# A Bad Day...



## Surf Fish (Dec 16, 2005)

They say that a bad day of fishing is better than a good day at work, but after today, I wonder....

You know you're having a bad day when:

You get to the beach and even though there's been a nice east wind blowing all day, the water is so muddy you don't want to walk in it....

You decide what the heck, you'll fish anyway, so you bang in your first sand spike and hit a big oyster shell and break the tip off of it....

You get both rods spiked, bait the first one up and IMMEDIATLY get a bite. You wind in a trout. For the next 30 minutes, you can't get the second line in the water because EVERY time you throw the first one out, you IMMEDIATLY catch a trout. Thirty minutes later the trout finally stop biting. The biggest one you caught was five and a half inches long...

Now that the trout bite is over, you have time for the second rod. Since you just spooled it up last nite with brand new line, and tied a brand new bottom rig, with brand new hooks and a brand new sinker, you toss it one time with no bait on it to see how it feels. Wow. Feels nice. So you bait it up, toss it again, and catch one of these......












No problem, you brought an extra reel. Stuff happens. So you put on the extra reel and start fishing with it. No more Tiny Trout. Nothing appears to be biting, but no matter what bait you put on (clams, shrimp, cut whiting, mullet) it magically seems to disappear every three minutes. Looks like you are going to spend the afternoon baiting and casting. But then on one cast, you catch this.....












Because your backup reel today is a Penn 525, the one with the most poorly designed magnet adjustment on the face of the earth, and you forgot to notice that it had slid back to ZERO before you casted. No problem Stuff happens. You still have one reel left you can use, another 525....

You finally get a good hit on a mullet head, but you aren't paying attention when it happens because you are taking the last reel you blew up off the other rod to put it in the surf bag, so whatever hit the mullet head drags it 50 yards up the beach and spits it out....

So you wind in the line, and rebait with two nice big chunks of mullet. You walk down to water to cast and you realize you're standing in the wash (where it's hard to cast OTG) but your brain suddenly remembers a video you saw of something called the "Hatteras Cast" so you decide to try one of them (which you never tried before). So you let it rip, and you catch one of these....











You think you can pick the last one out, tie the shock leader back on, and keep fishing, but you decide that it's probably a good idea to go home before you break a rod (or your leg) so you pack it up and head for the barn.

Todays catch:

8 Tiny Trout
1 Tiny Whiting
1 Day Off Tomorrow for Equipment Maintenance

Good thing that line comes in bulk spools....


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## cygnus-x1 (Oct 12, 2005)

I know a few birdies that need a home ... I will send them your way  

Sorry man ... I hope it gets better for you. Just think ... fishing has to get better you!


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## jakiger (Sep 22, 2006)

sounds like you need to invest in a couple of spin cast reels  opcorn:


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## nine ought (Jan 19, 2007)

*still better*

I personally still think it's better than a good day at work!


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## VICIII (Apr 8, 2005)

Surf Fish said:


>


I have had these days... Great post...

The deepness of the nest is quite good. You would have trouble doing that again.... The last one is kind of puny. Work on a snappier cast and it will get deeper and soon you will catch birds..... S W E E T ...


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## FishinAddiction (May 9, 2006)

go back to basics.....zebco 33's  



FA


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## DORIGHT (Dec 1, 2006)

Glad I'm not the only one!!!....I don't buy the cheapest but I don't buy the best line either just for that reason. It never fails that I blow up at the one place I wish I could leter rip at....Go figure huh?


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## DVO (Mar 22, 2004)

*Spinning Vs. Conventional reel - Remember this post?*

I've been thinking about either investing my money in Daiwa or Shimano Pro-surf spinning reels or switch to conventional in order to get to second trough, but after reading this post, I am 100% definitely stay with spinning and dump my money into pro-surf reels. It looks like too much work with those conventional reels. Thanks for your post, it helps me make my decision a lot easier.


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## Railroader (Apr 13, 2005)

I GUARANTEE that Surf Fish ain't about to sell off all his coventionals and go back to spinning gear, even though he did blow up three in one day... 

The benefits FAR outweigh the odd blow-up, even three in a row.... 

But if you are not willing to make the commitment to learn to use conventionals well, then you are better off using spinners.

The use of conventionals takes a dedication to fishing that most folks do not posess. When I see a guy unloading/carrying conventionals, I know right off the bat that he's "In the Club".

Membership ain't for everybody.


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## rhorm (Mar 25, 2005)

I grew up with spinning reels and love em. All I own but, those conv's sure look pretty.  What exactly are the benefits conv's have over spinning reels? I've been thinking about picking one up just for the hell of it for grouper fishing.


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## Surf Fish (Dec 16, 2005)

VICIII said:


> I have had these days... Great post...
> 
> The deepness of the nest is quite good. You would have trouble doing that again.... The last one is kind of puny. Work on a snappier cast and it will get deeper and soon you will catch birds..... S W E E T ...


You're right, Vic, the last one is not my best effort, but the interesting thing about it was that the line acutally broke in three or four places....


