Better Fisherman?

“Just a few more casts” I thought to myself as I ripped off another 90 yard cast with four ounces of lead and a nice chunk of mackerel.  It was now 9:20 and too dark to see much of anything.  I could still make out the individual rocks of the jetty so I knew I’d be ok to get back to the beach but there was one thing I hadn’t considered…what if I caught something???  Well, just as the thought crossed my mind I felt three sharp strikes and set the hook with a rather aggressive pull of the rod.  The next thing I know I’ve got something, the drag clicked as a few yards of braid spun off the reel.  I knew it was small because it wasn’t much of a fight but at least I had caught something.  I spun on a bit more drag now that I was confident that what I had caught wasn’t going to snap my rod or line and began to reel.  Once I got it to the jetty I knew I was in trouble; I couldn’t see what I had caught.  I could see a slight outline and knew that it was skinny and long; I guesses about 14 inches and half a pound.  I made the decision that it was time to pack it in so I dropped my catch into the cooler and unclipped the leader…I’d deal with it when I got home.  I figured if I was lucky I’d probably caught an eel or something else I could use for bait. 

I gathered my stuff, packed it into the car, and headed home.  When I got there I carried my stuff up to the porch and decided to examine my catch.  As soon as I opened the cooler I was taken aback, what I thought was an eel or bait was actually a shark!  I had caught a smooth dogfish or a mud shark as they are also known.  It turns out that they are one of the most prevalent shark species in the near shore waters where I fish and as they are opportunistic feeders had taken a liking to my cut mackerel.  It also explains the bait I had pulled back with just skin and bones left since they don’t have sharp teeth to cut the skin.  They do have teeth but they are for crushing shell fish rather than for cutting as other sharks do.  I quickly looked up the regulations and found that it was permissible to take and relaxed for a few pictures.  I had broken my streak.  Turns out that all it took was bait.  I had picked up some frozen mackerel and some surf clams to try as I really wanted to catch fish for a change.  The mackerel worked on the first cast, I started fishing two poles but couldn’t keep up with the bites!  After catching the dogfish it made more sense as I’m quite sure there were a ton of small fish working the outgoing current and that’s why I hadn’t hooked up on more of them.  I was fishing 6/O circle hooks and had half a mackerel taken from me before my first hook-up.  I guess I should add some smaller hooks to my tackle box…you never know.

The next morning I headed back down to the beach armed with my now unfrozen clams and the rest of the mackerel to try my luck when I could see what I was doing.  I had a similar experience with bites coming on most of my casts.  This time I was better prepared and set the hook better.  All said and done I had landed a keeper fluke!  It was fifteen inches long and a little over a pound.  I broke out the filet knife and went to work but it turned out to be just practice as there wasn’t much meat on him and no one was interested in two bites…I will mention that the only reason that I brought this guy home is because he was gut hooked; I am fishing primarily for sport, unless I get a keeper striper that is, and plan to release whenever possible.  I couldn’t believe the size of the mouth on that alien looking fish, he had swallowed the entire 6/O hook with a one and a half inch diameter hunk of mackerel on it!  I was shocked when I pulled him up with only the fluorocarbon coming out of his mouth.  I did my best to open his toothy mouth with my pliers and inspect the damage, but it was clearly deep down inside and he was certainly not going back.

Overall I had my most successful weekend of fishing ever for the cost of a few frozen mackerel, which I may add is generally less than what I spend on one lure…I also managed not to lose a single piece of gear which was nice.  I might just be tipping the scales back in my favor!  You may be wondering about the clams, well that didn’t work well at all.  I didn’t get a single bite on a clam at all.  I bought a quart, the smallest quantity you can buy, and was assured by the B&T man that he had caught a keeper striper on a clam earlier that morning.  I didn’t have the same luck; in fact all I attracted with clams were birds.  I think I’ll skip straight to the mackerel.  It seemed to be a favorite of just about everything in the spot where I was and truly, how can you beat universal bait?  I’m just waiting for the fall when the stripers really turn on!  I’ll be ready for them, I hope.

Here we go again

So here I am sitting at my desk after a lunch of Mexican and margaritas contemplating my next trip to the jetty.  I will be heading out right after work for four days of heat, food, drink, and fishing.  I’m extremely hopeful that I’ll actually catch something edible this time…after all, that it my goal.  I acquired some new swivels, snaps, and even some Yo-Zuri fluorocarbon leader.  I’m hoping that a few of my bites might turn into hook ups if they don’t see the line.  I have been using SpiderWire InvisiBraid but have found that it seems to not be quite invisible but actually white or even opaque.  I will give it to SpiderWire that the line is translucent and casts incredibly well but is far from invisible…to my eyes at least.  So I will be on the beach/jetty wearing out my arm in a matter of hours.  Wish me luck.  I may even try bait if I don’t see any action.  Who knows, maybe I’ll even try a new location.  A full report will follow my trip, hopefully I don’t lose any more tackle to fish or stupidity.

