Things you learned this fall.

[surfrob]

when the fish are only hitting in one area, make time and get to that area... don't wait and think they'll show up close to home

[Monty]

That I do not loose as many fish when my plugs have hooks with barbs on them.
One night I lost 5 fish in a row that were hooked for different lengths of time, all on plugs with crushed barbs. Then I caught/landed one bass, that plug was a redfin with barbs. Now its possible that the Bass I lost were hooked on the outside of the mouth (I think Blazin420 had a few of those one night), but there is no doubt in my mind that on two separate attempts to go barbless (years apart) that I lost fish because I had crushed barbs and there was nothing else I could do to land those fish.
If I get into certain "bites" i will crush them at that time. I was into a bunch of bass in the 25"-34" range this year, after catching 2 I crushed the barbs and landed 8 more without loosing any. Or when catching a lot of blues I will crush the barbs.
But heading out for my walks I will go fully armed with barbs

[hookedonbass]

when the fish are only hitting in one area, make time and get to that area... don't wait and think they'll show up close to home

Good point.

[buckethead]

Things I learned this fall - this is the last hurrah for the jetties. From now on for the next 10 years there will be periods of joy among fishermen as fall and winter storms create new cuts and troughs. This is the natural order of things. Then by the spring the tractors and road graders will be there to fill them in again. Just when we start to be hopeful they will come in with the tractors and dash all hopes to smithereens. Of course I don't fish the jetties but you can't discount the life they hold throughout the years. That life as we know it will cease to exist. We will be reduced to grabbing the crumbs of gamefish remnants that drop off the table as many fish will continue to migrate offshore with these changes.
I wish I wasn't so astute in seeing what is at the end of the tunnel for us. Maybe some times it is better to be blissfully ignorant.

[surfrob]

that base of forage to draw in and keep the fish is the biggest loss to the jetties.

once they fill in and destroy the food chain, you will see areas that were productive throughout the season become the dead sea, while the fish
only come in and hold with a pod of bait in your face.

beach replenishment literally sucks the life out of the surf.

[buckethead]

^^^^^^ So true. It's not only the fishermen who suffer. The rip currents get worse and I believe we will see more drownings because of it.

[baitstealer]

New fishing technique, follow the trucks!

[7deadlyplugs]

The corollary to that - if you don't want people to follow and mug you keep your light off at night when you are catching.