Does it make you angry that the Striper industry...

[Rookieangler]

Uncle Al well said!! I'm still looking and will do so

[Krispy]

Originally Posted by rizzo

Everything got old a long time ago. I used to get really upset about articles written by so called experts that were completely off the mark. I wanted to argue with them, prove them wrong. Got sick of all the BS, catch reports, marketing the wrong gear, know it alls, egos, posers, blah blah. It used to really get to me. Learned to filter it out and refocus on why I got into fishing to begin with.


Makes me go back to my roots, freshwater fishing with my uncle at a very young age. I had no idea media existed, no marketing of gear, no competition, no idea of what a "good" fish was. I used the lures we had and eventually favored the ones that were successful. I loved the adventure, the hunt, the mystery of catching and the pain of failing. The challenge was endless.

It wasnt long before the first bass pro shops catalogs got mixed in and it went downhill from there. Other magazines were subscribed too, and it got very confusing - I got sucked into all the BS, losing touch for only a little while though. The right mentors put it all back into perspective.

I still continue to try to do my own thing and have nothing to prove. I fish because its what I live for and enjoy. I live for studying patterns, piecing together the info, trying to adapt to constant change. You can't beat the feeling of being at the ends of the earth, swimming to a rock in total darkness and catching striped bass. Catch a giant bass, weigh it, release it and don't tell a soul.

Its interesting this one post could spark that much thought for me

Exactly Rizzo
And it takes half a lifetime to be a good striperman, not because of ALL the intense, indepth, super secret time on the water knowledge you have to gather together, its wading through the hip deep BS of info, experts and product sales that gets your head spinning till you dont know whats right anymore.
I bet all you really, I mean REALLY, needed to know to go out and catch large could be written on one side a sheet of paper.

[Pete_G]

Originally Posted by Krispy

I bet all you really, I mean REALLY, needed to know to go out and catch large could be written on one side a sheet of paper.

Sounds like the book Iron Mike has been threatening to write the past few years.

It's 200 pages long. 199 are blank and on the last page there's a picture of an eel.

[Krispy]

Originally Posted by Pete_G

Sounds like the book Iron Mike has been threatening to write the past few years.

It's 200 pages long. 199 are blank and on the last page there's a picture of an eel.

Nice Makes my book sound long winded.

Page 1
Topographic structure + underwater structure + current + darkness + black lure/eel of choice X 4-5 nights a month = sometimes big fish
The end.

[redlite]

Originally Posted by Krispy

Nice Makes my book sound long winded.

Page 1
Topographic structure + underwater structure + current + darkness + black lure/eel of choice X 4-5 nights a month = sometimes big fish
The end.

PAGE 2
Grenade+net= catch. PERIOD. Too many "+'s " in your equation. K.I.S.S. (my right arse cheek....its the lucky one)

[CowHunter]

I love how many here are lost in yester-year and they dont even know what they have in front of them.....
- Give me pogies or give me eels
- Timing tide / wind
- Bite windows can last 15 minutes, .5hours, an hour, 1/4 tide, half tide, whole tide, multiple tides, slack tides, running tides
- The fish are always with or near the bait, those big bodies of fish, those that many dream of, are with sustainable bait supply
- Always go to the fish, the fish dont come to you.. Just because they were there last year, and the year before, doesnt mean they will be there now.
- Stay AWAY from the Crowds! All my biggest hits were done with not a soul in sight!
- Find your own grounds
- Pay attention to detail, the slightest things make a difference, the way you hook a bait, the weight, freshness, leader material, presentation....
- Stop chasing the reports and following others....Make your own reports - To yourself!
- Every day is a new day, learn something new...
- You cant buy experience on the bookshelves...Many want it easy - every day, they want the fish stacked. i got news for you, Gotta work for it...

This isnt yester-year, stop dreaming of then, this is now.... To many people are stuck in the past and dont change with the times, They Loose..........

John, I hear ya on the kids... I got 2- a 4 year old and a 2 year old and 2 full time jobs, fish smarter and make it count.... Ill sleep when I die...

Now, we can all be like sandman and bitch about how there are no fish...

