Safe/adviseable to go fishing alone?

Fishing isn't usualy a dangerious sport. Unless your shark fishing than you really shouldn't go alone, and your really going to want to bring a gun.

Good stuff, Mainsail. Makes me smile to see that places like that exist. I just off the 405 fwy going home from work and those pictures helped me relax.

Thanks M8.

LGB

In fact, not a lot of young people generally, especially young professionals in big cities, seem into any outdoors stuff anymore.

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And this is why there are fantastic places to fish around many big cities. I spent a summer up north around Stamford, CT in my youth doing carpenter work, and I caught about 50 bass a day in a little pond - no one ever fished for them, so they were easy to catch.

I have spent about a million hours fishing alone, and there is no real downside to it other than drowning, or where I live getting bitten by poisonous snakes. So watch where you step and don't fall in the water.

Oh yeah... Disclaimer: Please don't take this as an endorsement of fishing as a safe activity. I have spent my whole life engaged in all sorts of unsafe activities, and it's been a lot of fun.

Check to see if there are any local fishing clubs. Here in PHX, we have a few dedicated to any type of fishing. I bet you have some similar in your neck of the woods. Could be just what you need to learn a little and meet up with guys who can teach you about what fisheries to hit and how to fish them.

just my own experience and admit this was years ago in a remote area of WNC but in the county I reside in I had an 'encounter' that left me a believer in carrying not only a spare magazine but also a box of cartridges. or 2 pistols and mags. never again will I get caught in those circumstances.

Okay, now you have to tell the rest of this story....

Whenever you go out hunting or fishing you should always assume some dumb rednecks are also in the woods, probably with guns, booze, or both.

Carry a pistol. If you don't have a pistol carry a flare gun.

By all means fish. Sometimes fear of crime can paralyse folks into inactivity. We sometimes forget that for the past twenty years there has been a pretty steady decrease in violent crime nationwide.

I live on the coast here in Connecticut and fish all summer--mostly saltwater. I own a boat. Can't carry on the boat because the NY state line runs down the middle of LI Sound. I do a bit of freshwater fishing in the lakes and rivers back in the state Forests. Pretty safe, but I think I will be carrying this summer (just got my CCW). Look on the web for fishing forums that cover where you want to go--you can often hook up with someone more experienced that way as the earlier poster said. And FYI, it's considered extremely uncool (and I believe illegal inside territorial waters) to shoot sharks before landing them these days, although we did it regularly back in the 70's.

Edit: Instead of just talking out of my rear as usual, I went and did a little research on the legality of shooting sharks. Interesting--no one I know shoots them anymore, but apparently there are people who swear by it. A keeper shark is usually a Mako, which is good to eat, personally, I release anything else. Here's a thread on shark shooting from my favorite fishing forum (don't want to hijack the thread, just thought you guys might be interested--especially in the "what's a good firearm for sharks topic"):

http://www.noreast.com/discussion/ViewTopic.cfm?topic_ID=36624&page=1

Just FWIW

NICE PICS!!!. Absolutely awesome.

To answer the question, yes it is safe to go alone. I do plenty. I do fishing on my boat on a nearby lake and some serious mountain trout fishing in NC. You deliberately go where there are no other folks.

Few things to do:
1. Let folks know where you are going and when you'll be back
2. Bring the proper gear: on top of hiking and fishing gear, I always carry a small first aid kit, matches, enough water for a day or 2 (I am not that far back), compass, always a good knife, and if you can carry concealed, I would.
3. Don't do anything insane. If you get in trouble there will not be anyone to help you but you.

It can be awesome getting out deep by yourself and the fishing can be twice as good that way.

Our framer goes shark fishing a lot and he usualy pops them with a shotgun and makes sure they are good and dead before bringing them in the boat. I guess you could drag them to, same difference.

He has a 45ft Chris Craft Commander which has a decent size cockpit, but not large enough if you boat a pissed off Mako.

snowtigger Okay, now you have to tell the rest of this story....

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suffice to say that I spent an uneasy, sleepless night in the woods with only 10 shots in my spare magazine for my Ruger Mk1, a box of cartridges to load the empty from would have made my confidence level rise. or a 'new york reload'.

Go fishing with a friend but remember:

If you're taking a Baptist friend along, be sure to bring another Baptist friend with you or he'll drink all your beer.

Old joke, I know.

usually you are 100% safe from two-legged predators while fishing because the only idiots crazy enough to be fishing during the prime times to be fishing are...well, fishermen.

I pack just in case, but I usually go at night or early morning, where there are either other fishermen about, or where I'm the only person within miles who is awake and outside.