Babe, after 46 years of doing it I still do the things you mention. Don't make it hard on yourself. Remember there is alot more to fishing than the catching of fish. The people you fish with, the places you fish, the sights and the sounds. It all goes hand in hand. Laugh it off, that's what I do and don't take it so seriously. It's supposed to be fun. Some of the guys theat post here are hardcore, meticulous about each knot, what line, what lure, all that stuff. I was once like that but now that this Friday I turn fifty, I am letting that all go to just fish for the fun and relaxation it brings. You get to that point sooner or later in your fishing career. I used to stay awake nights frustrated that the biggest bass I ever caught was 49.9 pounds. Know what? I don't care anymore! If it happens it happens, if it don't it don't. No big deal. Catching a fifty is not the mark of a real fisherman. I had people who never caught a striper in thier lives catch a fifty right aside of me, one guy I took out on the beach with me one night years ago never caught a bass and first cast on Nauset with my rod, my reel my lure gets a fifty three pounder. Sure there is skill but there is a lot of luck to it too. Don't get yerself in a quandry like I did. Slow down and enjoy it for what it really is supposed to be. Fun.
