I been chasing the fish around and even hooking up on occasion but consistency has been hard to find. Good news is that we have a surprise up our sleeve for November issue and episode of SJTV #III is coming along nicely (as is  #IV). We already got over 30 new videos lined up for you guys so yeah, its been a busy month and don’t forget  Striper Day on 1/09/2016 at Hofstra University

Take a look at list of attendees and we still have not added all the logos Striper Day Vendors

Todays featured video is Wayne and Peter Hess, of Guppy Lures fame. Glad I got to spend some time with these fine folks and yes, they will be at Striper Day

It has been a busy week for us at SJ. I am happy to tell you that we got a TON of new video footage this week, SJTV episode III is almost wrapped up and we have stuff up our sleeves that will sure make some of you very, very happy. And yeah, we are getting ready for Striper Day on January 9th at Hofstra University.

Here is a preview of SJTV Episode III…note that the ending was shot last night and might not make have to be left on the cutting room floor this issue but will be in future segments..haha

And yeah, SJ Art Director Yo Dude Corrigan is one of the funniest human beings on this planet

Edward Sousa 48 inches

Sean Kearny 45 inches

Mike benziger 44 inches

Matt Vaccaro 42 inches

Frank Goncalves 41 inches

Bill Fischer 38 inches

tourney update..

unofficial leader 48 inch

Official Striperthon 2015 TAG

Also of note, both Tommy and I will be traveling for our club contest.Your entry will be recorded when received but we will not be able to confirm the size of your fish to exact length and approve it until we get back on Sunday and blow it up in Photoshop on our giant SJ 90 inch screen. So keep sending the pictures in and we will confirm their receipt

Here is your official contest tag. Please read the rules HERE on how to properly use it. Good luck out there and please be safe

one of the sample shots from past  striperthon

Two things jumped out at me while fishing Thursday and particularly Friday in what was probably the craziest weather ever. Not being able to lift your head to see where your bucktail lands because rain driven by 50 mph wind gusts made your face feel like pin cushion

One

Most of you know Craig VanShtalmo aka Craig Cantelmo, the Super rep for Van Staal Reels. I know Craig for awhile now but I never had a pleasure of fishing with him although I’ve seen his truck in MTK all the time AND he owes me a sight fishing trip I won on a website that doesn’t even exist anymore..haha

Craig is well known as a sight casting captain extraordinare in Peconics and as a magician with a  sissy stick aka fly rod. But although I have heard him talk about surf fishing I never fished with him to actually have an opinion on his skills. Lets be honest, any “pro” or “rep “I ever fished with exception of Roy Leyva and few others i find to be , lets just say “less then impressive” surfcasters

I got a chance to watch Craig fish in a shoulder to shoulder line up on Jones Reef on Thursday where about the only way you could have fit into that lineup would be if you jumped on someones shoulders. Did I mentioned that the conditions were a “little” crazy AND that Jones Reef is probably the most difficult place to fish on  the whole north side of Montauk Point? I wont get into a detail explanation why but I can guarantee  that you will be humbled here with any strong surf running

I tell you what, that dude CAN fish and he’s got a cahones of steel to boot! The fish were not big this day but he put on a absolute clinic and outfished everyone by at least 3 to1. And pushed farther than most were willing to go…

Here is a short video of him hooking and landing a bass[youtube]https://youtu.be/8umx7BUn_sU[/youtube]

the second thing…many of you know that I lost better parts of last two years to elbow tendinitis. One thing I backed off was  using a lot of pencil poppers unless brutally necessary (which happened to me last night). The second thing I changed was switching to a 10 foot rod instead of an 11. But which rod, there are so many of them? In search of answers I went to SJ Lou Caruso this spring and he recommended a new Century Noreaster Kevlar rod. Now you should know that I would trust Lou with my life and my kids so when this is what he recommended, i gave him a go ahead to build it. Yeah, I been loving every minute of using it 

BUT

If you told me few years ago that I was going to fish in the 40mph gusts like I did on Friday with a 10 foot rod and NOT lose any distance compared to those around me carrying bigger sticks I would tell you that you are insane! Just the fact that you would even mentioned to me using a 10 foot rod in a Noreaster to punch a 2 ounce bucktail into the wind would get you unfriended on FB..ok, I am just kidding but the elbow issues have made me change my gear a little.

And the fact that this rod has a sensitivity and yet balls to control the fish in that crazy sweep and rough  water ..I just had to publicly thank Lou for recommendation and a fine build. The man has built every rod I fished for the last few years and this is why. He listened to what I was saying, he knew the action in rod I preferred, he recommended a rod that greatly exceed my expectations

We are lucky to have Lou

Rich Troller, one of the most brilliant thinkers in the world of surfcasting is back with another edition of his Reading the Beach videos.

