How Many MONSTAHS Did It TAKE,,,,,,,,,,

[numbskull]

Originally Posted by Sea Dangles

George, we all have egos that need carressing at some point. I have many acquaintances that range from roofers to lawyers,even some doctors like yourself. Some of these doctors don't feel the need to announce their accomplishments or proffession by preceding their surname with Dr., as others choose to for no reason other than ego gratification. So please enjoy your cake today. Happy Holidays, Chris

Chris, I'm not sure what my profession has to do with this discussion, but since it seems to bother you, please be informed the editors at OTW (who reside in the same town as I) made that decision on their own, not at my request nor with my fore knowledge. I'm not sure why you think how someone earns a living carries any weight in the fishing community, aren't all men equal in the eyes of a fish? Anyways, thanks for your good wishes, now where do I get some cake?

[Sea Dangles]

Pie in the Sky???

[Sea Dangles]

Dr. George, since you seem convinced that my fishing is ego driven due to the fact I catch and kill or target large I made an effort to show you what it feels like to be accused of the same. I am sorry if you missed my point. I would also like to apologize if in fact the title was provided by OTW. No disrespect intended but it did come across as pompous as well as hypocritical based on your ego accusations. Again, my bad.

[numbskull]

Originally Posted by Sea Dangles

Dr. George, since you seem convinced that my fishing is ego driven due to the fact I catch and kill or target large I made an effort to show you what it feels like to be accused of the same. I am sorry if you missed my point. I would also like to apologize if in fact the title was provided by OTW. No disrespect intended but it did come across as pompous as well as hypocritical based on your ego accusations. Again, my bad.

Chris, please let's stop this. It distracts from the good things about this board. Other people probably find our behavior venial as well.

Let me try to clarify where I stand. I consider you an excellent fisherman, one of the best on the site, and certainly better than myself. I respect your knowledge, hard work, and well deserved success. How you fish doesn't matter to me. Really. Sauerkraut, one of the guys I fish the most, uses eels whenever conditions allow. That you keep fish doesn't matter to me. Earlybird (a lurker), the other guy I fish with most often, always keeps a fish to eat (and so do I to give to someone on occasion). What you do with your fish doesn't matter to me (I kill plenty practicing C&R). I don't even think you are the kind of guy who keeps fish to parade them around. Absolutely I don't blame you for keeping one to win a VS. I don't blame you for selling them legally, (I don't know that you even do). ProfM is a friend and a commercial fisherman.

I think you have excellent reason to be proud of your success as a fisherman, and no reason to be defensive about that pride. We all need things to support our self esteem, and being good at catching large fish is a healthy (and enviable) thing to excel at. That's probably the goal of most of us here on the site. You are also clearly intelligent, literate, and insightful. I agree, for instance, that both the article title (which was mine...though not the DR bit) and (even worse) at times the tone of the OTW article I wrote came across as pompous, but its intent was to help and encourage people to become better fisherman.....not to build my reputation.

For my part, I love to plug and I like to preach its joys to the uninitiated, who I fear get inundated with the mentality that if you are not soaking bait you are not going to catch anything good, and I love to tease the non-believers (even if they've got a point). I also worry about the pressure on big bass and want to encourage people to release them (primarily so I'll have a better chance to catch one, admittedly). I do not think I am smarter or better than you or anyone else. I've been humbled and ashamed too many times to go there anymore.

So let's try over again and keep it friendly. I'd rather learn from you than fight with you. Merry Christmas, Chris.

George

[MAKAI]

MERRY CHRISTMAS MIKE. AFTER 40 YEARS OF FISHING . . . I LIKE BEING A GHOST. ITS ALL A BLUR ANYWAY.

[ProfessorM]

Originally Posted by numbskull

So let's try over again and keep it friendly. I'd rather learn from you than fight with you. Merry Christmas, Chris.

George

[Sea Dangles]

Serenity eternally.

[Flaptail]

"and so do I on occasion to give to someone"

HMMM..... Wasn't I who caught that bass to give to your sister?

[Back Beach]

Originally Posted by numbskull

aren't all men equal in the eyes of a fish?

There's actually a well defined piscatorial pecking order.....eelers on top and, of course, everyone else on the bottom.