Sharpie Secrets - Real secrets? Or plain common sense? - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

JohnR · 08-03-2005, 07:27 AM

Sharpie Secrets - Real secrets? Or plain common sense?

I mull over this several times a year and I was really thinking about this for the past few weeks. If you have had the chance to fish with people you rate as really good to damn good, what little things did you see them do that when you saw it you slapped yourself in the forehead because it was so simple? Was it truly a secret or advanced method? Or just an hinestly good common sense practice?

I've fished with a fair amount of people and a few that I would regard as damn good, especially if having spent some real time fishing with them.

A couple things I've noticed:

#A The lure or bait spends significant amount of time in the water - BS'ing is kept to a minimum and that even occurs only when the presentation is happening in the water...

#B Organized - things are ready to go which allows for more of # A (see above)

That's just two for starters, and they are common sense things.... Got some more?

Clammer · 08-03-2005, 07:34 AM

Well failed in [[A]] i just don,t care //

50/50 in [[B} i,m not quite organzied [sp] But I,m always ready to gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Karl F · 08-03-2005, 07:42 AM

The ability to read water, senses are fine tuned... can see, smell, and understand what will work, and what won't... without running through the plug bag first. Can tell what fish are there, bait,etc., what to throw, right off. If nothing, moves on quick. Often can tell where to go next, from reading the first stop.
A. and B. yep.

Saltheart · 08-03-2005, 07:48 AM

Head in the game all the time. No plug in the water and mind lost in space.

likwid · 08-03-2005, 07:49 AM

luck.

RIJIMMY · 08-03-2005, 08:02 AM

Keeping it simple, you don't need 1000 plugs in your bag.
Also, if what you're using is not producing, change lures. I consider my Dad a sharpie and he's told me of dozens of times he would be nailing fish, guys next to him would be pluggin harder and faster and getting nothing. Thye never changed their lure. Common sense and oberservation

piemma · 08-03-2005, 08:17 AM

I don't consider myself a "sharpie" I do consider myself a good surf fisherman and I catch a lot of fish. There are no secrets that I can share but there are a couple of things that I do that have helped me.

I know the water I fish. I have studied the places I go and I know exactly what tide and wind I need to be successful at any given spot so I don't go to a low tide SW wind spot when the tide is on the way up and the wind is NE.

I sharpen all my hooks all the time.

I do little things like after I tie an Improved Clinch knot, I always throw an overhand knot on just in case...

I always strip back about 10 yards of line everytime I fish. There are always nicks.

I fish plugs, eels, rigged and live, sloooooowly. I read someone said that they do a 10 count for every revolution of the reel handle. I do also. Try it sometime. You will not believe how slow it really is.

Lastly and most important if you fish rocky places, always pick where you will land a fish before you start fishing. More good fish are lost because guys don't have a place to land a fish. All IMO

Back Beach · 08-03-2005, 08:22 AM

All of the above, plus they fish alot. I've seen even average skilled fishermen who fish quite frequently that can outproduce so called sharpies who fish a little. In my case, I caught a lot of fish in my earlier days, especially real big fish, but had only a fraction of the wisdom I posess now. The problem now is the available time to fish is minimal. You become sharp by being there alot, which develops your ability to anticipate things the average guy cannot. It is more commonly referred to as having the "edge."

Fisherwoman · 08-03-2005, 08:35 AM

Back Beach has that right about being on the water more. You do have an edge over the average fisherman or fisherwoman who can't get out there as much.

One other thing that helps me is totally concentrating on whats happening out there, wind, tide, movement on the water, anything differnet from the norm. Most people just don;t pay attention.

One other thing you need to do is think about how the fish is seeing your presentation under water, not just the way you are looking at it. this will increase your odds tremediously.

As I say alot, shut up and fish!!!!!!

Fish On · 08-03-2005, 08:40 AM

I'm not a sharpie.....yet, but I think that another advantage would be in location. The locations that they choose are more productive than what a lesser expert might choose.

eelman · 08-03-2005, 08:42 AM

Some people just have "it" I have no idea what it is but they have it.

Other people who are succesfull know there locales intimatly, Just as Piemma said. They also know winds and tide and even how the wind affects tide in the spot they are fishing, which wind and tide combo produce white water on the structure ther fishing..etc... Some people have that ability to just look at a beach they have never seen before and know exactly where to fish.

Good fisherman never rely on fishing reports from magizines or the paper, they know this info is enflamed and usually a week or more old. Good fisherman create there own success! Sharpies keep logs and watch patterns develop over the years and can almost pinpoint when fish should be at point A or B . They know for instance that such and such a hole has fish usually on the new moon in june etc..or between certain dates.

