Dilemma: Do you leave fish to find fish?

[steve]

A rubbercore sinker works well on a live eel at times in deep water - current situations for example, but a rigged eel is a different and special animal. Fish it slow to moderate pumping and even sweeping your rod as you reel. The rigged eel sinks like a stone and can be effectively fished in deep, rough and moving water unlike a live snake.

[Back Beach]

The rubbercore helps get a live eel down quick, and I frequently fish them that way. One problem with live eels and rubber cores is that they still don't cast that well into the wind compared to the rigged.
On one of the nights I am referring to, the wind turned and started blowing onshore, which made it difficult to keep a live eel out there.The guys with the rigged were bombing the things out there and were able to stay in the strike zone longer than we were.Our live eels were winding up at our feet after just a few seconds. Still, I've seen a lot of nights when the rigged eels culled out the jumbo fish regardless of the weather. Al B. has a lot of stories like that. I knew his partner John pretty well and witnessed a lot of damage done with the rigged eels through watching John. I still primarily fish the live ones though. When I say rigged eels I mean the type with 2 big siwash hooks sewn into them, not the ones with a wobble head.

[fcap60]

Originally Posted by Back Beach

First thing I would do is make sure you aren't fishing "wrong" for the big stuff amidst the fish you have in front of you. If you aren't throwing an eel, you may be guilty of being "wrong".

Very, Very, True - In my opinion.

[Tagger]

I have left fish and been bit on the arse for it .. Over the course of time the fish got larger and alot of people got some nice fish, but I was off some where eles on my skunk quest .. stick with them ,, go thru your bag .. try some larger baits..try some deeper baits ,, get under the schoolies .

[Pete F.]

Do I leave fish to find fish
Sometimes it seems like the right thing to do
Saturday was one
It was the wrong thing to do
I will do it again when I once again overthink things and go to find the skunk

[Saltheart]

I might leave dinks but if the fish were "pulling out drag all night" , I would stay put for sure until my legs or the fish gave out.

[Edge Sportfish]

Rule # 1- NEVER leave fish to find fish.

Rule#2- NEVER break rule #1.

[keeperreaper]

No you don't ever leave fish to find find. That being said I break that rule all the time. It tries your patience when all your catching is rats and small keepers and the tide is dumping in a big fish spot when there are other spots to go to that have "potential" for a trophy. Coin flip theory. You leave and whale great decision you leave and get served the bagel bad decision.