What does it take?

[Tattoo]

There has always been a select few that have risen to the top. They have produced when no one else has. They have caught more, when we have only caught a few. They have caught many trophies while we still search for the opportunity to hook one. They are past and modern day masters of surfcasting.

What does it take to become one of "them"?

Post your answer, then say to yourself "Why am I not one of them?"


...then make your New Years Resolution and sell your soul to the surfcasting devil.

[likwid]

They have the vision, they put in the time, they work their asses off learning everything there is to learn.

Then again, sometimes its just pure luck.

[BigFish]

Already sold my soul and am working hard at it Tattoo! Baby steps...paying attention to detail takes time! Five + years ago when I started striper fishing, I got so hooked I decided to start my own business so that I would have more time during the fishing season to hone my skills! (The other reason and first and foremost was to be able to be available to my sons whenever I wanted) My work is busiest during the winter and leaves me much time to hit the sand during the season to fish! When I sold my soul, I made it a payment plan instead of a lump sum deal!

[afterhours]

untold time, a keen sense of observation, experimentation, and the aquired knowleage to be at the right place at the right time with the right equipment....i think.

[Bronko]

They have had good teachers. They have studied tactics and techniques of other greats and adapted their own style from what they have learned. They have put in the time. They just get it.

[Joe]

Obviously, you have to be out there a lot and in tune with the natural world and technically proficient – but those qualities alone will not get you a place besides them. There are a lot of guys who fish 100+ days a year and do everything right, but never get there….So what is it exactly?

There is no paint-by-numbers solution.
It’s not any one thing, or any combination of things, or even any one personality type. The best are as diverse as they are talented.
I believe that the most successful fishermen have been blessed, and, as bizarre as it might sound, chosen.
It seems they are not only good, but deserving.

[RIJIMMY]

Time on the water is key. You can't be a weekend warrior (as I am) and expect to be a pro. I consider my Dad among the few. He has caught a number of trophy fish in the slow years between 1987 and 1994. He fished religiously 4 nights a week from MAy to Oct. He caught fish when no one did. He only fished between C-town and Pt Jude. A relatively small area. He knew when to fish and when to stay home.
Like anything, its dedication. Its not spending tons of $ on the latest lure or gear. Its using what you have, what you've learned and questioning everthing.
My Dad's advice have been echoed out here a 1000 times
- Fish at night with eels
- on those miserable days when the wind and rain are in your face and you wonder what the hell you're doing out here, the fish will be there

Also, there is some degree of wanting the limelight. You can catch 60lbers all the time and tell no one. My Dad was a ghost fisherman, talked to no one and told no one anything.

[Clammer]

they are great students of the sea,they have paid their dues, & also obessed with the big one ////they have earned it///

for me ---I could give a chit on the size of the fish ,as long as it has stripes & not razors i,m happy ..

I,m out for the fun , don,t care about size ,screw tournments , everyone that I was part of had more cheats & lyers than survivial [sp]

If you don,t come back from fishing /with a good feeling inside // take up golf //I know toooooooooo many people that put the success of their fishing trip ahead of the enjoyment of just being there -- doing it ///

[Goose]

Prepartion, hard work and learning from your mistakes.

An understanding wife & kids = more time in your qaurry. Luck is made.

Resolution : Land Large

[bart]

living next to the water

[HESH2]

Ithink rijimmy said it rt.fish an area you know,fish eels at nite and fish often.Tides,moon,locations are all part of the knowledge,but most important the more your out the better the chances.don't let the rain,fog and weather scare you away.i'm old and slow so i became a daytime schoolie fisherman now,but had a chance to fish fall run in fall in ri and did ok.when i was younger wife,work and kids made fishing sometimes impossible.fish when you can.

[pete santini]

#1 is you learn by listening and watching more than talking . Books and magazines as well as oldtimers and a willingness to try something different and being flexible will make you a better fisherman The day I stop learning is the day i stop fishing. Keep an open mind and draw upon your past experiences and it will all come together for you. pete santini

[Sea Dangles]

It's about time you referred to me as your MASTER!!!

[Karl F]

Good topic, and some good answers.

RIJimmy's is right on the money.

