Saltwater fishing, anyone?

Saltwater fishing, not for this girl.

The sun, the sand, the surf.  The sights, sounds and scents of being at the beach. The sun on your face, toes in the sand.  The scent of sunscreen and saltwater. The sound of the waves crashing on the beach.  For most people this is a place to be to get away and relax. A sense of calm, a place to destress.

For me it was the same…until I had friends that went saltwater fishing.  Going to the shore no longer meant going to the beach, it was going to the marina.  The marina near the shore, but in a sheltered cove, with old wooden docks. The Sun was warm, the sounds of surf were now the sounds of water slapping against boats. Boats that were covered in algae and water lines.  The smells were now of seaweed, baitfish or chum.

My friends liked to fish for Stripers, Bluefish, sometimes Mako.  At first it was fun to go boating with the warm salty wind on our faces. We searched for the birds above the baitfish and watched the water boil as the bluefish chased their dinner. 

We’d often pull up to the dock at a waterfront restaurant for some fried calms or lobster rolls.  We like to see who else was there and compare boats and motors, and also to be seen by others.

Being experienced boaters and anglers, my friends loved to fish in about any conditions.  I on the other hand still did not know how to fish very well, had no fishing license at the time, and often got seasick.  The waves were too much for me but going back to the marina wasn’t much of an option after traveling for miles to the fishing hole.  The constant up and down in the waves with the smell of baitfish and seaweed were no longer rocking me to a relaxing state of mind or into a nap.  I was “turning green” as one guy had put it.  He said, “you should be fishing, and you wouldn’t be sick”.  And then I lost it, my lunch went overboard.

The group thought it was funny and all laughed at me. I did not think it was funny.

Later in the week they were going fishing once again. It was supposed to be a calm night on the water, so I agreed to go for a sunset cruise. Little did I know they were planning on staying out for hours and hours.  I was not prepared for the temperature drop or the bug bites.  And it was a weeknight, and I was to be at work for 8am.  I have never been a night owl, so I was not happy feeling deceived by my “friends”.  I was new to the saltwater fishing life, and so far, I was not introduced to it in a good way.  

Needless to say, I am no longer friends with those saltwater anglers.  I gave saltwater fishing and boating a chance for a few months that summer and I no longer have good associations with the sport.  Knowing what I know now about fishing, there might be a chance I’d try it once again. But with my love for Bass fishing and having fished on some of the best waters in the Northeast USA, I don’t see a need to try.   

There’s a sport for everyone and I prefer fresh water.  Fish on saltwater anglers.