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What makes a good striped bass fisherman

21K views 31 replies 23 participants last post by  Butcha 
#1 ·
After concluding a "how to" seminar at a local rod and gun club last year,I concluded with a Q&A session,a eager young angler in the room asked"what makes a good striped bass fisherman?" seeing as I had just done a 1 1/2 hour long presentation on live bait and wire line fishing,, I was taken by surprise and had to think about it for a few seconds,here is the just of my reply:

In my opinion,a good striper fisherman has an unabated love for striped bass and anything to do with them,he must think about them as a resource to be shared with others and future generations,he(or she,I dont want to leave the gals out here)must put in time studying their habits and how they change with the seasons,he(or she)should share his(or her) findings with others,this is a good way to expand knowledge,not necessarily where he(or she) fishes but tactics etc.,I told him that a good striped bass fisherman fishes whenever he(or she) can,adapts to local situations,changes his or her tactics to suit conditions at that time,a good striped bass fisherman will persist when others give up.
I told him that a good striped bass fisherman never stops learning....never ever!
A good striped bass fisherman does not look down at others that pursue fish of a less lofty status,and that the true measure of a good striped bass fisherman is a knack of always finding the fish,he (or she) may not always get the biggest or the most fish,that is up to the "lucky" fisherman,who more than likely will seldom repeat the act,,but the ability to find fish night after night season after season year after year is the true measure of a good striper fisherman...

This is not the whole "speech" but an abbreviated version,so,guys and gals,in your opinion... What makes a good striped bass fisherman?????

Rock
 
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#2 ·
I think a good teacher helps. I was lucky to have a buddy who had a couple of uncles that were very good fisherman. We got the right advice on the basics Another thing, I's important to joint a site or a forum like this because you learn so mush faster. You have other good fisherman to talk to and share idears. My second son never wanted to fish, all he wanted to do, when he young was drive the boat. One day He picked up my rod while I was driving the boat and started reeling it in and low and behold a good size striper hit. That was that ,he was hooked. So my point is it's nice to get good advice because when you first start you always have a million good questions Thats what makes you a good fisherman. You want to learn.
 
#3 ·
Geesh Rock...i'd hate to be put on the spot like that. sounds like you did ok though.

To be a good striper fisherman...... First of all, you must accept the fact that your not going to catch them everytime you go out. It takes hard work, alot of stamina, and the ability to adapt to your surroundings, or should i say, the stripers surroundings. The avid Striper fisherperson needs to be ready for anything. as everyone learns, its not smart to go out with one rod and one reel....to me your just asking for trouble. You must learn your area that your fishing in....ie...go out during the day and check the formations, current directions, and accessibility to the spot. You must be ready to put hour after hour in when your fishing. you cant just walk down and catch a striper....the stripers will laugh at you. a good striper fisherperson needs to have way to much equipment on him. what you dont have...you'll need (murphy's law). a fisherman needs to accept the fact that he will never know Everything there is to know about stripers....just when you think you do know everything, the stripers will surprize you. example...fishing for togs with crabs and come up with a 30" striper..SURPRIZE !!! a good striper fisherman needs to listen to others and learn. he or she will try new things and new ways to fish. a good fisherman will know his or her knots by heart. you should be able to tie knots in the dark. You should be able to work the equipment your fishing with. become one with your rod and reel, as its an extension of yourself. a good striper fisherman will know what biting when it hits....he will also know what he's pulling in by the fight it gives. a good striperfisherman will never kick a fish back into the water. he will never belittle his fellow fisherman for what he or she catches...its all good. Teach when it needs to be taught. help when someone needs to be helped. Always reel in when someone else has a fish on. when you take someone fishing with you...give up that honeyhole....it will still be there when you go back. a good striper fisherman will know the tides and when its best to go where he fishes. a good striper fisherman will always open doors and pull out chairs for women. a good striper fisherman will always use his directional. a good striper fisherman will respect his surroundings by picking up his trash AND the trash of others when possible. a good striper fisherman looks around for a second to enjoy where he's fishing. a good striper fisherman always knows when to shut the hell up............


