Should "wetsuiting" be its own category of fishing

[The Dad Fisherman]

For the tourneys at PISC

A Surfcast fish is one Hooked, Fought, and Landed while feet are on the ground.

A Boat fish is one Hooked, Fought, and Landed while feet are in the boat. (this includes kayaks)

in both cases it doesn't matter what you are wearing....

If you catch a fish skishing then its a nice fish and you are more than welcome to come to the banquet and watch the other guys pick up there award.

Granted I'm pretty sure we don't have any members that skish so its not really an issue.....if it ever becomes one then we will discuss what to do.

I could see this being an issue with the Striper Cup though.....because it doesn't fall in either the boat or shore category.

[Pete_G]

I have a real hang up with the Flaptail's and Ed B's of the world too. Standing where us shorter surfcasters can't. Walking by me in hip boots while I'm almost swimming in my waders. Maybe we should implement a .8 multiplier for you guys if you were to fish the Striper Cup.

And while we're at it, the heavy set crowd. I'm taking issue with you too. Long after my Korkers give out and I get blown off a rock you're still out there, firmly attached. The extra down pressure is far too great an advantage. There's no way we can consider you to be surfcasting, either.

And the DZ's. FU guys. Standing ankle deep at the most and catching large anyways.

Seriously though, skishing is different and it's a rare sight to see someone even try it in RI or MA, I'm surprised it's even being debated here.

"Wetsuit fishing" is such a broad description that trying to define it is pointless. There's people who wear one simply because they got tired of holes in their waders. Some wear one for safety. Some to fish where they already fish in waders to be more comfortable. Some to go a lot further.

I would add that some of the guys who fished in wetsuits this year would have probably caught the same large fish had they not been in a wetsuit. They're just good fisherman.

[Crafty Angler]

Originally Posted by Pete_G

I have a real hang up with the Flaptail's and Ed B's of the world too. Standing where us shorter surfcasters can't. Walking by me in hip boots while I'm almost swimming in my waders. Maybe we should implement a .8 multiplier for you guys if you were to fish the Striper Cup.

And while we're at it, the heavy set crowd. I'm taking issue with you too. Long after my Korkers give out and I get blown off a rock you're still out there, firmly attached. The extra down pressure is far too great an advantage. There's no way we can consider you to be surfcasting, either.

And the DZ's. FU guys. Standing ankle deep at the most and catching large anyways.

Seriously though, skishing is different and it's a rare sight to see someone even try it in RI or MA, I'm surprised it's even being debated here.

"Wetsuit fishing" is such a broad description that trying to define it is pointless. There's people who wear one simply because they got tired of holes in their waders. Some wear one for safety. Some to fish where they already fish in waders to be more comfortable. Some to go a lot further.

I would add that some of the guys who fished in wetsuits this year would have probably caught the same large fish had they not been in a wetsuit. They're just good fisherman.

Pete, the first time I saw you on the Rockpile in a wetsuit I thought there was a Mime Troupe in town -

I mean, I was really taken aback by it

[Back Beach]

Originally Posted by The Dad Fisherman

For the tourneys at PISC

A Surfcast fish is one Hooked, Fought, and Landed while feet are on the ground.

A Boat fish is one Hooked, Fought, and Landed while feet are in the boat. (this includes kayaks)

DF,

I agreed with you fully last time we had this discussion and agree now.

Skishing is definitely not surf fishing to me. If you're hooking fish while floating or drifting in the water its more like a boat, IMO.

A wet suit is just another tool. Same as comparing bare feet fishing to using waders. You need to cast, hook,fight, and land from terra firma to be considered surf caught, regardless of what's on your feet.

I've seen guys paddle bait out with kayaks off Race Pt., then go back to shore and hook/land the fish and call it "surf" caught. Baloney. You need all the elements.

Wetsuiting is simply extending the surf boundary a bit, but to me it doesn't need its own category, IMO.

Lots of the guys I know who wetsuit are no better than average surfmen without the wetsuits, but the willingness to take risk/go the extra mile in order to succeed is what sets them apart. Its kind of like anything else in a risk/reward sense.