[keeperreaper]

Originally Posted by numbskull

I've got 40 years experience doing both. There is MUCH, MUCH more to master when trying to become good with a boat than when trying to become good from shore. When it comes to actually finding and catching fish, however, a boat is obviously a huge advantage because you can cover far more ground effectively and use many more techniques than the guy on the beach. The combination of a boat and bait also makes it MUCH more likely a novice will connect with a trophy fish, which is why the size of a fish is a MUCH poorer indication of the fisherman's skill than the obstacles he/she overcame in catching it, and the consistency with which one does so.

When the fish are scarce the cream always rises to the top.