:twisted: craig aka briggs :twisted:

aka surfcastermaster

8) MASTER OF HIS OWN DOMAIN 8)
 
#4 ·
Hmm What makes a good striper fisherman /women

Having a bunch of people like the regulars here, the knowledge and experience can take years off just heading out and poking around. Just reading all the posts you all have so much to offer and although I want be on fish everyday and won't be, I feel more confident and have a better understanding of more than just what bait works.

Thanks for all your posts... Now Get Posting I want to learn more :lol:
 
#5 ·
I think a good fisherman is someone who really cares about the fish, including where they live. Nature is important. Someone who fishes for them rain or shine, big or small, inshore and offshore.....a dedicated Striper Angler will reach a point where it becomes "a way of life", part of your personality, what makes you who you are, and it can become such a big part of your life that you seemingly schedule your seasons around them, etc. Someone who is first and foremost dedicated to the fishery and the protection of it, is what I consider a good fisherman.

"Mess with tha Bass, get kicked in tha ass" - Jonny Bolt

8) :D



 
#6 ·
Thanks for the replies guys, If I ever get put on the spot again,I hope i remember some of them!
Briggs,I LMAO about the crab/bass, it reminded me of a time I was bringing gear up to the truck after a nights fishing and saw two schoolies fighting over a blue fish rack in shallow water under the lights,i didnt know weather to be amused or disgusted!
 
#7 ·
Yea that was quite a surprize Rock....and don't forget about the Big Tog i caught with clambellies and a 15' rod from the beach.

what really surprized me about that striper on da crab was the fact that i was using small tog hooks.....as soon as i had her hooked, i knew what i had....togs dont run from side to side like that, they just run under a rock and serve your rig for dinner to their young hahaha.

:twisted: craig aka briggs :twisted:

aka surfcastermaster

8)MASTER OF HIS OWN DOMAIN 8)
 
#8 ·
Ahhhh Briggs,you and dem clam bellies......that was one big 'tog though,maybe we should start a thread about surprise catches....

I dont fish 'tog much up here,there are a couple spots that hold some good ones in mid summer,the last time I fished 'em one cleaned my clock...just like you said!
 
#9 ·
Very good thread. I tottally agree with the posts so far. I'ld like to add my opinion. Up here a striper has to be 26.8 ins to keep. So you don't get many, A good fisherman will take the time to get the hook out with as much care as possible, or if deep hooked just sacrifice your hook so to release the small ones in as good as shape as possible. Not so much as "good "fisherman as "dedicated" is when you get up at 2am go down to the bay and fish in the dark for hours,freezing cold rain coming down, not a nother soul around, and don't even get a bite. But you get up the next day and do it again. Later Dobb
 
#10 ·
Hey Dobb,

The stripers here in rhode island have to be 28" to keep.....

Its hard in the peek of the season to catch one smaller than that.

I'd like to think of myself, as the Master of removing lodged hooks, quickly and efficiently. I also put down the rod and take the time to nurse that striper back to health in the water. Most hooks that are caught in the throat, can be removed quickly with a little practice. First you take your pliers and remove the bait...this is only in your way. next you'll grab hold of the hook with a firm grip and push the hook in further...or so it would seem. the hook should come right out and you must still be careful not to hook it again on the way out. Instead of cutting my hook and letting her swim off with it in her throat to fester later....if all else fails i will cut the small peice of throat that the hook is caught on.. i'd rather the fish have a little cut to heal then have to wait for a hook to rot out.

90% of the time i fish...its after midnight. and most likely, i fish until the sun comes up. to me, thats when the big ones hit....rain or shine.