Seconds to minutes and minutes to hours

I didn't get a chance to go fishing this weekend due to real life's perpetual interruptions but I did find the time to sort through all my tackle and make a few new rigs. One of the things I enjoy about fishing is the "tinker-ability."  I have always gravitated towards hobbies and pastimes that have a component of tinkering and why should fishing be any different.  I spent some well deserved time on the couch messing with knots, sharpening hooks, and  retying terminal tackle.  By the time Thursday afternoon hits I'll be beach bound and loaded for bass.  Wish me luck as I try to break my 0 for 8 streak.

How do I get there from here?

So, I've been back at work and away from the beach for almost a week now...Plenty of time to think and Google.  I'm not sure what to do next to try and catch something.  I am contemplating buying some bait and using one rod for bait while I continue to plug away with my other rod.  I've still got to go buy some snaps and re-spool from my last adventure but I can't help but think that maybe I need to try a different time of day; maybe evening into night rather than false-dawn to daybreak.  I've had some suggest that I try other spots and while I understand why they would say that I am quite attached to the area I've been fishing in and am committed to catching fish in that area.  Foolish, maybe, futile, maybe...That is the challenge that I am attempting though so we will see what I can manage.  For now there is a trip to the bait and tackle shop in my future.

Heartbreak

Daybreak on "my" jetty again and I am having no luck as usual.  I've brought both rods this time and it's a good thing because I end up with a rather serious wind knot, my first, in the first hour of fishing.  I decide not to mess with it and switch to the other.  I have a few nibbles, but nothing significant.  I decide that I'm just going to work on my casting technique and distance because I recently witnessed a feeding frenzy about fifteen yards beyond my previous best cast.

I put on a diamond jig and start trying to slow down my motion, focusing on the mechanics of the cast rather than pure power.  I find that my releases are somewhat inconsistent and that is hurting my distance.  Sometimes my lure takes off for the stratosphere like a rocket and in turn lands short because I've waster so much for the energy on altitude rather than longitude.  I play around with a few different way of holding the line as well as the drop from the tip and figure out my sweet spot.  I must have looked like I knew what I was doing to all but an experienced fisherman since I drew a bit of a crowd.  Joggers often stop by where I like to fish as there is a porta-poty for their early morning pit-stop.  I decide to switch lures and reach for my favorite casting lure, the Gags Bluefish Bomb.  This lure casts farther than anything I've ever used; it's aerodynamic, heavy and doesn't have a lot hanging off of it.  I wind up and throw my weight into it...next thing I know my rod feel strange and I realize that the lure has liberated itself from my line.  DAMN.  The good news was that I easily reached the distance that the feeding frenzy was.  So feeling satisfied with my cast, but heartbroken at the loss of my lure coupled with my previous wind knot I decided to call it a day.  That ends yet another unsuccessful day of fishing.

Third Time...not a charm

Another trip to the tackle shop had resulted in three new lures, a package of Lunker City Fin_S_Fish soft baits, and a spray bottle of Gulp Herring scent.  I was armed to the hilt and ready to hit the shore.  I marched out to a new jetty, one with significantly more current and hopefully larger fish, and set up shop as daylight began to break.  I decided that my “old faithful” swim shad would have the honors of the first cast.  Cast, retrieve, cast, retrieve, stop for a boat to come by, cast, retrieve, pull clumps of sea weed off, cast, and retrieve.  My new spot wasn’t as good as I had hoped since I had to hold my cast and then deal with churned up water as each boat came through so I decided to move on. 

I made my way back to my original beach and jetty only to find someone in “my” spot…I took up residence on another jetty a little way further up the beach and resumed the Sisyphean task that fishing can be…cast, retrieve…  An hour of casting and lure changes had only resulted in one curiosity bite (or it could have been a pity bite as some fish sat there watching me and thought, ‘I’ll give him a nibble just to keep his spirits up’) and a sore wrist.  I had changed lures about every twenty or so casts but even that didn’t seem to help, nor did the foul smelling herring spray.

With one final growl of my stomach I decide to pack it in for the day having had no luck at all.  As I was walking back to the car I had a passerby ask the ubiquitous question that all fishermen are asked “did you catch anything?”  “Nope, not today” I responded which was followed by “better luck next time.”  I sure hope so.  I realize that fishing is not called catching for a reason and that fishing is about more than the fish themselves…It’s a relaxing, peaceful way to enjoy the sea shore that occasionally results in excitement, exhilaration, and sometimes even dinner!  Better luck next time is right.

Second Time's a Charm?

