Why haven't you landed a #50 yet ??

[Nebe]

Originally Posted by piemma

No one can honestly tell me that they went out one night with the expressed purpose of catching a 50 and did so.

spence did. he didnt tell you about it?

[RIROCKHOUND]

Originally Posted by Nebe

spence did. he didnt tell you about it?

That was Block Island Jeff, not spence...

I haven't caught one because I don't want to make PIemma or JoeP jealous...

Seriously; I think luck is having that particular fish decide to hit your offering. Skill is finding them, landing them, and having the gear/technique to do so. Luck is just opportunity combined with preparation... but last year several members of the site were consistently into 40+lb fish. was it bad luck that not one fish over 50 out of that school decided not to bite? I would wager there was one out there....

As for me; if I didn't have bad luck, I'd have no luck at all...

[ThrowingTimber]

It's not for lack of trying I'll tell you that, for me personally.

[Flaptail]

Luck, fate and pushing yourself to fish as hard and often as you can all play a part. It's a fornula really.

I detest golf but there is a saying in golf that I totally belive in it goes like this," your only as good as the people you play with" which translates into fishing as seek out the best fishermen, the ones who consistently produce. Choose your method, live bait, plugging, trolling whatever. Seek advice form the ones who highline more often than not and listen to them. If eventually invited to share time on the water with them keep your mouth shut and eyes and ears open. Most importantly don't betray thier trust in you.

Luck. I don't care what they say, no matter how good you are, having the biggest fish in the school take your plug or bait has a bit of luck to it. I had a guy with me by request of his father in 1978 on Nauset Beach. He had never caught a bass befiore in his life. He was a really skilled trout & Salmon angler but as far as saltwater surfcasting and Stripers he had never ever been there done that.

We headed out on to the the and track and just south of Pochet I saw fish in the curl illuminated by the seeting sun behind backs. I stopped the truck, puuled one of my rods out of the front rack and handed it to him while I snapped on a Pink 7 inch Super Windcheater Rebel for him to use as the lure.

On his very first cast he hooked and landed a 53 pound bass. I managed a 38 pound fish. Luck, pure and simple.

My biggest bass weighed in at 49 pounds and 9 oz. I caught the fish the night before at 7 in the evening on a sand eel rig off of a Dennis bay side beach. It was noon the next day when I weighed it at Old Harbor fish in Chatham with several others I was selling. It might have gone fifty but it is what it is when it is weighed.

Some very well known legendary bass anglers never broke fifty though they fished almost daily in season. Fate.

Keep positive thoughts, don't ever go by someone else's report of fishing the day or night before and spend as much time in locations at known times of the year where historically big fish are taken, then grasshoppers, you may find what you seek.

Then again, enjoy every fish you catch, they are all gifts and who knows how long you will have the chance to do so?

[piemma]

Indeed Flap. That's also the point I'm making. I could care less whether I get a 50. I love fishing pure and simple. Bass, be them schoolies or 40s. Blues, whatever. I just thank God that he continues to grant me the ability to fish.