All about the effort
Posted By: JJ
Nothing makes me more satisfied as a fisherman than watching boats leave your vicinity because they are tired of watching you catch them...And not just because you are sacking them up, but more because you know that your success is directly related to the amount of effort and preparation that you put into it. All of the hours of scouting, marking bottom, tackle prep, planning for winds, tides and moon phases, boat work, phone calling and fuel burning....All of this is worth it when ol' Joe Blow rolls in on you in his 'Charter Boat"(because he made some brochures and is getting booked by somebody in a fudge shop or somewhere) and you look at your people as they bail speckled trout and say "watch this, they won't be here long". "They won't be able to stand it"... As a fisherman you can say this with confidence because you notice the obvious differences in their rigs to yours or the nuances of retrievals or deliveries or position or depth or one thing or another... And some days, you even seem to ramp it up a bit, not really out of sheer meanness, but rather an inherent competitiveness and the simple fact that you know that this may seem easy, but it's really only easy because you are prepared. And you want them to understand that...But they never will. As long as there are fiberglass skiffs and Vista- Print makes business cards, there will be ding dongs out there trying to make a dollar on the side. They have no intention of building a long term clientele. they want the one time hit and as long as the fudge shop books 'em, they'll go take their money. Just think it through before you book your trip. Choose the guide that is prepared and puts in the effort to ensure a great experience as they share their passion with you. Not the guy who rolls in to the ramp at 6:59 and piles 6 people on a 19 footer and goes 500 yards to tie up to the bridge and cast grubs for 2 hours without a bite. That is the guy I don't mind running off the flat the old fashioned way, by shoving it down his throat until he can't bear watching anymore...Fish with a fisherman
