Should "wetsuiting" be its own category of fishing

[steve]

I've fished in a wet suit on and off(no pun) for about 20 years now and started using them way back then when no-one ,save for Montauker's, used them for surf fishing in RI. I originally bought my fisrt suit based on the recommendation of a RI surf fisherman friend who was a transplanted New Yorker who routinely fished Montauk. He talked me in to getting one which I did and found it to be invaluable for fishing(comfortably) some surf spots were I always ended up getting wet when I fished them with waders.I also used it to swim to so "off-shore" spots which were unaccessable to wader fishermen. I did OK in the wet suit but can"t say it was that much more productive than "regular" surf casting in waders or hip boots and splash pants. Although I didn't really "push the envolope" like some do. It was safer though and easy to pee. It was kind ofa pain to get on and off. All and all, I think every surfcaster should try it and really don't think there should be a separate division for such fishing.

[steve]

Oh, by the way, one of the best surfcasters that I've had the pleasure to know and to fish with never wore a wet suit , rarely wears waders and does all of his surf fishing wearing hip boots with golf spikes, Grundens splash pants and a waterproof surf top of varying weights depending on the season. He has 3, 50 pound bass and one 60 to his credit over the years. Like some one mentioned in this thread, a good fisherman is a good fisherman no matter what he wears. Also, wearing the hip boot/splash pant combo is very comfortable and not as restrictive or limiting as you may think. I probably do 85 % of my surfcasting in this outfit and don't believe I am "missing out" on any action.

[DZ]

Good thread Frank - I've used both methods over the years and here are my thoughts. It's a blurry line between "traditional" surfcasting (with waders) and those who fish with a wetsuit. IF you're "swimming" a considerable distance to a perch with a suit then you're pushing the definition of surfcasting - it might still be surfcasting but in my book I'd have to place an asterisk next to the term "surfcasting*". Conversely I'd still consider it traditional surfcasting if your wetsuit is primarily a way of giving you some more time on a rock or bar when you'd otherwise be filling your chest highs with green water. I had a conversation with a very good surf fisherman recently who was talking about how good the fishing has been the last few years - at the end I asked him the following question: How many of your large bass would you have taken this past season if you had to wear waders only? His answer - none. My point - many surfcasters think that fishing for big bass in the surf has been pretty good and some may even say that this year was the best year they've ever had - but many of them have really expanded their horizons by "swimming" to areas normally in the domain of boats (in some areas swimming up to 100 yards offshore in water depths over 15 feet) - I label these guys as "Wanna be a boat". In many cases when they tell me how good the fishing may have been I know I have to discount it because a traditional wader clad fishermen simply has no shot at the fish they are catching - "e.g." "Surfcasting*"

Use of wetsuits is here to stay and becoming more popular each season. What I see happening is that many of those new to surfcasting are going directly to a wetsuit. When they do this many tend to always want to get out to deeper water and while doing so swim right through the shallower areas where bass normally could be. I'm fine with this as long as these guys don't swim through this "skinny water" while I'm actively fishing.
But by not starting out with waders these new casters haven't learned the "when's, why's and where's" of a large part of the striped bass puzzle - fishing the shallow littoral zone(the region or zone between the limits of high and low tides).

DZ

[Back Beach]

Originally Posted by DZ

I had a conversation with a very good surf fisherman recently who was talking about how good the fishing has been the last few years - at the end I asked him the following question: How many of your large bass would you have taken this past season if you had to wear waders only? His answer - none. My point - many surfcasters think that fishing for big bass in the surf has been pretty good and some may even say that this year was the best year they've ever had - but many of them have really expanded their horizons by "swimming" to areas normally in the domain of boats
DZ

I think the inconsistency of summer fishing is driving this a bit too. Spring and fall traditionally have more large fish closer to shore than late july and most of august. There are obviously exceptions.

I think wetsuiting in the summer while fish are taking up residence in certain locales is a good way to fill the "lull" that we sometimes experience.

My last point is although some guys did real well on a year when surf fishing was believed to be so-so, its only one season and could be totally different next year. Last year (2007) the wetsuit crowd didn't produce many notable fish in comparison to the wader crew. 2008 had some outstanding catches made, and I think it glorified wetsuiting to a level it may or may not deserve.

Next year there may be more people doing it, thus more fish may be taken via wetsuit. It may prove to be the increased number of people wetsuiting and not a greater availability of fish that skew the numbers.

If everyone suddenly begins to fish with rebels and excludes every other method, then rebels may get an undue amount of credit simply due to the fact everyone is using them. Wetsuits seem to be taking the same line.

[steve]

Mike, I agree. It seemed that alot of real big bass were taken out of the surf in august and early sept, a period were I've personnally never done well over the years. Also, your plug is at the shop. Take care.

[numbskull]

Originally Posted by steve

Mike, ........, your plug is at the shop. Take care.

WHAT THE ????!!!!!!!! Did you just tell Mike L you have a PLUG for him??????????? Please tell me it is wood and not just another Windcheater . Please.

[Sea Dangles]

Steve, I'm just happy to hear you are capable of fishing. Last year the outlook appeared marginal that you would be crawling around on rocks. I hope you can join me in the upcoming season in the search for large.

[DJ Muller]

Originally Posted by Back Beach

I think the inconsistency of summer fishing is driving this a bit too. Spring and fall traditionally have more large fish closer to shore than late july and most of august. There are obviously exceptions.

