Lessons Learned

[Canalman]

oop I got another....

Same rock different day.... now you'll understand why we call it bloody boulder.

This day the surf was not rough at all. On the way out the rock I stepped between two small rocks and severed the strap to my left corker. And I'm not walking 1.5+ miles back to the truck so i can go home and go to bed right?? So I did what any dedicated surfcaster (idiot) would do. I continued on, crossed the channel on the 2 slippery rocks with out falling, climbed to the top of the rock without falling, made the long descent into the crevace you have to fish from with out falling, made several succesful casts without falling.... finally bang I've got a fish and its a good fish. I'm trying to keep in mind that my left foot is out of commission, so I'm favoring my right foot, natuarally. The fish suddenly goes left like a bullet... one wrong step down I go, I put my hand down to break my fall and I'm met with the distinct sharp pain of parting flesh. OK OK I'm not gonna look, I have to land this fish, finally she's rolling the wash against the bottom of the rock, My fishig partner slides her up onto the rock, a quick glance at my hand reveals copius bleeding... Suddenly the fish is thrown into my lap while he retrieves the camera. Two quick pale faced photos of my 46" prize... never weighed her. Back she goes. Woozy and adrenalized I run to the top of the rock... now I'm faced with a dilemma.... should I take the chance of missing out on more big fish and go home or should I bite the bullet and keep fishing.... it is now that I will remind you that I am an idiot... I cleaned the cut out with Gatorade.... cut a strip of my t-shirt off and made a bandage and kept fishing.. Later inspection showed the cut was clear to the fat in the meat of my thumb. No more big fish that night... what a rush. So the moral is... modify your corkers in the manner suggested by the author of this thread DZ... replace the studs with 3/4 stainless bolts and and the straps with looped garden hose. You will not lose your corkers again.

-Dave

[shadow]

DON'T bury dead fish in yard if you have a dog.he will dig it up just as it is nice and ripe then run around the yard ever so happaly tearing it apart.clean fish at the beach leave carcass for the crabs.

[Clogston29]

A couple pieces of TP in two zip lock bags tucked in the pouch of your plug bag can save a night. I figured this out only after "sacraficing" two t-shirts

[jklett]

Originally Posted by Clogston29

A couple pieces of TP in two zip lock bags tucked in the pouch of your plug bag can save a night. I figured this out only after "sacraficing" two t-shirts

I gotta remember that one. That would prevent me from having to explain to the wife why there are so many single socks!

Another thing: don't flyfish near a busy road. Backcasts will prove to be tricky and that arbor knot won't hold up against a southbound buick.

[ThrowingTimber]

No tabs while fishing for largemouth. Many Many years back fishing a lake in ct buddy had a house on the lake. It went something like this: Cast... plop. crank, crank, crank, crank, crank take two steps to the right Cast... plop. crank, crank, crank, crank, crank take two steps to the right Cast... plop. crank, crank, crank, crank, crank take two steps to the right Cast... plop. crank, crank, crank, crank, crank take two steps to the right Cast... plop. crank, crank, crank, crank, crank take two steps to the right, there are no fish in this lake..... There were 5 of us doing this.. we covered the whole lake... arms nearly fell off the next day

DONT - forget your wading boots after you drive to the canal to fish it.... Im convinced that place hates me..

[Pete_G]

Originally Posted by Clogston29

A couple pieces of TP in two zip lock bags tucked in the pouch of your plug bag can save a night. I figured this out only after "sacraficing" two t-shirts

Hahaha. Sage advice. I do the same.

[Christian]

bring an extra light.
i had to climb through a boulder field one of those foggy pitch black nights where you cant even see your hand about 300yards to my vehicle. all the while with a 20lb fish for added fun...and it was fun trying to find my way back, i just woundt want to do that again.

[crash]

The $10 led hedlamp may look stupid, but it's nice to have when your hands are full of pissed-off fish.

[JohnR]

When wading on a rocky bar with water waster up to your chest, don't allow bluefish on trebbled plug to get traction in the water and sink hooks in one side of finger and out the other

[baldwin]

When you have a dozen live eels in a soup pot in the refridgerator, let the wife know that it isn't dinner in that pot.

Don't leave your eel rag in your wading jacket pocket.

Make sure all your eels are accounted for before you leave your car in the hot sun.

Make sure you set your drag before you cast,...and have a huge striper inhale your plug.

Don't do acid and drive while looking through binoculars.

[gone fishin]

Don't leave rigged eel skins in the wader pouch. Don't leave bait on the rocks at the ditch and expect it to be there within minutes. ( many fat rats there) again - don't hang a 20 pounder plus from the handlebar and expect to take turns without being STOPPED! I call that striper revenge. Don't go tearing along the canal access road with rods upright in holders and forget where the low trees are. That will shorten a rod quickly.

[Skitterpop]

Originally Posted by baldwin

Don't do acid and drive while looking through binoculars.

Do I know you?

or driving with 8 teenagers in a car made for five .... don`t turn the headlights off on a dark night on desolate back roads to see how long you can go without hitting something.

[ProfessorM]

Originally Posted by baldwin

Don't do acid and drive while looking through binoculars.

The acid and driving is ok but never binoculars.

[Pete_G]

Originally Posted by Christian

bring an extra light.
i had to climb through a boulder field one of those foggy pitch black nights where you cant even see your hand about 300yards to my vehicle. all the while with a 20lb fish for added fun...and it was fun trying to find my way back, i just woundt want to do that again.

I actually carry 3; one around my neck, a headlamp, and then one more light hiding in my plug bag. Call me a wimp or whatever, or not hardcore, but I like to have light when I need it.

I see a lot of people say they don't carry a light at all, or only carry a very small lamp. Emergencies happen though, and I'll be sure to have quality light if and when it happens.