Lessons Learned

[DZ]

We all learn lessons along the way while fishing (or at least we should). Here are a couple I've learned.

Lessons I’ve Learned (Some the hard way)

1. Learned twice (before I got my drivers license) - When a stripers tail enters the wheel spokes of a 10 speed bike it becomes a very good brake. A bigger bass tail is an even better brake. (I’m sure some canal fishermen can relate.)

2. Don’t walk 15 feet behind a caster who is swinging an 11 foot rod with 6 feet of line between rod tip and plug. ( A friend of mine learned that one at 3am on a wave swept Block Island bar.)

Any to add?

DZ

[Rappin Mikey]

Always make sure you take care of your doodies BEFORE you leave to hit the rocks/beach.

[InTheHole]

1. A very early offshore lesson, when a 150# Mako decides to head for Europe do not, repeat do-not have your thumb anywhere near the spool
2. When scaling a bass along the back near the dorsal do not turn your head to talk to the guy next to you

These are lessons that you will only need to learn once

[JFigliuolo]

When you see a SWEET plug buried in the rocks, caught on some rope at JUST arms length DO NOT stick said arm into said crevice.

AND DO NOT PULL the plug, have it briefly come loose THEN get snagged again on the rope. You just might get stuck with your arm between boulders, a nice trebble in your hand, with no other option but to yank your hand free tearing up some nice hand meat.

[DZ]

J,
Was the tide coming in?

DZ

[RIROCKHOUND]

Dennis... good thread...
First fall fishing SoCo, 18 and full of %$%$%$%$.... walked out on the end of C-Town during a serious blow.. SW 20 with a serious SE Swell on
scoffed mentally at all the guys fishing the channel.... whimps....
took a monster in the chest on my second cast, knocked my flat back on my ass... packed up my stuff and left... lesson learned... fished further east for a few weeks so noone recognized me as that kid who got his backside handed to him...
Lesson Learned... actually havent fished there in a number of years.... mainly because of crowds and the ratio of schoolies to decent fish I've taken there....

[Goose]

Do not walk out so that the swells are to your arm pits and just as your about to lay into your cast your plug is under water,,, 10' glass and braid makes you go convench.

Do not leave a crap load of plugs on the seat of your car then when you realize your wicked late you run and jump in the seat ...trebles in my azz trebles in the seat me cryin oh boy

[JFigliuolo]

Originally Posted by DZ

J,
Was the tide coming in?

DZ

Actually, Yes... AT the hill. No one else around. Thankfully it was only about 1/8" of the meat between the Thumb and index finger

Could have been MUCH worse.

[bart]

when wading boulders, make sure there isn't a rock directly behind you when a roller comes in.

when fishing a bail-less 704, make sure you have the line roller situated on the left side of the rotator cup. took me 2 broken rods and a bunch of lost plugs before i realized what was happening...

[Canalman]

Don't observe moderate waves from shore on a rock about 300 feet out, and make the againizing wade out there, F18 and I made this mistake last June, when we arrived at the rock 4 huge waves in a row blasted us coming from high above our heads with the force of a freight train. Needless to say we gathered our scattered debris, cried a little and went back to shore to empty our waders .... objects 300 feet out in the dark are bigger than they appear.

I got more I just have to think....

[Canalman]

oop I got another....

Same rock different day.... now you'll understand why we call it bloody boulder.

This day the surf was not rough at all. On the way out the rock I stepped between two small rocks and severed the strap to my left corker. And I'm not walking 1.5+ miles back to the truck so i can go home and go to bed right?? So I did what any dedicated surfcaster (idiot) would do. I continued on, crossed the channel on the 2 slippery rocks with out falling, climbed to the top of the rock without falling, made the long descent into the crevace you have to fish from with out falling, made several succesful casts without falling.... finally bang I've got a fish and its a good fish. I'm trying to keep in mind that my left foot is out of commission, so I'm favoring my right foot, natuarally. The fish suddenly goes left like a bullet... one wrong step down I go, I put my hand down to break my fall and I'm met with the distinct sharp pain of parting flesh. OK OK I'm not gonna look, I have to land this fish, finally she's rolling the wash against the bottom of the rock, My fishig partner slides her up onto the rock, a quick glance at my hand reveals copius bleeding... Suddenly the fish is thrown into my lap while he retrieves the camera. Two quick pale faced photos of my 46" prize... never weighed her. Back she goes. Woozy and adrenalized I run to the top of the rock... now I'm faced with a dilemma.... should I take the chance of missing out on more big fish and go home or should I bite the bullet and keep fishing.... it is now that I will remind you that I am an idiot... I cleaned the cut out with Gatorade.... cut a strip of my t-shirt off and made a bandage and kept fishing.. Later inspection showed the cut was clear to the fat in the meat of my thumb. No more big fish that night... what a rush. So the moral is... modify your corkers in the manner suggested by the author of this thread DZ... replace the studs with 3/4 stainless bolts and and the straps with looped garden hose. You will not lose your corkers again.