I think wetsuiting in the summer while fish are taking up residence in certain locales is a good way to fill the "lull" that we sometimes experience.

My last point is although some guys did real well on a year when surf fishing was believed to be so-so, its only one season and could be totally different next year. Last year (2007) the wetsuit crowd didn't produce many notable fish in comparison to the wader crew. 2008 had some outstanding catches made, and I think it glorified wetsuiting to a level it may or may not deserve.

Next year there may be more people doing it, thus more fish may be taken via wetsuit. It may prove to be the increased number of people wetsuiting and not a greater availability of fish that skew the numbers.

If everyone suddenly begins to fish with rebels and excludes every other method, then rebels may get an undue amount of credit simply due to the fact everyone is using them. Wetsuits seem to be taking the same line.

All good points!
I feel that the surfcasting/internet group of today is looking for the"secret" of finding and catching desirable big fish. Is it BM Dannies, rigged eels, wetsuits??? No it is hard work and putting yourself into a position where a big fish will pass you and like your offering.

The wetsuit for me is more about safety and comfort (and of course advantagous access) which equal peace of mind and focus on your task. Once you can focus and concentrate your confidence goes way up.
Anyway I feel the suit is just another necessary tool of surfcasting.

[BassDawg]

continued and well taken points from ALL,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,



i AM somewhat curious, however, as to where the comments
are from the Iron One, jimmySly, RobT, redlite, TonyO, Earl

and i would only ask them this:

would yer year have been as/less successful had you stayed
shore and wader bound? who cares whether you used bait/plugs/smoke or mirrors???
we offer WHAT each udl requires and we are there WHEN we are required to be there.


the biggest inhibitor, for me, from the rox is access to that point
that i just can't cast to from shore. each rock has its own littoral zone/preferrred lie(s) eh DZ?? sooooo, from that standpoint alone ws are a huge advantage and,
i would suggest, a HUGE motivator/rationale behind the rise in their popularity~~
especially so from the Gansay to NPT.

while i really like the idea for safety and comfort reasons as well,
once YOU start to swim,,,,,,,,,you must have a REEL that $wim$.
i'd much rather swimsuit it than wetsuit it, and prefer hipboots to waders;
yet, sum spots i will not be without any of the above dependent upon how "WET" the spot is.

[steve]

DJ, I think you are right. Any surf caster who does well will tell you that the most IMPORTANT ingredient of success is the amount of time put into one's fishing. I bet all of the sharpies this or any other season will admit that. If you go bass fishing over 100 trips each season , you are going to do well no matter what you use. I also think that most sharpies use the live eel because it will definitely increase one's chances at consistency which , if you are going everynight, is something you need. Believe me,fishng alot is a grind . It is both physically and mentally fatiguing. To do it "right" alot of personal sacrifices must be made.

[spence]

To date, the biggest thing keeping me from a wetsuit has been my weight. Being famous, I often have a lot of paparazzi hanging about ,and the thought of a candid with that belly bulging in a dark mass neoprene is simply not acceptable.

Now that I'm svelte, trim and otherwise incredibly handsome this issue doesn't present the same downside that it once did.

I doubt I'd take a serious swim, but a number of the places I like to fish are nearly impossible to access near high tide. I may look for a good deal online.

-spence

[Back Beach]

Originally Posted by spence

To date, the biggest thing keeping me from a wetsuit has been my weight. Being famous, I often have a lot of paparazzi hanging about ,-spence

Just get one without a hood if you're worried about the size of your head...

[spence]

Originally Posted by Back Beach

Just get one without a hood if you're worried about the size of your head...

I'm serious, there's a photo of me in a wetsuit in Alaska some years back that's really terrible. I can't even bear to look at it.

To the point of the thread, a wetsuit isn't a boat. With a boat you're either in the boat or not in the boat. In a wetsuit you could be standing on shore, on a rock or swimming. It doesn't make a lot of sense to make a new catagory simply because you "might" be able to gain advantage by moving further offshore.

By this reason, we should also have a naked catagory for those who swim a la natural to their favorite perch.

-spence

[steve]

Dennis, You bring up some interesting , almost discouraging points. I guess that's not only a perception that the "bass are just out of casting range", that is for the wader clad surfcaster!

[Back Beach]

Originally Posted by steve

Oh, by the way, one of the best surfcasters that I've had the pleasure to know and to fish with never wore a wet suit , rarely wears waders and does all of his surf fishing wearing hip boots with golf spikes, Grundens splash pants and a waterproof surf top of varying weights depending on the season. He has 3, 50 pound bass and one 60 to his credit over the years. Like some one mentioned in this thread, a good fisherman is a good fisherman no matter what he wears. Also, wearing the hip boot/splash pant combo is very comfortable and not as restrictive or limiting as you may think. I probably do 85 % of my surfcasting in this outfit and don't believe I am "missing out" on any action.

Good points. Prior to this year I was never convinced the wetsuit guys as a whole caught any more fish than the non, and I'm still not convinced.

I did finally get one due to the fact a guy I fish with regularly did real well with the suit this year. We were getting fewer opportunities to fish together as I wasn't too excited about wetsuiting and we always took roughly the same amount of fish using different strategies..he in wetsuit and me in waders.

This year was more lopsided between us for a couple months, so I got the suit and tried it out. My take is still the same, though, as its the angler and not the suit that makes the difference.
If you structure your fishing approach around the wetsuit, then it makes sense all of your fish will come via wetsuit fishing. Same goes for wader fishing.