i hate fishing

[GonnaCatchABig1]

it's getting ridiculous... in the past week i have covered/traveled over 200 miles in total.. guess how many fish i've caught.. none. still.
i was the only person on an 80person deep sea party boat who didnt catch atleast a dogfish.. a dogfish.. i couldnt catch a freakin dogfish!!! payed $65 to watch other people catch stuff. atleast it was a decent change of scenery if you call endless expanses of water scenery.. which i do for some odd reason. i guess catching a glimpse of a whale and a $2 beer made it worth it..

mean while back on shore.. it's nothing but dog fish. throw chunks.. nothing but dogfish. by the dozens.. toss wood, well then it's just nothing. we are inching ever so closer to the cape on our excursions. and all we have to show for it is hearing about how great the fishing is when we aren't around. the fish blitz right down the freaking street every night!!!!! and i cant reach em!

i've tried everything and then some.. the only thing i have left to try is baiting plugs with chunks.. (which i sort of started last night with a chunk on a jig)

now.. in three months, fishing for at least 5 hours, usually about 7 to 10 hours, EVERY DAY. the odds dictate, that even if i am the worlds most horrible fishermen, i should by a stroke of dumb luck hook up. at this point i should be able to fish in a puddle in the middle of the sarah and pull out a striper.

dont start with it's the "your spot" crap.. cause other people including guys from teh board fish in some of my spots and catch crap. and a guarantee i fish most of them more than they do.

the fish seriously have me so pissed off at this point i could shoot myself in the face.

i put in 30hours and over 120 miles of travel over the weekend alone with absolutely nothing to show for it.

this has gone beyond just a bad streak.. i had that one fish like three weeks ago sure.. but one schoolie in three months hardly counts. i'm starting to think i didnt even really catch it and that i dozed off and dreamed i caught it.

ok rant over..

cant wait to get back out there tonight!

[ProfessorM]

Happens. You have to learn to enjoy the other aspects of fishing besides the catching. If I only went fishing to catch fish I would have given up years ago. But if I see you though I am heading in the other direction.

[GonnaCatchABig1]

Originally Posted by ProfessorM

But if I see you though I am heading in the other direction.

you are a wise man.. trust me. i enjoy the other aspects. to a point. there is only so much beauty you can take in, before the reality of the smog sets in.and you realize that it's all going to be gone someday. consumed by waste, cause people are more concerned about the bottom lines and finding new ways to be lazy and mass produce them to make the afore mention bottom lines larger, than they are about the delicate balance that is nature. plus i have to many things i want to get my mind off of at the moment.. i nice a quiet relaxing night of thinking by the ocean is not in my best interest for a good time. reflecting on the grand scale of things that is life, when your depressed isn't all that fun.

oh yeah.. and then there is the not catching anything... or dealing with the spiny mutts all night.. that will suck the fun right out of it.

i can enjoy a nice night out as much as the next guy.. just as long as lil magical fish swims by once and a while and says to me.

::sigh::

i don't really hate fishing.... i love it.. maybe i need a break. because it is becoming more of a task then anything.

BUUUUUUUUT... it's prime fishing (or so i hear) how can i stop now?!?

[ProfessorM]

tomorrow is another day. good luck

[thortum]

Try doing everything differently: tie your plugs on with your OTHER hand; if you think the fish are too your right-front, throw to your left rear [even when your fishing from shore];get your most expensive plug and tie it on with a regular "over-hand" knot; thow your bait out only 10' from shore [sometimes this actually works]; if your fishing at night, try fishing at high noon; and if none of these "tips" change your luck, try the ultimate thing that has never failed for me--PISS INTO THE WIND! Good luck and NEVER give up. Your luck will change.