Some of the best I've known, fit that Ghost Fishermen profile.
Most of them pay a heavy price. Marriage goes in the crapper, jobs come and go, (quit, or get fired). Health isn't always the greatest, especially as they age. I know of one guy waiting on his second hip and first knee replacement, years spent stumbling around on the sand in waders, hauling multiple large up over the burm. He fished for the $, so if you ever ran into him, you got the same answer, it sucks, no fish.
The real deal guys forgo sleep, food and drink, they have studied the waters and the sands, the bait, the time of todes and moons. They know what beach to be on, and when to be there, they know excatly how long it takes to get form one spot to the next, they can beat the fish there, and they know when to leave a bar on an incoming tide, even if it means leaving fish.... only to move to the next place the fish will be.
Also, 99 percent of them would never be caught dead gabbing about it, in a coffee shop, tackle shop, or especially online

[Saltheart]

Time on the water. The ability to focus your attention, Keeping your mouth shut and your ears open. Working hard

[Crafty Angler]

Time, dedication, more than a little grit in your gut with a capacity for hard work to become a surfcaster - and humility, in some of those I've tried to use as role models.

And occasionally, it's just dumb-ass luck. But luck, as someone once said, is for the ill-prepared - and eventually runs out. You really have to prepare yourself in every way to take advantage of good fortune when it smiles on you. Turn mistakes into learning experiences.

Ultimately, I think, you have to be a life-long 'student of the game' - and I still believe the most important piece of fishing gear you have is between your ears. Use your head for more than a hat-rack, as my father used to say.

And yeah, I've seen plenty of guys in their quest 'sell their soul' - but I've also known a few who've found it.

[RIJIMMY]

And yeah, I've seen plenty of guys in their quest 'sell their soul' - but I've also known a few who've found it. [/B][/QUOTE]


Crafty, quite possibly the BEST thing I have ever seen anyone post out here...ever. Perfectly said

[reelecstasy]

Sacrifice.......Time for sure, and the ability to learn..Being single wouldn't hurt either..

[CANAL RAT]

they understand striper Behavior and only fish at night they know when the best tide is at a certain spot and they dont Waste there time at unproductive areas they avoid Crowds and prefer to find there own hot spots.they never Reveal how many or how big of fish they caught. they dont use light tackle. there Organized have everything ready and at hand.they pack only what they need. they keep 2 of everything back at the automobile. they are Stealthy and try not to give off clues to where they have been. they put there time in and never give up

[Gooch]

Great topic. How about the ability to learn something from any given situation. Picking a relatively small area, fishing it hard, knowing it like the back of your hand and not jumping around all over the coast. That's my plan for the new year.

[JPowers]

The TIME.

The SKILLS.

The KNOWLEDGE/EXPERIENCE/PLAN.

The GEAR.


And then there's THE most important aspect :

BELIEVING with every fiber of your mind and soul that there's fish....
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
right in front of you.

[ThrowingTimber]

Awesome topic.

I'll agree with all that has been said. You gotta put your time in its a must, but there have been guys with golden horseshoes you know, that have caught large on their first trip, gotta have dedication the drive the want to succeed, I think its about learning and not just learning one thing and sticking to its, I thinks its about learning from elders, learning from peers in your age group, learning from younger people. How many have come before us that have taken their tactics to their grave? Is it selfish? Personally I don’t think so, but when someone is there in that persons “prime spot” haulin’ in the biggums I’m sure no matter where they are they’re smiling. Some guys do it to put food on their table, aint nothing wrong with an honest days work never has been as far as I’m concerned, some guys do it for the rush of the biggun, some guys do it for the love and the dedication it takes to be successful. I’ll tell ya what, if we caught trophy fish every time out, we’d all take up golf or something. Rest assured that the guys catching trophies have put in their time same as you and I bud, I’m sure they’ve taken their skunkings in stride same as you and I, but it works on a numbers system like those red tickets at the grocery or the dmv. You ever see someone get frustrated and just walk out, then their number is called? It’s a game that does not involve immediate gratification, it’s a game that is not fair in the least bit, the guy with the plug with the gob of squid on it wins the pool, what its about is being able to tell that guy that is catching “Hey congrats, I’m very happy for you” and mean it, because you know the time will come, when the shoe is on the other foot and you’d like to receive some well wishes on your success as well. It’s a balance of things and I’m still working on trying to figure out with the heck the balance is, 22yrs in the search this spring..Well all that stuff and hearing DRAG SCREAMING LIKE LIL GIRL IN A PINK DRESS, WHO JUST DROPPED HER LOLLIPOP!!!

