Are we all getting lazy?

[Fylde Phil]

Just wondered how many of us when beachcasting whether high or low water, on the beach, or off a promenade etc.. automatically, after casting, put the rod onto the rest and then sit down nearby, perhaps chat away to others & just give the rod tip a cursory glance now and again to see if anything happening? How often do you hear someone shout ' Hey, you've just had a bite, I think?' With a reply ' Have I, didn't see it, wasn't looking, I'll wait and see if it does it again'.

My Father in Law, who got me into sea fishing many moons ago would almost always, after casting, sit holding the rod so he could detect any bites, or fish sniffing around .. and only put it on the rest if he needed a leak or when he had reeled in to change bait, land a fish etc.. He maintained that, especially in rough conditions, it was the only way so you could get the feel of things and know for sure what, if any bites, you were getting. Also it helps to learn from the conditions on the day what is out there from the bite, or sniffing around, 'feel' & if and when to strike, from practice.

I must say that I rarely ever saw him miss anything and he could happily sit motionless as if in a trance for 20 minutes before deciding it was time to reel in and change bait, cast again.

We tend now, from what I see & I admit practice myself a lot, to wander about a lot, busy ourselves with other things & not pay as much attention as we should, chatting on mobiles, taking pictures, brewing up, eating sarnies, putting the world to rights with others nearby, rather than concentrating & hoping that if one comes along to our bait, it'll perhaps hook itself anyway and give us a clue with some slack line, or just be there when we start to reel in.

Anyone else notice this (lazy angling with mod cons), or is just me?

Phil

[Issy]

You forgot cracking open the beers and having a kip.

Totally agree with you, when I was youger I was always holding the rod ar the line, nowdays, 2 rods on tripod, settle back in the beach shelter, but, at least I keep my eyes on the rod tips. I think as far as I am concerned it's an age thing, I go home nackered as it is without holding the rod all day, no excuse for the youngsters though.

[Rob]

There is the social aspect of fishing I suppose, where mates chuck a bait out, put the rod in the rest and have a wander over for a chat. If it's a bite a chuck I'll hold the rod but be damned if I'm going to hold a 14ft rod for 20 minutes when it's quiet.

Sea fishing does give you that cushion where you CAN wander over for a chat but still be able to get back to a rattling rod if needed and it's probably that aspect which has made it such a social pastime, you seldom see coarse anglers move from their boxes and chat with other anglers next to them.

So I don't know if it's being lazy, I would think that there are some who are though, and I have noticed some anglers who cast in and don't reel in for anything up to an hour, and for about 45 minutes of that time the bait has been stripped from the hooks and are totally bare. That's lazy in my opinion, but then if you're enjoying yourself then what does my opinion matter?

I think that a lot of anglers rely too much on tackle as well, they really should learn to look around and react to the situation, for example, a change in wind direction, the activity of seabirds etc.

See your point though, I'd like to know what everyone else thinks.

[crazyplums]

lol. i normally fish with at least two rods, can't hold both at once, if i had a bass rod out too, it's even harder!

I think too, a lot of the weather i fish, it would be pretty impossible to tell a bite from a crashing wave of gust of wind when holding the rod, only by sitting it in the rest can you get used to the wind / wave actions on the tip.

jmho!

i do like the social aspects though, wander about chatting to mates and so on.

only in matches to i use one rod. occasionally i'll hold the rod in my hand, on my lap, with it resting on the rest (when using braid), but normally i'm spending time rebaiting rigs etc.

[anotherbarrelMrHooper]

Im guilty of all above, beers, catching up with mates, trying to find the end of my bait elastic, my best bass came when i was putting my split shot back in there size compartments.
I think if the fish hits your bait theres a good chance its hooked already.
However a keen young angler will always out fish me.

[shaggy]

Just wondered how many of us when beachcasting whether high or low water, on the beach, or off a promenade etc.. automatically, after casting, put the rod onto the rest and then sit down nearby, perhaps chat away to others & just give the rod tip a cursory glance now and again to see if anything happening? How often do you hear someone shout ' Hey, you've just had a bite, I think?' With a reply ' Have I, didn't see it, wasn't looking, I'll wait and see if it does it again'.

My Father in Law, who got me into sea fishing many moons ago would almost always, after casting, sit holding the rod so he could detect any bites, or fish sniffing around .. and only put it on the rest if he needed a leak or when he had reeled in to change bait, land a fish etc.. He maintained that, especially in rough conditions, it was the only way so you could get the feel of things and know for sure what, if any bites, you were getting. Also it helps to learn from the conditions on the day what is out there from the bite, or sniffing around, 'feel' & if and when to strike, from practice.

I must say that I rarely ever saw him miss anything and he could happily sit motionless as if in a trance for 20 minutes before deciding it was time to reel in and change bait, cast again.

We tend now, from what I see & I admit practice myself a lot, to wander about a lot, busy ourselves with other things & not pay as much attention as we should, chatting on mobiles, taking pictures, brewing up, eating sarnies, putting the world to rights with others nearby, rather than concentrating & hoping that if one comes along to our bait, it'll perhaps hook itself anyway and give us a clue with some slack line, or just be there when we start to reel in.

Anyone else notice this (lazy angling with mod cons), or is just me?

Phil

afriad sign times am guilty too always fish 2 rods and but them straight into rest as leaves me time done over stuff.shaggy

[Fylde Phil]

Funny C P that you feel that the best way to distinguish from crashing waves/gusts of wind from a bite, is to sit the rod in the rest and watch the tip. My father in Law always maintained that it was easier to distinguish by holding the rod as you soon learnt the difference in what he called ' an out of sequence definite bite ' and the regularity of waves/wind that had a pattern.
I suppose each to their own in that regard.
Interesting all the other comments though and I suppose that back then he also only fished with one rod and his tripod was a crossed pair of bamboo garden canes tied together! LOL.

Phil

[crazyplums]

Funny C P that you feel that the best way to distinguish from crashing waves/gusts of wind from a bite, is to sit the rod in the rest and watch the tip. My father in Law always maintained that it was easier to distinguish by holding the rod as you soon learnt the difference in what he called ' an out of sequence definite bite ' and the regularity of waves/wind that had a pattern.
I suppose each to their own in that regard.
Interesting all the other comments though and I suppose that back then he also only fished with one rod and his tripod was a crossed pair of bamboo garden canes tied together! LOL.

Phil

lol, thats a fair point. thought that said, a couple of my sessions this year (one a match) meant i had to hold the rod, was using 8oz uptide leads in a force 8, weed / waves was pulling the tripod over in seconds, so had to hold it, couldn't hold it still though, such were the surges up the shingle beach, that the rod was at 9 oclock on second, and 12 oclock next! mad. blanked too!

[Rob]

No doubt Phil, there were more fish to be caught years ago, maybe methods have just adapted to the reduction in target species.

I fished with a bamboo cane tripod up until about 10 years ago, never blew over and was easy to carry.

[Floaty Phil]

I do try and keep an eye on my tips, I have been know to walk fast, or even run, over the pebbles at Barry, when one of my tips is bouncing like a good un. Yep we all do tend to get a bit lazy now and again, but, come the better weather, and I start float fishing again, then I very rarely put my rod down, and then I have the baitrunner on, just in case!

I also agree about the social aspect of it as well, I have been known to talk utter drivel at times, ok ok most of the time. Some people would say I talk utter bow locks as well!