Rethinking my passion
 

With all of what's going on and, since I am 67 years old, I am seriously rethinking the whole fishing thing.
So $25K in a boat. Another $10 to $15K in equipment. Couple of grand for a slip, gas eels, etc.

Hell, I could belong to a pretty nice golf course for quite a few years and not be as aggravated as I have been lately with the numb nuts running the fisheries.

Hmmmmmm....

Then you have to deal with the numb nuts members who are elected to run the club, assessments, minimums, new clubhouse, dining room, etc...... Different church, same pew.

could always start a charter business, that's a pretty good gig
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Please, NO golf! Just ratchet down the fishing a little, get back to having FUN :)

You and I can become a Grace Potter groupies. We can sell t-shirts and stare at Grace!

I have been forced out by health, Sold the boat and 99% of gear. I had great years doing it!! But it couldn't have happened at a better time!

He'd be chewing Nitro pills like Altoids in that job.
Stop being impulsive Paul, you'll end up buying all back in June anyways....

Paul....I fish! <period! Politics do not get involved in the things I love! Politics just ruin everything! I know I am never going to be happy with any politics at all.....so I let the inmates ruin the asylum....thats right....ruin it! I just go fishing! You think your voice does any good? Nope! Not to me! They parade all these "meetings" around to find out "how everyone feels"!! Its a dog and pony show, smoke and mirrors! I just go fishing! You waste your time at meetings they have just so people can feel like the powers that be actually care and actually listen to you....and they don't! I just go fishing! Hey if its not fun don't do it....and if politics is involved ignore the politics! There are hands in everyones pocket and its all about $$$$$$.so screw it I say! We are here for a short time and fishing is what I love to do!!!! So....I go fishing!

Ease your rudder PIemma....not need to reach for the Hemlock quite yet!

FORE !!!!
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DZ you're killin' me:rotf2::rotf2::rotf2::rotf2::rotf2:

You're right of course. maybe too much moving snow and I'm delirious.

I fish less and golf more, I too have a little less desire to haul out of bed at 3am to get to the ramp so I'm taking my first cast as the sun rises, my priorities are definitely changing. I can certainly see me selling the boat in a couple years to work on getting into a single handicap and putting that fishing money towards some rounds south or out west in the middle of this crap called winter.

yeah once you get out there in the spring, sun is coming up over the water you catch that first fish of the season.. you'll be back!

Unless of course there are no fish, then you will be on the road with Grace and DZ...

The above can get U into the Villages in Florida...a half dozen golf courses every day....ride a golf cart from your garage....do a little fishing.....and with a little viagra U will be in the viagra capital of the U. S. ....10 to 15 grand will get ya 3-4 months in the sunshine state.......:):)

Bigfish nailed it - Politics SUCK the life out of you
it's complete madness and idiots behind the desk

but don't let your frustrations (emotions) get the better of you
Best not to make any decisions during this time period.

That's funny I was thinking the same thing. Even played some golf this winter. But you know you really cant beat the bay or BI fishing with friends, having laughs. Plus the feeling that your are in tune with nature. That the forecast matters, that the tide and current matter, that cloud formations matter. You know things that not everyone knows, done things that few do, seen things that not many have seen. For those reasons I would rather have a pole in my hand than a club.

But where are you going to catch striped bass on a golf course? :grins::grins:

Lake Mead and Lake Las Vegas come to mind.......

This isn't something you just walk away from.
The politics, all the snarky Internet bs, that will all fade away.

Are you really doing this for the "fish"?
you can't get this any other place on earth then on the water.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y25...pscfc88a36.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y25...psoc7uuwtz.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y25...k/65c0e618.jpg
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Are you still talking golf LOL. 😡

It's this freaken winter, hang in there Paul , you'll forget all that crap the first second you leave the slip for the first time this season.

It ain't easy! LOL

I'd rather be fishing in a desert than playing golf! Gold is for old people who don't know how to fish!

