10 comments on “New issue is up”

  5. fishsurfer

    I love your e-magazine and have subscribed since it came out. Bit, I got to tell you that the article in this issue glamorizing the use of mercury for loading Red Fins is irresponsible. I know you put a warning at the end that there are safer alternatives, but it’s not strong enough. I guarantee it will cause some uninformed or overzealous fishermen to do it. Mercury is the most dangerous and potent marine pollutant there is and is the reason (along with PCBs) we cannot safely feed many game fish to our kids, including stripers and blues. No one under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES should load ANY plug with mercury, PERIOD. EVER. I recommend you make that crystal clear or strike the article from this issue. Thanks, otherwise, for the great magazine.

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  6. Dennis Zambrotta

    Fishsurfer,
    I’m the author of the article you mention. I consider myself a surfcasting historian and in my writing I aim to document surfcasting history, not only the good things, but some questionable methods. When I write I always try to answer the question “why”. This is what I did. It was not to glamorize the tactic but to document a part of surfcasting history, albeit a darker side. I didn’t describe techniques about how to find and load mercury. Surfcasting and chasing striped bass has had some sordid history over the many generations of surfcasters who’ve participated. It’s my job as a writer to document this history and be as accurate as possible and maintain journalistic integrity. I had many discussions with my peers about this topic – I could have included much more but decided not to. If heat is to be taken for writing this article then it should be me that takes that heat, not SJ. To ask the Surfcaster’s Journal to take the article down because some may find it objectionable would be to practice the purest form of censorship. I don’t think that is fair to them. That said as an author I appreciate you taking the time to state your view.
    Good luck in the surf.
    Respectfully,
    Dennis Zambrotta

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  7. fishsurfer

    Hi Dennis,
    I didn’t even think about how the author might feel about my comment. Sorry for any offense. I think it is indeed a really well-written and interesting article. And I appreciate the history. It makes a great story that no other loading media could touch mercury, and I understand the writing style is intended to create mystique, even as the evidence of mercury superiority is purely anecdotal (I suspect BBs would work just as well). But as a professional environmental advocate and scientist, I cringe when I think of the influence this article could have on under informed fishermen. I wish it were made more clear in your article that mercury should NEVER EVER be used to load plugs. In the marine environment, elemental mercury has high potential to become methyl mercury, which is one of the most potent neurotoxins there is anywhere. I can’t overstate how toxic it is to people. And when you ingest it, your body has no mechanism to excrete it, so it accumulates in your tissues and bloodstream pretty much for life. The quarter ounce you mention would have the potential to contaminate many thousands of gallons of water. Please consider strengthening your warning. Thanks.

    BTW, I am going to be loading a Red Fin with BBs and painting it black this spring.

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  8. Don R

    Downloaded it on Saturday and read it cover to cover on my flight back from Florida! Once again top notch SJ crew!
    BTW Al A, I think some of those trebles may need some TLC, haha.

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