:twisted: craig aka briggs :twisted:

aka surfcastermaster

8) MASTER OF HIS OWN DOMAIN 8)
 
#11 ·
Man I would love to fish down there!! The best fisherman i know catches between 25-30 keepers per year. He does alot of fishing, alot of travelling around the province to get them. On average you can expect a keeper or two per season, if you fish most weekends and a few nights through the week. My experience is that day tides are better than night tides here, alot of skates, eels and dogfish at night. One of these days I'm going to make it down to the States and do some serious Striper fishing, you guys should count your blessings when you are getting that many bass that size. Maybe I'll win the lottery tonite and talk the wife into moving down to striper territory,{haha}
Later Dobb
 
#13 ·
A great fisherman of any species is first and formost one that loves the resource and treats it as such. Secondly is a person that engages in self discovery every time he/she is on the water and analizes the environment that they are either catching or not catching fish in. One that accumulates this information and employs it on future trips. Also must be a person that no matter how many big fish they catch or have caught, how many places or things they have tried are still HUMBLE enough to learn new things from other fisherman and share what they have learned with others. And at the end of the day be a person that can go out and fish hard all day and night, get absolutely skunked and still be convinced that spending that time out there getting skunked was absolutely the best thing they could have done with their time. That in my book is a good striped bass fisherman! PS: one common denominator among most of the guys I would call really great fisherman that devote most of their time to a single species is that they keep a log or diary of their outings. It is amazing how much you can put together a puzzle by looking back accurately over the course of several years or even decades :) Just my 2cents, good thread Roc
 
#19 ·
I agree with all of the previous replys and would like to add mine as well. I think you need to be prepared when out on the water ecspecially when trolling this means "to catch fish you need to fish" not wasting time tying leaders lures etc. Always have your gear ready to put in the water and have extra ready to use. This includes a wide variety of bucktails, spoons and the plastics. Have you rods and reels in top shape. Having a good depth/fish finder is a must always looking at the bottom for any contours shelfs or variations in depth of the water. Once you find these areas most of the time you will find fish escpecially when they are scattered. Keep working the area and slow up when going over a drop off to get the lures to fall in the zone. We all seem to have our honey holes we frequent or start at and work away from, keep records of spots you travel over and find. A GPS works great for this. When trolling, have your lures set at diffrent depths and use diffrent colors to see what is their favorite. Once caught you have a responsibility to treat your catch with respect and if releasing speed up the photos to return the fish to live and to be caught another day. The most important part a fisherman can do is take his kids and friends along and share the excitement so they to can one day pass this wonderful sport on also. Each day I fish I learn something new and I think this is what drives me to fish.
 
#21 ·
Having the ability to listen and learn from others so that some day you can pass it down. having the ability to be aware of your surroundings paying attention.
 
#22 ·
Being able to hop from rock to rock, cove to cove, point to point, make 1000 casts, hold your balance on crooked slimy rocks while being crashed by waves all night long after a long days work with no food and very little coffee.
 
#23 ·
humility!
when you think you got it: you just lost it!
i have never been so humbled by some of the unlikely individuals and friends i have made along the way. if you ask anyone, i am quiet and aloof in a sense, cause i never know who the f%$# is gonna straighten me out about something. so yes, i know a little about alot and alot about nothin. but one thing is certain > i am the best there is!:yay:



 
#26 ·
There are a couple of things that I think make a good striper fisherman, but in general these are the same attributes that make for a solid individual.

Tenacity: Striper fishing is tough at time and you have to put your time on the water, you must be willing to get skunked for hours knowing that it could change.

Endurance: Long hours are usually my tenure when I go out so being able to fish for 12-16 hours and not be destroyed is pretty key.

Respect: Respect for the enviornment, your fellow fishermen, and most importantly respect for yourself.

Commitment: One of the reasons many beginners get so frustrated is because you can't expect to have a "big blast" if you only go 2 hours a week, sure you might get into one by chance but the best striper fishermen have commited their weekends for years on end to get where they are.

Situational Awareness: A lack of such could kill you surf casting, you need to be aware of your surrondings. Not only from a safety prespective but also paying close attention to whats going on around you will help you catch fish.


The above items and some motivation and I say that makes a pretty good striper fisherman and a good person in general. I would also agree that if you don't have the heart for the sport, TAKE UP BOWLING, you'll do better. You have to want it to win it!


Regards,

Jon.
 
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