Is Fishing Hard? - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

Flaptail · 10-03-2005, 01:43 PM

Babe, after 46 years of doing it I still do the things you mention. Don't make it hard on yourself. Remember there is alot more to fishing than the catching of fish. The people you fish with, the places you fish, the sights and the sounds. It all goes hand in hand. Laugh it off, that's what I do and don't take it so seriously. It's supposed to be fun. Some of the guys theat post here are hardcore, meticulous about each knot, what line, what lure, all that stuff. I was once like that but now that this Friday I turn fifty, I am letting that all go to just fish for the fun and relaxation it brings. You get to that point sooner or later in your fishing career. I used to stay awake nights frustrated that the biggest bass I ever caught was 49.9 pounds. Know what? I don't care anymore! If it happens it happens, if it don't it don't. No big deal. Catching a fifty is not the mark of a real fisherman. I had people who never caught a striper in thier lives catch a fifty right aside of me, one guy I took out on the beach with me one night years ago never caught a bass and first cast on Nauset with my rod, my reel my lure gets a fifty three pounder. Sure there is skill but there is a lot of luck to it too. Don't get yerself in a quandry like I did. Slow down and enjoy it for what it really is supposed to be. Fun.

mrmacey · 10-03-2005, 01:56 PM

I never had any of those mishaps!

NEXT2NUN · 10-03-2005, 06:01 PM

BB stuff happens, that's all part of the game. But thumbing a bluefish, ouuuuuch!! Catching isn't hard after you put some time in and figure out the when and wheres' I've been fishing some nights with my head turned away from the water to watch the sunset or moon rise not even caring about fish. Being out there enjoying mother nature is way more important than catching fish.

Happy B-day Flap!!!

Sea Dangles · 10-03-2005, 06:37 PM

You haven't had a reel problem 'til you can't get the hook out.

Of your hand!

The Dad Fisherman · 10-03-2005, 10:46 PM

Don't feel bad...Just this morning I got up at 3, drove about 90 miles to fish, got all geared up, walked out to where I wanted to fish....and noticed that my rod was busted at the tip. Its 5:00 in the morning and I'm watching guys catching...and I have to wait until a B&T opened up at 8 to get it fixed....DOHHH!!!

By the Time I got it fixed the Bite was dead and all I managed was a couple of schoolies.

striprman · 10-04-2005, 07:43 AM

Yes, fishing is hard.
It costs $ for bait/lures/tackle (rods reels line). money that I got from working hard. A vehicle will set you back a few bucks (4WD ?) with all appropriate beach licences
It cost time and hard work to figure out the right knots to use, the right leaders, swivels, hooks. How tight to set the drag,
Its hard to figure which lures to use (plugs,rubber,bait,jigs, eels...)
Its hard to figure out which line to use (braid/mono) and how heavy (20 pound mono? 15? 30? or braid 50/65) and then is your rod and reel "braid friendly"
Its hard to take time to go to your spots, all times of day and night to see what and when they will bite.
Surfcasting can be physically tireing. Your whipping a 8-13 foot long rod with a 1-5 ounce lure and trying to cast to far out areas. You hope the fish are there and will take what you offer.
You must learn to read the water. Where are the sloughs.bars,rips,holes and eddies that might hold fish, thats kind of hard, something that can't be learned without repeated observation, trial and error. You leave to go at 10:00 P.M. drive an hour or 2 to get there when the tide is right, Go out into the darkness hoping that something will be there when you should be home sleeping comfortably beside your mate. After doing that, you might drive home to do it all the next day (even if you didn't catch anything the first night you went).
If you do happen to hook a fish, you now have a battle on your hands. If its a decent fish you have to "play" it so the hook doesn't come loose or whatever in the fishes instinct does that causes a fish to come loose and get away. How many of us have "dropped" a good fish or 5 ? I think everyone has (just part of the work involved).
So, now you have $1000 invested in rod,reel,lures/tackle,waders, plug and eel bags, maybe a bicycle.
And your vehicle has rod holders and a cooler (more investment of your hard work)/ Do you need a gaff ? a scale to weigh it ?
How about a lamp or flashlight ? red/green lens ?
So. now that you actually caught a fish, you need a tape measure to see if it's 28" and the decision wether to keep it or release it.
If you keep it, you'll need a good knife and whetstone and will need to learn how to clean/fillet your prize. Learning to fillet fish correctly is always fun and a little work.
Now, what do you do with the rack and carcas ? Do you clean the fish at the beach or drag it home ? Alot of work
Or, do you release it ? Do you know how to remove a hook without causing harm to the fish ? If you hold the fish and remove the slime, the fish will probably die after release. Again, alot of work. Do you have a hook disgorger and a pair of fishing plyers ?

Do you like climbing dangerous rocks (canal/Rockport/Newport ) or walking distances on a soft sand beach in your waders? Got a wader belt ? Is the place you fish rocky ? do you need Korkers (spiked shoes) so you don't slip and kill yourself while walking over "black rock" (algea covered rock) or rockweed. Again, just the physicality of striper fishing is alot of work.

So now you come home, have cleaned your fish (or released it). You want to wash your clothes and wash down your equipment. Did you back off the drag on your reels (don't want to compress the drag washers). How much tackle did you loose ? lures snapped off ? Work. work, work

I haven't said anything about boat fishing..talk about work

Raven · 10-04-2005, 08:13 AM

i'm a great believer in LUCK,
and find the harder i work
the more i have of it.

Thomas Jefferson
.................................................. ...............................................
"Rock on" ... Bass Babe ....

this_Toast is -> for you

P.s. pssst ! take some ginko biloba my dear...
makes your brain sharper than a tack.

Jenn · 10-05-2005, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flaptail

Babe, after 46 years of doing it I still do the things you mention. Don't make it hard on yourself. Remember there is alot more to fishing than the catching of fish. The people you fish with, the places you fish, the sights and the sounds. It all goes hand in hand. Laugh it off, that's what I do and don't take it so seriously. It's supposed to be fun. Some of the guys theat post here are hardcore, meticulous about each knot, what line, what lure, all that stuff. I was once like that but now that this Friday I turn fifty, I am letting that all go to just fish for the fun and relaxation it brings. You get to that point sooner or later in your fishing career. I used to stay awake nights frustrated that the biggest bass I ever caught was 49.9 pounds. Know what? I don't care anymore! If it happens it happens, if it don't it don't. No big deal. Catching a fifty is not the mark of a real fisherman. I had people who never caught a striper in thier lives catch a fifty right aside of me, one guy I took out on the beach with me one night years ago never caught a bass and first cast on Nauset with my rod, my reel my lure gets a fifty three pounder. Sure there is skill but there is a lot of luck to it too. Don't get yerself in a quandry like I did. Slow down and enjoy it for what it really is supposed to be. Fun.

Flaptail=

Dont worry BB, before you know it you'll be tying knots in the dark by FEEL instead of SIGHT, but as far as forgetting things...well I think that will only get worse with age

sorry....

bassmaster · 10-06-2005, 06:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jenn

Flaptail=

Dont worry BB, before you know it you'll be tying knots in the dark by FEEL instead of SIGHT, but as far as forgetting things...well I think that will only get worse with age

sorry....

how come he gets a friggen kiss, im better looking than that old relic
i have a hot ass in chaps to...........