Fishing and smoking — a request for advice

Guys,

I dunno how many of you have had this particular problem, but I’m in the process of seriously (for real this time) quitting smoking. BP and cholesterol are up, lung capacity’s down… it’s all bad news.

The biggest hurdle I have is fishing. It almost feels like a different activity altogether without the pack of smokes and the ritual cast, settle, extract, light, puff routine. It’s freakin tough.

I’m wondering if anyone else ever fought this battle and if anyone has any advice?

Thanks!!

PS – I guess the fact that I’m asking for help this time around indicates a bit more interest than in times past. Frankly I’m worried and maybe a bit… nervous? Not quite “scared” because the health threats aren’t that big yet. Yet. Gotta get this demon nailed to a post, or something equally colloquial.

I’ve never smoked, but I have been seriously changing my diet (which I will admit is different), but I find that being in the boat makes that very difficult too. It’s awful hard to find low carb boat food.

I may not have the answers you’re seeking, but I do wish you the best of luck. Or the best of will power.

jared,

i quit last october, just cold turkey. got a bad chest/head cold, and the smoking was making it worse, and didn’t want to feel that way anymore, so i said the heck with it. i smoked for about 10-12 years steady, 1+ pack a day.

I thought it was going to be murder for me in the duckblind the rest of last fall. i didn’t even notice it that much.

i think a big thing for me, was to be around people who don’t smoke, much more in the beginning. that way you don’t have the opportunity to “cheat”.

I never did have the physical cravings to them, ever. so, i’m sure that obviously helped me overcome it. but, after a month or so, i could be with someone smoking, and never really feel the urge anymore.

now, i don’t even think about it. and you will notice a your chest feeling better. one thing i dealt with though, was i got a bunch of colds right away after quitting, but after doing some reading online, i found that that is normal.

just take some seeds, pop, water, food, gum. whatever you need to keep your mind off of it. and if you gain a few pounds, who cares…you’re not a chick…

good luck though!!! it all comes down to will power, and how bad you want to quit. if you truly are ready to quit smoking, your mind will overcome anything your body can throw at you. and you will succeed, no problem.

I quit 16 years ago and had a hard time ice fishing. You quit one urge at a time and eventually it gets better. I don’t even think about cigs anymore. The cost should help too.

hang in there it will get better!!! pulling boards was the worst for me, i still jones for a cig and it has been 6 months. I followed by bud’s nick schertz advice; every pack is a shad rap. i rewarded my self 4 shad raps for every week i was a non smoker, then flicker shads went on sale so i went 8 flicker shads per week. i am still money ahead.i stopped at 80.i had to quit, cronic broncitus, could not fit both inhalers and pack of cigs in the same pocket.i haven’t coughed in 4 1/2 months. i used to cough so hard i would pass out. 30 years a 1/2 pack a day , if i could do it so can you!!! good luck

When my dad quit he would have a tooth-pic’ in his mouth a lot, eat candy, mints, and chew on straws. I guess this dealt with the stress of trying to quit.

That might help you,,,ya never know.

Quote:

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Not quite “scared” because the health threats aren’t that big yet.

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Been there, done that. My advice….be scared. It could save your life. If you have any of the symptoms, they are already too big and they do not go away or get smaller. I am speaking from experience.

Gum and jerky are what got me through the first few months.
It gets easier with time, all though some of the first cravings while out fishing is best done alone.
I rarely even think about smoking now.

Ron

Jared, the biggest hurdle is your mind. The fact you are saying you will have a hard time in the boat..means you “will” have a hard time in the boat. A little advice I would have, switch to American Spirit, all natural cigarettes. They have no “added” (spiked) nicotine, they last about 15 minutes each. This would be a HUGE step down, and make the final step easier. I would say cold turkey is best, but if you take it in 2 steps, have a plan. In 2 months going cold after smoking the less nicotine, will surely make the physical cravings pretty much non-existent. Good luck !!! Positive attitude is critical !!! Oh yeah, almost forgot, big bag of GIANT seeds in the boat Its kinda nice saving $200 a month too

big G

Hard candy,the stronger tasting the better, was the key for my quit.I smoked for over 25 years and fishing was a huge hurdle for me… I didn’t focus on my old ways instead I reminded myself of my new way of doing things.COLD water also hepled. Try to avoid caffine the first few weeks,it’s a trigger…Keep your hands busy too.Good Luck!!!
Paul

Or you can come over and look at my scars from Kidney cancer and my head which was also Renal Cell Carcinoma that they think may have had it’s start with smoking and chewing. Trust me…smoking and chewing has no happy endings. Many more here can attest to that. Quit any way you can….but quit!

I wish you the best of luck dude.
It’s along hard battle.
perserverance

sunflower seeds seem to keep me away from my cigs……for just awhile i guess

If you are really concerned about relapsing again, again, and again, i would recommend psychotherapy or seeing a clinician or physician about prescribing some type of antagonist drug. These drugs help by blocking nicotine receptors and leave you nauseated, bad taste in your mouth, etc when you smoke or chew. The downside is that your insurance will increase…but what is most important? Clinicians will teach you some cognitive-behavioral therapy to deal with the cravings and help you from relapsing

KMD….It looks maybe like you should share those seeds with the trout in your avitar, eh?