2 hours in July of 09, 30 fish Limit

[stripermaineiac]

MMMMM
interesting thread.When I was 10 I caught lots of fish.When I was 20 I caught more fish than most.When I was 30 I caught more bigger fish than most in more places.When I was 40 I caught more big fish on gear I made in more different places I'd learned. When i was 50 I started landing lots more big fish than most just not where most fished. Well I'm still fishing,learning,catching and releasing more fish than most just now i do it on stuff I make from copying all those experts that I met over the years an reading all those books written by all those blowin their own whistle.Aint no ones fault but mine when I loose a big one an no ones fault but your own for blamin something like fishing for people. Just go out an fish. Enjoy it and you'll catch more fish and fish your own game. You'll catch more fish.LOL I just did a mini seminar. Ron

[ProfessorM]

life is all about choices . You can always choose not to do something, not to buy something, not to listen to someone's opinions. I haven't got time to worry about things like this. Life is too short. I do what I enjoy and how I enjoy doing it. I let others worry about the important stuff.

[Swimmer]

No.

[WoodyCT]

But it angers me that those companies, especially the big ones based over seas like S. and D., don't do more to invest in the future of the resource.

Invest in what you profit from, HEALTHY FISHERIES!

[big jay]

Originally Posted by Pete_G

Sounds like the book Iron Mike has been threatening to write the past few years.

It's 200 pages long. 199 are blank and on the last page there's a picture of an eel.

First thing I thought of when I started reading this thread.

[Goose]

What ever makes you happy. If a your happy casting with an upside down spinner good for you ...I don't get why so many are concerned whether or not some other guy is or isn't catchin. Would I like to catch 30 fish like CH, yup, would I like to be good at pluggin, yup, the fact is I am content doing my thing and sharing it with a few guys. All that tackle and books tv all has its purpose, not like we're all made of the same mold.

Yeah right eels will solve everything..lol, ok.

[MAKAI]

Originally Posted by JohnR

Rizzo - it's nice to get down to basics. You're single right. no kids? Enjoy it while you can. On the other hand, there is not much out there better than taking your kid fishing - Wait until you do that.

You may find it just as nice when the Son takes the Father fishing.

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by redlite

Originally Posted by Slipknot

I'm with you

Originally Posted by Swimmer

No.

Yeah. Someone want to wake me up when it's May?

[rizzo]

Originally Posted by JohnR

Rizzo - it's nice to get down to basics. You're single right. no kids? Enjoy it while you can. On the other hand, there is not much out there better than taking your kid fishing - Wait until you do that.

Hey John - its been a very long time. I actually made it through a fishing season with a steady girlfriend this year! Not married, no kids But I realize it could eventually be on the way. I think I've finally figured out the right balance...

The way I look at the kids thing, is its a chance to revisit everything I went through and get to see it from a different perspective - It will change things, but hopefully it'll have many positive changes.

[rizzo]

Originally Posted by Krispy

Exactly Rizzo
And it takes half a lifetime to be a good striperman, not because of ALL the intense, indepth, super secret time on the water knowledge you have to gather together, its wading through the hip deep BS of info, experts and product sales that gets your head spinning till you dont know whats right anymore.
I bet all you really, I mean REALLY, needed to know to go out and catch large could be written on one side a sheet of paper.

I agree, you go out and try everything, fish all up and down the coast, try it all. You eventually find out less is more!

I had a good convo with a buddy last night about the potential/big catches that have been made in some spots that have never been written about or aren't really known about. Most are afraid to go off on their own and discover new grounds. Most want it easy and get content with what they have and having faith that the good ol' days will come back to where they are fishing. YEARS go by and theyre left with nothing, because things are constantly changing. Its very hard work to keep up with the change from the surf - its easy to see why people keep their hard earned info so guarded.

I guess the better guys out there have learned to push aside media hype and how-to articles and build a confidence of their own. Some of the best I know have lived through the glory days, but when they look back at their catches in recent years, 2000 - 2010, the info and stories they share proves that there still are quality fish to be had in decent numbers, just a different game.

