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If you have been fishing for YEARS---do you enjoy the sport as much as you did when you FIRST started?

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JettyGuy

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I still love the sport,although in a grumpier,more enlightened way.:D I still get a great thrill each and every time that I hook up.

I was probably happier before I realized that there are all kinds of politics at play; swarming around our fishing.

Lets face it, when the day comes that you don't love the sport,that's the time to take something else up.

 

When I first started fishing ,I wasn't aware of access problems or "big mouth spot spoilers" or that some guys only wanted big fish and others

actually kept more than they should---ALL I WANTED TO DO was hook up with an occasional fish. I just wanted to learn and have fun catching.

If you told me that there were fish related diseases that humans could catch, back then,I would have just nodded and shook my head.

If you told me that humans were over fishing,I don't think in the beginning,I would have grasped the situation.

If you hinted that those in charge of our fisheries were sometimes totally out to lunch--I would have said,REALLY?

 

 

I could be way off target,but i think those of us who love the sport,even consider it more precious NOW,then ever,in spite of all the BS.

 

What about you? Do you still love the sport? Do you still fish for the pure unadulterated joy of tricking a fish into striking?:)

 

To everyone---- HAPPY NEW YEAR and great health and prosperity in 2015. And I hope that we ALL still have a childlike affection for the sport.

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I still have a hard time sleeping if I'm going fishing in the "creature " hours, especially if there's a good bite going on!! Forget about it before a boat trip, blacks, c- biscuits or a cod charter, I have the fiikin disease BAD!! Thank God :wee: :wee:

IN FAVOR OF COMMERCIAL FISHING AND SURFING THE NORTH SIDE

MAY THE RICH GET RICHER!!

FISH ARE FOOD!!

UA MAU KA EA O KA AINA IKA PONO O HAWAII

 

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The best part of fishing and it has been for a while now is turning a loved one on to the thrill. Second would be taking someone who has never fished before and given them a complete experience from prepping the gear to cooking the catch. Something about our Paleo ancestry that brings about a completeness. ( not show me the money, but complete) ;). Jerry McGuire forgive me.

"Ban Pre-shredded Cheese, Make America Grate Again"

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I love fishing. This year since I started surfcasting, I've fallen in love with the sport even more. So much that it's all I think about. At work, all I think is when can I hit the sand, at home I read, watch videos if I can't get out, what gear do I need, what lures am I missing, can I teach myself to build a rod, lures, jigs, etc. I watch every You Tube video several times when I can be out. TV what's that? I haven't watched TV in months. If it has nothing to do with fishing, I want nothing to do with it. It's getting to the point that my wife and daughter look at me and they know what's on my mind. But you know what I'm happy, I'm healthy, and I'm learning more and more each day. I'm happy, their happy. It's an great sport. You get to know and hopefully one day meet your fellow anglers. I will never give it up and when my time comes, I just hope it's with a rod in hand on the sand, so I go out happy.



Have a great New Year everyone and tight lines forever!


Keep what you can eat, The rest set them free to fight another day.
LIBBA 2395

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I was infatuated with fishing from the shoreline as a little kid and I'm 100% just as excited about hitting those shorelines 50+ yrs later. Funny thing was that I wasn't brought up in a fishing family, but somehow it was in my DNA...if I'm not in a wetsuit casting, you can bet I'm thinking about it.

 

Most difficult problem over the years has been learning to curb my surfcasting urge, compromise and balance all of life's other obligations...well, still married to my understanding wife of 26 yrs and 4 kids (3 out of college). And life just keeps getting better, with 2 grown sons who also love to jump in the water and fish with me side-by-side. I plan on casting till I can't raise my arms any more...and I'll be just as excited each time.

 

I actually feel sorry for those who don't have a passion like ours.

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I enjoy surfcasting more now than I did years ago since I no longer compete. No longer have to catch all the fish in the ocean. Now I just take what the surf gives me and enjoy it. A Very Happy & Safe New Year to all and your families.