I strongly suggest you watch also the first 3 installments

there is GOLD in there for most of us

Due  to dangerous surf conditions and impending hurricane this weekend SJ Fall Striperthon 2015 has been postponed until next weekend October 9-11th

We hope all of you stay safe this weekend and we certainly pray  that this hurricane goes out to sea

STRIPERTHON POSTPONED UNTIL NEXT WEEKEND

Here is a video from 2013, on how to duplicate lures. If case you missed it originally in the SJ , 

After the little flurry in Browns died down, we all walked together back to the west. At this point if I remember correctly the tide was almost out. They lined up to fish the hole again while I being the youngest and stupidest had to be the one the furthest onto the reef. For about half an hour we plugged without success. I figured these guys have done this a zillion times, there is nothing my lure will find that they can’t, might as well try few casts straight into the reef. I found a good rock and fired up an overhand cast for the first time that day. Yeah, i got a little more distance but I lost half of retrieve due to the huge belly in the line. Definitely NOT worth it. Next cast was a kind of modified overhand/sideaways,  Cringlish type of cast only I can make. Guess what, I was into a fish and then another and then another. Greg came off the hole to my right and he started to catch few casting straight onto the reef. The conditions were a little too wild for the rest of the crew to join in and Greg and I kept picking at them. Although I was catching I did not like the angle I had, as half of my cast was bouncing over shallow rocks so I moved to another rock to his left. Now I was in much better position to make a correct presentation with a small bucktail and for whatever reason got myself in one of this insane “zones” where you just cant do anything wrong. I picked off another dozen or so fish before tide ran out and bite died.

Off to Herb’s to get a sandwich, texted Silver Fox that I am going back to south side, filled up the thermos with coffee again at 7/11 and back in the water for the incoming within the hour.

At this point I am the only person on the south side in the best looking water I’ve seen all year. On the first eight casts I landed eight fish, all while looking over my shoulder for Silver Fox who I was hopping would show up. He was fishing under the light and north side all night without a bump so I was really hoping he would show. Lo and behold here he comes and after landing two fish the bite shuts off. I moved around the reef a bit trying to find them while I left him in more calmer conditions and managed another two but that was all she wrote. Tried another spot together further east but no one was home in spite of great tide and conditions. Its really sad what this fishery has become in relatively few short years. Smaller and smaller schools result in shorter and more localized bites, if you are not in the “right” (lucky) spot, you are often out of luck. Nothing like years ago when good fishing was spread along the coast.

By afternoon I was heading back home, my construction boots waiting and ready to work. A  solid trip in my mind considering the state of fisheries, yet at the same time very disappointing to see only flurry of activity in those conditions. Yeah, I’ve heard all the excuses, the water is too warm, the fish are staying offshore, bass cant afford NY taxes, Sandy damaged the beaches, Kate’s breast are too large (they are perfect if you ask me)

I been saying this for years and I will keep saying it, we are in for some very unpleasant catch rates for the next few years. Saturday I fished all day and probably made a thousand casts with even better conditions for 3 dinks that took pity on me. I hope I am wrong about this

On a personal how-to note, If I do point out something to someone about what they might try to do to increase their catch rate, its not because I am conceded asshole. Its because I like seeing people catch fish and continue to improve their game and skills. That is why we keep making how-to videos. I learned two things about a particular spot on Wednesday that I was not aware of, even after fishing here for 15 years. My point is never stop learning, because if you do then you will become a conceded ahole..lol

One thing on these type of conditions…..heavy crosswind means a HUGE belly in your line if you cast overhand in most locations on south side . On the north side you get a benefit of casting right into the wind, you can easily fire off an overhand cast without a huge bow. But even there, the point of impact , meaning where your line is at the point of your bucktail landing in the water is insanely important. Of course those who have been doing this for ages will pooh-pooh but because its a second nature to them. But I see a lot of guys struggling with firing off a good cast and then losing half of retrieve by picking up a slack. If you put your line on the roller BEFORE your bucktail hits the water you will take off MOST of your slack out and be ready to catch fish AS SOON as it hits the water. Casting into the right portion of the wave is a whole other story that i will get to at some point but its no different than what I wrote in The Art of Surfcasting with Lures about metal lip swimmers. Same concept, different presentation. Eventually you will know exactly at one point during your retrieve you can expect to get a fish..even with fishing not being what it once was

(There is MUCH more to this , particularly the size of bucktails , retrieve rate, cast angles and retrieve thought the foam speed variations but unless you make a good cast, all these other things will be irrelevant)

Short video on expecting the hit..unlisted so please don’t share

[youtube]https://youtu.be/iuIQrDCukqM[/youtube]

If you wondering why this story is a week old, its because that bite is long gone and over, but it might help you the next time it happens

FALL SJ STRIPERTHON THIS WEEKEND..get your hooks sharpened

Let me get what’s on my mind out first, you’ll find all the giveaway winners at the bottom of this blog.