[GonnaCatchABig1]

Originally Posted by thortum

Try doing everything differently: tie your plugs on with your OTHER hand; if you think the fish are too your right-front, throw to your left rear [even when your fishing from shore];get your most expensive plug and tie it on with a regular "over-hand" knot; thow your bait out only 10' from shore [sometimes this actually works]; if your fishing at night, try fishing at high noon; and if none of these "tips" change your luck, try the ultimate thing that has never failed for me--PISS INTO THE WIND! Good luck and NEVER give up. Your luck will change.

ya know what scary thing is? we've REALLY done all of that already.. like i've said not only her,e but in numerous other threads. we've done everything in our power. no pay off. the party boat skunking followed by a trip to one of the more productive spots for people right now.. was the straw that broke my back. this skunking streak was all fun and games till i was the one out of 80 that got skunked. doing the same thing as every one else. i mean how hard is it to catch a dogfish on a clam?

now i fear it's more serious.. i've even tried selling my soul to the devil for a fish...(weeks ago) didn't work.

i'm not a n00b by any means. i've been fishing my whole life. learned plugging in fresh water when i was 6 and until recently swore by them. but then i was forced into chunking, cause the fish around here wouldn't take anything but clams, and i cant figure out to imitate a clam.. ok well i can think of a few.. but i wont get into the potty humor.. i'll save that material for the rocks.. lol.

but anyway. so, you guys know me more of a chunker n00b guy since this is my first season on here and i spent most of it chunking. but it's far from the case. not saying i couldn't learn a few things from the pros here.. theres always something to learn.

what i am saying.. i'll give $50 to the first person who can get me a night of 25lbs of striper.. be it 25 1lbers, 5 5lbers or 1 25lber..

at some point this year i went from catching easily 50lbs of bass a day to catching nothing. and i'm still after almost 10 years of striper fishing looking for a keeper.

in order for that $50 its gotta be from shore.. thats where nearly all my fishing has been done. and catching like.. 5-6 schoolies shouldnt be hard. boats dont amuse me much.. especially the tube and worm approach. i cant even explain how unamused i was with "deep sea fishing". if i dont atleast make a cast to a spot i think might be good. it's no fun. atleast there is aiming involved in casting while chunking. not just.."eh drop it here and then go till we find a fish". heck i hate being put in charge of other people rods while they go do stuff. cause i didnt pick the spot it landed in. you get my point. plugging from a boat, different story.

any way. we've met alot of people. lurk every forum. read every report and then some. keep in touch with the local goin ons. scout just about every where. ask a million questions. do everything right.. then do everything wrong. to the point of the only advice left to give is "just keep at it". which i think was all that was left at the 300 hours ago mark. which was about the last time i caught a fish.. 300 hours on the water ago.. with about 900 or 1000 between that one and the fish before him..

our rods are breaking, our new and just serviced reels are crappin out again all ready. our box has become a revolving door of hooks, lines and sinkers. i think we've got over $8k invested this season. i remember a few $120 on bait alone days. the average being $70 a night between gas bait and rigs.
so i dont know how many more people could be more hardcore about it. i suspect boat guys invest more in gas. but thats just part of having a boat. but i doubt they spend half as much time on the water. so now that persistence thing is becoming out of the question. i know a few must be lucky enough to spend as much time fishing as we do, but they probably catch fish. as i have yet to meet anyone willing to stay out for as long as we do with out catching anything.

this is pure desperation my friends. i've seen more people show up with out a clue and by a stroke of pure dumb luck hook up. we dont get the same results..

but i think i may have an idea.. which just popped into my head.. from now on.. i am no longer fishing for stripers. i am officially fishing for dogfish. cause i'm good at that. so from now on i am the dog catcher. gonna bring those boys to the pound!


yeah it wont work.. cant jinx yourself intentionally. but now maybe it might cause i jinxed the jinx.. but now i just ruined it..

see i've been driven mad. think i can get benefits for being driven insane by fishing? like that guy in sweden or whatever that gets disabled benefits cause he likes "heavy" metal music too much?


i give it till this weekend though before i go loopy and get locked up. we got a hot tip that this "miracle spot" we found tried today was only a day spot. which i dont believe. even though i am an avid spokesperson for day fishing. we jsut cant get down there during the day till the weeknd so... untill then we got lots of night time to do.

god it feels good to full out rant.

and remember $50. though it might not be worth it. cause every one with us suffers our fate. we pretty much lost a buddy to it. hes off catching keepers left and right with out us fishes with us.. gets skunked..

edit: holy cow!! wall of text!!

[RIJIMMY]

You need to partner with some more experienced fisherman, try to hook up with some guys on this board who fish in the same general areas as you.
I understand your frustration, this stuff is hard. Its a big ocean and the fish can be anywhere. If I were you, I;d spend next spring hooking up and fsihing with some guys out here, offer to buy coffee, eels or drop them a plug. It can take you years to learn something you can pick up in minutes from someone else.

