To Delve a Little Deeeeper..............

[BassDawg]

within the unending debate,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

let's just say that i do agree (which I don't) that using meat
IS cheating. whether live, fresh, or frozen ~for the purposes of this
discussion~ i'll concede that it takes more angling proficiency to work a LURE,
as opposed to offering our quarry bait.

so, within that side of the equation who's the better angler?

sorry for the two cop-out choices (6 & 7), but they do seem
to figure in. just curious gents, what say you?

[Back Beach]

[fishaholic18]

See, I think it's just the opposite, throwing plugs is easy. Pull one out of the plug bag, tie it on, cast it out, twitch it, pop it, let it sit, retrieve it ect. I've caught many, many good fish on plugs. I think live bait is much, much more of a challenge. Find the bait, catch the bait, transport the bait, in my case, keep it alive, wrestle with the bait to get a hook in it. Cast the bait trying not to let it rip off the hook, work the bait trying to prevent it from tangling in your line. Then there is the patience or touch some call it, of letting the fish inhale the bait before setting the hook. There is a lot more to it than people think. Having been at it for many, many years on both sides, believe me, I have a clue about it. I'm not knocking plugs, I use them too and own a few.....hundred..LOL.. But when there is live bait around, I rather have that challenge.. Carry on and flame away...

[boot man]

Oh Boy! Another opportunity to tell the world my way is the right way and whoever disagrees must be stupid.

It's like everything else to me, "WHATEVER FLOATS YOUR BOAT" is the right way to it, whether it's politics, religion, fishing, sports, everything....

I must be getting old and grumpy because I can't take people pushing their OPINION as being the right one anymore. I am not smart enough to talk somene into changing their opinion, so I don't want to play. I'm taking my balls and I'm going home.

[Jenn]

Originally Posted by boot man

Oh Boy! Another opportunity to tell the world my way is the right way and whoever disagrees must be stupid.

It's like everything else to me, "WHATEVER FLOATS YOUR BOAT" is the right way to it, whether it's politics, religion, fishing, sports, everything....

I must be getting old and grumpy because I can't take people pushing their OPINION as being the right one anymore. I am not smart enough to talk somene into changing their opinion, so I don't want to play. I'm taking my balls and I'm going home.

[BigFish]

It comes down to personal preference really. I enjoy using just plugs...wooden ones! Its just what I enjoy!! I have fished eels....did great with them! I have done the cut bait thing....still do on occasion....just a little boring for me! I just get a kick out of fooling a fish into taking a piece of wood! I will disagree with F-18 though...catching fish is not always as easy as just ch#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&g the plug in the water! If you have no clue how to work it, how to vary your retrieve speed and to use the action of the rod tip to breath life into the plug....you may catch a fish or two but you will catch alot less than someone who knows how to work a plug! Thats the part I enjoy...foolin' fish with fakes!

Addendum: F-18 knows how to work a plug.....thats my point! Go get um' Dave!

[vanstaal]

[JohnR]

Do what makes you happy, do what challenges you, mix it up every now and then to keep yourself honest.

[Swimmer]

Some nights I like sitting in a comfortable beach chair w/beer in hand after I have cast my bait upon the waters. I like sitting back and looking up at my rod tips, beer in hand, and at the moon at the same time. This type of fishing generally goes well or even better when I am with my brother, because we say the stoopidist god damn things to each other and get a laugh out of it.

Most other times I throw just about anything that I think will catch a fish. More often than not what I am heaving forth into the briny blue is made of wood.

But lets not forget, I go both ways. I flyfish also.........

I fish this way because it floats my boat.

[Rob Rockcrawler]

Im a AYC guy most of the time followed by eels. I think the eels give me a bit of advantage. I usually start with the pluggage then try the eels. I think plggin takes a bit more of fine tuning. However just knowing where to fish and how to fish the spot is the part of the equasion that equals the most success. A person can know how to fish all of the above methods very proficienty but if they dont go to where the fish are its gunna be a tough night on the water.

[Tagger]

Do what intterest you .. Not down with the fishing snob tude.. If you chunk ? learn your craft well ,,learn bait patterns,, where,, when you can jig your own,, dig your own snot .. If you become bored move on to something eles.. How about chunking to fly rod . there's a strech ,, I did that ..

[Flaptail]

In conversation one day in a small cluttered fly/tackle shop on Green Street in Worcester many many moons ago, I, as a youngster, asked a gentleman named Frank Woolner what makes the best striper fisherman in his eyes and he told me, "to be really good at Striper fishing you have to know how to do it all, trolling, surfcasting, jigging, leives eels, mackerel, everything, then your a good striped bass fisherman.

[likwid]

noodling

[fishaholic18]

Originally Posted by Flaptail

In conversation one day in a small cluttered fly/tackle shop on Green Street in Worcester many many moons ago, I, as a youngster, asked a gentleman named Frank Woolner what makes the best striper fisherman in his eyes and he told me, "to be really good at Striper fishing you have to know how to do it all, trolling, surfcasting, jigging, leives eels, mackerel, everything, then your a good striped bass fisherman.

Yup, I agree//

[BassDawg]

PRECISELY!!!

not trying to start anything, no flammage here!

but i do agree with that angle, that the guys who are the best
and the most proficient anglers CAN DO it ALL!!

from meat, to wood, to flies, to dynamite

and, btw, there isn't a wrong answer here, just opinions and thoughts
based on one's perspective. i relish and welcome any and ALL answers.

it's what makes us a diverse and informative community;
not just sum boring clique of single-minded fishbototrons

[Rockport24]

totally agree with the idea that the best guys know how to do it all.
Bottom line though, the BEST guys know how to FIND the fish consistantly, THAT'S what makes a good striperman IMO.
I don't care if you catch them with french fries!

[Nebe]

Originally Posted by Flaptail

In conversation one day in a small cluttered fly/tackle shop on Green Street in Worcester many many moons ago, I, as a youngster, asked a gentleman named Frank Woolner what makes the best striper fisherman in his eyes and he told me, "to be really good at Striper fishing you have to know how to do it all, trolling, surfcasting, jigging, leives eels, mackerel, everything, then your a good striped bass fisherman.

That is the true answer right there. In my profession, there are many people who I call one trick ponies- or in other words, they are only good at making one type of thing- the true master of his craft can make anything-

I wish you lived closer flaptail.. we think alike.

[BigFish]

I am not looking to be the best striper fisherman.......I just want to enjoy it! And I do!

[steve]

When I go striper fishing I like to make the most out of my time on the water which like most everyone out there includes catching a fish or two. That's why I use something that works most of the time. For me live eels, rigged eels and 9" black sluggos work night in and nnight out. All else , particularly artificals, don't work well all the time. It's as simple as that!

[Flaptail]

Originally Posted by Nebe

That is the true answer right there. In my profession, there are many people who I call one trick ponies- or in other words, they are only good at making one type of thing- the true master of his craft can make anything-

I wish you lived closer flaptail.. we think alike.

We must fish some time, here or there. Your call. Look forward to it.

[spence]

The notion that anyone thinks like Nebe scares the hell out of me

-spence

[Pete F.]

Whatever smokes your shorts, it's all called fishing. If you're only interested in catchin use dynamite.

[The Dad Fisherman]

Whatever the Fish Want....

[Saltheart]

Do it all or keep learning until you can.

The fish are out there , each day it takes a little twist to get them. Each week and month maybe something really different but they are there from march to dec and there is a way to catch them each time.