I have a hard time eating, sleeping or concentrating on work during NE blows in the fall. Its a disease I caught long time ago and just not can shake it of regardless how bad the fishing gets..and its getting downright scary. If you told me only three years ago that I would be fishing yesterday in those type of conditions at Montauk Point, I would have told you that after catching a fifty or a hundred fish I would have called it quits…by noon. Instead of making three thousand casts for three rats in caswels…but back to my story

I arrived in Montauk Tuesday night. Monday they had a wicked NE wind and no one more or less caught a single fish. Tuesday they had better day as they picked and picked at them all day on south side. No, nothing like it should be or nothing like it used to be but then again, we are not like we used to be.

I suited up alone in Camp Hero around 11 PM and took a walk to caswels. The conditions were awesome and quite a bit intimidating, 5 to 7 foot sets with NE wind gusting to 20. Not as strong as it usually is associated with noresters but enough to get fishing going I was hoping. How has the fishing been? I have a personal friend who has been plugging Montauk during the week since summer and he caught a LOT of BIG blues. He hasn’t seen a bass on the north side in weeks and weeks. And he was not  the only one. As such I wasn’t expecting much, few dinks would make my  night.

I really truly respect those who hunt for big fish. It takes a dedication to concentrate on one part of the sport, and probably the most difficult one. I am on the opposite side of the spectrum, I just love fishing “conditions” more than catching big fish. If I had to pick between 50 dinks at Caswels  that night or catch a one 50b bass I’ll take dinks six days a week and twice on Sunday. This is probably why I get psyched up for the storms. I just love that crazy white water, crazy wind and small 3/4 to 1 ounce bucktails cast sidearm.

After arriving at Caswels and finding a rock on the reef I thought for a minute what would happen if I cracked my head here as there wasn’t a single guy fishing on the south side. That proved to be premonition of sorts as getting off the rock later I severely jammed my thumb in the rock and I am still dealing with repercussions 5 days later. I am always looked as being weird for not carrying my phone when fishing rocks but I just don’t. I want to be alone, I want to enjoy these few hours in peace and serenity only Montauk or Cuttyhunk can provide for me. I want to get immersed into the nature, the rocks, the waves. I want my arm to become a long wand that will move in the rhythm with gyrating waves and will pluck bass from the milky foam one after another before I get to tired to lift my arms. I don’t want to be disturbed….and if something ever happens, if I need assistance? We all got to go someday, I’ll just crawl up on the rock and wait for what God has in store for me. Besides, good luck getting reception on the south side

Fortunately the jammed thumb was all the abuse I took other than some pummeling by waves, even better , it was on my non-casting hand..haha. I fired up a cast, cut my cast by a quarter so I can control my bucktail and I put my line on the roller. Immediately i felt the bump and I set a hook hard. Would you believe that  was my only fish for then next two hours!!!

The jinx of the first cast fish strikes again !

With a  tail between my legs I got back to my truck and took my gear off. After a very uncomfortable night in the truck I was up for dawn at Camp Hero again. I did not bother checking the north side at all, if there was fish there, they can have them, there really wasn’t anyone there to fish for them. I saw Vito, Donny Musso, Pat Abate  and crew plugging the Rat Hole but I did not see a bend in a rod. There might have have been one more guy in Kings and one in Browns but that was it. The water look absolutely gorgeous with big sets of breakers rolling over the reef and white water everywhere, hard to believe their rods were not bent. They were getting out of the water and walking towards Browns, where there was a single guy fishing the corner and it looked liked he was into some fish

I had to run to the restroom in upper lot and by the time I got back , they were all in Browns casting away. I suited up and joined them. I cant explain to you how awesome is to fish with these legends of the surf, especially during the week when you literally have a place to yourself. I found a rock where the reef met the cove and fired a sideway cast into a big roller. I managed five fish while the legends picked few each, I just got lucky on a better rock, plus don’t forget I can get out further as they are all about thousand years old….haha

A slow pick but it got better..at least for me..stay tuned

The winners of this past week giveaways

MTK LTD shirt winners and Big Poppa winner. Please reach us at info@surfcastersjournal.com with your shipping address and size

ERIC MATUZSAN

Pete the polish pistol

James Donnelly

The shirts are in the online store for a limited time while supplies last

The winner of Guides Choice Big Poppa giveaway is

Lonell Rodgers

stay tuned for NE wind…as Harvey would say..the Rest Of The Story

PS

On Saturday, October 3rd on north side of Montauk there will be a little ceremony for Jack Yee and after which his ashes will be scattered over his favorite place, Weakfish Rock. If you are in the area, please stop by to honor this extraordinary surfcaster