Youth over experience?

[BigFish]

They all drink those "new fangled" energy drinks to "HOP" them up!!! They will all die of a heart attack at 35 from that stuff!!!

[Sea Dangles]

If gin and tonic paired with Bud is an energy drink we have an advantage.

[BigFish]

I must agree Chris! Guys been using G and T and coffee for years...no ill effects in fact many lead long lives on those alone!!

[Back Beach]

You already have my answer.

[luds]

I think it's the kind of commitments you have more than age. Once you have a demanding job and kids it changes the game big time.

[BassDawg]

Originally Posted by luds

I think it's the kind of commitments you have more than age. Once you have a demanding job and kids it changes the game big time.

mostly, it for me~~~~~ yet,

i also believe that some of it is DNA. i have ALWAYS been a "night owl" as my parents used to call me as a kid. when i partied, it was ALL night. even before fishing and after i hung up my habits, i enjoyed staying up watching the boob-tube or reading or internetting or writing. it's a huge part of what makes me tick.

when i fish, i fish both tides if it can be managed from family and work. and i will fish night after night after night, whenever possible/necessary to find the feesh. AND here is where the experience kicks in~~~ while i am 50 and can hang with anyone 1/2my age(as long as have my energy enhancers of MINT Skoal, caffeine, and Kombucha/Odwalla to rejuvinate), i would much rather fish smarter than fish harder.

although i KNOW it takes BOTH~~~
one MUST fish a spot hard to learn it, then when it gets dialed in i "try" to fish it smart. trouble is,,,,,,,,,i'm only 5 yrs into this beautiful obsession, so i have many places to learn and only so many moons per season.

[luds]

Originally Posted by BigFish

They all drink those "new fangled" energy drinks to "HOP" them up!!! They will all die of a heart attack at 35 from that stuff!!!

Nah, the younger generation stays away from donuts for the most part. We figured that one out so that should buy us a few years.

[BigFish]

Donuts never slowed me down! The extra weight slowed me down!!

[BigFish]

Oh...and I have not had a donut in over 5 weeks so......look out!!

[ProfessorM]

Originally Posted by BigFish

They all drink those "new fangled" energy drinks to "HOP" them up!!! They will all die of a heart attack at 35 from that stuff!!!

yeah what happened to the days of a couple of lines and a spliff or 2 per nite. If i did that now I'd be useless. I'll just take the 5 hours and feel like crap for rest of day feeling, I really have no other choice. I hope being older I do a few things wiser though. Time fished will usually pan out better in the long run but I give up easy now and don't feel cheated doing it. Fishing is more for enjoyment nowadays,not bragging rights.

[numbskull]

The rewards of fishing increase with age even when results diminish.

Until, of course, you get as old as Sauerkraut at which stage consistency of bowel function becomes more important.

[jimmy z]

With things being so hectic lately, one tide is a blessing. And I'll fish thay whole tide, and than some.

[justplugit]

At 70 I find I fish a lot less but enjoy it more. Four hours is about the limit
in the surf, but then it ends up a total of 7 hours with the driving.

[Slingah]

I am inspired by the new & improved Tagger a.k.a. Belcher Goonfock....he has 10 years on me and the stamina of a 25 year old...
Life has found a way of diminishing my time on the water...that and home improvements....

[Tagger]

Originally Posted by Slingah

I am inspired by the new & improved Tagger a.k.a. Belcher Goonfock....he has 10 years on me and the stamina of a 25 year old...

Thanks Matt ... Friend !!!! Sounds like it's time for you to become a Cyborg,, like many of us who suffer from sleep Apnea . That's right .. Cyborg = part human ,,part machine. If your asking your significant other ,, " Does my butt look fat in these pants ?" Might be time to get tested for sleep apnea.. Getting in shape and losing weight works wonders for your energy level too ... Don't be a zombie .

[Saltheart]

For me its not sleep , its sore old bones. Once the joints get inflamed , that's it. At one time , that was not an issue , then it became an issue but only after 3 or 4 days of fishing every tide. Now its a few hours then that's it for a few days to a week.

I would say the best combination of experience and physical ability is in your 30's and 40's. I remember when in my 30's I would sometimes go down to south county on a Thursday afternoon and not return until after the monday morning tides. Fish every available oppurtunity with no problem with sleep or decrepidness. I preferred to fish alone since very few could keep up with me and I had no concerns about needing help in case of an emergency. In my 40 I got down to maybe Friday through Sunday night then home to sleep before work on Monday. Time on the rocks didn't really limit me. Then around 45 , you start actually heading out with the idea you will fish x number of hours. may you would say "i can do 6 hours , whats the best places and times to spend the six. Prior to that it just go and fish if there was any hope of catching.