[Joe]

My son said he wanted to become competent surfcaster someday, I told him to forget it - he could become a doctor in less time.
That's what people don't realize - nowadays, the best and the brightest are not in law, medicine and finance, they're in the recreational fishing industry - that's what all the really smart people are doing these days.

[MAKAI]

I bet all you really, I mean REALLY, needed to know to go out and catch large could be written on one side a sheet of paper.[/QUOTE]



Occam's razor.

[Nebe]

Live bait in the dark near rocks and current as often as possible. Chumming helps.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[Back Beach]

Originally Posted by CowHunter

I love how many here are lost in yester-year and they dont even know what they have in front of them.....
- Give me pogies or give me eels
- Timing tide / wind
- Bite windows can last 15 minutes, .5hours, an hour, 1/4 tide, half tide, whole tide, multiple tides, slack tides, running tides
- The fish are always with or near the bait, those big bodies of fish, those that many dream of, are with sustainable bait supply
- Always go to the fish, the fish dont come to you.. Just because they were there last year, and the year before, doesnt mean they will be there now.
- Stay AWAY from the Crowds! All my biggest hits were done with not a soul in sight!
- Find your own grounds
- Pay attention to detail, the slightest things make a difference, the way you hook a bait, the weight, freshness, leader material, presentation....
- Stop chasing the reports and following others....Make your own reports - To yourself!
- Every day is a new day, learn something new...
- You cant buy experience on the bookshelves...Many want it easy - every day, they want the fish stacked. i got news for you, Gotta work for it...

This isnt yester-year, stop dreaming of then, this is now.... To many people are stuck in the past and dont change with the times, They Loose..........

John, I hear ya on the kids... I got 2- a 4 year old and a 2 year old and 2 full time jobs, fish smarter and make it count.... Ill sleep when I die...

Now, we can all be like sandman and bitch about how there are no fish...

2 hours in July of 09, 30 fish Limit

Good post Ken and I'll add this:

Time on the water trumps all of the above and makes the above possible. In other words, I've spent most of my life chasing bass from boat and shore. The times when it seemed like I had it all dialed in were simply due to fish abundance and my being out there every day to cash in.

There was very little genius involved but there was much personal sacrifice, risk, expense, and sometimes carelessness incurred in an effort to produce weight slips, pictures, and bragging rights.

Glad I got it all out in my 20's before marriage and kids as there's really nothing glorious about pursuing the sport at rabid levels. Its really quite tiring and becomes a rat race you can never seem to step away from.

The good part is the experience gleaned from these efforts gets put to good use in creating good life balance for me now.

Most of my striper heros look back with a certain level of resentment on their heydays and regret many decisions they made all in the name of killing a few more fish for their (alleged) gain.

[Crafty Angler]

Originally Posted by Joe

...That's what people don't realize - nowadays, the best and the brightest are not in law, medicine and finance, they're in the recreational fishing industry - that's what all the really smart people are doing these days.

Geez, Joe, I never thought of that - perhaps the MacArthur Foundation really is looking to grant one of their 'genius' Awards to a fish-head somewhere to further their studies unfettered by financial concerns...

Boy, I called this one wrong - I'll have to admit this thread took a turn I never anticipated...

I've been thinking, maybe Krispy's anger is just the result of a personal epiphany and the pangs of passing through the looking glass into the realm of Zen. Coming to terms with the inevitable paradigm shift is never easy...

Or maybe he's just sick of buying worthless fishing crap...

[Pt.JudeJoe]

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[Pete_G]

Originally Posted by Crafty Angler

I've been thinking, maybe Krispy's anger is just the result of a personal epiphany and the pangs of passing through the looking glass into the realm of Zen. Coming to terms with the inevitable paradigm shift is never easy...

Or maybe he's just sick of buying worthless fishing crap...

I was going to go into a diatribe on the changing nature of the relationship between retail, wholesale, and marketing and the effect of the modern, anyone can do it marketing mentality thanks to Facebook, online forums, Twitter, easy to use video editing software and all the other tools now available which are probably the reasons everyone feels so heavily pressured all the time (not just in the fishing industry).

But I didn't really care enough and couldn't fully decipher what was actually going on in the thread so a little humor thanks to the Iron Midget seemed more appropriate.

