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Justinfish

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3 hours ago, Kooky said:

less fish and smaller bait every year...... and what bass we get seem to also shrink every year.  There are fish to be had but unless you want a lot of schoolies be prepared to put some serious time in.  Not much walk to water and catch unless it is the schoolie invasion at the start and end of the season.  In my last 3 trips out i have seen 2 other fisherman.

You observations and experiences are spot on unfortunately.

"A successful man is one who can lay a strong foundation with the bricks thrown at him."- David Brinkley

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21 hours ago, rst3 said:

Yep.

 

wrt Rhode Island-- I dont have the lifetime experience and perspective of a resident.. so my opinion here is mildly informed at best... but it's my understanding there's been some pretty big changes with both bait and bass in RI over the past 10-20 years.

 

Some of the surfcasters I met from your ocean state down there were pretty fult tilt about the sport. Lots of nighttime wetsuiters rockhoppers and cliff climbers. This one guy who actually (TIG?)welded a steel 'stepdown' that was driven into bottom of a cliff to facilitate access, and then repaired each season after damage by winter storms. Guys dont put down that sort of effort to catch 26" fish. Has to be some sort of viable fishery to make it all worth it. My outsider's take is that historically, it was worth it. But maybe not so much anymore. 

 

 

Honestly, most of the guys who talk that talk and "try that hard" at trying too hard are the ones trying to 1) live something that has come and gone 2) trying to emulate their favorite "all my fish are over 30, teen size fish are dinks" surfcasting writer.  

 

I am so sick of the "surfcasters are crazy" "sleep when you're dead" hardcoar bullschit. It's ****ing fishing. ("sleep when you're dead' looks better on a sticker than 'wetsuit with dry balls' even though that's what most of them are really doing) 

 

Not aimed at you, but just attempting to explain at least some of the self proclaimed "fish nuts" down here. 

 

Then, there are those who walk the talk, and god bless them. Yes Virginia, you can still break 40 in RI. But, it's not going to be pleasant or easy. It's not even going to be fun. But it can be done, and some of those guys still do it some of the time. 

 

Last year I was dead set on it, and my biggest fish went 45 on the boga, caught and released. 

5b4937713b059_45lbs(2).thumb.JPG.6d3fbdc38e9723a3753e6db3b99869bc.JPG

 

Got a few other good fish as well and a glut of schoolies. But, I logged many, many, many, zeros, fished like it was a second job, and dragged my sorry cortisol addled carcass to work on more times than I care to admit. 

 

At the end of the season, I didn't ask myself "was it worth it?" not the right question, I made up my mind that I wanted to do it. The question I asked was "did I have fun?" The answer, was no. It really wasn't fun. It was a grind. It was work. I didn't do it because I enjoyed it, I did it out of a compulsive pursuit of a goal. 

 

One of my favorite days last year was walking and casting on a gorgeous fall afternoon tonging schoolies on bucktails. I didn't beat myself up and it was actually fun. So was albie fishing. 

 

This year, I've taken a "you get what you get and you don't get upset" approach to fishing. Sometimes life gives you schoolies and sea robins. This is supposed to be fun, and "big fish fishing" is becoming less fun all the time, but it can still be done down here for sure. And, if you're one of those guys who really wants to burn it at both ends to do it, I get it, good for you. And if you're one of those guys who says the **** with it, the ends don't justify the means, I get it, and good for you too. 

Edited by bRichards
I can't spell, and I probably still can't too
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10 hours ago, Mack26 said:

Great post, right on the money.

Agreed.

 

@bRichards :th: .

Along the same line: last year I think I had more fun the day I managed to pluck one last schoolie from the clean scape of the RI oceanfront in late December, with snow flurries flying... than many mornings wrenching large fish out from the line-crossed tangled crowds and stupidness that is the canal.

Fishing kills me exactly as it keeps me alive.

Hemingway, Old Man and the Sea

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15 hours ago, bRichards said:

 

Honestly, most of the guys who talk that talk and "try that hard" at trying too hard are the ones trying to 1) live something that has come and gone 2) trying to emulate their favorite "all my fish are over 30, teen size fish are dinks" surfcasting writer.  

 

I am so sick of the "surfcasters are crazy" "sleep when you're dead" hardcoar bullschit. It's ****ing fishing. ("sleep when you're dead' looks better on a sticker than 'wetsuit with dry balls' even though that's what most of them are really doing) 

 

Not aimed at you, but just attempting to explain at least some of the self proclaimed "fish nuts" down here. 

 

Then, there are those who walk the talk, and god bless them. Yes Virginia, you can still break 40 in RI. But, it's not going to be pleasant or easy. It's not even going to be fun. But it can be done, and some of those guys still do it some of the time. 

 

Last year I was dead set on it, and my biggest fish went 45 on the boga, caught and released. 

5b4937713b059_45lbs(2).thumb.JPG.6d3fbdc38e9723a3753e6db3b99869bc.JPG

 

Got a few other good fish as well and a glut of schoolies. But, I logged many, many, many, zeros, fished like it was a second job, and dragged my sorry cortisol addled carcass to work on more times than I care to admit. 

 

At the end of the season, I didn't ask myself "was it worth it?" not the right question, I made up my mind that I wanted to do it. The question I asked was "did I have fun?" The answer, was no. It really wasn't fun. It was a grind. It was work. I didn't do it because I enjoyed it, I did it out of a compulsive pursuit of a goal. 

 

One of my favorite days last year was walking and casting on a gorgeous fall afternoon tonging schoolies on bucktails. I didn't beat myself up and it was actually fun. So was albie fishing. 

