I'm sure we all wonder about it. Why do some fishermen always score, or at least have very few dud outings. While many of us struggle to find the fish. We read the books, learn the techniques, make perfect rigs and baits. We fish at the right time (dawn or dusk). Yet 80% of the time the fish just snob us..
I'm not a superstitious guy, I believe in logic and reason. But I've begun to wonder about less tangible reasons as to why the guru's very seldom have a zero-fish outing.
Is it Attitude? Belief? If you go out fishing with the attitude " I'll give it a go and see what happens" are you less likely to be successful than the guy who is confident he's going to come home with a feed? How could it make a difference? Logic says it can't, the fish have no idea who's casting the baits, or what their mindset might be. And yet, time and time again the confident guru's score when many others get nothing.
Or is it just that a dose of confidence makes you a better fisherman because you'll do everything slightly better? Baits presented just that little bit better? More thought gone into rig selection?
I'm the first to admit confidence is not my strong point. Its pretty hard to even get the enthusiasm to go fishing sometimes, (because you're almost expecting another dud day)
I share your pain racepics, i too have had a shocker this spring / summer and have been trying to suss out what is not working for me - wrong fishing spots, rigs, bait presentation and selection, targeting wrong species at wrong times and locations,...etc etc Autumn was great but can't seem to catch a trick at the moment
One of lifes great mysteries we are all a part of I'm afraid. Anyway, come on optimism rules! Snows only just gone, can only get better. Oh yeh by the way, theres ALLWAYS fish at phau
A very thought provoking topic of which there is no easy answer. I believe you are on the right track with confidence, surfcasting has changed out of sight in the last thirty years. Reading the Angling papers and the God damned awful fishing shows on television, we are now expected to 'target' fish, we are lead to believe we need to catch the biggest, the longest, the heaviest and the best condition factor fish, and on the lightest possible breaking strain line. Pardon my colloquialism: Bollocks.
Fishing from the shore is an enjoyment first and foremost, the day we start to relax and not put ourselves under enormous pressure the results will pick up. Why? I haven't a clue but it works.
If I take home a Kahawhai I am a happy, but lately my returns have been far better. I am sick to death of those who moan about catching red cod and spiny backs, the idea is to catch fish and enjoy the day. Catching quality fish will happen but if they came along every time we hit the beach we would soon get disenchanted with the sport.
Learn to enjoy and accept the blank days and celebrate the good days. Once you can fully adopt such an attitude it's strange how catch rates will improve.
When I left Napier many years ago the surfcasting here could have been described as an absolute disaster area. On my return two years ago I have caught fish consistently and it's been a rare happening when I didn't return home without a fish for tea. My attitude change has come about with one simple change of mindset: I don't target fish or chase records, if when the fish is filleted it fits in the fry pan, Hangler is one happy man. Try it, you may well be surprised.
I do appreciate there are many on this site who will disagree, well they are entitled to their opinion as I am entitled to mine. However, there is one fundamental difference, I love the sport and I get a huge amount of satisfaction from what I achieve. I do bring home my fair share of the spoils and I love every minute of participating and the culinary joy that goes with it.
Sorry, I forgot to add, this is possibly the best topic to hit this site for a long time ... well done.
So Hangler, you do not target a specific species when you venture out? You tend to fish in what I would term "crossover" methods. That is to say, you use rigs and baits that 'should' appeal to a variety of species in the hope that one of those is present?
It's generally what I do as well. I would consider pilchard and skipjack as 'general use' baits, and the pulley rig as a 'general use' rig that should be able to catch several species. As opposed to fishing shellfish baits to target lemons or moki etc.
If the general use rigs and baits are not producing any bites, I might start specialising a bit (if I have suitable bait with me) in an attempt to see what else might be out there.