Great advise above! Just to add a few things:
Keep focused on the most important goal

Keep healthy snacks available

Drink a LOT of water.

I wish you the best of luck!! Quiting is not easy. I’ve been quitting for several years. Now, I’m down to bumming a smoke occasionally. I buy about 4 packs of smokes a year, special occasions as I like to call them. It’s a slippery slope I play on. Odds are against me to be successful. I would not recommend you do this. However, I rarely have cravings anymore. But when I do, they are powerful. Like today golfing or when I’m out fishing.

I smoked for 10 years then quit in 1977. No way to sugar coat it, it was two weeks of pure hell followed by 6 more of agrivation. But after two months it was over. Two observations. One, few are more compulsive than I am. If I can quit so can you. Second, for paying that two weeks of hell I have now had 33 years of being smoke free. All the health benefits, all the money saved, no smoke smell for 33 years. Keep that perspective and realize that the tough times will pass.

Don’t take any with you in the boat. Then never go to shore where there are cigs. Stay in your boat as much as possible. Seriously, good luck with your quitting. Even tho I don’t know you, I know you can do it.

Wow… I love IDO.

You guys are awesome. Good advice, everyone. I guess the only real answer is this:

Tough it out and believe that it’ll be worth the struggle.

Thanks everyone, very, very much!

Hey Jared, wow talk about some great advice from everyone here, how awesome. 1 more bit of advice is to print out this entire post and carry it with you every day and read, reread, and read again when ever you get the urge. You can do it man, good luck.

I should be a poster child for non smoking. I smoked 3 packs a day for 30 years before I quit cold turkey. Was it tough? Hell yes. I found out a persons iner-mind tries to talk you into sneaking one,make excuses why you can’t. Don’t listen! The 2 rules of quitting are #1 don’t buy them. #2 don’t smoke them. Its been 7 years now. I figured the money I saved paid for my Ranger Commanche plus alot of other toys. Even though my lungs do have permanent damage i’ve been healthier than i’d been in decades. Just do it. It’ll get better sooner than ya think. Ya won’t regret it. NO CHEATING!

In the boat is the toughest, I quit smoking in Feb and am doing really good, actually tasting food that I’ve been eating for years and it tastes completely different. I do break down during tournaments and have 1 or 2 though

I was a heavy smoker/chewer for over 20 years. Quit cold turkey after many attempts. Been so long now, can’t even remember that last smoke. I do remember it was 6 months of hell!

One other thing to keep in mind. When yo do quit, you will probably put on a quick 10 pounds. So along with quitting, keep an eye on your diet/weight.

Good Luck!

-J.

Talk to someone who has lost a loved one from smoking related disease. That’ll keep you on the right path. Keep a positive attitude, you will have low points but the end result worth it.

good luck.

i am in the same boat i need to quit, this is all great advise thanks guys

Jared, you are young, do it now for yourself and your children. However tough it may be the rewards will be great health wise. If you do it, there will come a time when you can’t stand the smell on your clothes and in your house.

We had a friend quit a few years ago and we all bought him a box of shotgun shells. The catch was that if he started again, he had to pay us back.

Tried quitting several times, finally admitted I couldn’t beat the physical and mental addiction so I quit inhaling.

Took about 6-8 months to finally get to the point where it was just to much trouble to light up and by years end I rarely ever thought of lighting up.

Been almost 20 years now and I don’t miss it, just wish I could get the wife to quit..

I wished it was only ten pounds I gained though, either way watch your diet, to easy to supplement food for cigs.

Good luck.

Al

I did quit for 6 months once before. The system I used back then was a printed schedule that had me smoking one every 3 hours for 2 weeks, then every 4 hours for 2 weeks, then every 6 hours, then every 8, and by the time I got to 10 hours apart it wasn’t even worth buying them anymore.

The theory was that it takes your body 2 weeks to adjust to a change in nicotine intake. And it worked AWESOME!

Then I went to a conference and fell right off the wagon. Landed hard, too, as it were.

I had tried cold turkey before that and ended up in a crazy state of mood swings and emotional turbulence that gave me new insight into the minds of pregnant women everywhere.

So the issue isn’t so much quitting in general as it is fishing, specifically, especially since I used to be a big shore fisherman and everyone at the piers smokes no matter where you go. Fishing in the boat is easier since I can avoid that whole “Hey, can I get one of those?” temptation.

I really like the idea of carrying this thread around… that was awesome advice. And I really like the idea of having a few phone numbers you can call when you’re being tempted to get the emotional boost you need to make it past the moment.

I know I’ll get this… I will I will I will. I want to live to see my daughter graduate high school and possibly even give me grandkids.

Oh, and to the person who said “talk to someone who’s lost a loved one to smoking”, both my grandmas, my mom’s dad and my mom’s stepdad died from smoking-related issues. On the other hand, there’s Uncle Frank, who still smokes a pack a day around his oxygen tube at the ripe old age of 93.

Bizarre how some things work out, innit?

The bottom line is that YOU need to make the decision and YOU need to WANT to quit. Nobody can help you if YOU are not COMPLETELY on board with quitting.

Take a pic of your kids and put inside the cellophane on a pack of your cigs…maybe that will help you make your mind up. Look at that pic EVERY time you think of lighting up and maybe it will help you to make that decision.

T