Who's the Competition?

[Chris in Mass]

The great thing about the New England striper coast (we can include NJ snce I'm from there and a few others frequent this board) is that any one of us has a shot, lucky or not, at catching a world record bass. That's what makes this sport great - you don't have to have Michael Jordan skills. If your passionate about stripers, willing to learn, and put in as much time as you can - you're in the running.

So let's take for instance, the RI and MA coast. How many folks are there truly in the game? I would say that everyone on this board is in the game. How many is that and what percentage of the ice burg does that represent? In any one season, how many competitors are we up against? Let's here some theories on some numbers. My a$$ is hanging out here with this thread - help me out!

[Mike P]

The way I look at it--in striper fishing, your only competition is yourself. There are millions more fish than fishermen. If you put in the time and learn the game, doesn't matter who's standing beside you, or how many guys are along the beach---you'll still catch more than your share of fish.

[Rappin Mikey]

I haven't fished with Big Fish in the fall yet.

[Chris in Mass]

I agree Mike and I'm having a blast as a loner striperman fishing in RI. Wouldn't trade it for the world. However, when you think about it, there are about 700 guys in the world who are good enough to play baseball at the MLB level. I know I'm not one of them and never will be. But I got a shot at the 80 - how many people are there in MA and RI who have a slight chance at that? Just for fun!

[BigFish]

Next fall Mikey....got the house in Wellfleet.....stay a couple nights and hammer em'!

[Rappin Mikey]

Don't get me farted, I mean started!

[Mike P]

I think anyone who has a line in the water has a shot at the record. Look at that kid who caught a 60+ last year in RI.

Most of the guys in the 70 pound club happen to be, or have been, good fishermen---Charles Church was reportedly a great fisherman. Cinto, Stetzko, and Rochetta are all great fishermen. Before he caught the record, McReynold's biggest bass ever was 39# altho he's broken 50 since and won several club tournaments in the Atlantic City area. Before Rochetta, the official record holder was a guy from Fall River named Ed Kirker. Don't know much about him, but from what I've read, he was pretty much an unknown who was fishing from a charter boat off Cuttyhunk.

[Nebe]

Mike i agree about anyone having a chance, but its the experience that will pay off in the end. Good knots, good gear, strong hooks and the experience to know when to take line and when to give line will pay off in the end. I bet there are about 50 guys who have had fish in the 7o lb class on their lines but lacked the experience and lost the battle.

[kippy]

Eben are we talking from shore or wire line trolling?

[Nebe]

A good angler uses all tools available to hunt his quarry.
Its what seperates the men from the boys.

[S-Journey]

Originally posted by Eben
A good angler uses all tools available to hunt his quarry.
Its what seperates the men from the boys.

Well said everyone

Jigging, plugging, live lining, chunking or whatever, it's all good. A lot of people on here knock the jigging, don't quite understand that. Have any of you that knock jigging hooked into a 40# or bigger fish and set the hook BY HAND? One of my favorite feelings in the entire world.

[spinncognito]

Is it all about time put in? Or is it all about skill and quality gear? Or is it all about plain old dumb luck? About being in the right place at the right tide when that 75-80 is vunerable? If you ask me it is a combination of all of that. The guy who plays the lottery every day is gonna come up with an occasional bigger winner. He may never hit the jackpot though and the casual player may come in and purchase a jackpot ticket just as the machine spits it out. FATE plays into into all of life's equations so do whatever you can to imporove your odds and hope it's fickle fingers signals that jackpot cow over to your plug.

spinn

[Rob Rockcrawler]

I gotta agree with you Spinn. Like fishing with an ex, sweetwater. Ive been fishing my whole life in the lake i live on since i was 4, her first day fishing catches a 10lb 2 oz largemouth. She had good tackle, but all the skill she had was the ability to cast a 4inch worm on an 1/8 oz jighead bout 15 feet. I know they are totally different but i would think a 10lb Lm up here in mass is bout the same as catching a 50, not the same as a 70, and totally different when ya compare the two kinds of fishing but still... Beginers luck i guess.

[RickBomba]

10 # in Mass!!! That's not a 50, that's a 70.
Wow!
Rick
PS- I've spent many a dark night with my dad, the rappin number one, watching him tie leaders double thick of 60 # shock, stopping in five different bait shops to find the smallest swivels, only to hear most of his line peel off to come back with half a plug!
They didn't use to build the thru wire stuff in the old days!

[Moose Nuckle]

Originally posted by Rappin Mikey
I haven't fished with Big Fish in the fall yet.

I have and it was a good time.

[PurpelNoon]

What I find depressing is that I read all these striper books about fish after fish of BIG bass being caught. Meanwhile (I'm in NY) I know lots of good, hardcore surf anglers who fish almost every day and all the season has to offer is a single 40 and barely a handful of 30s.

[Iwannakeeper]

I agree with Spin that luck plays a big part in getting that real trophy.

You increase your CHANCES if you know what you are doing.

You increase your CHANCES if you are using the right bait; live, dead, chunk, or artificial. From the boat or shore

You increase your CHANCES if you use the right tackle; choosing the right leaders, hooks, swivels, and tieing good knots correctly.