They dont fish with junk! all there equipment is top notch and always ready for a trophy, they change line aften, check knots, sharpen hooks etc.. Sharpies know when to walk away form school bass, they dont stay in a dead place to long, they move, they have considered every possible thing that can go wrong and try to be ready for any situation, As john said they dont make fishing a social hour, they talk but they are always fishng and aware of whats going on. Save the social hour for a club meeting. They find fish if there not here they hop on a boat and hit an island or they drive to the cape or rhody or wherever else......They take the good with the bad.They dont blame lack of this or lack of that or the moon or the wind or anything else for not getting fish, they just accept that its "fishing" and not catching.

A sharpie catches fish consitantly, the occsionall big fish does not a sharpie make but catching on a regular basis means he or she is doing something right.

Common sense? yes but, you have to give a good angler his due, surf fishing is hard, long hours, tons of time on the water and a way of life...There are sharpies and it takes years to become that.

Surf fishing to me was never casual, Its different from any other fishing there is, its not a lazy day on a bass boat tossing shiners to largemouth in the lillypads.I have no problem with the weekend warrior but that guy will never become a sharpie or have the success they look for, its a special kind of fishing and it should be because its a special kind of fish

striprman · 08-03-2005, 08:45 AM

know where the fish are, what they are feeding on, time/tide, good tackle and lures/bait (fresh).

With those things in mind, you should be able to catch some fish.

#1 reason for loosing fish (in my opinion) is dull hooks.

piemma · 08-03-2005, 08:45 AM

Great post, Bill. Fishing is not what we do, it's part of who we are.

likwid · 08-03-2005, 08:48 AM

If you fish every night, eventually you'll catch fish.

eelman · 08-03-2005, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by piemma

Great post, Bill. Fishing is not what we do, it's part of who we are.

Exactly, I dont fish because I want to, its part of who I am and always has been. I can never explain that to people.When my child was born I could have fished maybe once a week or so, but I would rather walk away than fish half a$$. Its all or nothing, its deep in the blood and never leaves, Surcasting for striped bass is without a doubt for me the greatest thing in the world next to family and, even that takes a back seat at times.

I was talking to Capt. Jim White the other day and we compared notes on what we have missed for time on the water. I have missed, weddings, funerals, family functions etc... Just to fish a tide. I have to have the ability to fish whenever I want during the season, If I am forced to stay home I am pacing the floor misrable...I hate it, its like heroin!

I am sure there is a price to pay someday but when the bill is due, I hope its worth it!!

I hate the daylight in summer! I cant wait for it to get dark! to me the summer is nightime, I cant go near a beach without a rod, what me? sit on a beach and get a tan? no way! Water=bass and thats it! I hate to see the millions of people on our beaches during the day disturbing our sacred striper water!! It belongs to the bass! Close all beaches to tourists

Anyway, you get the point!

piemma · 08-03-2005, 09:12 AM

Amen. I almost missed my daughters graduation from UCLA because the bass were in solid at Carpenters and I didn't want to fly to CA and miss the blitz.

eelman · 08-03-2005, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by piemma

Amen. I almost missed my daughters graduation from UCLA because the bass were in solid at Carpenters and I didn't want to fly to CA and miss the blitz.

They understand

My family knows now and I dont even get an invite, when an invitaion comes in the mail,inside it never includes me and maybe they will call and say "do you think bill will come? or is the wind sou-west"

I have always said , the worst thing I did was catch a striped bass, the rest is history!!

I want to also add, that since most of this fishing takes place at night I see no reason why people dont go out everynight even for just a couple hours? from like 9 to 11. Most times we dont go to bed till then anyway? and it beats the heck out of watching the boob tube! Sure people work, and so did I but I still went fishing, catch up on sleep in the winter, the season goes by so fast I mean look its already half over!!

You have to spend time on the water to have success and to learn. Dont worry you can make it all up to your wife in the offseason

Send occasional flowers, cut the lawn and take out the trash, this goes along way in the point department

If you really want points! do the dishes and clean the kitchen!! wow that huge! And fold the clothes that makes them melt uinless your like me and mix the coloreds with the whites and turn her favorite white blouse into a tie dyed mess!

piemma · 08-03-2005, 10:05 AM

You know the way I get around the "wife problem" is spending quality time with her during her waking hours. As Bill said, we fish the "dark hours" anyway. She goes to bed and I go to the beach. Just have to learn how to live on 4 hours of sleep a night. I call it getting into "fishing shape".

partsjay · 08-03-2005, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Just have to learn how to live on 4 hours of sleep a night. I call it getting into "fishing shape".