Another question I've often thought about while sitting on the beach waiting... At what stage (time wise) to you make the decision to move or change methods if nothing is happening. Do you consider an hour, or two hours, three, its time to try something different? Or do you wait it out and hope the fish will "come on the bite"..? http://www.paniasurfcasting.org http://www.surfcaster.co.nz
I reckon its all about positive thinking, positive planning, positive preparation, positive belief in your decisions and perseverance. Make your fishing decisions on all the facts at hand and believe you have the right plan. Then stick to it. e.g. Last weekend was a club weekend for Pania Surfcasting Club. Sue and I had a great plan to fish at Mahia. We only had a small time available so planned change of light on Saturday night. We arrived about 5.30 and fished through till 10.30pm. Result was 6 fish of three species. Nothing of note but great fun. Our plan worked just caught the wrong fish. One thing you need to take on board is that the "gurus" wont always say when they catch nothing so it sounds like they are always catching. Notice that the TV gurus seldom do a program on the day they caught nothing. It would be interesting to see how they handle it. Always have a plan B handy which could be as simple as an extra bait type. If I have a really bad run, I like to start again. ie. I will turn all my bait into berley, change the line on my reels, clean my rods and reels, cut up my used rigs and remake them sharpen knives and anything else that comes to mind. It certainly makes me feel better next time out. Summary..... Be positive and believe in your decisions. The fish wil follow.The snapper don't know where the car park is! Sometimes it is better to travel than to arrive.
Racepics, to answer the last part of your question first. At my age (I will be seventy next month) once established on the beach I stick it out, other than moving short distances to cover the next gutter or heavy empty shellfish deposits on the beach. Quite often this brings a quick reward. I wouldn't repack the car and move any real distance. This may alter in the future as in the new year I hope to purchase a quad bike.
Your first two paragraphs have summed up the situation nicely, although I would rather have anchovies than pilchards, a personal choice but I can use them whole and they look so natural. Skippy has always been productive but I must say what is in the tackle shops at present is absolute crap, brown with freezer burn and only fit for burley.
I have recently been experimenting with a new bait, or should I say a reintroduction of a very popular bait from yesteryear. So far (three trips in two weeks) is has been most productive and rewarding. I will continue experimenting and then write a piece on here as to the bait, the presentation and the rewards, at present this is really looking good.
It does occur to me there maybe times when the fish are a little shy there may be too much 'bling' backing up the bait. I have used beads as an attractor for most of my fishing career and I am a great believer this really helps, but if using two rods, try one without the accessories just to see if there is a difference, this experiment at times has worked.
Finally there is the evergreen of casting past the fish. For some strange reason distance has become all important and yet very often the larger fish, snapper and kingfish, will be feeding on the bait fish shoals just behind the breaking waves and baits are sailing way past them. Next time you are sitting on the beach take a look at where the terns are diving for their tea, they can see what is going on and usually they will be no more than thirty metres from the shore.
I'm hardly Mr X Factor when it comes to catching fish. Even so I don't believe luck catches fish. I think skill and knowledge do. If your consistently not catching anything your doing something wrong.
You have to review and change what you can and accept you cant always get it right. You wont catch a fish if theres none there in the first place. Spot selection is obviously most important but its often tied to a 4 wheel drive, a quad or how many fish and fisherman are on the beach at the time. Regardless there are times when you do get it right and the guy next to you still catches one while you are left scratching your head for answers. Sometimes theyve got the spot but often there just putting out a better bait as well.
Currently I'm looking at the length of my traces and how long my baits are lasting in the water without the hooks losing optimum strike position. Wont solve all my problems but it might solve some of them. Just gotta keep at it as there are fish there.
It is one thing to go fishing to wet a line and hope, its another to go fishing with an attitude of im going to catch fish.
Its a case of all the small things adding up, driving to a car park, walking 100m to the right. Taking several types of bait, BEING MOTIVATED and changing baits regularly, even when bait is not being touched, the movement of a fresh bait hiting the water can often entice a bite.
Fishing the right times, locations, using the right gear ect......
Most important thing, is knowing what you are most likely to catch, and targeting it. If you know all the snapper are going to be 33cm, why use 5/0 hooks, drop to 2/0 and your hook ups will be good. If you know the snapper are there and not biting, drop your trace to 15-20lb, this will make a difference.
A good fisherman, is a busy fisherman, someone who is always thinking ahead, and trying to beat the fish. Some fish are caught with luck sure, but consistent results and reward come with knowing what you are doing and learning from each time you go fishing.
