Surfcasting 201 - The Surfcasters' Bible....Artificial Only thread....

[paco33]

Don't be a superman with your casts. Sometimes the fish are right at your feet.

[DarkSkies]

Thanks and good suggestions guys, keep em coming....

Learn one beach at a time-
I think one of the things you told me is to learn one beach at a time. I am amazed at the subtleties you get into, the level of detail in your thinking. Your advice to me the other night was spot on. I am beginning to think you can see them under water.

Steve, that's part of my problem, part of the addiction. I have gotten to know the places I fish like the back of my hand. I really have a sense of where they might be when I'm casting. There are times when I'm home at night, and the winds and the tides will be such that I feel the fish are calling me.. I'm compelled to be out there, whether I catch or not, because the conditions compel me to......


Once you get to that point, a good surfcaster looks to travel to different areas and apply what they have learned to these new places, making note of conditions that are similar and trying to see if the fish will be there as well.




*******

How many times have you been out there, and praying for a fish?.....






"Lord Save me from the Skunk...."

It's 3am....
you've been fishing all night....

Your body is soaked with sweat....
Been hit by a few waves...each time reminding you how good it feels to be alive....and out there fishin......

You're casting, and casting.....
Not a tap.........

You put in a Prayer to King Neptune....
even that doesn't work....

So you say the words, out loud..or maybe you mutter them under your breath.....Lord, save me from the Skunk...."

You continue casting and casting....
Some casts, you actually close your eyes,,,,trying to sense, when a fish may be near the end of your line......

And Finally..... you get that hit.....
The one you've been waiting for, at the end of your line.....

Your Adrenalin pumps up.....
The groggy half-asleep head on your shoulders shakes itself into action....
Your fingers and arms, instinctively know what to do......
Your hookset is solid.....
and you have that one fish...that you asked for...to save you from the Skunk....

[storminsteve]

Amen, brother!

[hookset]

Your Adrenalin pumps up.....
The groggy half-asleep head on your shoulders shakes itself into action....
Your fingers and arms, instinctively know what to do......
Your hookset is solid.....
and you have that one fish...that you asked for...to save you from the Skunk....

I hear you, know that feeling.

[surfstix1963]

Learn to present the plugs properly,then learn when to use them and have a good understanding of why you chose them.Learn everything you can about a specific plug the how and why it is designed the way it is,if you do this presenting it will give you a head start to the learning game.You don't take a metal lip in a heavy heave and if you don't have current a darter is a waste of time leave it home etc.

[CharlieTuna]

Learn to present the plugs properly,then learn when to use them and have a good understanding of why you chose them.Learn everything you can about a specific plug the how and why it is designed the way it is,if you do this presenting it will give you a head start to the learning game.You don't take a metal lip in a heavy heave and if you don't have current a darter is a waste of time leave it home etc.

Spot on advice surfstix.

[Monty]

"Quote Originally Posted by surfstix1963 View Post
Learn to present the plugs properly,then learn when to use them and have a good understanding of why you chose them.Learn everything you can about a specific plug the how and why it is designed the way it is,if you do this presenting it will give you a head start to the learning game.You don't take a metal lip in a heavy heave and if you don't have current a darter is a waste of time leave it home etc."

Spot on advice surfstix.

Presentation and selecting the correct plug/metal rubber. Surftstix that's it in a nutshell for me.
Its what I need to improve on and its also the most fun aspect of surf fishing for me.
Learning, trying out what works and doesn't. Figuring it out. So much to learn.
Presentation, presentation, presentation, presentation......presentation.

[storminsteve]

Fish the tides. I knew a little about this already, especially in the back of the raritan bay. I assumed the ocean was more flexible, but dark helped me dial in a little better. All I can say is I want to learn the hard and soft structure better. Learning that there are times when it will be totally dead and another time when its alive with fish. I give you guys credit for fishing all the hours you do. I would never have seen that from fishing 2 hours.