Hey, ya got me on that one... who am I kidding....I've been out there hours and hours at a time with no fish....and kept at it anyway. Just trying to cut down on my compulsive behavior and get out there more....
As for enjoying the punisment, bro, that seems like a personal issue to me, maybe ya wanna do some research on S&M. Can't really help ya out with that, you're all on your own with that one.
(You know I quoted you out of context, but I couldn't help myself)
Lots of wisdom in this thread. There are a bunch of mis-informed people going around telling everyone who will listen that the biggest fish are caught during noreasters. That's only accurate for specific times and conditions, such as Montauk. It's wiser to follow the words I have highlighted above in your post, Surf.
If people would just read some of the wisdom here and live it, maybe some would catch more fish.
Consistently catching bigger fish from shore, other than snag and drop, involves a good log, paying attention to seasonal trends, and spending time out there when and where the bigger fish tend to move through.