 

sb

 

Same to you Vito.

"Ban Pre-shredded Cheese, Make America Grate Again"

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The best part of fishing and it has been for a while now is turning a loved one on to the thrill. Second would be taking someone who has never fished before and given them a complete experience from prepping the gear to cooking the catch. Something about our Paleo ancestry that brings about a completeness. ( not show me the money, but complete) ;). Jerry McGuire forgive me.

 

I find that I'm doing more and more of that sort of thing these days.

 

A friend of mine has a son in junior high, who loves the outdoors in general and the ocean in particular. My friend has a boat, and has fished for all of his life, but isn't quite as experienced offshore as I am. So two years ago, we all went trolling one day to get his son his first dolphin, and this year I got him his first shark and maybe next year his first mako. Another friend is a professional biologist, who is an ornithologist by preference but does interpretive trips on whale watch tours, etc. Loves to fish--she regularly wetsuits at Montauk--but again, doesn't get much chance to fish offshore. Got her her first mako last June, and she's always a joy to fish with because you get a running commentary on every bird, dolphin, whale, etc. that she sees, and she ends us seeing a lot more than I do, because while I'm worried about catching the fish or running the boat, she's looking everywhere and spotting stuff at every angle.

 

It's that sort of thing that gives me satisfaction these days.

 

Or maybe just going out to a wreck with my wife and putting together a nice bunch of porgies and sea bass. Quiet fishing, where we can enjoy each other's company away from noise and interruptions.

 

I've gone through my tournament phase, my light-tackle record-hunting phase, my need-to-prove-myself phase. Now, I have nothing at all to prove, and even if I did, feel no need to prove anything to anyone. I can just do what I feel like doing, enjoying being on the water, spending time with my wife and with friends, fishing how and for what I'm in the mood to fish for, doing what I can to protect what we have and pass the torch to a new generation.

 

It is immensely satisfying.

"I have always believed that outdoor writers who come out against fish and wildlife conservation are in the wrong business. To me, it makes as much sense golf writers coming out against grass.."  --  Ted Williams

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I think there is a fishing/hunting male gene in all of us (or at least in most males and some women too I guess) which pushes us to go out to fish and hunt.

 

I have been fishing/hunting since the age of 6 and the gene is still very active.

 

Over time I may try different techniques, but in most cases I am a believer that whatever method caught fish in the past, there is no reason to change it because someone says so in some new book or new video. I believe that experience and perseverance through self training makes us all better fishermen. A new guy to fishing may gain some basic benefit from reading books, in order to form a baseline, but then go out and learn from your mistakes. The more mistakes I made when I was young, the better fisherman it made me. And I still make mistakes by the way, which means I am still able to improve.

 

Main differences:

 

I used to fish for longer times, like 6 hours, but lately my average trip is 2 hours.

 

I used to fish multiple poles, but I have learned that I enjoy the sport more by sticking to one pole only. When I try to explain this to new guys using 2-3-4 poles, they look at me like I try to steer them wrong.

 

I also get enjoyment in teaching youngsters to fish; It is so important especially now days, because our young kids spend an enormous amount of time playing video games or social media, which will result in health issues in the future. They need to be active. I took my kids out since they were 9, and although they are hooked to some extend to video games and social media, they will also go out and enjoy the outdoors. I also volunteer at a local orphanage and I teach kids fishing during the summer.

 

Recently I enjoy more the art of finding where the fish are, instead of just brute force fishing many areas in each fishing outing. I also have created a custom e-log program which helps me by using old data going back many many years.