After starting to set a schedule , the hours become less and less. Then you start with the trade off...well I'll fish 9 to midnight but then sleep until intil 5 and hit the morning tide and sunrise. Then its I'll fish the night time or the morning , then its I'll fish the nightime and skip the morning so I can do tomorrow night.

Pretty soon its well I can last 3 or 4 hours then that's it for the week!

Now if the question were , would you rather be young or experienced , all but the biggest fools would choose young!

[Rmarsh]

I agree that stamina plays a big part of it. I am 54 and only been striper fishing the last 8 so I don't have youth or experience.
But I have less family commitments now and can fish as often as I like. I'm in good health and can easily keep up with my 35 year old fishing buddy as well as my nephews and two sons. They have other distractions that keep them from fishing while I am pursuing stripers.

[SAUERKRAUT]

[QUOTE=numbskull;772019]The rewards of fishing increase with age even when results diminish.

Until, of course, you get as old as Sauerkraut...

YOUTH. Numbskull just ate my lunch...caught ALL OF MY FISH... by youthfully wetsuiting while I stood on dry rock and sand in my waders, two nights ago when I hosted him over to the Vineyard.

At least I hope it was his 50 or so feet of casting advantage. I would hate to admit otherwise that he's just better than I am.

[numbskull]

Originally Posted by SAUERKRAUT

YOUTH. Numbskull just ate my lunch...caught ALL OF MY FISH... by youthfully wetsuiting while I stood on dry rock and sand in my waders, .

Actually it is because you squandered your youth catching massive fish on eels and never gained the experience necessary to catch small fish with plugs. You didn't end up so dry either.

[chefchris401]

Heres how my memorial day weekend played out, im 29, fat, bald and out of shape (rounds a shape right), i work in the restaurant biz and am an executive chef, i work 60 to 70 hours a week. heres my recap.

Thursday may 27th, get up a 3am, drive to the ditch, start fishing my 415, caught a few 20s and 11 fish in the teens, fished til 7am, drive home, shower, breakfast, go to for work for 10am, work til 11pm. 13 hour day in the kitchen. Go home shower, sleep.......

Friday may 28th get up a 330 am, 3.5 hours of sleep, drive to the ditch, fishing by 445, fished til 8am, caught 9 fish in the teens, one low 20s, drive home, shower, work at 10am til 11pm, super busy, 97degrees in the kitchen and super hectic. go home shower, sleep.

saturday may 29th get up again at 330am, 3.5 hours of sleep, drive to the ditch, fishing by 445, fished til 8am, put on a clinic with my northbar darter, consistent fish all am, lost of plug full of mojo, drive to m and ds buy some stuff, drive home, shower, work at 10am til 11pm, super busy, 100 degrees in the kitchen and super hectic, nonstop all day. go home shower...............

sunday, may 30th after showering, get in the truck and drive to the ditch, sleep in my truck sitting up for 2 hours, start fishing around 3am til 8am, slower day, less fish and lower weights, but still 9 fish. go home shower, go to girlfriends house, get breakfast, do errands, hang out, cook dinner and relax, but wait...........

leave her house at 11pm, go home sleep til 3am, drive to the ditch start fishing at 4am, no fish til day break, 2 fish low teens, leave at 8am, then go work another 12 hour day, go home at 1030pm and sleep...............slept til 4pm on tuesday.

Did i feel good doing this, hell no, i was sweating, cranky, hunger, tired, exhausted, but its what i have to do if i want to get out and fish, the fishing was some of the best ive had in years.

I dont take anything except coffee and maybe a 5 hour enegry drink, dont want my heart to explode.

its crazy and something i dont do on a regular basis.

but i do pull a 13 hour shift then go fishing til after for about 6 to 9 hours, then sleep.'

this is the life i know and it works for me, i dont always get to fish the best tides or times, but i make it work.

[piemma]

So I use to drive to P-Town, fish 2 tides, drive home, do the family thing, sleep 3 hours and do the same thing again the next night. Sometimes even during the week and work all day. A couple of times I drove from The Back to the airport and got on a plane. Took the waders off and put a suit and tie on in the airdown lot. Air down drive The Back, fish like a madman. 49 years old first heart attack. 55 years old after 5 stents, a quad bypass. Trust me, it will catch up with you.

I fished 24 hours this weekend. Fri, Sat, Sun 8 hours in the boat from 2 to 10 AM. I couldn't move this morning as I tried for 4 days straight. It takes a toll on your body.

Is it worth it? I'm gonna be 63 and I say HELL YES!!!!