[ELIASV]

I know mine, at least I am realizing them. I see a splash in the water and automatically think it's a Bass and a large one at that. Today I spotted a quick splash that seemed to me to be a large Striper but probably was just an aggressive schooly. The result... I spent an extra 45 min working an area that was probably a waste of time.

This happens all the time in the summer I don't admit it was a Bluefish. If something shakes off mid fight I think it was a large Bass, especially on a Bucktail. But Bluefish tend to shake off hooks very easily in comparisson to Bass. The result? I go nuts and convince myself that a Bass was in that exact spot instead of moving on.

 

[toyotaoffroad91]

my faults are i get these ideas in my head that im gonna get some fish...well 30 minutes into the trip ive been getting discouraged and sometimes just leaving..
#2 cannot locate bait for the life of me unless there is an abundance of them

#3 think way to much about certain locations and tend to just go somewhere else... i gotta get the jitters out..

 

[RichTrox]

I can't hold my water......

I spend more time dropping my waders than I do fishing

-Rich

 

[Bassh0le007]

Probably my biggest fault while surf fishing is getting too comfortable in one spot or a spot that has produced fish for me consistently in the past. I sometimes find myself playing around with small fish just because they are there when I know I should probably have left my spot and followed the tide and hit some of my other spots, which might be holding larger fish.

It?s hard to leave fish biting but sometimes in order to catch larger fish you have to be willing to do so. Hopefully this year will be different. Good Luck to ALL in 2008!

 

[ELIASV]

The distant blitz dilemma

Another mistake I make. Sometimes I'm fishing and a blitz is beginning far far away. Probably 5-10 min away. Now, I'm picking away slowly at like schoolies or something. But not whatever is cannonballing out of the water further away.

Now here is the opportunity for poor decision. Do I walk over there and possibly get there too late and it's just a short wake of action? Or do I stay here continue my pick of small fish and watch that blitz last for an hour and a half from the distance?

Some days the blitz worked out, but not always.

 

[Blazetoy]

Sometimes I ooogle the topless girls on the beach to much, lose my concentration....I hate that

 

[ihavegills]

Over Preparing

I can prep 10 hours for 2 hours fished. Selecting location, tides, winds. Even with the entire winter to prep multiple rods I can get stuck tying and re-rigging line to leader and lure, sharpening every hook, for hours before a trip. I can blow the whole night sometimes because I'm not set-up 100%. Then I get stuck fishing an hour or 2 when I wanted to try 3-4 or pass for the next night. These are nights that I just grab a rod and a spare bomber and waders too! The thought of a lost large bass keeps me there until I'm done. If I loose one plug a year it's alot though. If you can call obsessive compulsive a flaw, than so be it. I wish I beached some of those cows as a kid that made me the over cautious fisherman I am today.

 

[eyefish]

Sometimes when I fish I think about movies with gladiators

 

[eisey]

I stay up so late planning out my trip that I just sleep through the next morning.

 

[LeoDA]

Not following the plan!

I know what I want to do or need to do, when I'm out there, but those other variables can put me off my game plan. Usually I end up doing what I had planned. I'm getting better as I get older. Patience, patience, patience!

 

[billg]

Fishing when I can, middle of the day no matter what the tide. I'm too lazy/busy to fish the night and early morning hours very much.

I just read John Skinner's book and I've fished just about all the same places with no where near the results.

 

[likeitreallyis]

I always run out of beer.

 

[sparky1871]

I seem to get into a blitz of schoolys and chase them down the beach like a crazy man.Then before I know it I've chased them miles down the beach.When I know if I stay put I prob could get a bigger fish after they passed.
Run and Gun baby thats me.
Gona try not to this season.

 

[MaxKatt1]

1) Choosing to sleep when I planned to fish.
2) Not fishing slow enough when I should be.

 

[seareelmocha]

i see dead people...... and always have the munchies

 

[frankiesurf]

Before I started surf fishing I could walk down on our beach with my wife sit my chair down and relax while drinking a beer or six. Now I sit and stare at the water. Watching what the wind is doing, where the current is pulling, searching for baitfish and the blitzes. I miss relaxing by the water.
Another thing is being under or WAY overprepared. I have a bunch of pockets in my fishing jacket and I try not to keep putting stuff in them, yet they are always full. My bag ends up with a bunch of crap I think I might need but haven't needed yet. Time to make the conscious effort to scale down a bit or just figure out what I really need.
Getting over the hatred of waking up two hours earlier before work. I have no problem getting up at 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning but 4:30 is a problem. I guess that is when my reasoning wakes up.

Rich, you may get more fishing time with this

This post edited by frankiesurf 08:05 PM 04/16/2008

 

[1ADAYPLEASE]

FLAWSSSS

Living in the Bronx, without a car, every trip to fish is a UPHILL HICK! or a budget BUSTING BLUNDER. (rental ,insurance, Gas).

But I Gotta play, SO.

DOWN SIZING: Heading for the beach, I carry Everything I got,
Refuse to have to say "I got that, but I left it home". I walk out the house with two rods, two 4'PVC rod holders, Waders, boots, corkers, Big plug bag, w/plastic case for buck tails, lead heads, soft plastic body?s, diamonds, cast masters, spoons.10-12lb alone. two good reels and the backup. full vest. includes Garbage bags to carry the spoil. Bait(fresh china town clams) on ice, in small cooler or 5gal bucket.

then it's walking 5 blocks to the train (MTA) to LIRR to beach or to Cab to beach and out onto beach; after scouting out what actually looks best and is available. one planed move if the soaked chunk is untouched and the plugging is unproductive for 50meters on each side.

CAN'T SEE THE SUNSET OR RISE FOR THE SAND: So tapped by the Prep (planning, research, packaging, toeing) all I see is the mound of sand before me, it's so far to where I want to be. I am at the BEACH! at SUNSET, AT SUNRISE, I SHOULD BE IN A CHAIR IN TOTAL AMASEMENT AT GOD'S WORK, and if the pole moves "bonus round"!!!

THE GOAL: I want to be able to do A chunk trips and plug trips with halve the arsenal so I could enjoy the BACK DROP!!!

I ALREADY HAVE TWO JOBS!!!

RHH.

 

[slaterock]

never, nerer bring enough beer !

alwasy a day late

 

[CANYONFISH]

I can throw a jig farther than anybody on this site

..... I just can't bring it back after the line breaks.......

 

[walleyeman]

Putting fishing in perspective...

Coming from a slightly different angle. I can easily allow fishing to steal time away from family. I'm trying to be more and more intentional about bring my kids with me when possible. I want them to enjoy fishing (which they do) and not see it as something that cheats them of time spent with dad. My wife isn't into fishing but when I get to take the kids out she definitely enjoys a quiet house.

This post edited by walleyeman 12:34 PM 04/17/2008