I would build a miniature golf course with a fishing theme of the popular fishing locations which are no longer have bass. The last hole would be a replica of a charter boat where customers can take their best shot at a bull's eye to sink it. ☺
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one less person on the water is just what the fisheries need.the more people who give up fishing the better it is.As far as Grace Potter goes i have known her since she was a baby.i worked for her dad Sparky as a subcontractor for many years and still do on occasion,a vert talented family

Golf is stressfull, on the cape in the summer at a public track I equate it to sitting in a traffic jam... Unless I'm at the harbors, and then its its an absolute pleasure :walk:

Mike,s photo just sealed any doubt about fishing ;;;;;;;;;;;;;; as we all know ........we like to catch fish , but we LOVE to go fishing .................... I saw it coming 6 years ago ..........so I had a choice keep fishing for stripers & catch less & less or change habits & species .......... I went for the 2nd ........is it striper fishing [NO} but with the right gear there are challanges in catching all species of fish & in their own way fun .................................. the last time the striper stocked crashed > we switched to straight freshwater & had a ball ........ we came back when the bass came back ...............I doubt I,ll be around for the bass to come back ???? this time :sled:

So what you are saying John, is that you can introduce them :uhuh:

Well said ... this stuff is hard to beat ... moves the sole ... a nice golf shot does feel good, even when looking over the water ... but I have to believe you will never find scenarios like this while golfing ...

You could always take up roller blading, buy some short shorts and move to Province town.
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Those pictures Mike put up are AWESOME and those of us with boats probably take it for granted since thats a regular occurence for us.
For me, being out in the middle of the night, pitch dark, no one around, peace & quiet........ is just as awesome.

Do both. Variety is the spice of life.
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Exactly. Don't let fishing rule your life. Do something else and don't force yourself to go.

Become a lobbyiest - God knows the recs. need one.

Hey guys, Nice pics by the way. Don't post here so much but like checking in. Fishing, guys at work think I'm 24/7 and I tell them you don't know some of the guys that I know. I hate to admit it but I guess I'm a fair weather fisherman. I like to enjoy myself. Like is said the "catching" is kind of secondary, Most of the time. I'm not one for fishing all night even though that is the best time. It just messes up my internal clock but I will get up at 0200 or earlier to drive to the Canal for the sunrise.

The best thing I have going is my work hours, Sun - Tue/Wed 12 hr shifts I'm up at 0345 and get home at 1915. So I have weekdays to fish, Sat. is the day to do chores and get ready for the work week. Great to fish weekdays, lot less "activity" on the water, oh and less traffic.

Well just my thoughts. Thanks for listening, Scott

Like this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2d0j_po0DxA

I'm with MakoMike on the golf thing- can't get next to a game where I get to hit the ball but then have to chase after it....

and if you're the kind of guy that wants to sell everything because you can no longer catch 30-50 bass a day-maiming at least a third of them- and fishing just sucks because of it; well, see ya around, have fun trickin' out the cart....(I know this ain't you piemma)......

The photos say it all for a reason to fish, there is nothing like the outdoors to experience and we need to protect it

Me, I'll spend more time in the sweetwater, there is a real thrill to tricking a 3 lb brown with a size 18 blue wing olive; to pulling a largemouth from under a lilly pad with a deer hair popper; getting smallies to hit a stripped leach; taking a kid out for bluegills and perch.

And I'll still spend days and nights out on a rock, getting the s**t knocked out of me by the surf, because it's fishing.


Fix the bait, Sink the Factory Ships.

You guys who know me well, know I fish and have fished for 50 years for the experience not for the fish. hell, I caught over 200, 34" and up stripers last year and killed 2.
I love my boat, being out for sunrise or in the middle of the night. I love the surf and being one with the waves.
What has me totally frustrated is the BS politics that are going on. I thought at least the State of Rhode Island would realize the importance of conservation of the species. But no, they go and vote for 2 fish per angle, captain and mate on the charters.
What these so called fisheries management people are thinking escapes me.:bs:

Paul you fish. its what we do. Just buy a bigger boat and start offshore fishing. Re-spark the flame.

your just buried in snow. It will melt sooner or later and youll be back in your happy place. Crusing the bay.

and golf is for people that don't fish ....:bgi:

Paul's all about that bass. Paul needs to learn about the other species that he can chase in that boat... Fluke, seabass and the mighty blackfish
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Back Beach should chime in, he does both pretty well.