 

This year, I've taken a "you get what you get and you don't get upset" approach to fishing. Sometimes life gives you schoolies and sea robins. This is supposed to be fun, and "big fish fishing" is becoming less fun all the time, but it can still be done down here for sure. And, if you're one of those guys who really wants to burn it at both ends to do it, I get it, good for you. And if you're one of those guys who says the **** with it, the ends don't justify the means, I get it, and good for you too. 

Nice fish, Brendan. Always respected your hustle. Your post couldn’t be more spot on. I’m getting tired of the big fish grind, just not worth the pain anymore. Do I think I can find one 40+  in a season at the spots I fish (another problem, still stuck in the past) sure, but is it worth it in the long run? No. I don’t think coming off two knee surgeries and Lyme is helping, but I’ve been feeling this way for a few years now. Like you, I switched it up a little, and my favorite outing this year was catching fluke from the docks using freshwater gear, sluggos tipped with juvie sea herring. Was fun as hell and some of the dock guys are far better and nicer fishermen than a lot of the bass-hawking internet heros. I also stopped subscribing to the “fish when you’re dead” theory because, well, a lot of fishermen are passing earlier than they should. Sleep deprivation is one of the worst things you can put your body through and I’m not doing it to catch 26” fish. 

 

Inshore RI surfcasting was the pinnacle of fishing for me 10-15 years ago. RI surfcasting is why I gravitated to the sport when I was 13.  Time to move on from those memories... and get a boat. 

 

On a a side note, moving to Green Hill in Sept. Let me know if you want to chase albies.  Tight lines...

 

Rob 

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35 mins ago, rbart said:

Nice fish, Brendan. Always respected your hustle. Your post couldn’t be more spot on. I’m getting tired of the big fish grind, just not worth the pain anymore. Do I think I can find one 40+  in a season at the spots I fish (another problem, still stuck in the past) sure, but is it worth it in the long run? No. I don’t think coming off two knee surgeries and Lyme is helping, but I’ve been feeling this way for a few years now. Like you, I switched it up a little, and my favorite outing this year was catching fluke from the docks using freshwater gear, sluggos tipped with juvie sea herring. Was fun as hell and some of the dock guys are far better and nicer fishermen than a lot of the bass-hawking internet heros. I also stopped subscribing to the “fish when you’re dead” theory because, well, a lot of fishermen are passing earlier than they should. Sleep deprivation is one of the worst things you can put your body through and I’m not doing it to catch 26” fish. 

 

Inshore RI surfcasting was the pinnacle of fishing for me 10-15 years ago. RI surfcasting is why I gravitated to the sport when I was 13.  Time to move on from those memories... and get a boat. 

 

On a a side note, moving to Green Hill in Sept. Let me know if you want to chase albies.  Tight lines...

 

Rob 

 

Thanks man and I agree with all of that. I'll talk to you when the albies come in. 

 

I've always felt like a finger wagging old lady about the sleep deprivation but it's totally true. I'm not old by most accounts, and the blood is pounding in my head after an all nighter from the spike in blood pressure from no sleep. I've lost count of the instances of guys who tout how long and hard they fished the surf who have had a heart attack or two and/or multiple bouts of cancer. The lack of sleep wears you down, and the junk you have to settle for in terms of food to fish like that doesn't help either.

 

 And for what? They're fish. And being a "legendary" surf caster is like being big in Japan. It doesn't amount to much in the end, so you may as well do it the way you enjoy it. Fishing is a slice of life like that because it's true about the whole thing. 

 

To fine tune my whole point in that schpiel is that the reality of the current fishery is somewhere in between "doom and gloom, dead ocean, sky is falling" and "it's better than it ever was (canal and boat guys). Ask yourself what you want out of it, and fish accordingly. 

 

 

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9 mins ago, bRichards said:

 

Thanks man and I agree with all of that. I'll talk to you when the albies come in. 

 

I've always felt like a finger wagging old lady about the sleep deprivation but it's totally true. I'm not old by most accounts, and the blood is pounding in my head after an all nighter from the spike in blood pressure from no sleep. I've lost count of the instances of guys who tout how long and hard they fished the surf who have had a heart attack or two and/or multiple bouts of cancer. The lack of sleep wears you down, and the junk you have to settle for in terms of food to fish like that doesn't help either.

 

 And for what? They're fish. And being a "legendary" surf caster is like being big in Japan. It doesn't amount to much in the end, so you may as well do it the way you enjoy it. Fishing is a slice of life like that because it's true about the whole thing. 

 

To fine tune my whole point in that schpiel is that the reality of the current fishery is somewhere in between "doom and gloom, dead ocean, sky is falling" and "it's better than it ever was (canal and boat guys). Ask yourself what you want out of it, and fish accordingly. 

 

 

Another great post 

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  • 8 months later...
  • 2 weeks later...

*  I fish light / ultralight tackle, small swimtails or baby squid and lots of kast masters w/ a little tag of squid on the treble hook.  I just like fish on the line.  Early season get lots of sea robins and every once in a while get broken off by something bigger.  (sea robins are excellent eating for those who don't know- check Montereyfish  -- $25 lb)  It is just about getting a line in the water.  Bigger rods come out next month.  Live skipjack (baby bluefish) are killer live bait, especially for fluke.  Catch em on the small rod, send em back out on the big rod.  I like a 2oz sliding egg sinker, a carolina keeper and a 2/0 Owner live bait hook.   Happy fishing!

Edited by TimS
Please don’t refer to exact locations in your posts - thanks
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