Shore Angling or Boat Angling - what is easier?

[KERRY1]

Shore Angling or Boat Angling - what method of fishing do you think is easier to do?
I am a shore angler at heart and it is my opinion (and it is only my opinion) that this type of fishing is more complex and requires more skill than boat fishing.
The reason for this is taking into consideration the various elements that have to be considered when heading out such as tides, weather, more complicated rig designs,access to marks etc.
There is no fishfinders for the shore telling you exactly where the fish are!
Don't get me wrong (before anyone decides to jump down my throat) I am not saying that boat fishing is easy or that anyone who has a boat and goes out boat fishing isn't as good of a fishermen or women as those who fish from the shore, far from it.
I am just interested to hear what your thoughts are on this subject.
I would be particularly interested to hear from those who do both Shore & Boat fishing as they can compare them both fairly and accurately.

Last edited by KERRY1 on Thu Jul 16, 2009 10:15 am, edited 1 time in total.

The idea of a ( fishfinder) finding the fish isnt that accurate. Its a case of looking at charts and doing youre homework and finding the best tide for each area or fish you want to target. I dont shore fish so much any more and find boat fishing is more demanding physically. The rigs used for boat fishing can be quite refined as well. There is nothing as satisfying as finding a mark for yourself and working out how it fishes and not copying other anglers.

Both disciplines are easier if you go with experienced people, boat fishing with a charter skipper is totally different to going out on a small boat on your own, where your having to find your own marks and knowing how/when to fish them. shore fishing is exactly the same, if you fish with someone who knows when and where to fish it's a hell of alot easier than having to find your own marks, finding out when to fish them, what baits to use and how to use them.
Thats why most people are so selective about who they tell about marks, both boat and shore, when you make an effort to find new places that fish well, you are mighty P++++d of to arrive at a spot to find some numpty who has spent more time watching were others (even down to following boats/cars with binoculars)are fishing than looking for marks themselves .

i`d actually have to say boat fishing is harder
tides,weather etc play a part in both types of fishing not just shore fishing....
rigs can be just as complicated for boat fishing,have you ever tried to make a needlefish rig for plaice on a boat while its moving around?? booms,swivels,snoods of equal length top off with 40 beads and loads more other flashy things
fishing is as easy or hard as you want it to be..
bait presentation is prob more important than complicated rigs so keep things simple and you`ll still catch fish.just do your homework to find likely looking marks..

as ronald says pinging or spying is a sad way to find a new mark.the funs in getting out of the house and to go try a mark you found on a map or chart and find out if it fishes well.
boat fishing can be very bad for pinging as im sure lots of boat owners will tell you

Who on earth does this pinging Davy? Can just visualize somebody watch you approach a mullet mark in strangford lough from his parked car looking through binoculars!!! Lol. Sad. Is that how Colin found your marks? That is a joke Colin.

The idea of a ( fishfinder) finding the fish isnt that accurate. Its a case of looking at charts and doing youre homework and finding the best tide for each area or fish you want to target. I dont shore fish so much any more and find boat fishing is more demanding physically. The rigs used for boat fishing can be quite refined as well. There is nothing as satisfying as finding a mark for yourself and working out how it fishes and not copying other anglers.

Thanks Davy, as a well respected boat angler who knows his stuff (or so I have been told), your opinion and thoughts are always welcome

Who on earth does this pinging Davy? Can just visualize somebody watch you approach a mullet mark in strangford lough from his parked car looking through binoculars!!! Lol. Sad. Is that how Colin found your marks? That is a joke Colin.

thats exactly how colin finds the marks(not joking) he even changed his car so i wouldn`t see him sneak up

[colin c]

Who on earth does this pinging Davy? Can just visualize somebody watch you approach a mullet mark in strangford lough from his parked car looking through binoculars!!! Lol. Sad. Is that how Colin found your marks? That is a joke Colin.

Im not that sad I just wait till Davy finds the marks and then he tells me where they are cause to be honest i think he has some sort of weird crush on me
If you ever want to find these marks just read Irish Angler


ps Its not hard to find Davys marks.He leaves marks everywhere he goes fishing
Another bowel movement on the shore tonight i believe Davy

Last edited by colin c on Fri Jul 17, 2009 9:55 am, edited 3 times in total.

[colin c]

Who on earth does this pinging Davy? Can just visualize somebody watch you approach a mullet mark in strangford lough from his parked car looking through binoculars!!! Lol. Sad. Is that how Colin found your marks? That is a joke Colin.

thats exactly how colin finds the marks(not joking) he even changed his car so i wouldn`t see him sneak up

Davy i changed my car so you wouldnt recognise me sneaking away from you.

Are you trying to imply that you have people following you about to find out marks??? :lol: What would you call such people?

Last edited by colin c on Thu Jul 16, 2009 11:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Who on earth does this pinging Davy?

You really dont want to know what Davys definition of "pinging" is
Put it this way if he ever asks you to go out "pinging" with him DONT

...and so back to the main topic... I bought a boat several years ago to get at promising shore marks that were inaccessible by land, so in that sense I'd be a floating shore angler. I really enjoy the boat but agree with Davy thats its demanding and sometimes wonder if it really is easier than the long hikes over bog and rock. As to the fish finder, isnt it great to be able to see the fish you're not catching...
I find boat techniques every bit as complex as shore ones, there are so many more species to be targetted (and missed, in my case!) At the end of the day, its as hard to compare shore and boat angling as it is to compare sea and freshwater angling: one isnt any better than the other, they're just different. Which one you go for is very much down to temperament.

i do mostly shore angling ,but have been known to get afloat and to be honest at the top level of both sports they are both as demanding, so i believe (if i lived in a warm country with nicer weather i,d probably just fish from boats )if i had did that here i,d have to cancell 50% of my fishing trips or give up work to fish when the weather suits