[The Dad Fisherman]

Last year I had about a 6 week span where I couldn't buy a fish. I was getting frustrated too. So one morning I went out, packed my plug bag with plugs I never caught anything on and went out. Banged a nice fiesty 20 lb'er.

I think the lesson I learned from that is to change things up more. Sometimes you get caught up in the "This always works for me so if its not working there must be no fish" mentality.

Go to a spot that you never fished before and try throwing some plugs you never had luck with before....you never know.

Although that Cod trip would have put me over the edge....

[GonnaCatchABig1]

Originally Posted by The Dad Fisherman

Go to a spot that you never fished before and try throwing some plugs you never had luck with before....you never know.

Although that Cod trip would have put me over the edge....

see above.. lol.
and i'm glad you agree with the cod trip over the edge.

night before we spent from4 till 2am fishing in all new spots. 1 was blitzing when we arrived. so we had two hours of sleep before the trip would have fished until the trip had a g/f not called us home. then after a few hours sleep were back at it yesterday in more new spots.

it pretty much our routine. spend every free second fishing. trying everything.

[RIJIMMY]

There are spots, the 2nd to 3rd weeks of Novemeber where I can guarantee you will catch 30 2 - 5lb bass using any small rubber jig - PM sent

[GonnaCatchABig1]

Originally Posted by RIJIMMY

There are spots, the 2nd to 3rd weeks of Novemeber where I can guarantee you will catch 30 2 - 5lb bass using any small rubber jig - PM sent

wanna make a bet?! lol.
i actually joked this is how i would make a living the other day. proving our in-ability to catch fish. doing exactly what other people tell us to do. right next to them while they catch fish.

it's like a freak show. pay to watch how bad we can be.

[BW from AZ]

I know you all are slipping. No one threw out my most hated words....."WATCH FOR BIRDS". You've done better than me this year.

[GonnaCatchABig1]

Originally Posted by BW from AZ

I know you all are slipping. No one threw out my most hated words....."WATCH FOR BIRDS". You've done better than me this year.

of course!! why didnt i think of that?


just joshin.

[BigFish]

Pencils Chris.....pencils! You should be running and gunning! Any topwater lure this time of the year and you should be icing down your arms after you fish! Get out and practice with your plugs.....they don't catch fish if you do not know how and when to employ them also how to work them in one situation or another! There are alot of dogs around so bag the chunking......put on some wood and have a ball!

[GonnaCatchABig1]

Originally Posted by BigFish

Pencils Chris.....pencils! You should be running and gunning! Any topwater lure this time of the year and you should be icing down your arms after you fish! Get out and practice with your plugs.....they don't catch fish if you do not know how and when to employ them also how to work them in one situation or another! There are alot of dogs around so bag the chunking......put on some wood and have a ball!

it aint workin larry.. i've fished till i was sore all week. and well every other day.. i've determined by the wounds on the pencil it was bloooos. teeth marks all over the tail end.

we chunk, we plug, we suck. other than the blitzes just out of reach no surface action.. my faith peaked with those two hits and then just sunk once i found out the culprit. plus getting skunked on a cod trip.. come on.. who does that??!?

[thortum]

WOW! I'm exhausted [and depressed] after reading this tread after. All I can say is to fish in the day time so you will be able to see whats happening around you [not that it will help you much judging by your story]. You have my deepest sympathy. Not to rub salt in your wounds but I just caught the biggest fish [striper] of my life a few hours ago [day time]. 38lbs.+ 49". I caught it because I could see my suroundings. Fishing from shore -high winds low tide no sign of life until I saw one small splash. Thought 12" schoolies were hitting 2" bait, until I snagged a bunker, which I quickly released [don't like fishing with bait]. After seeing the occasional bunker and the small splash I decided to give the dreaded dirty bait fishing a go. All I had for hooks were a few small trebles so I snagged a bunked and sent him back out. Well I hooked and lost one solid fish very quickly. Sent out another bait only to have this fish break my line. I'm now beginning to become a convert. Third fish turns out to be my lucky charm. Moral of story: keep you eyes open; try different things; fish in the day light; and don't pump your own GAS before you fish!