Have twins....they will teach you that you don't need any sleep. Good luck telling your wife that your going fishing, and she has to get up with the kids if they wake up, after either one of you haven't slept more than 45 min. at a time for the last 4 months.
So I guess I will half ass it for this year..because I would rather do that than not fish at all......or be divorced.

eelman · 08-03-2005, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by partsjay

Have twins....they will teach you that you don't need any sleep. Good luck telling your wife that your going fishing, and she has to get up with the kids if they wake up, after either one of you haven't slept more than 45 min. at a time for the last 4 months.
So I guess I will half ass it for this year..because I would rather do that than not fish at all......or be divorced.

well thats why I waited for those years to go by, now my daughter is 8 and those days are behind us, now We have to wake her up! she is in bed by 9 and wakes sometimes at 10!! Thank you god!

Seriously, I would not risk divorce ( unless the fish was a 60

) I did not miss much when I was off the game but I would still rather be out of it than go once a week and hear my friends are killing them when I cant go, I hate those morning after phone calls, so what I did was just not talk to anyone, read anything .I paid my dues changing diapers and taking care of my child all day, I am glad I did and it made us close but now dad can fish again!!

But hey this thread is getting off topic!

piemma · 08-03-2005, 11:12 AM

I fished a lot when my kids were little but it was always in the middle of the night. I'd hide my fishing pants and shirt in the den closet. I'd get up at 2 sneak out so I didn't wake my wife and be back by dawn. I am a striper addict and admit it.

spence · 08-03-2005, 11:27 AM

Paul, on a realted note. There were just enough good parts in that 704 you loaned me to fix my broken one

-spence

ThrowingTimber · 08-03-2005, 11:59 AM

Great post guys! I try and make it out even just for a few hours a night if thats all I can manage, I hate watching tv.

piemma · 08-03-2005, 11:59 AM

I will hunt you down like the dog that you are........

Bass Babe · 08-03-2005, 12:02 PM

Uncanny things make me wonder, like when a good fisherman says to me, "Why don't you try pausing your retrieve?" I stop it, and half a second after that, I get a bite. Or, "This cast you'll catch a fish," and I hook up. Or, "We're getting into some party boys tonite, I know it," and two fish just about 40" come in, back to back. Perhaps it's luck, but it seems to be more than that. Good fishermen just...know things, it seems.

Also, I find that the ability to teach another person how to fish, including all the finer points, seems to only come with lots of experience and knowledge. You can tell when someone's BS-ing you, trying to sound like they know a bunch about fishing when they really don't. The good fishermen have a broad knowledge of all things fishing, and a great passion for that knowledge, along with the passion for the actual fishing. A passion, which, it seems, can be greater than that of personal or familial relationships sometimes. I don't think it's worth that sacrifice if to be the best fisherman, you need to put fishing before people. I'll settle for being a mediocre fisherman; that's fine with me.

Rockport24 · 08-03-2005, 12:46 PM

you guys that can go out every night are lucky, I am lucky enough to go out a couple of times a week because I live about a 30 minute ride away to good spots, but I am looking to buy a house soon and you bet your @ss I will be looking for one closer to the ocean! like a 10 minute walk! good luck to me right? that way my fishing time will be maximized instead of wasting an hour driving..

RIROCKHOUND · 08-03-2005, 12:50 PM

Rock;
I know Piemma lives 1+hrs from the ocean, and a lot of other people on this thread live 30+min.... I live 2min from some spots and 45min from others, it's all about picking my prefered tides/times and going to the spots... sometimes its west sometimes its right under my nose...I'm still on the learning curve of this game, put me in a boat I can ALMOST always find fish, in the surf my gut instinct still needs some tuning

piemma · 08-03-2005, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rockport24

you guys that can go out every night are lucky, I am lucky enough to go out a couple of times a week because I live about a 30 minute ride away to good spots, but I am looking to buy a house soon and you bet your @ss I will be looking for one closer to the ocean! like a 10 minute walk! good luck to me right? that way my fishing time will be maximized instead of wasting an hour driving..

It's all according to how much you love Stripers. Back in the mid-90s my fishing partner and I were doing 600 miles every weekend to fish the Back beaches. Yep, 150 miles one way to P-Town. R/T Friday and Sat night.

I looked for property in Narragansett or anywhere in South County. I am just not rich enough. Cheaper for me to drive the 1 hour plus each way.

Flaptail · 08-03-2005, 01:04 PM

Rockport24 · 08-03-2005, 01:30 PM

yeah guys, I hear what you're saying, I guess I really meant that you guys that go out every night and don't get crap from your wives are lucky, not lucky, but good. If I went out every night, my wife-to-be would kill me and we are not even married yet! that's why it would be cool to live closer so I could still get 2-3 hours of fishing in and be home around 11. Now after I get home from work, eat dinner with her, help clean up, and drive to the spot, it's 8:30-9:00 before I can blink an eye!!

I know I know.. I have a lot to learn..