Anyone else truly enjoy fishing for discs?

[autocrosscrx]

The course that I primarily play is a 9 hole course (short and long tees) with 4 holes bordering a pond. After throwing a few discs in around May, I ordered a Golden Retriever. In the 4 or so months that I've had it, I've pulled at least 40 discs out of this pond. I usually dedicate some time after every time I play (and it isn't packed) to troll the pond.

Honestly, I enjoy this almost as much (and sometimes more) as I do playing the round. It takes some skill (knowing where to throw, knowing weather conditions when you are more likely to pull up discs, knowing the feel of hooking something) and it is exciting when you pull something out (is it going to be some starter pack DX Leopard or another Star Destroyer with the Dick's Sporting Goods sticker or some rare disc or ace disc?)

I also get so excited when I get a disc back, so I really like the idea of doing that for someone else, though unfortunately, I've started to sour on that lately due to bad experiences.

Any other disc fishermen out there?

 

[Ptrain51]

You say that things have started to sour? As in people don't like you contacting them after you've retrieved their disc? I just lost my first disc to water yesterday and would be psyched to get a call saying that they fished it out and want to return it. I may have to get a tool and try it out myself!

 

[mojorooks]

I've been meaning to do it at local courses but haven't been able to convince myself. What is a golden retriever?

 

[ru4por]

I have ZERO interest in going through the hassle of returning discs, others have lost. Selfish perhaps, but if I find a disc, I now leave it alone. Specifically because of COVID, at the moment, but even in general.

 

[autocrosscrx]

You say that things have started to sour? As in people don't like you contacting them after you've retrieved their disc? I just lost my first disc to water yesterday and would be psyched to get a call saying that they fished it out and want to return it. I may have to get a tool and try it out myself!

So I'll pull out a disc. If it has a number, I take a pic and text it to that number. If no number, I'll take a pic and post it on the local lost and found group. I drop anything with a number or that is claimed off at the local store.

Most people get the pic and just tell you to drop it off at the store. No thank you, no I lost it doing blah blah blah, etc. Several have told me to go find another disc. One even sent a Google map with where the lost disc he really wanted went in. I can't get to the store on days I work, so I usually tell them it may be a week or two. And a lot of people will text you repeatedly. "Hey, I know you said you'd drop it off Friday, but just wanted to see if you had a chance to drop it off today." Or text Friday at 8 AM or 3 minutes after the store opens, "Hey, what time you dropping off my disc today?" And on Facebook, I post a disc and get messages from other people asking me if I had their discs, some of them in an accusatory tone.

 

[Billyray]

So I'll pull out a disc. If it has a number, I take a pic and text it to that number. If no number, I'll take a pic and post it on the local lost and found group. I drop anything with a number or that is claimed off at the local store.

Most people get the pic and just tell you to drop it off at the store. No thank you, no I lost it doing blah blah blah, etc. Several have told me to go find another disc. One even sent a Google map with where the lost disc he really wanted went in. I can't get to the store on days I work, so I usually tell them it may be a week or two. And a lot of people will text you repeatedly. "Hey, I know you said you'd drop it off Friday, but just wanted to see if you had a chance to drop it off today." Or text Friday at 8 AM or 3 minutes after the store opens, "Hey, what time you dropping off my disc today?" And on Facebook, I post a disc and get messages from other people asking me if I had their discs, some of them in an accusatory tone.

I wouldn't text people until I was at the shop dropping it off. Then they have no reason to bother you.

 

[autocrosscrx]

I wouldn't text people until I was at the shop dropping it off. Then they have no reason to bother you.

Yeah. I like the idea of maybe stopping someone from buying a replacement that they may not want or waste time going back to the course and looking, but yeah.

 

[discerdoo]

I had zero desire to go fishing for discs before reading this thread. Reading this thread has done nothing to change my mind.

 

[ray1970]

I get no joy out of fishing for my own discs much less other people's.

If I do find a disc with contact information on it I do make an effort to return it to its rightful owner. Can't say that same courtesy plays in my favor as I seldom get a call or text when I lose a disc. I did get a call from a guy who found one of my discs in Iowa and I've never played a course in Iowa so obviously someone found my disc in Colorado and ended up losing it in Iowa.

