Well, it's over

Last week went by fast, after months of planning and hopes of good fishing, we are back home in NC. With 3 un-fishable days of high wind and high surf, could not do much fishing in the surf. Finally on Thursday, a member in our group caught a nice red and several catfish.
Myself, I caught 3 small/medium whiting, after doing the math, rental, gas, license, tackle and food, the 3 fish cost me just over $2,000.00 each. That's life and fishing!

I must say aside from spending time with the Fam, the highlight of my trip was a visit to J&M Tackle. I could have spent hours and the gas money home in there.

Hope to return again someday, just at a cooler time of year, July is like a sauna.

If you ever can, visit in the spring; and the fall season can be incredible.

You can't count all of that crap, the only thing you can count is the license, terminal tackle & the bait. See it wasn't such a bad deal.

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Originally Posted by flyguy

You can't count all of that crap, the only thing you can count is the license, terminal tackle & the bait. See it wasn't such a bad deal.

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I don't know what school of math you are using, but I didn't plan on sleeping in my truck and purchased a couple of new Penn Battle II combos just for this trip along with new tackle box and so on... If it was purchased in prep for this trip it was counted.

I GIVE UP!!!! If you are never going to use those Battles or rods, I will take them.

That Mr. Witler is math that no fisherman ever wants to do. There has to be a "fun factor" applied to make the answers bearable!

i don't think anyone is arguing here but, i think the point is that you can have a good time without catching fish. no one can accurately predict when fish may or may not bite, or what the weather will be like for that matter. some of us (me from birmingham) have less miles to travel than others and of course that makes a difference. other than terminal tackle and bait, you still have all of the other gear in hand to use next time. i have rented a condo at turquoise place and also slept in my truck (on many, many occasions), and dragged my kayak to (only to have it sit in the truck) to fish the pier/surf/whatever body of water. every go of it, though, i've had a time!!! been doing it for about 30 years now. i hope your experience was otherwise enjoyable and that you will return when you can. it's worth a return visit!

Witler, if I can offer you advice.

If you have a "group" large enough, the most economical thing to do is rent a place for a month during September to October (even early November) when the rates go down and then split it up according to different schedules. A place on the Bay along Fort Morgan Road can be amazingly cheap and you have crabbing, night fishing for specks from your dock, while all the surf (beach access at Mobile and Veterans) and pier fishing are still going strong. Flounder are headed for the Gulf and catchable at the Fort Morgan beach

July is for beach people who want to party and be tourists, or parents of school age children on vacation. Weather is still glorious in the Fall - really better than summer, except for the cold fronts which are not bad, just variable, you just have to have a long enough trip to smooth over the "average weather" as cold fronts come through.

Of course, that depends on your scheduling ability.

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Originally Posted by j. gravy

i don't think anyone is arguing here but, i think the point is that you can have a good time without catching fish. no one can accurately predict when fish may or may not bite, or what the weather will be like for that matter. some of us (me from birmingham) have less miles to travel than others and of course that makes a difference. other than terminal tackle and bait, you still have all of the other gear in hand to use next time. i have rented a condo at turquoise place and also slept in my truck (on many, many occasions), and dragged my kayak to (only to have it sit in the truck) to fish the pier/surf/whatever body of water. every go of it, though, i've had a time!!! been doing it for about 30 years now. i hope your experience was otherwise enjoyable and that you will return when you can. it's worth a return visit!

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I totally agree, whether catching or fishing, it's all fun. Apparently Flyguy missed the humor in my stating the cost of each fish.

My month trips in the fall, I seem to get 2 good weeks of catching in that time frame......with a week some years I would get a cooler full of fish fillets, and other maybe a baggy full......and that was in the prime spring time

I like my math better. You pay for fun. Had u spent the time golfing, the money would be the same and you would have.....nothing to show for it. At least with fishing you get some fish as a bonus. Same with deer hunting. The cost is for the fun. Eats, when obtained, are a bonus. Better luck next time. FYI, when the waves turn gulf shores into a mud pit, check the east conditions. Sometimes you get clear water.

I try not to put a price on the saltwater in the freezer. I always remember how much fun it was to catch them and enjoy the company of the great folks on the pier, being such a slow poke klutz and getting finned like a pin cushion at the cleaning table. But, I can prove that filet mignon is cheaper than venison.

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Originally Posted by witler

Last week went by fast
Myself, I caught 3 small/medium whiting, after doing the math, rental, gas, license, tackle and food, the 3 fish cost me just over $2,000.00 each. That's life and fishing!
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Dang,you spent 6,000.00.....for the week in Gulf Shores......I know I am cheap, and try to find bargains for my trips.......but never in my wildest dreams spent anything close to that, unless you figure the price ofvthe vehicle to get there:D........for that you could have bought van staals

This photo of me with a small whiting ( look to the left ) was taken by my sweet and lovely wife on our honeymoon. I also caught two more! These memories are priceless. If you have memories of your trip to share with your family, all costs are negligible when viewed from some future time. At least, that is what I think, and feel.

