Another great advance in technology is stocking fish. So as much as we like to think that it is "man" against mother nature we may have to thank the fine men of the fish and forestry services before we pat ourselves on the back proclaiming how great we are.
"Largemouth bass are one of the top recreational fish species in the United States. As a result, they have been stocked throughout the U.S. to provide recreational fishing opportunities"

If I had to use just my knowledge to catch fish I would probably starve before I figured out a good way to do it. The simplest things that we take for granted are all advances of technology that I could not accomplish without someone else's technology to guide me. I could carve the bone hook, as someone had mentioned but not without a good knife or a file. I doubt I could ever figure out a way to make 50# braided line that was anything other than some vines braided together. Even a glass bottom boat would be out of the question without combining the knowledge of many people over many years.
I personally feel that it is amazing how far we have come over the years. I remember a calculator costing over $100 in the 70s and the complicated problems still had to be done "longhand" and somehow we were able to put a man on the moon years earlier. All this done with a computer with far less technology than today's $20 smartphone.
Not using the information discovered from older generations is not cheating IMO. If I could not use these tools for a competition I am sure I would use every thing that I could. I would trust maps that I did not survey and I would check reports to see where people were catching fish.
Is asking the guy at the bait shop the typical questions cheating? Hey, what's biting? What are they hitting on? Where's the cold beer?
I do agree I would like to send 20 pro fishermen on a blind tournament. Let em each choose 2 rods and a boat and 10# of tackle. Then load them on a plane and drop them off at an undisclosed location their equipment would be onsite waiting and they would have to figure out how to make it work for the location they are take to. With the gear they have chosen and their skills.
Sounds like a great reality TV show and probably hilarious.
Otherwise I dont see any reason to strip a man of his tools
I currently moving across the country. If I take a trip out on someone not I hope they have the best equipment aboard. If I spend $1500 - $2500 on private charter for a gulf stream trip and I'm on his boat for 13 - 36 hours I do expect him to use somewhat current electronics to cheat my way to where the fish are. If I get on the bot and he tells me we are going to set the compass to the east and we will stop and fish when we see the color of the water change I am going to blow a gasket, I am sure you would do the same.
Tight lines
Dave

Thanks guys,
I remember filling the boat with Blues when I was fishing in South Jersey but I haven't seen any down here yet.
Most people seem to be using shrimp. I have seen a few people in the surf with casting nets. Pulling in quite a few at a time. So I doubt I will be able to do much with them. Gulp has improved quite a bit from when I 1st saw it. Bass pro and even Walmart have plenty on the shelves. I can grab some to give it a shot if I cant do anything with the shrimp.
Reading the surf is a new concept too. I will have to look I to that this evening.

Well I need to get my chores done and finish up a project so I can get out to the water.
This site and the people in it are amazing. I have tried other site and none of them showed much activity I am glad I didnt give up and somehow I found this site.
Hopefully I can share a success story now to prove that you guys know what is needed to get the job done.

Thanks everyone! I got myself some new line and gear. The only thing I had left from long ago was some penn reels that I used on party boats that I would go on in Atlantic City or Wildwood NJ
I am going to hit the surf tomorrow or Thursday and see how things go.
Thanks again,
Dave

Hi,
I hope some of you will be kind enough to share. I am currently in Myrtle Beach SC and I'm planning to do some fishing on and around the local piers and docks. It's been over 30 years since my poles have seen salt water.
Please reccomend anything you want. What rod, reel, line, baits and jigs. I know fishing isnt great here but some general tips would surely make my life easier.
Thanks, Dave

Hi,
I hope some of you will be kind enough to share. I am currently in Myrtle Beach SC and I'm planning to do some Surf fishing. It's been over 30 years since my poles have seen salt water.
Please reccomend anything you want. What rod, reel, line, baits and jigs. I know fishing isnt great here but some general tips would surely make my life easier.
Thanks, Dave