I only have a couple of discs that I would really like to get back if I lost them. I literally write "cash reward if found " on the back of them in hopes that whoever finds them would much rather have a little spending money than one of my beat up old discs.

 

[Dcinmd]

I have two buddies from the Richmond, Va that I had the honor of playing with awhile back at Hawk Hallow. They where great company but what I will always remember is how good both of them where with the golden retriever. They where almost fighting, well not really, over who could rescue my disc first during the tournament. And believe me I gave them a number of opportunities.

I have better luck throw with my off-hand then using the golden retriever. But it is fun watching an expert and always nice to have one on your card.

 

[elmexdela]

i hate fishing my own disc out of the water i sure as hell aint going to find pleasure in fishing someone elses out

 

[seedlings]

Can you use that golden retriever in a mossy algae pond when you can't see the disc?

 

[autocrosscrx]

Can you use that golden retriever in a mossy algae pond when you can't see the disc?

Yeah. You can't see anything more than about a foot off the shore in this pond. I haven't been able to see a single disc that I've pulled out with it.

 

[seedlings]

Yeah. You can't see anything more than about a foot off the shore in this pond. I haven't been able to see a single disc that I've pulled out with it.

So you just cast it out and reel it in?

 

[Billyray]

Yeah. I like the idea of maybe stopping someone from buying a replacement that they may not want or waste time going back to the course and looking, but yeah.

Well then they have a backup for when a less scrupulous (90% of disc golfers) player finds it and bags it or trades it to PIAS.

 

[Frolfdisc]

I just lost my first disc to water last weekend. A beat up old Buzzz Pro-d with a huge dome that was the disc I was throwing when it all clicked. Used it every single round since. Anyhow, how would this Golden Retriever work in a natural lake/pond? It's new to me. I just googled it. What happens when you hit a log, or a whole branch, or some random sunken structure? It looks like it's got to be pretty hard bottom for it to work best too.

 

[autocrosscrx]

So you just cast it out and reel it in?

Pretty much.

You've got a pretty good idea of where people are going to throw discs. Throw out to that general area, then walk up and down the edge of the water to cover as much area as possible. It isn't an exact science, but you can be methodical about it. And after a while, you learn what it feels like when you hook a disc versus trash, you notice trends, and so forth.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

Golden Retrievers are great... given the right conditions. They work quite well provided there isn't a lot of debris in the water.

The more logs, branches, or plant growth there is, the less effective they are. If there's a lot of stuff for it to get hung up on, there's even the possibility of losing the retriever.

But I've saved quite a few discs with mine and it's still in the bag. Using it effectively is kind of an intuitive feel thing... at least for me. But as autocross says, it helps to think about it.

It's not as versatile as stick type retrievers, but it has much longer reach. I definitely use it less now that I have a Disc Gator.

I hate people who expect the person who found the disc to jump through any sort of hoops to return their disc. Someone's trying to do you a favor, chump. Say please and thank you and just don't ask me to drive out to Timbuktu.

 

[ray1970]

I hate people who expect the person who found the disc to jump through any sort of hoops to return their disc. Someone's trying to do you a favor, chump. Say please and thank you and just don't ask me to drive out to Timbuktu.

Yep. When someone finds one of mine I go out of my way to get it back without inconveniencing the person who found it just as a common courtesy.

 

[autocrosscrx]

I just lost my first disc to water last weekend. A beat up old Buzzz Pro-d with a huge dome that was the disc I was throwing when it all clicked. Used it every single round since. Anyhow, how would this Golden Retriever work in a natural lake/pond? It's new to me. I just googled it. What happens when you hit a log, or a whole branch, or some random sunken structure? It looks like it's got to be pretty hard bottom for it to work best too.

Everything that I've hooked to was either small enough to drag to shore or stout enough that I could muscle the retriever free. It took a lot of throws to land the retriever in the tiny space between rocks and logs to access my disc, but I pulled my beloved putter out of a really clunky lake.