The Fisherman's Ocean [Paperback]

David Ross Ph.D. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 10, 2000

10 b/w photos 90 illustrations 6 x 9 Marine science for fishermen Tides, currents, fish senses and behavior Inshore and offshore fishing "Reading Dave Ross's work will give you in-depth knowledge of the ocean, its processes, and marine fish, which can only make you a better saltwater angler." -Joe Healy editor, Saltwater Fly Fishing Here at last, in layman's terms, is a fisherman's guide to the habitat and behavior of saltwater fish. The author, an oceanographer and avid fly fisherman, explains the marine environment and the factors that affect where game fish congregate, how they move with tides and currents, what they see, smell, taste, and hear. The copiously illustrated text covers inshore and offshore habitat and will prove invaluable to anyone who fishes in saltwater, whether in the surf, on the flats, or out at sea. The ocean is vast. It pays to be educated. David Ross is an oceanographer at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. He is the author of several textbooks in his field and writes the popular column "Marine Science for Fly Fishers" for Saltwater Fly Fishing magazine.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Ross clearly explains how marine science can help saltwater anglers catch more and bigger fish. The book's first and second parts describe, respectively, oceans and fish. In the final section, Ross, an oceanographer at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, takes the scientific concepts from the first two parts and applies them to fishing for a variety of species along the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf Coasts. Throughout, information is provided on new technology and boating and fishing safety. Books about the science of hunting or fishing are often lost on general readers, who won't tolerate the leaden style and dense content. Despite some repetition and the occasional confusing passage, Ross generally succeeds where his peers have failed, thanks to clear, even humorous prose and effective use of photographs and diagrams. This comprehensive yet accessible treatise will be of definite interest to anyone serious about saltwater angling. John Rowen
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Paperback: 299 pages
• Publisher: Stackpole Books; illustrated edition edition (September 10, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811727718
• ISBN-13: 978-0811727716
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,110,031 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars No nonsense, serious fishing!, December 8, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Fisherman's Ocean (Paperback)

David Ross gets to the point with consise, informative strategies about surfcasting. The information he presents does not reek of egomania, but instead offers a variety of methods in catching the Big Kauna. It's pure fishing and a guide that is keeping me in line during these colder months. Another positive about this book was the fact that I did not feel like it was an advertising section for certain tackle or gear. The details were not overly wordy, but were easy to grasp and take out to the jetty. I recommend this book to all surfcasters - both rod and fly alike. Good fishing!!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars well worth the effort it takes to read it!, December 25, 2001

By 

laurence r. dry (no name key,fl., United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Fisherman's Ocean (Paperback)

Finally a book on fishing that can teach an angler something about the subject. Although it is written to a degree from the author's perspective as an ocean fly fisherman, it has a lot of really good scientific information about all aspects of fish and fishing, oceans, tides, etc. I would recommend this book to anyone who wishes to, "catch rather than fish", whether he (or she) is a salt water or fresh water fisherperson. Obviously if you are the latter sort, the portions relating strictly to the ocean and estuaries will not be of much interest. But I know of no book that has given me more information nor made me so excited to try out what I learned!!! I am a life-long avid salt and fresh water angler and considered myself reasonably knowledgable until I read what Mr. Ross has to say.Granted this book takes effort to read. It is more like a text than an easy read. Frankly the first portion of the book put me into a deep slumber after an average of just 5 pages but the last half kept me awake.

I have purchased a copy for my fishing partner since I don't want to give up my copy. My wife(also nuts about fishing) will never see this book. She is already much too competitive(and lucky)! I figure that the information in this book will give me the edge I deserve.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Information for the Serious Fisherman, October 28, 2009

By 

R. Donaldson (Southeast Virginia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Fisherman's Ocean (Paperback)

This is very good information for the serious fisherman. If you only fish once in a great while because someone asked you to go, this may not be for you. The author gets into the ocean structure and biology of the ocean along with tides, waves, currents, and a lot of other information in the first half of this book.

The second half is full of information about fish and he ties it all in with the first half. Very good reading for those who are really into saltwater fishing whether it be from the surf, in a tidal creek, or a boat.