You increase your CHANCES with practice, knowning how and when to set the hook, or not if using circle hooks.

You increased your CHANCES knowing how to fight a fish. Knowning the give and take, how to set your drag, etc.

You increase your CHANCES knowning how to land a fish. If you are on a boat, having an adaquate sized net. If you are shore, that you have selected a spot where you can land a monster, especially in big surf on the rocks.


Again, all of the knowledge, practice, reading, research, tackle, and time spent only increase your chances. Some googan could still get very lucky and land the next record.


That is my $0.02

[fishweewee]

I think this thread begs the question of...

"Would you rather be lucky, or would you rather be good?"

[fishsmith]

Have any of you that knock jigging hooked into a 40# or bigger fish and set the hook BY HAND? One of my favorite feelings in the entire world.

I second that!!, But I'm still waiting on my 40.

Competing is fun, but thats not what why I fish.

I think its better to be good, than lucky, but I've been lucky to fish with great fishermen, thats made me better ..... is this the circle of life.

[Saltheart]

I know a guy who had never been fishing for stripers before. Went out with his two brothers on a charter and landed only 1 fish. So it was his first and only striper ever. It weighed 63 pounds and won the governors award that year. he has the plack hanging on his wall.

[PurpelNoon]

It must be tough for people that catch a huge fish their first time out. They go fishing after and its only smaller fish after.

This year there was a contest at Montauk. A guy from the midwest walks in to the tackle store, buys a rod/reel combo and 1 bucktail. He came back a couple of hours later with a 30+ bass and won the contest.

[ThrowingTimber]

Salthart that reminds me of my buddy Tony. Fished saltwater once, on a charter with his old man for father's day got a 50+ lb fish.
I like to think I try and look for patterns of consistency. But I mean if a huge fish hits my plug I'm ready for her I've cut my knots off because they werent perfect or I just wasnt happy with how they turned out.

I like to think I put my time in, but as my old basketball coach used to tell us, no matter how many times you take that shot in practice, there's one guy out there that'll take that shot 100 times more at practice.

[ProfessorM]

In my opinion the most important thing is quanity. You put in as much time as possible and eventually you will be paid in quality. You just have to go all the time so you can learn to eliminate certain unwanted variables and develope certain techniques that increase your chances to get fish. I used to have that drive for years but have slowed a little and just enjoy the whole experience more now. The book Night Tides will give you a good idea what a fanatic is all about. To put your whole life and family on hold just for fish takes a special breed. P.M.

[PurpelNoon]

Very true. I'm sure as you put in the time you get better and know when to fish so you waste less time when you do have time to go out and fish.

[ProfessorM]

Exactly a lot of common sense needed. Reading the water, to quote a book. A lot of being skunked. But you just know there will be fish at a certain spot so you just keep going. Could be a month or a year. But you just have a feeling that it is a good spot. Nothing more rewarding then to put tons of time in at a spot, always alone, and to finally be rewarded for all your effort. Time equals quality. P.M.

[TunaCell]

I suppose you could word it as: before you catch a trophy bass, you have to learn 1,000 ways not to catch a trophy bass.

[Goose]

Passion in persuit of big fish is more to me then luck.

[5/0]

Well this question boils down to the ol question..........Do boat fish count?

Are we talkin just shore fish?Cuz if so we'er talking about fish @ 78.9 or greater.Now if is a boat fish,we need to toss in what the record is.


Me IM all for the shore going fish.
I also second the notion that most members here have a great chance of breaking the record.IMHO from what I've been reading here on posts & reports, the one's that have been feeding the boards & who put there .02 in.Have an honest & Damm good chance of doing it.

I think we all know that we "ourselfs" are our own competition & that alone drives us to learn & do better than the next guy.

My .02


5/0

[Krispy]

Are we talkin just shore fish?Cuz if so we'er talking about fish @ 78.9 or greater.Now if is a boat fish,we need to toss in what the record is.

I think thats still the record for boat fish too.
I'm pretty confident if I put in the amount of time on a boat that I spend in the surf, I would break 50lbs within 1-2 seasons. Easily...

[Chris in Mass]

When the thread started, here is what I was looking for. I probably should have elaborated. I don't boat fish, my life is complicated enough. So I was really thinking think of how many folks are there fishing from the MA and RI shore of from small boats close to the shore, are in the game. I really wasn't thinking about philosophical issues or about the lucky cousin who fished once and nailed a trophy.

I would think that anyone on this board is more than a casual striperman. With what resources we have (time, money, tackle, gear), we are still getting out, trying to do it right, and always looking to get better. So let's say that is the base category. There is got to be someone here who like to play with numbers who can come up with an approxiamtion at how many in MA and RI. Is it 2500, 5000, 10000, 100000? Didn't want to exclude other states, just trying to simplify.

JohnR, What percentage on this site is from MA, RI (approximate)? Guess % surfcaster or close to shore boaters for Stripers? Would they all fish in MA/RI? What % of the population of all in this category does this represent? I'm thinking that the final number is in the 4 figure range.