View Full Version : Wetsuiters vs. Surfcasters
For years I have been seperating in my reports (updated today by the way) wesuiters from surfcasters as they cannont be classified in the same category anymore. There are tooo many times I receive reports from surfcasters and wetsuiters where they are like night and day. What do you folks think?
What's the big deal? If someone wears a wetsuit and wades beyond what would be safe with waders, so what. If it's that important, make a note of what the fisherman was wearing and how far off shore he or she had to wade in order to catch fish.
I have been separating them because when i get reports for the radio show and the .com website and all the shore bound surfcasters and tackle shops have nothing to report because the bite was off,...it is misleading to say the bite was hot and not seperate wetsuiters from surfcasters because it would send people to the shore to fish when in reality they have no chance in heck to catch fish because the hot report came from those wading way out the beyond the reach of of an angler in waders.
I have nothing against wetsuiters and I myself now at 48 years young have no desire to wade and swim beyond the breakers and perch myself on a rock in the middle of the ocean;) all for a fish.
God bless them if they want to...but I have drawn a distinct line in what is and what is not "worth it" and what I want to go through to catch a fish.
In the end, whatever makes a report more accurate is good. :beer:
thanks...are you a wetsuiter?
Rich, its Matt Warshaw. I do wear a wetsuit when out in Montauk, but mostly for fishing the south side where the beaches tend to be empty. I would never get in anybody's way. Plus, I find it to be much, much safer and I have caught more fish with the added range. What's happening out by you? I was in Montauk last Friday afternoon and we had all the fish we wanted. Bass and blues. Too crowded for my taste though.
Same yesterday, once the fish finally made it past the fly fishing boats to the beach it was all you wanted, but too crowded for me too. Read the report on my .com site
have you heard of any action on the south side of the point? what about AB?
THEKID
10-09-2002, 02:33 PM
Originally posted by matt
have you heard of any action on the south side of the point? what about AB?
No action on the south of the point. None at all.... :rolleyes:
Flounder
10-13-2002, 11:37 PM
I have gotten heavy enough so that pulling on the waders is a chore. I have a Farmer John wetsuit, that I have worn, and a Bronco jacket, that I have never worn. I wear divers boots when I wade. I consider myself a wader because I don't "skish" or "
body troll". I have yet to wear Flippers, or to swim unless a wave knocks me over. The wetsuit allows me to wade a bit more agressively, not worrying about water coming over the top. It is also buoyant, certainly a plus.
Do my clothes make me a wetsuiter?
Flounder
As I had stated earlier in my posts, if you can wade to a point beyond the shore where everyone else is standing in waders you are a wetsuiter...not that there is anyting wrong with that:D .
Now here is another one for you...
You have many surfcasters all lined up on the shore and they are all picking away at fish and working a set of rocks...and I have personally seen the following happen...when a wetsuiter walks to the beach, through the water and makes his way to the set of rocks we have all been casting to...what's up with that?
I wold have to consider that...wrong...what is the westuiters opinion of that and what is the westsuiters responsibilty in this situation?
The wetsuiter who jumps out in front of a line of guys picking fish ought to catch a 2 oz smilin' bill in the back of his/her head.
Jaiem
10-14-2002, 03:05 PM
Originally posted by matt
The wetsuiter who jumps out in front of a line of guys picking fish ought to catch a 2 oz smilin' bill in the back of his/her head.
I saw a wet suiter do that at Jones Reef last week. He got out onto a rock right infront of a wader caster. The two exchanged some heated words and finally the wet suiter left. :argue:
BTW, it's not just a wader vs. wet suiter problem. It's also the wader vs non-wader (shore bound) caster. I've been in situations where I'm wading out and a guy on the beach starts casting over my head.
Because of all the potential conflicts at or around the light, I tend to stay on the southside well west. i catch fish and rarely have to bother with anyone.
Flounder
10-17-2002, 02:05 PM
"As I had stated earlier in my posts, if you can wade to a point beyond the shore where everyone else is standing in waders you are a wetsuiter"
Nah, I disagree, that just means you're tall.
To me, if you're standing when you are fishing, you are a surfcaster. Even if you are standing on a rock that is a quarter-mile from shore.
If you drive to Montauk, that doesn't mean you fished from a car!
Heck, I have a kayak. I can go to rocks in mid-sound, get out and fish. That does not make the fish "kayak-caught". If I am standing, then I'm surfcasting (MY opinion).
If I wear a wetsuit, that doesn't make me a "wetsuiter".
Flounder
if you swim to a rock a 1/4 mle out past where a caster in waders can not get to, you are not a surf fisherman in my opinion and your report has to be classified differently because you can be catching fish that only standing on that rock will aloow you catch and a shorebound angler has not shot at those fish.
That is why I always classify the diffrence between the two so as not to give hope to a shorebound angler that fish caught on a particular beach ca be caught by jhim/her when inf fact they can't be. That is why "wetsuiting" is in quotaton marks and covers a a category of anglere different from the typical surfcaster.
Mike Lang
10-18-2002, 03:47 AM
There will always be a debate on who is who, who is right vs. wrong etc, etc. In Montauk one can witness a very diverse group of talents. Some people like to catch visible fish breaking, during daytime hours, from the shore wearing sneakers, some will go into the water ( depending on temps) with a bathing suit and sneakers, other will wear waders, and some a wetsuit. The trouble here is not what you wear, but lack of common sense, who ever is there first, within reason, usually dictates what others should conform to. The trouble today is that there are MANY people who don a wetsuit, and have no clue. Just because you have a wetsuit on does not mean you can push your limits, or ignore common sense or those behind you on the beach. To "wetsuit" IMO means to fish at night, on a deep perch FAR from any casters.
If someone feels the need to separate the reports, I see where that can benefit beginners, or readers. I have had nights where I can tell you I had 10+ bass over 20#, while guys 20-40 yards back on the shore in waders left in frustration. It happens, I wetsuit to put myself into the best position possible for hopefully a decent to great payoff.
It is all fishing, do what ever you want to in order for you to be happy and successful.
Mike Lang
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