A question for the beach casters

[risurffish]

I love the beach fishing to much to trade for boat fishing

[Polar Express]

love them both, sometimes fishing from shore with the current taking your and everyone's line to the same place is frustrating.

[Swimmer]

Never, ever, ever!

[SAUERKRAUT]

I'll have my Whaler Montauk and my Fortier 26 in the water during this year. The Whaler is my private taxi to MV. The Fortier is for picnics at Tarpoleon Cove and social fishing obligations for friends and family. But the fishing I do for me...is on the beach. I've got my stickers glued to the fenders.

[jimmy z]

I wouldn't. I grew up fishing on a boat, and I enjoyed that. Now I surfcast, and I enjoy that more.

[Raven]

but with SURF casting .........

since i don't presently own or can afford a new pair of waders and some other items like a dry top for example...
it's more economical and practical for me to be a guest on a friend's boat for the time being.
and
because of my darned ankle i normally have to sit... eventually, but if i'm out in the water with waders on *thats totally different) then i can stand for longer periods because i can make use (of the freedom) of the buoyancy factor of the water -> thus reducing my "weight-bearing" weight by almost half.

that being said...

with shore fishing there's something magical
or spiritual about being one with the waves and the sea standing at it's edge.

your feeling the rush of the surf and at the same time the shore line in itself, "is" the structure fish are holding to. There's plenty of bait and usually you'll have allot of great company.

with boat fishing....there's a little sense of adventure to it and that's because of the mystery of going out into much deeper waters. (for me anyway)

you can travel to many spots and Then there's the rush
of the moving fast at full throttle, but Once you get out there
and shut off the motor to drift theres a sense of peace,tranquility and purity
..........in that.....being so far from shore. the silence is cool.

Then you'll drift to find the structure the fish are holding to.

I love it all and i memorize every second of it! being that trips are far and few between. for me......

[DRUMCORPFAN]

Never, I get sea sick

[EarnedStripes44]

Surf only because I dont own a boat.

[piemma]

Interesting topic.

I fished the surf for almost 40 years and loved every second of it. I fished the cape when the fishing was awesome. I fished RI when the fishing sucked. I loved both places the same. Got a boat 3 years ago because I got sick and didn't have the stamina I use to have to hop rocks all night.
Now I am somewhat in remission and have lot of my strength back. I still go in the surf in the fall and early winter but I would never give up the boat.
I find that the boat is more technical in nature. In the surf I could daydream occasionally. In the boat I need to be alert to other boats, where I am, current, wind, rocks, structure, fuel, speed, direction, etc. This becomes especially true at night and I do run at night alone so you really need to pay attention.
I get more fish and bigger fish in the boat. hell, I had days last year with 8 fish 30 to 38 lbs between 4 and 7 AM. You can't do that in the surf now. 30 years ago on The Backbeach we did but not anymore.

One type of fishing is not better than the other. They both have their attributes and drawbacks. It's what you put into it and what you get out of it.

Me, I just love to be on the water.

[fishbones]

Originally Posted by piemma

One type of fishing is not better than the other. They both have their attributes and drawbacks. It's what you put into it and what you get out of it.

Me, I just love to be on the water.

Very well put. I enjoy being on the boat as much for the ride and what you can see out on the water as much as for the fishing. I enjoy the quiet and peaceful darkness of fishing from shore at night. I wouldn't want to have to choose between boat and shore and give up either.

[The Iceman 6]

Lobster or Cracked Crab?

[Rob Rockcrawler]

Fishing from a boat is a nice change every now and then but i like rocks under my feet. Ive never been skunked fishing from a boat, it does seem easy to me. Maybe i have been lucky. I havent had a "special" feeling from catching a boat fish, but it happens all the time from shore. I only wish that i could consistantly catch KEEPER fluke and cod from shore.

[Monty]

I bought my first boat in 1993 so I could catch more fish and I have no regrets, I loved fishing from shore with my friends, but we did more fishing than catching, but after 15 years working all the islands and estuaries in the harbor, I do pretty good at catching.

I'm far from knowing it all but I've learned allot, and enjoy every day on the water, especially with family and friends.

[Jenn]

Nope. Boat fishing has a time & place for me but doesnt make me want to buy one and certainly doesnt hold the same "mystique" that the shore does.

[Skitterpop]

Possibly: it would have to be an awesome houseboat that you could easily move about and that had complete surrounding decks with some built in live wells.

[protty31]

My buddy got a tin boat this year,and all I'm thinking of are the places we can get to and beach it.Never ever give up the shore.

[baldwin]

Nope. It's not the quantity of the fish, it's the quality of the fishing.