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## Surf Fish (Dec 16, 2005)

DVO said:


> I've been thinking about either investing my money in Daiwa or Shimano Pro-surf spinning reels or switch to conventional in order to get to second trough, but after reading this post, I am 100% definitely stay with spinning and dump my money into pro-surf reels. It looks like too much work with those conventional reels. Thanks for your post, it helps me make my decision a lot easier.


You'll never know what you're missing...

The difference between cracking off a conventional reel and a spinning reel is simple to explain. When you crack off a conventional, you'll usually have to respool it. It happens so fast that the chances of stopping it are slim to none. 

On the other hand, since I've switched to conventionals, I've never had to wait two weeks for the deep cuts in my index finger to heal so I could go fishing again....


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## Surf Fish (Dec 16, 2005)

rhorm said:


> I've been thinking about picking one up just for the hell of it for grouper fishing.


If you're gonna be grouper fishing, you should be casting straight down, so blowups shouldn't be a problem


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## Surf Fish (Dec 16, 2005)

DORIGHT said:


> Glad I'm not the only one!!!....I don't buy the cheapest but I don't buy the best line either just for that reason. It never fails that I blow up at the one place I wish I could leter rip at....Go figure huh?


They say in golf that you should have a "swing thought" in your mind just before you hit the ball. 

When you are casting with a conventional, you should have a swing thought too. "Let 'er rip" is the one that always gets me in trouble


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## Railroader (Apr 13, 2005)

rhorm said:


> I grew up with spinning reels and love em. All I own but, those conv's sure look pretty.  What exactly are the benefits conv's have over spinning reels? I've been thinking about picking one up just for the hell of it for grouper fishing.


Rhorm, you fish enough, and are serious enough, that you NEED to be using conventionals. Just go buy a Penn 525, or an Abu 6500 mag, and a nice rod to match, and start practicing.

It won't take you long to find out, and appreciate, the difference... You'll end up in the category that has uses for both.

The pro's and con's have been argued back and forth a million times here on P&S, so do a little diggin' next time you are bored, and you'll find VOLUMES.


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## rhorm (Mar 25, 2005)

Railroader said:


> Rhorm, you fish enough, and are serious enough, that you NEED to be using conventionals. Just go buy a Penn 525, or an Abu 6500 mag, and a nice rod to match, and start practicing.
> 
> It won't take you long to find out, and appreciate, the difference... You'll end up in the category that has uses for both.
> 
> The pro's and con's have been argued back and forth a million times here on P&S, so do a little diggin' next time you are bored, and you'll find VOLUMES.


You know what RR I think I might just do that today. I'm just ready for a change of pace.


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## VICIII (Apr 8, 2005)

Surf Fish said:


> You're right, Vic, the last one is not my best effort, but the interesting thing about it was that the line actually broke in three or four places....


I did that before ... It actually came off in pieces deep into the reel. A very hard blow up to master... I believe it is just a talent we have that not many people do or that they can understand...
one of my early cast that almost had it...








With more practice I can catch a bird with eggs in not time flat.


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## FishinAddiction (May 9, 2006)

rhorm said:


> You know what RR I think I might just do that today. I'm just ready for a change of pace.


I have an abu 7000 brand new that i need to get rid of ....$85


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## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

*Now I'm gettin scared*

To try tossin coventional. Seein those preety pictures.......   . But the again that means more reels and rods. That will work for me. Still beats sittn at work.


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## baitslingin (Jul 31, 2005)

Railroader said:


> I GUARANTEE that Surf Fish ain't about to sell off all his coventionals and go back to spinning gear, even though he did blow up three in one day...
> 
> The benefits FAR outweigh the odd blow-up, even three in a row....
> 
> ...


yeah but in "da spinnin club" ...we dont have ta bring 12 reels to keep goin to


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## TreednNC (Jul 1, 2005)

RuddeDogg said:


> To try tossin coventional. Seein those preety pictures.......   . But the again that means more reels and rods. That will work for me. Still beats sittn at work.


Dont be scared of the 525 mag...just as long as your sure to check the mag setting, you can throw them on 8 and not worry about a thing. With a days practice you should be down to 5 easily.


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## bigphil (Jul 9, 2006)

opcorn: 

Now I know why you sold me that 525 so cheap.....


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## baitslingin (Jul 31, 2005)

awwww come on ...chunkit at zero...


right zombie


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## seajay (Dec 18, 2005)

Surf it looks like you need a tune-up on those reels and send your thumb back to school.LOL I blew up my Blue Yonder this weekend it apeared that I had a bad wrap on the spool. But at least you caught something.:fishing:


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## emanuel (Apr 2, 2002)

Got you beat on the bad day fishing, but at least it didn't happen to me.

Saturday night, my buddy Carl and I went out to Crystal River to go grouper and king fishing. At the boat ramp, he was trying to castnet some pinfish, only to take a bad step and fall off the ramp, breaking his leg! 

So off to the Crystal River hospital for a cast and some painkillers, then BACK to the boat ramp to launch the boat and commence fishing. He's a trooper. :beer:


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