out I can't sleep because the anticipation is killing me

As a preface, I don't get out even 1/5th as much as I'd like to, and I fish plugs 95%+ of the time. I have a great time every time whether I catch or not.

My hope is to catch a cow but my goal is to not get skunked. I select a spot based on whether I think it will have large bass or not, but after that I'm there to catch fish. If that means working a tiny plug through the rut to pick up a rat to avoid the skunk, then that's what I'll do and I'm not shy about saying I'm doing it. For that reason, I rarely get skunked. For that same reason, I rarely get huge fish with my biggest being only 36#.

I never, ever, EVER leave fish. Bluefish, schoolies, whatever...if I'm catching, I'm staying. Not in my blood to leave fish, and never will be. I don't get out enough to have the luxury of saying "I'm tired of catching all these small keepers, let's go look for some bigger fish."

Just like being there out on the water. All else is secondary.

I gotta admit, I'm out looking for large every trip. BUT, I'm still satisfied if I only catch one small fish in a trip and if it was a nice night out with friends or just nice alone time. Now if the wind is blowing and I'm freezing, if I get skunked, I'm kinda pissed.

Thats why I enjoy fishing with you Fred!:kewl:

same here brother :soon:

I'm just looking to have fun and love surfcasting at night, amazing how many stars you can see and it's really relaxing. That being said I'm always hoping to catch a cow, but not dissapointed if I don't.

main goal is to enjoy myself and learn something new every trip.

from late april through june, I'm primarily looking for quantity and hoping for quality. in my experience in the places I fish, this is the time to concentrate on figuring out where they are and trying to put together a plan for when the big girls arrive up here.

from july through october, using what I learned in april and june along with past seasons , i'm looking for quality and willing to suffer skunkings to get it.

backbeachjake said it all for me.i expect to catch every time out even if they are schoolies.just being on the water and peace of mine doing what i love.

I very seldom go out looking for a trophy. I wish I could get a giant cow but it most likely wont happen, no big deal to me I just love two fish.I like would like to catch on all my tackle.As long as im out fishing im happy.

I expect Numbskull to snap off a newly made lure, listen to him bitch and moan :fury:up on the rocks about snapping that lure off!

When that happens it really makes the trip for me fish or no fish, I really enjoy that and feel unfulfilled if it doesn't happen.:uhuh:

WOW! Sounds like I can hear another ball breaking!:hihi:

My game plan is pretty much the same every year. Besides targeting them first schools of teen fish and bottom fish I then switch over to fishing for quality. I end up making one or two trips a week and often spend just as much time catching bait which fun too, its all I can afford. Come fall same thing but I mix it up with surf a little more.

...Read them all ... Jake/Fred pretty much sums in up for me too .. No hissy fit if I don't catch what I want .. Still consider it time well spent even if its a skunk ..

All of the above...but most importantly, peace of mind.

I'm with this too, and adding any day on the boat is a day I feel happy about, at long as something doesn't break.

When I'm out there throwing lead in the canal at 2am, it's because I am looking for a fish that can pull me off my rock.

When I head out plugging I have a very different, much more relaxed mindset. I'm moving around much more, observing the environment and what's going on around me. Looking for spots that hold fish, the rush of the water around a submerged rock, nervous water, or the cut in a bar. I love that first cast whack when you switch to a danny at first light, or the smack of a fish on a pencil when the sun just touches the water @ dawn.

i always expect to get the maximum of each trip- catch fish (does'nt always happen) , swim pluggage, enjoy where i am, and of course company of my fishing buds.....:humpty:

Depends on the times I'm out OTW...

If I happen to have the time/energy to be out at a "good", meaning "a productive" time I'll look for large. Most of the time I'll make the effort to fish my spots at the optimum times.

Often I can only get out when time/schedule allows....may normally be a lousy time of day, bad tide with respect to location etc...then I'll just fish to enjoy being out and take what comes and be happy just to be out.

That being said, I never target anything but large.

to get a friggin tuna! Damn things are my unicorn! seriously, last year there were a few times a longer gaff would have got them.

If I don't have any expectations, then I won't be disappointed

I fish in the day time hoping that a hot chick in a hot bathing suit stops and talks to me :chatter

Got that right Dave :uhuh: we sure don't go there for the skittos