Slot Limit for Striped Bass; 1 fish 26"-34"

Save the Porgy; Bring Back 10 fish daily limit

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You better believe I feel the same! I have been fishing now for 30 years and Things have changed around me but my enthusiasm/sickness is as alive as ever. I used to wait for bass pro deliveries as a kid like christmas morning. Organizing, sorting. Sneaking away to pulaski and oswego when I first got my car at 16. I had a couple friends that we would cut out of school and drive up and sleep in the car for salmon season. I have fished freshwater bass tournaments and cared less about everyone else fishing. I always wanted to beat on the biggest fish I could for me. 2 pound bluegills all day at this pond we use to sneak into. Great times. A few friends and myself use to fish so much in high school that it became the friday and saturday night that the girls used to come and hangout with us all night why we fished crappie and bass under a lantern or hang out on a particular jetty or beach.

 

Fishing is part of who I am a big part ask my wife haha! Like Pak said above. I cant sleep if I am going fishing or am on an offshore trip. I get on the boats and get the freakin shakes and feel like i got butterflies in my stomach. I psych myself up so much my body cant handle the excitement. The feelings and appreciation for the sport and the environments it takes me to have stayed strong all these years. I dont see it ever diminishing especially now with my 3 year old son. It is only going to replay it all again as I teach him all the respect and understanding that i have gained for fishing. I even got my wife into it and she's pretty darn good.

 

Access, spotburns, crowds, pics, bragging never really bothered me. I dont have these things as a reasons for not enjoying what and why I do it. It just alters what and how I do it. Its just that magical thing about fishing that keeps me at it year after year.

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I enjoy surfcasting more now than I did years ago since I no longer compete. No longer have to catch all the fish in the ocean. Now I just take what the surf gives me and enjoy it. A Very Happy & Safe New Year to all and your families.

 

sb

I couldn't agree with you more about the competition thing. Today I would never enter a contest, even friendly club contests have some cheating characters involved. What keeps me going back is casting in the middle of the night in a newly scouted area or working a new lure and getting that"bump". Even though sometime she is a bit angry, Mother Nature kisses me everynight. C'mon Ap[ril.
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I still love fishing after 50 years. I'd say the thing the effects my enjoyment the most is the amount of solitude. Used to be easier to be alone. I don't mind a few good souls or friends around. But crowds and certain people do take away from the pleasure. Even their destructive evidence sometimes.

The world is noisier & more crowded. Other than move around a lot there is not much I can do about it. And I do fish the dark in saltwater 98% of the time.

 

I will always miss the total absence of man made sound, abundance of nature and solitude of my youth while......fishing.

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There are MANY stages:

 

1 There are actually creatures in the water and I just caught one----wow!

 

2 wow-- If i do this with that ---I seem to be catching more.

 

3 wow-- that guy over there does that--he sure catches a lot of fish

 

4 Wow-- I'll go introduce myself maybe he'll school me

 

5 Wow what a nasty bastrd ---he told me to get lost!

 

6 FIVE YEARS LATER---I am catching as much as the arrogant guy--who never would educate me!

 

7 Now the putz wants to know where I fish???

 

8 Now it's time to prove myself and fish competitively

 

9 HEY LOOK AT ME I CATCH BIG FISH ----I am very aggressive and ever so skillful

 

10 Time to join a tournament

 

11 Remind me to avoid tournaments like root canal!

 

12 Lets think about this---why am I catching these fish?

 

13 I finally understand that there are no substitutes for good gear

 

14 Only fish with NICE PEOPLE phase

 

15 Fight to spread the word that we are all in this together and have to appreciate the fish phase!

 

16 revert back to the thrill of just realizing: WOW there are creatures in the water phase

 

17 aging with the people who became true fishing friends phase.

 

18 FORCED TO WATCH BAD MOVIES as wife's revenge for leaving her alone so many nights while chasing fish stage.:D

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21. Try Fishing Online

 

24. Maybe I should consider moving fishing gear out of our main sunny porch entrance to make wife happy

 

28. But dear, fishing season is over, and you want me to watch a movie which has no jungle and people killing each other?

Slot Limit for Striped Bass; 1 fish 26"-34"

Save the Porgy; Bring Back 10 fish daily limit

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