[capesams]

the past......look at the stock they had to pull from.........MANY large fish.....almost everywhere they went......miles upon miles of unrestricked DRIVEable beaches, hole to hole they would go and other shore lines. they also had something we really don't have today is large BAIT crusing the shore lines.....

today.....alot of luck....alot of time......and money.

[fishweewee]

Originally posted by capesams
the past......look at the stock they had to pull from.........MANY large fish.....almost everywhere they went......miles upon miles of unrestricked DRIVEable beaches, hole to hole they would go and other shore lines. they also had something we really don't have today is large BAIT crusing the shore lines.....

today.....alot of luck....alot of time......and money.

A boat wouldn't hurt either, right Steve?

[tattoobob]

these are all great answers, i have to say that knowing a few pld timers or someone to show you a few hidden spots that produce will get you to the top faster.

pay a guide, and stay out of boats

bob

[capesams]

YOUR right wee.....the beaches as I knew them 30 plus years ago are long gone[talking cape cod here].....soon they'll be closed altogether for driving....where ya going ta go fish when that happens?? IN A BOAT.....I just started abit sooner then some that's all

[Jimbo]

What it takes to be one of the best is a question you could probably ask of many avocations, sports or hobbies probably with some very similar responses. Some people are just plain born with natural abilities that allow them to do certain things effortlessly while others struggle. These people probably have an edge on the more physical or athletic aspect of fishing, but I'm not convinced someone could be born with the knowledge that would make him part of that elite cadre of anglers. I'm also not sure how much I buy into the luck theory. No doubt there is an element of luck involved in fishing, but I don't really see the Top Gun surfcasters being lucky that often as much as I would believe they are simply empassionately dedicated individuals who persevere and continue to focus their intentions on one thing. They spend more time studying, listening and picking the brains of their mentors and predecessors, and getting out there and seeing what works and what doesn't and committing that knowledge to memory, and doing it over and over and over again until it becomes second nature. Then they continue to push and hone those skills. That being said, I think surf fishing's best also thoroughly enjoy themselves in the mix.
Why I'm not one of them, yet? Well, as much as I'd like right now, I can only tithe my soul to the surfcasting devil, not dedicate it in whole like those other legends have.

[theSURF121]

Putting the time in has to be one of the biggest factors. You're not going to be as successful fishing part time as the guy who is out there almost every night ( no brainer). For the most part, the anonymous surfcaster is usually the sharpie unless he has something to sell (ego or merchandise).

[Mike P]

Put in the time.

Learn as much as you can about stripers and their feeding habits.

Put in the time.

Scout the area you're going to fish at night during the day.

Put in the time.

Learn as much as you can about weather, wind and tide.

Put in the time.

Become one with the environment when you fish---notice subtle changes in wind, water movement, etc.

Put in the time.

Pay attention to what you're doing---never crank a reel handle mindlessly.

Put in the time.

Protect your eyes during the day. Wear sunglasses. Every great fisherman I ever knew had good night vision and could see things the average guy couldn't.

Put in the time.

Read the water---surface water behaves a certain way due to wind, and bottom and shoreline structure.

Put in the time.

When fishing moving water, plumb the bottom with a sinker to get a feel for irregularities in the bottom. Learn where there are drop-offs or isolated boulders, that fish use as amb-ush points.

And above all else--PUT IN THE TIME!!!!

[Pete F.]

Interesting subject
How much of the surfcasting mystique stems from the days when surfcasters fished for a paycheck, when if someone else knew your hotspot it meant less money.
Is the knowledge of how to catch big fish worth much unless it is shared?
Is teaching others to care about the fish important?
I am reminded of Bernard Moitessier who in a race around the world that he was leading said it's not important and went around again.
If you caught a 50 would you let it go? An answer is'nt necessary for me, but it is for you.