"Oh God, please let me die right now."

[happy2fish]

This is a comment weakly muttered by an angler fishing offshore. There was blood, not only of the snapper, ling, grouper and king mackerel, but that of the beat-up, bruised and bleeding angler, having been abused by slamming and crashing into gunwales and seats of the tossed boat in choppy seas.

Some oozing puncture wounds were afflicted by pointed razor-like fins, gill plates and teeth of the fish, while others came by way of pointed hook tips. Of course proper gloves placed on the hands of this terribly excited angler could have helped avoid the wounds.

They say “misery loves company” … in this case a bad onset of seasickness appeared with vengeance. To accompany the miserable sea sickness, but indeed also unwelcomed, was nausea, cold sweat, spinning head, vertigo, a migraine and vicious throwing up.

In hindsight, the first begrudged visitor was the large financial expense… Talk about spending money… how about the original purchase or the on-dragging boat payments, insurances, repairs, licenses, gasoline, bait, food and of course fishing tackle and safety equipment.

Consider the weapons strapped on the trip, fish hooks, gaffs, bait knives, wire leaders, sharp hooks and yes the unpredictable weather that can assault the unsuspecting under-protected angler. Oh yeah, don’t forget the looming possibility of getting lost if you choose not to purchase a GPS system.

What makes it all worth it?
Is it freedom offering a refreshing relief from the anchor of the day-to-day rat race that makes it all worth it? Maybe it’s simply the breathtaking glimpse into the habitat of God’s awesome sea creatures that we find so enticing. Or, could it be the frontier-like challenge of the unconquered sea that makes it so hard for any red-blooded angler to ignore? Perhaps it is the anticipation of the gauntlet being taken up by the cold-blooded opponent that spurs the angler on.

The temporary discomfort of bumps, bruises and blood-letting is insignificant compared to the life-giving, heart-pounding experience that feeds the very soul of the angler. The next “fishing trip” will again draw the re-generated angler to another much-welcomed experience, accompanied with the awesome suspense of potentially being able to finally catch the “BIG ONE”.

[Sam]

Sounds like an average day for me offshore (without the fish, of course).

Glad he made it back ok.

[Steve]

Originally Posted by happy2fish

Oh yeah, don’t forget the looming possibility of getting lost if you choose not to purchase a GPS system.

Gee, that's not the way I see it. LOL, since I haven't been out further than where I've been in my yak!

What happens when the GPS fails? How about when the signal is degraded because the military detects a threat?

Know your tides, wind and compass!!!!!
I've been on the widest part of the CB at night, in the fog and rough water with only a compass. A compass is your friend!
Learn to navigate with it!
Only the fool solely relies upon electronics....