The Great Unknown

[DZ]

At the end of my surfcasting season I often jot down my thoughts. I have the urge to write so I quickly put something together to share.




A SURFCASTERS PUZZLE – THE GREAT UNKNOWN

In the modern era of sport fishing it is the striped bass fisherman who stands alone as an icon to the humble beginning of surf casting. Although advances in his equipment has changed for the better, the surf caster of today still encounters the same challenges of his predecessors that fished in the earlier part of this century. In constant pursuit of the somewhat unpredictable striped bass, a surf caster must use all his knowledge, his equipment, and a multitude of environmental factors to hook and land a striper.
Unlike pursuing stripers from a boat where bass can often be “seen” by using modern electronics before anyone even wets a line. A surfcaster must use knowledge gained through experience, trial and error, and often times, intuition. A surfcaster must take into account the type of shoreline, weather, wind speed and direction, water conditions, time of season, tides and currents, presence of forage, what lure to use and then how to present it. Most of this is done without having ANY true knowledge that there is even a striper to be had within miles of his location. Surfcasters don’t have the luxury of an electronic fish finder that will tell them if the bass are here. A surfcaster must use all the items mentioned above to solve the puzzle. What makes this puzzle even more challenging is that it can also change from moment to moment. It can also have multiple solutions. I call this puzzle the “great unknown.” Solving it has become my favorite pastime for the past 30 years or so. I’m faced with the following questions each and every time I head out to cast the beach: Are the bass here? If so are they feeding and if not, why? Will they be feeding on a different tide stage or when the wind changes? Will a plug catch them? If so what color and size? If they’re not here could they be down the beach on the next bar or around the next point? There are so many spots, they all look the same, but they don’t all hold fish. How come?
The following is a typical surf casting scenario: How many times have you run into someone else who after having a slow night would say that the “Bass weren’t hitting tonight”, or “There’s nothing around.” Did you ever wonder how they knew? I mean, how does someone really know that the bass are not there? There might be thousands of bass in the water they were casting into and all watching their plugs go by but for one reason or another wouldn’t hit. You know – bass don’t eat all the time. If they did there probably wouldn’t be many left. Maybe this guy didn’t throw the right plug, or maybe he got off his favorite rock perch one cast too soon. Here’s a good one: maybe he didn’t cast live eels! Using live eels is as close to “automatic” as surf casters get in ensuring success. I’ve watched a caster fish a particular area for hours, get off a rock and lament the lack of bass. Another guy gets on the same rock (the rock is still warm for crying out loud!) and proceeds to catch bass on live eels until his arms hurt. Just another unpredictable part of the Great Unknown puzzle.
I’m encouraged to say that I continue to uncover secrets to the “Great Unknown” each and every season. And while I do it I am treated to the best that Mother Nature can set out for me, crisp starry nights, the sound that cobble stone makes as a wave recedes, the salt taste on my mustache, the northern lights, and fire in the water. Yes, even fire in the water – yea, I hate it too but fire in the water is oh so beautiful. Just think of how fortunate you are to witness it. You tell a non-fisherman about phosphorescence and most won’t know what your talking about never mind seen it. Don’t take your environment for granted – enjoy solving the puzzle.
Still, I often find that I encounter even more questions while surfcasting when a new set of conditions set up another riddle. But these questions keep the surf casting game fresh and renew my vigor in trying to solve them. I figure I have 500 questions of the great unknown puzzle solved. Only thing is the puzzle has a 1000 questions – God I hope I never solve it.

Good luck

DZ