Strrrettchhiiinnggg

[spinncognito]

OK, with the season within a rodtips grasp, tell me,
when you tell folks about your day on or at the water:

Do your 28lb'ers weigh 30lbs?

Do your 39" fish measure in at 40"?

Does you 3 schoolies in 4 hours become 2 schoolies and 2 released keepahs in 3 hours?.

In other words, are you a seasoned and effective liar? Are you capable of and willing to stretch the truth? How often do you use a "little striped lie" to enhance your story?

Fess up people!


Spin

[Saltheart]

I think the most that is allowed in lying about fish is to add one inch for every year that has gone by since you caught it. So it takes a whole year for a 39 inch fish to "grow" to 40 inches. In ten years however , all those 32 inch fish can "grow" to 42 inches. Unless of course someone else is really stretching it and lying through their teeth. In that case , you can keep up with them.

Its actually best to try to keep yourself in touch with reality by being honest but many have trouble doing so.

[Vectorfisher]

I dont lie, I never catch big fish! I am thinking the fish always know when I am around so they leave I think biggest fish has been 30" pathetic hugh

[Mike P]

In order to stretch, I'd have to tell people in the first place

[castn4bass]

Vector..... we definitely gotta hook up so i can help you break that curse!!!!!! When we come back in you'll be talking in POUNDS not inches!!!!

[Vectorfisher]

Nice fish castn4bass, drives me nuts that I can't break the schoolie curse, I can't really complain I have not really been hardcore until last year and now this year, still have much to learn about these fish.

[missing link]

vector- i think we are putting our boat in this weekend

we will all hook up one of these days- Since we all use the same ramp.


LINK

[Prospector]

It's all relative. Saltheart's analogy of decent fish caught in years gone by, do somehow increase with age as we relive that adventure of some good days, it's natural. A rat to someone might be a 20inch fish but to others a fish less than 15lbs could be one? Mike P's answer is the likely choice unless your trying to impress someone, on the other hand your fishing buds you share with you should be honest,a 28 is a 28 and not a 30. Then again a 28 alone at night by yourself released unharmed could be just, I had a nice fish last night on this or that and leave it at that. By Salthearts equations and mine that fish next year could be a 29 or 30 by next year but who cares but me and my memories? Prospector

[Goose]

Why is that some dudes always round off their catches??? beats me why even own a scale??.

["uffah!!"]

To be honest with you, I may stretch the truth a little bit, but I
never lie!!

[spinncognito]

To answer my own questions:

I do not subscribe to the theory that all fishermen are liars. It's funny, but I often fish with my Dad and have actually heard him lying on my behalf. Not sure why but he once relayed a true tale of a coupla fish into a tall tale of several. Perhaps he was embarrassed that his son is such a poor example of a fisherman!



I don't lie and that's no BS!

[schoolie monster]

Always depends on the situation.

Like the time a guy in his freshly purchased Orvis outfit head to toe and spanky new flyrod asked me how I was doing. This was at Smith Point in Nantucket, so you will see this from time to time.

I noticed this particular guy because despite wearing his new chest waders, he was retreating up the beach away from the incoming waves. I guess he didn't want to get his waders wet. I've now seen that twice on Nantucket. I also noticed his unique flycasting technique. It was pretty good for covering the first 10' from shore. Unfortunately, he didn't want to get wet, so he wasn't even hitting the breakers.

We were cooking hotdogs on the beach and I was just putzin' around throwing a ranger for blues. I felt like f'n with the guy so I proceeded to tell him about the 5 or 6 keeper bass we had just caught on crab pattern flies out on the flats out of my boat. Well, I had caught one 29" bass that day... on a jerkbait. But the guy was a tool so I fed him a major bunch of crap. IMO, no harm there.

On the other hand, if I see a threat... if the person seems like a serious fisherman, I'll lie about the quality of fishing at the spot, suggesting its not that great. I wouldn't totally lie, but downplay my success there.

But here on the boards, I don't really see the point. I don't put a tape on every fish and rarely put them on a scale, so if I'm off, its really not intentional. As for numbers, again, I don't see the point. I'm usually pretty accurate on numbers 'cause I keep a log, so try to keep a mental note going.

I'll post reports 'cause I enjoy telling the story, but I'm not out to impress. Certainly its nice to post pics of a good trip or a big fish.

I guess I'm saying I ain't no internet hero, nor am I aspiring to be one. I think we have a whole range of fishing talent here. I'm somewhere in the middle between "hack" and "sharpy", hopefully moving upwards. But I'll be the first to say I fished poorly today, or even if I fished well.