Planning and preparation. Know your spots, know what you are most likely to catch, think of the best baits to get them and attach it to your rig you have had the most success with at that location. Fish hard over the most critical times. Change of tides, and evening and morning..............Thats all it is.
The positive attitude reflects through your motivation. I don't believe it is confidence so much, because not always when you arrive at a given location are you confident. But having the right attitude, and giving it a really good go, will reflect through bait presentation, changing baiting, walking an extra 100m, changing methods instead of sitting on ya bum and putting it in the to hard basket.
Arriving at Whakaki in 2.5m of swell is enough to knock any ones confidence, but looking at the positives can yield good results.Wairoa Hawkesbay
I think about my failures, especially those times when others caught fish and I didn't.
I'm sure I've cast over the fish too many times. Pannie snapper can be in the 'ditch' when the sea is very flat. On the other hand, fish may be farther out if the sea is rough, as it was at the last Snapper 1000. On that night, my baits were too big and I wasn't confident in my casting due to the waves. I've since invested in some light waders, not so I can wade any distance but so I'm not psyched out by sweepers at night that fill gumboots.
Possibly another casting mistake is to wade the first channel on a surf beach and then do a mighty cast into the second channel. Maybe the snapper or gurnard are just over the bar you're standing on. I've been outfished on gurnard by short casters who can wade as far as I can, and with considerably more comfort because they had waders. Now I have waders, I might just hold a smaller rod on the bar and move my bait around.
The X-factor is an illusion. Those who seem to have it are those who have all the factors sorted—where, when, casting, bait, rigs, being organised.
Most important thing, is knowing what you are most likely to catch, and targeting it.
Thats the million dollar question aint it.. If for example, I was fishing Whirinaki or North Shore road area, at this time of year, on a calm evening, would I assume there would be some Gurnard or Snapper present? I would hope so, but my results don't agree so far. I would like to assume I could at least rely on a Kahawai.. But thats far from a sure thing too.
It comes down to an educated guess then? At this time of year, in calm, clean conditions, one should have a fair chance of a Gurnard or a Kahawai, maybe even a snapper.
Plenty of quality bait in Napier Hasting Hangler you just need to look harder.The snapper don't know where the car park is! Sometimes it is better to travel than to arrive.
These a lot of good commentary already in this thread.
I do catch more then my fair share of large fish, but unlike many people I have put the effort in. I have fished a range of spots, in a range of conditions trying to figure out what works and what doesn't. I am also not afraid to follow any advice which I might have read or been told.
A few years back when I was first getting serious into landbased fishing, a experience angler told me about a certain spot. He was genuinely surprised when I told him that I tried the spot the following weekend. According to him I was the only person to have made the effort to go there. I have the impression a lot of people read advice then never act on it. Not all advice is good advice but these only one way to find out wither its good or not. In my experience, these a lot of very good advice given freely online, its just needs to be acted upon.
Even when I go out and catch nothing, that is not a unsuccessful trip because I still had the chance to learn how a spot fishes under certain conditions.
A lot of people, especially on forums seem to suffer from Performance Anxiety and only posts a report when they have a extra successful trip. This makes them seem like much more successful anglers then they really are.
I do have spots which many would consider good spots. But I rarely fish them. I enjoy the challenge of finding and fishing new spots. I even continue to fish some mediocre spots simply because I enjoy the vista. To me, fishing is about the challenge, rather then the catching.
I couldn't agree with you more about anglers failing to follow local advice. I had the great joy of running a trout fishing lodge for many years, I knew the local lake like the back of my hand and could virtually guaranty fish if the lake was clear. I would say about three out of ten anglers would accept the advice given them but that was okay, the recommended spots never took a hiding so they remained constant.
The same thing went with flies, I would tell people openly and honestly what was doing the business as it matched the hatch, I might as well saved my breath.
Thank you for the info regarding bait, Gary. As already mentioned I am experimenting with a fresh fish bait and this is working extremely well, with the advantage it comes in at about one third of the cost of tackle shop bait.
"Fresh is best" But you have to catch it first. Fresh kahawai is a top bait for gurnard and snapper.I like a fresh frozen pilchard to catch my bait with!The snapper don't know where the car park is! Sometimes it is better to travel than to arrive.
on 18/12/2012, 8:15 pm