-Dave

[ProfessorM]

#1 Make sure when you go into the brush to do a #2 in the dark that you pull your waders all the way down. #2 Make damn sure you check before you pull them back up. #3 Make sure after the sun has come up and you have taken your waders off and start to wonder why there is mud all over your pants and a distinct smell coming from the stains and it finally dawns on you what has happened that you don't reach into the waders to turn them inside out to clean them and find out there is something squishy still in there P.

[shadow]

DON'T bury dead fish in yard if you have a dog.he will dig it up just as it is nice and ripe then run around the yard ever so happaly tearing it apart.clean fish at the beach leave carcass for the crabs.

[Clogston29]

A couple pieces of TP in two zip lock bags tucked in the pouch of your plug bag can save a night. I figured this out only after "sacraficing" two t-shirts

[Christian]

bring an extra light.
i had to climb through a boulder field one of those foggy pitch black nights where you cant even see your hand about 300yards to my vehicle. all the while with a 20lb fish for added fun...and it was fun trying to find my way back, i just woundt want to do that again.

[crash]

The $10 led hedlamp may look stupid, but it's nice to have when your hands are full of pissed-off fish.

[JohnR]

When wading on a rocky bar with water waster up to your chest, don't allow bluefish on trebbled plug to get traction in the water and sink hooks in one side of finger and out the other

[baldwin]

When you have a dozen live eels in a soup pot in the refridgerator, let the wife know that it isn't dinner in that pot.

Don't leave your eel rag in your wading jacket pocket.

Make sure all your eels are accounted for before you leave your car in the hot sun.

Make sure you set your drag before you cast,...and have a huge striper inhale your plug.

Don't do acid and drive while looking through binoculars.

[gone fishin]

Don't leave rigged eel skins in the wader pouch. Don't leave bait on the rocks at the ditch and expect it to be there within minutes. ( many fat rats there) again - don't hang a 20 pounder plus from the handlebar and expect to take turns without being STOPPED! I call that striper revenge. Don't go tearing along the canal access road with rods upright in holders and forget where the low trees are. That will shorten a rod quickly.

[blue oyster]

never take your eyes off a blue fish when unhooking it , i didn't learn it the first time ,2 trips to the er for stitches

[striprman]

If your fishing on boulders, and get some weeds on your line, in your haste, don't throw the weeds you pick off your line on to the rocks or boulders you are standing on. Throw the weeds where you wont step on them.

[jklett]

Originally Posted by Clogston29

A couple pieces of TP in two zip lock bags tucked in the pouch of your plug bag can save a night. I figured this out only after "sacraficing" two t-shirts

I gotta remember that one. That would prevent me from having to explain to the wife why there are so many single socks!

Another thing: don't flyfish near a busy road. Backcasts will prove to be tricky and that arbor knot won't hold up against a southbound buick.

[ThrowingTimber]

No tabs while fishing for largemouth. Many Many years back fishing a lake in ct buddy had a house on the lake. It went something like this: Cast... plop. crank, crank, crank, crank, crank take two steps to the right Cast... plop. crank, crank, crank, crank, crank take two steps to the right Cast... plop. crank, crank, crank, crank, crank take two steps to the right Cast... plop. crank, crank, crank, crank, crank take two steps to the right Cast... plop. crank, crank, crank, crank, crank take two steps to the right, there are no fish in this lake..... There were 5 of us doing this.. we covered the whole lake... arms nearly fell off the next day

DONT - forget your wading boots after you drive to the canal to fish it.... Im convinced that place hates me..

[Pete_G]

Originally Posted by Clogston29

A couple pieces of TP in two zip lock bags tucked in the pouch of your plug bag can save a night. I figured this out only after "sacraficing" two t-shirts

Hahaha. Sage advice. I do the same.

[Pete_G]

Originally Posted by Christian

bring an extra light.
i had to climb through a boulder field one of those foggy pitch black nights where you cant even see your hand about 300yards to my vehicle. all the while with a 20lb fish for added fun...and it was fun trying to find my way back, i just woundt want to do that again.

I actually carry 3; one around my neck, a headlamp, and then one more light hiding in my plug bag. Call me a wimp or whatever, or not hardcore, but I like to have light when I need it.

I see a lot of people say they don't carry a light at all, or only carry a very small lamp. Emergencies happen though, and I'll be sure to have quality light if and when it happens.

[Skitterpop]

Originally Posted by baldwin

Don't do acid and drive while looking through binoculars.

Do I know you?

or driving with 8 teenagers in a car made for five .... don`t turn the headlights off on a dark night on desolate back roads to see how long you can go without hitting something.

[baldwin]

That driving thing with the headlights off...we did that too. Where are you from? This is scary.

[Joe]

Get your gear set and your mind right before making the first cast; the first cast at any given spot is often the highest percentage presentation you will make.

[ProfessorM]

Originally Posted by baldwin

Don't do acid and drive while looking through binoculars.

The acid and driving is ok but never binoculars.

[jim sylvester]

never let your buddy talk you into this one

you can drive and control the gas and brakes while I control the steering wheel from the passenger seat. Key point the driver is blindfolded and has to listen to the passenger controlling the steerring wheel as to how much gas to give, when to hit the brakes, how much room in between you and the car in front of you.