Following the Night Tides......Do You have What it Takes?

[Monty]

Food for thought....I'm part of a whole generation that grew up without hand sanitizer....when we got a bad gash on our knee or arm we were not driven immediately to the hospital.....at most some peroxide was thrown on it, wrapped up, and we went back outside to play....only if it got infected was a hospital in the picture.....a whole generation of us grew up, without being coddled by parents...


Again, just my opinion...but I feel the generation I grew up in...had to learn things through sweat and blood, and we appreciated it more....that's all....

Its simple.
If it don't kill ya it will make you stronger!!!

[DarkSkies]

^ Monty would know, because his Marathon trips would crush the stamina of most normal surf guys.....
I'm glad we came from the same generation.....they don't make em like us anymore....starting to think we are the dinosaurs that are slated for extinction.....

[DarkSkies]

About ready to move forward with some more posts in this thread.....
I've decided to break it down into 5 main areas.....

1. The getting ready, the Preparation...the aches, pains, and sacrifices some of us make,,,,the committment to be out there...while the fish are there.....and the toll it takes on our bodies.....

2. The Sights, the Smells, the Sounds...of the lifestyle....(you know I'll be focusing a lot, on the Smells.... )

3. The Bite, the Action.....the one fish, or the few fish, that you get to see, lose, or catch,,,,and keep you coming back again and again...until that bite is dead, and you must move on to another area...for anyone who has addictive tendencies,,,you understand what I'm talking about....you don't have a choice...you need that action....and you search for it...till you are out of energy....there are times you become Obsessed...because you know it's not guaranteed...and if you are lucky enough to find it....it could last for hours, days, weeks...but the likelihood,,,is that it may last for hours, if you are lucky.....and that's all you get.....

4. The Fish.....some of the biggest fish of the year, will be caught when the bite is strongest....and having spent time out there....if you want one....the Fish Wait for No One.....

5. The Thrill of Victory, and the Agony of Defeat......Why some of us push ourselves....
And some cautionary warnings of how it can affect your life negatively.....if you let it....Segue into the Dark Side of Surf Fishing....

[DarkSkies]

OK. here we go folks....as you read these posts remember that I'm trying to capture a cross section of experiences, of some obsessed surf fishermen I know...I hope some of ya's can try to identify with the experiences here....good and bad...

**This is your last warning, that some of this may be uncomfortable to read...if you have a sensitive stomach or you fish in a world where everything has to be sanitary..... it's best that you turn back now...and do not continue reading.....

Hope that ya's Enjoy the Ride.....



1. The getting ready, the Preparation...the aches, pains, and sacrifices some of us make,,,,the committment to be out there...while the fish are there.....and the toll it takes on our bodies.....















************

How many of ya's have been here before?

The alarm rings at 11pm....you went to bed at 7 just so you could get up and fish all night......your wife or girlfriend (if you still have one at this point) thinks you are certifiably insane......
You know the tides will be perfect tonight.......and the bass will be feeding, if you can find them......

You get up as the alarm rings......and you really don't feel like it...you just spent 6 hours last night fishing the night tides....had a full day at work.....and as you get out of bed....your body aches.....

Your bed calls seductively...."Sleep, Sleep!!!!!,,,,it would be so nice to crawl back in there......and as you hear the light rain/wind rustling/ etc..outside....it's easy to convince yourself to lay down for just 5 minutes more......

But you know that if you do that....you will be toast....and sleep through to the morning....you will miss the tides...never know if the bass came in to feed...and you will play that game where you are the biggest loser, and no one else is in that world of losing, just you, isolated all yourself, as a moron, because you couldn't find the discipline to be out there on time.....

As you get out of bed, every bone in your body aches....
From the Jetty Hopping
Sand Pounding
Bulkhead Jumping
Bridge stakling in the Shadow Lines
River casting
White water casting
or walking the Bay Flats, walking the oozing muck, moving from place to place with the tides.....

Any or all of that, that you did, to find the fish and the bite last night,,,,you know you must do it all over again...as there are no guarantees in fishing...

[DarkSkies]

Your body aches so much, you immediately pop 2 advils.....just to dull the pain and you can keep moving......

You say to yourself..."Man I must be getting older...when I did this 10 years ago it never used to ache so much!"


Then you remember, 10 years ago you fished the night tides...it was easy...like taking candy from a baby, when you found them...and when you found feeding fish you could nail 15-30 a night....and some nights your numbers were 40-50.....aah....those were good times......gone as a distant memory that not many can relate to...

Now...There are less bass around....you know that because you have to work twice as hard, to put up the same numbers....

To learn more on this do an internet search for the phrase
"Honey the Striped Bass are Shrinking How to Recognize the Signs"
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...nize-the-Signs

You struggle to put a catch together at night...if you can find 5 decent fish..it's a good night...if you can find 10 or 20, it's an outstanding night...and you know you will not have many nights like that, this season....

But you are in the game anyway...
Can't catch em from the couch, you tell yourself......

and you are iin, balls deep, a full blown addiction....you have learned, over time, that if you really want big fish from the land...the night bite is the only bite for you...one where you have a real shot at a trophy...your personal best....and that with the big fish few and far between....you have to spend the time, when they are there....

[DarkSkies]

Your Gear.....

Before you hit the road...you double check all your gear.....

You check your leader...if you were using it for the whole night before,,,,you either toss it, and tie on a new one...or inspect it for nicks...knowing that any small oversight, could be the one that causes you to lose the fish of a lifetime.....

At the very least, you cut your leader, cut off a yard or 2 of braid......knowing that although braid is strong, with the kind of fishing you do,,,,you may have rubbed some rocks, bridge ice breakers...or just rubbed the sand a tad too much...and that could be the weak link, that causes you to lose that big fish......

You re-tie your leader, checking all your terminal hardware,,,,replacing it if there are any doubts....constant saltwater use has a deteriorating effect on gear and hardware....and you know that, because you have screwed up before....from not paying attention.....

You quickly check all the plugs you will be using,,,making sure you have no weak or rusty hooks, weak split rings....or anything that would cause you to lose that 30lb bass that you didn't think would show up......



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4fqb9hr7L0

[surferman]

Enjoying it so far ds.

[DarkSkies]

I mention the above to make us all aware of the fact that no one is perfect....
We try our best to be prepared, and think of all these things....
But when big fish come calling....they frequently take you by surprise.....big fish are solitary by nature....and you never know when you may get the chance to see one or feel one at the end of your line.......

So like the Boy Scout motto...
Be prepared.......

[DarkSkies]

Your Gear.....

Before you hit the road...you double check all your gear.....

You quickly check all the plugs you will be using,,,making sure you have no weak or rusty hooks, weak split rings....or anything that would cause you to lose that 30lb bass that you didn't think would show up......



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4fqb9hr7L0

You are so obsessive that you periodically run a Q-tip, through the eye of the guide at your rod tip....making sure there is no way you will lose that big fish...
As mentioned, you double check all your hand tied leaders, knots, terminal tackle,,,,knowing that if you screw up, it will be that moment, that little mistake,,,,that will bring you clarity,,,and the agony of defeat...further reinforcing your life long struggles as a googan...and making mistakes when it is most important not to......