Knowing when to quit
When does blind optimism turn into an utter waste of time?
Fishos are eternal optimists - we have to be. The reality of the sport is that we invest time, effort and significant amounts of hard earned dollars to chase a few fish. If I've fuelled the boat, spent money on new tackle and have compromised a good night's sleep to wake up at 3am, the likelihood of heading home after a couple of fishless hours is low - I'll usually stick it out, try a few different things and try to save face.
But when is it actually better to concede defeat, give up and head home early?
A couple of weeks back I went out for a blackfish session in the Parramatta River. At this time of year the blackfish start heading downstream so a betting person would be fishing the lower reaches rather than upstream like me. Even though the odds were against the fish being in the river, I figured I only wanted to go for a "quick fish" and with the river down the road I could easily hit it for an hour or so without having to drive across town through the city.
Three hours later I'd used a bucket of berley and had not a single "down'. I was stubborn and overly optimistic, ever hopeful the fish would turn up. There was ample tidal flow, my presentation seemed fine, the bait was fresh and I had berley gathered from the spot.
Reflecting on that trip I now believe an irrational thought process invoked by blind optimism had clouded the early signs of a fishless trip.
After an hour on a good tide and some modest berleying for several unsuccessful drifts I should have given up. Sure, the fish may have come on the bite at some stage later but waiting for that "may have" moment is the crux of my dilemma. I'm not talking about being out there just for fun, but making a decision to stay or go independent of emotional considerations.
A rational thought process would have recognised that the first hour I fished was likely to be the most productive at that spot. As time progressed the probability of catching fish decreased. To top things off, I actually became bored and started losing focus after an hour, poking around for fresh and different weed, swapping floats and even calling mates on the phone to see what they were up to.
Either of those signals should have invoked a rational thought process that would ultimately have led to me going home after that first hour, and I would have saved two hours of my weekend.
Jewie fishermen are another prime example of fishos that don't always know when to give up. While some people will stay out all night to catch a jewie, my jewie sessions now only coincide with tidal events. Sure you're chances increase with hours spent on the water but the fish caught per hour on average is likely to be lower if you take the all nighter option rather than around tide changes.
Don't get me wrong, I love getting out on the water but sometimes it actually makes perfect sense to give up and go home.
So how about you? Are you a never say die warrior or a short session only fisho?
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reader comments
Fair comment Greenie. Your thoughts remind me of my old retired mate Arthur who took me out flattie fishing in the middle of winter about 6 or so years back. Arthur doesn't sleep so we hit the water at 3am. Arthur is obviously immune to the cold because we were out wading but didn't have any waders - the air temperature was brisk and hovering around freezing point on the NSW south cost. Arthur is also very persistent - we fished through dawn and well into the day for very little however the prospect of a big winter time dusky on the next cast kept us submerged in the estuary ice bath for hours on end. The pain through my frost bitten ankles and legs as I foolishly rose to the sub zero challenge still haunts me. Baby boomers appear to be super human. They don't feel the cold, they don't see the need for sleep and they grew up in an age where anaesthetic was for wimps - nothing like chewing on a bit of leather to relieve the pain of surgical steel. The achievements you mention require dedication, focus and persistence - I can't argue with your logic in light of your achievements. In the true spirit of this very blog I know that it's time for this child of Gen X to concede - you win!
Sami Omari on 09-Oct-09 12:43 PM
I've found that it is never worth giving up even when things are drastic. What keeps me going are things like the 120cm barra I caught after 2300 casts for zilch, the 80 kilo black on 8 that came at the end of 168 hours of strikeless trolling and the fact that every hour spent gets you closer to the next fish. Soft Gen Y anglers with flash tackle need to harden up a bit I reckon.
Greenie on 08-Oct-09 03:37 PM
BobM - some days it's about the sport, some days it's about catching enough for a feed, some days it's about trying new locations or techniques and experimenting. Some days are great while others can be hard work and frustrating. If you were to only fish on days when the weather was perfect and are having a good time with mates then I agree that fishing is a bonus. It's not always fun out there however and I'll fish in all weather conditions throughout the year because I live for my fishing. I remember blackfish fishing a couple of months back in winter. It was cold and bucketing down with rain, my rain coat leaked and I was soaked and shivering within the first 10 minutes of leaving the car. After about 45 mins the fish came on the bite and we started getting into them - it was still cold, very wet and I was uncomfortable but stuck it out till the peak tide. Had the fish not come on the bite it would have been a painful trip and not much fun at all so would have been wise to concede defeat and go home early!!
Sami Omari on 21-Sep-09 12:00 PM
Had I just given up this arvo and not worried 'bout that last cast I might still be able to fish my twice used lure on possibly another more productive session. S**t happens!
Pok on 19-Sep-09 08:17 PM
I always thought it was the sport and not the catch that counted. I'm with you Musti!! A bad day fishing is better than a good hour working
BobM on 18-Sep-09 10:31 PM
I have to admit I always have to have one more cast, I just hate going home fishless.
Rick on 18-Sep-09 03:55 PM
There is always the case of if there is anything better to go to rather then staying out....away from everyone and everything!!!
Musti on 18-Sep-09 10:02 AM
Yeah I never know when to quit either when I'm fishin. Some days you just know when you're wasting your time, but hey it's not just about catching fish is it? If it was I reckon I would've given up a long time ago!
Fisho fanatic on 16-Sep-09 10:10 AM
tell a friend
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