Fall and spring for me. I usually stock enough to eat for the rest of the year.

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Originally Posted by ironman172

Dang,you spent 6,000.00.....for the week in Gulf Shores......I know I am cheap, and try to find bargains for my trips.......but never in my wildest dreams spent anything close to that, unless you figure the price ofvthe vehicle to get there:D........for that you could have bought van staals

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Well a house for 25 people on the beach around $14k, my share plus other expenses..it adds up. I didn'the pick time or house, just following in-laws. My choice I would have been down in Spring or Fall as you guys suggested.

I was there the last two weeks as well.
Yes, I have had better years when fishing was much better but you can NEVER count on what effects the fishing (heat, clear water, storms etc)
I still spent plenty of time on the pier with people I never met and saw through the week as well as those that might even consider me a regular visitor now enjoying the company. (Slim, Stephanie, Haywire, Robert, Pug and more)
If fishing was better I know I would have gotten to see more familiar faces like John G, Michael Sawyer, David Allison, and others.
The time staring out over the rail, dolphins playing, sharks swimming around, turtles, the fish I did bring home, the shells from on the beach, all the sounds you don't get here in Chicago, and the vacation time of memories you can't look back and put a price on.
There is no price you can put on just being there, you can't base the worth of a trip on what fish you catch and bring home.

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Originally Posted by 1000 Miles Away

I was there the last two weeks as well.
Yes, I have had better years when fishing was much better but you can NEVER count on what effects the fishing (heat, clear water, storms etc)
I still spent plenty of time on the pier with people I never met and saw through the week as well as those that might even consider me a regular visitor now enjoying the company. (Slim, Stephanie, Haywire, Robert, Pug and more)
If fishing was better I know I would have gotten to see more familiar faces like John G, Michael Sawyer, David Allison, and others.
The time staring out over the rail, dolphins playing, sharks swimming around, turtles, the fish I did bring home, the shells from on the beach, all the sounds you don't get here in Chicago, and the vacation time of memories you can't look back and put a price on.
There is no price you can put on just being there, you can't base the worth of a trip on what fish you catch and bring home.

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+1......well said......nothing like some salt water therapy for any ailments.....physical or mental
It has cured me more then once

Glad I only live 282 miles usually takes me around 4 hours to drive it. Just got home last Sunday from 2 1/2 stay and already thinking of going back.

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Originally Posted by Robert(Tato)Piteo

Glad I only live 282 miles usually takes me around 4 hours to drive it. Just got home last Sunday from 2 1/2 stay and already thinking of going back.

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Nice, rub it in some more would you PLEASE! :D

Well, all of us part timers know the feeling of having to leave - and going home. My depression starts the next to the last day as I begin gathering the scattered tackle and cleaning rods/reels for the trip back north. To delay the inevitable, I have resorted to cleaning them late the last evening - and packing them wet for the ride home. A few hours in the sun on the back porch will prepare them for the 6 month hiatus we both endure until the glory days return.
This fall, we have booked 10 glorious days in our favored spot on the lagoon. I fully intend to drive up 59 before daylight on Sunday morning...and turn around in Foley and come back to the pier. For 20 years of trips to the gulf...that has always been my last desire as I make my way back to reality. Bonus time in paradise.

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Originally Posted by scbasser

Well, all of us part timers know the feeling of having to leave - and going home. My depression starts the next to the last day as I begin gathering the scattered tackle and cleaning rods/reels for the trip back north. To delay the inevitable, I have resorted to cleaning them late the last evening - and packing them wet for the ride home. A few hours in the sun on the back porch will prepare them for the 6 month hiatus we both endure until the glory days return.
This fall, we have booked 10 glorious days in our favored spot on the lagoon. I fully intend to drive up 59 before daylight on Sunday morning...and turn around in Foley and come back to the pier. For 20 years of trips to the gulf...that has always been my last desire as I make my way back to reality. Bonus time in paradise.

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I agree, it is much worse than the Sunday night Blues before returning to work on Monday. After a 12 hour drive, two days to recover, two days to enjoy, two days to dread packing and the 12 hour drive home. But all rolled up, it was an enjoyable trip and look forward to a return trip in the future, just a different time of season.

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Originally Posted by witler

Last week went by fast, after months of planning and hopes of good fishing, we are back home in NC. With 3 un-fishable days of high wind and high surf, could not do much fishing in the surf. Finally on Thursday, a member in our group caught a nice red and several catfish.
Myself, I caught 3 small/medium whiting, after doing the math, rental, gas, license, tackle and food, the 3 fish cost me just over $2,000.00 each. That's life and fishing!

I must say aside from spending time with the Fam, the highlight of my trip was a visit to J&M Tackle. I could have spent hours and the gas money home in there.

Hope to return again someday, just at a cooler time of year, July is like a sauna.

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I keep trying to tell my wife that all these somewhat pricey trips I take to come fish, I coulda just gone ahead and bought the damn boat I want....

Yes Snake, a discussion that deserves to be had!