This is a touchy subject, please dont take offence in any way. I only hope to help you and anyone else who may benefit.
Thnk you for making the sacrifices that you did. You were obviously put into a situation that was unpleasant and so many "Americans" were wrong in the way they acted to our military. I would also bet that you wished that you were just about anywhere else but you manned up and did what you were asked to do.
**Thank You and all the others**
I am glad that you made it home.
You posted that you are currently rated at 20% due to agent orange. You can also apply for additional benefits.
You stated that you did not receive a warm welcome when you arrived home. If this is something that bothers you, so many years later you can get your rating changed. This does not imply that you are crazy, just human. Nobody goes to war and comes back the same person.
The VA is willing to "pay" you for this now. You will get a bigger check and you will be entitled to so many more benefits with a higher rating. Most states have something set up. Some of the biggest are property tax and discounts from motor vehicals. (I pay less than $25 a year for disabled vet tags on my truck. Total cost! Plus the tag is just as good as a state park pass in Colorado)
Anyway I can help point you in the right direction if you are interested in filing the paperwork. These benefits are passed on to your wife when you die, just like Social Security's benifits.
You wont get them if you dont ask and in your situation I doubt that they will deny these benefits. Best yet you really dont have to go into detail. A statement like "I have unpleasant thoughts about my service in Vietnam" is about all that you will need to say.
Think about it. Send me a private message if you would like more info.
You earned this!

Thanks, that makes good sense. Losing gear is hard to stomach and watching it swim away would be so much worse.
Yet telling my ole lady that I need to go shopping would be bad and something that she would never let me forget.
Thanks

Colorado offers free lifetime licenses to disabled individuals. My wife did my paperwork about 6 years ago and from what I remember it was not something difficult or overly demanding in paperwork. I am sure other states have similar programs. In SC they offer several programs. The one I fall into demands proof of residency for a year. This alone will have me updating my IDs far sooner than I planned. Hopefully I dont get stuck having to pay high non Resident fees till then.
I keep hoping that they implement a nationwide license for us. Traveling the country has been great, having to get a new license at every stop is a hassle.
Tight Lines

Thanks,
We almost bought a place in Gadsden to be near some family that was is in Birmingham. We even met a Patrick Mann outside of Columbi SC, he was from Alabama. We never did get much time to compare notes to see if we were related but we shared contact info. He plans to send us some info from one of the DNA tests to see if its possible. He mentioned something about a big Mann family reunion our there.We know part of the family stayed in Kamsas city as the confederate army gave the 375 acres there as compensation they earned somehow. The others continued to Calif around the time of the dust bowl splitting the family. 2 or 3 unrelated Mann families are is the US, my wife tries to sort it out :... it's small world .
Thank you

Hi everyone,
I stumbled upon this site and thought I would check it out.
I was raised in NJ and loved fishing and crabbing. I even worked on the docks in south Jersey shortly before I joined the Army. I was only in the military for a couple of years and returned to jersey. After a couple of filed marriages & 911 I moved to Colorado and was away from the rod and reel for years. After my 3rd failed marriage and doc disabling me at 40 I traveled in a class A RV for a couple of years with wife #4. I started freshwater fishing again and loved it. Every park we stopped at was a new fishing experience. Sadly my rv costs had gotten the best of me. We returned to Colorado and bought a place in Colorado Springs, 5 years later I sold my home in August 2019. We put everything in storage, bought a 2015 travel trailer and hit the road. Now 3 months later we arrived at Myrtle Beach SC. We decided that we wanted to buy a home near here, probably just south of here around Georgetown or Murells Inlet. We have booked 6 weeks at Myrtle Beach State Park. We dont have any friends or family here other than a few other campers. I haven't been near the Atlantic ocean in over 30 years. I also have a hard time paying a private charter $500-1500 to take me out fishing. I dont mind paying someone for their time, I just have a hard time doing it alone. I want to get back to sharing stories, laughing about mishaps and not feeling like the tourist in a town built with tourists and snowbirds. If you're in the area or know something about the area let me know. I do have some gear to get me going. My wife surprised me with some new rod and reels for our anniversary on Halloween. So I am planning to do some surf fishing or maybe hitting the local docks. I am sure I will find a reasonable way to fish soon. I am just hoping to get some advice from someone who has tested the waters or someone who is in a similar situation that wants to split the costs of a fishing trip or 2.
I realize this post went way beyond the normal post but hopefully you can understand why, other than me being bored with the local tv stations here.
Happy to have found the site and hopefully I will be able to learn enough here to inspire me to get my lines back in the water.
I guess my 1st questions will be "What size line is best for surf fishing? What type of rigs should I be using? What bait and weight is normally used?
I imagine someone has asked about this in the past so I will see what I can find in the forums.
Thanks for the help
Tight Lines
Dave