[DZ]

Interesting thread and interesting opinions but there is so much more.

I think some try and simplify what we do which is a mistake. There is so much to learn and it’s not all about the “catching”. There are many out there that know how to catch - but just as many don’t know “why” they’re catching. I’ve been fishing the surf for about 40 years and in that time I’ve met maybe two hands worth of fishermen who IMO truly understand how to consistently take large bass from the surf – all of them had an intimate relationship with the areas they fished regularly and could easily adapt to a new location. They not only knew where and when – but they all took the time to try and uncover the reasons why.

I’ve had fishermen ask me for some guidance about where to fish in Newport or Block – I usually provide them with a baseline of locations and tides. But very few have ever asked me why this spot and why at this time? Those are the questions you need to try and answer and believe me it would take more than one page to list them. This is what I try and convey in some of my writing and seminars.

For example: Interested Surfcaster- “What is the one location I should cast when I go to Block?” DZ – “Fish the bar at SW.” Interested surfcaster – “Great, thanks!”
Follow up question that should be asked but wasn’t: Interested surfcaster – “Why the bar at SW?” DZ – “The bar at SW is a feeding station during the last three hours of the ebb. The current pulls hard right to left and as the water level drops it will allow you to fish all three sides of a cobble bar. Sand eels like to bury in the sandy areas between the cobble. There is a slight drop in the bowl to the north – many times the bass will be stationed on this lip so don’t end your retrieve too soon as the bass will hit just as your lifting your plug out of the water. Sometimes they station on the point of the outer edge of the bar and long casts are needed to reach them so get there early and try to position yourself with a shot at the point. Cast toward the light at Montauk on the left side of the bar – barely retrieve your Gibbs needle – don’t worry it won’t hang up because the pulling current will help keep it skimming the surface, just like a live Atlantic Needlefish. It’s very shallow on that side but the bass will all be pointed in your direction waiting for your needlefish. Strikes can be subtle – if you feel any weight – set! That is how to fish the bar with calm water and no sea. Now if you have a wind from the Northwest….”

You’ll never learn the entire “why question”. I know if I did I would have quit fishing long ago.

How's it going Rizzo!

DZ

[Crafty Angler]

Originally Posted by Pt.JudeJoe

pointjudelurescatchfishpointjudelurescatchfishpoin tjudelurescatchfishpointjudelurescatchfishpointjud elurescatchfishpointjudelurescatchfishpointjudelur escatchfishpointjudelurescatchfishpointjudeluresca tchfishpointjudelurescatchfishpointjudelurescatchf ishpointjudelurescatchfish

AHA!!! Subliminal advertising!!!

.........

Originally Posted by Pete_G

...But I didn't really care enough and couldn't fully decipher what was actually going on in the thread so a little humor thanks to the Iron Midget seemed more appropriate.

And probably one of the best from the Oracle of Anheiser, Pete...

I remember a guy saying once it's just fishing, it's supposed to be fun...

[jeffthechef]

Originally Posted by Krispy

Has created a commercial platform that gains from the continued sales of must have products, misinformation, flat out lies to keep its fishermen spending in their attempt achieve the successes of purported guides and mystic sharpie gurus?

wow. i used to agree with that 100%. but i always keep in mind though that as long as "fisherman" voluntarily want to spend money to "get better" or for "must have products" the "striper industry" will grow. a lot of guys make money on that fish via plugs, books, products, you name it...It blows my mind how so much that has been written lately is just echong what was written 30 or more years ago!
But that money goes into our economy one way or another, so really, the "striper industry" is indicative of of any consumer industry in the world. thats why some guy years ago said "let the buyer beware".

[The Dad Fisherman]

How about The Banjo Minnow....any thoughts on their productivity.....the Ads Guarantee Large

[Clogston29]

almost everything that you do in life is influenced by a commerical platform (to use your words). why would fishing be any different?

[Nebe]

[rizzo]

Originally Posted by DZ

You’ll never learn the entire “why question”. I know if I did I would have quit fishing long ago.

How's it going Rizzo!

DZ

Hey Dennis - its been a while too! Check your PM!