After my first fish was caught I decided to call it a day and head in as it was getting dark, tide was rapidly coming in, and I was unfamiliar with the area I had been fishing; I didn't really want my first time to be my last time if you know what I mean.  I decided to head to the bait and tackle store for my next fix...a new rod and reel, a few more lures, some new line, and a pair of release gloves left my wallet a bit lighter, but left me grinning like a kid in Toys R Us.  I proceeded to spool the new reel and rearrange my tackle bag to accommodate the new lures while waiting for the tide to shift to outgoing so I could retake my position on the very same jetty.  Soon enough the tide had switched and I was geared up and ready to go so I set off for the beach.
I marched  down the jetty, rod in had, and a swagger in the step because I was a fisherman now!  Or something like that, I must have looked quite the fool...good thing the beach was empty and all I have is the memory.  Anyway, despite the new lures i had bought I decided to start with the same swimming shad that I used the last time but use the new rod and reel.  The new line and rod were tremendous and I was casting farther than ever before.  Three casts is all it took to get my first nibble and once again my heart was racing with the anticipation of the bite.  It would take another hour before I would have a real bite, but I knew what to do this time, I set the hook and had another fish on.  I fought for a couple of minutes being careful to not to get over aggressive and pull the hook out until a familiar rust colored shape emerged from the depths...Another Sea Robbin.  I took him to shore just like the last one and donned my new release gloves (purchased specifically for fish like a Sea Robbin with their sharp spines and mild poison.)  I grabbed the tail, reached for my pliers, took hold of the hook and proceeded to try and remove it from the fishes oversize upper lip...no luck, the hook just wouldn't come out.  I tried a few more times with no luck before giving him a minute in the deeper water to be sure I wasn't doing permanent damage.  Sea Robbins aren't great eating from my research so I decided catch and release was in order.  I pulled him back in, took off my left glove, grabbed the lure and pushed straight down and into the sand, the lure popped free!  Still holding him by the tail I walked him into the surf and waited just a moment for him to thrash away and back to his home in the briny deep.  Two trips to the shore and two fish on the hook.  Not bad for a relatively clueless newbie.  I was satisfied!

Fishing and I

I can remember being seven years old and going fishing with my dad.  He had bought a pole and tackle box for me so I could go fishing with him.  We packed up the car and headed to a local pond where I proceeded to pull fish out as fast as he could release them.  I caught sunfish, blue gills, a small mouth bass, and even a pike that day and just like the fish was hooked!  We would go on to fish as often as possible, even going so far as to buy a canoe to explore other locations and structures.  I wound up winning a fishing tournament at age twelve and an ice fishing tournament the following year.  By the time I was fourteen though school, boy scouts, and sports occupied much of my time leaving little time for fishing.  The canoe was left under the deck, the rods hung in the workshop and our pass-time was no more.  While I longed for the father son time we used to share fishing I was all too busy with everything else to realize just how fast the time would pass.  We eventually replaced fishing with mountain biking and skiing but there were still times I'd drive by a lake and wonder what was lurking just below the surface.

That brings us to an evening last summer when I was combing the beach for sea glass with my fiancee and we came across a gentleman having luck much like my first time fishing.  It seemed that no sooner did he cast that he was reeling in another decent sized (much larger than anything I'd ever caught) striped bass.  I was mesmerized watching him cast and reel into the frothing ocean and determined that I wanted to do that too!

Fast forward to this May when after thinking about all winter I decided to look into surf casting.  A few Google searches lead me to a plethora of saltwater fishing resources; from videos, to books, and forums, I had found more knowledge than I could ever dream of absorbing.  I bought a crappy rod and reel, just enough tackle to get by and a bag to hold it all in and set off to the beach.

My first evening fishing also turned into my first saltwater catch.  I was standing on a jetty casting an artificial shad and varying my retrieve when I felt a sharp strike and then nothing so I retrieved all the way to the rocks and cast to the same spot.  I tried to remember how I retrieved the cast before and tried my best to reproduce the bite...It worked, with another sharp strike I yanked back and set the hook; I had a fish on!  It was the best fight I'd ever had while fishing and with my heart pounding I spotted my catch for the first time below the surface of the water.  It was the color of rust and looked huge to me but I didn't have much to compare it to so I decided to play out some line and walk it back to the beach for a closer look.  As I reached the sandy shore and began to real I got my first real glimpse which was followed by the surprise of "It has wings!"  What I'd caught was a Sea Robbin and a big one at that, the fish was about 15 inches long and about 2 pounds.  I was ecstatic at having caught a fish my first time out.  I pulled him up in the surf to release him when after being rolled by a wave he spit out the hook and swam away.  I was hooked again, just like that first time so many years ago.

Here we go

Well, here I go, jumping into this online world of anonymous ramblings.  I decided to write this blog for a few reasons, one is that I've always toyed with the idea of writing but never found the right forum, another is that I am really enjoying learning to fish and wanted to share my experiences, and finally I wanted the freedom to write anonymously as I feel that it will allow me to be more creative and experimental with my writing.  So feel free to comment or contact me, I'm open to all suggestions and criticism.  Thanks in advance to anyone who reads this!