A fellow called me the other night, looking for some advice on self publishing, for  his upcoming book. I was happy to help in any way I can. I know the process is not fun, you will have to trust me on this. I am actually excited to see this book in print. I will hold the details for now and no, the book is not about surf fishing, but it is about striped bass. I haven’t seen it yet so I won’t make any comments till I do. Anyway, this fellow, with whom I spoke to previously on the same subject, told me he did not know I was as he put it, a “publisher”. He said that if he originally knew, he probably would have not contacted me, in fear that I would not share my experiences and contacts. Which is silly because the first thing I did is gave him my book designer phone number and the printer that I dealt with. Why wouldn’t I help him in any way possible? Silly if you ask me, to even think like that. I don’t consider myself a publisher but if you insist, you can call me an “accidental publisher”. Meaning guys like Doc and Skinner asked me to use my experience and contacts to bring their books into the market. To me, both of these guys are my heroes, so maybe I have blinders on but I am more than happy that I helped them.

I had toyed with an idea of writing another book. It was going to be a book of stories along the lines of “shit that only happens to me”. I got most of it done but then I decided to work with these guys on their projects, and this magazine basically sucks out any life out of me that I have left…so that gets pushed back. Maybe never to be seen again. Who knows, maybe it’s for the best.

I did decide to make the series of interviews I did few years ago for the Fisherman into an eBook. I figured some who have missed it might be interested in reading it.

The second project I been working on was a book of articles that appeared in On The Water and Fisherman magazines over the years. Again, only in an eBook form. These articles are not meant to be tied together by a theme, instead, I picked the stuff I liked the best. The ones I found to be most interesting.

The first book of articles, and possible the only one, who knows what life will bring, is now live.

Surf Fishing, Collection of Articles Volume 1 is now at Amazon, Barnes and noble and our online store available for  downloading to your kindle, nook or ipad. I hope you enjoy it.

  Continue reading →

Sometimes we write about the stuff…and you just want to see it up close. Yes, the picture is worth a thousand words but the video is what answers many of the questions you might have. So I case of SPRO new Split Snaps, we did just that..

We think you are going to find it interesting. We also think that at night, while bracing for the wave in complete darkness the regular clip style will be a lot easier to put on with eyes closed. On the sand, it might be a completely different story

enjoy

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7snVE70p2EA[/youtube] Continue reading →

I always felt like the luckiest man alive. I am sure many of you feel the same way when you sit down with you family and look around dinner table. I have no grandiose plans to be a fishing celebrity or dreams of having a fishing show. In fact, when presented with an opportunity to appear in one, I run the other way. Fast. Some of us are born with a face for a radio as they say…and I am cool with that.

This sport of surfcasting is my passion and it has been great to me in so many ways. I have few friends outside the sport but the benefit was I got to meet so many wonderful people over the years. Given a chance to promote the sport I love, I took it with both hands and ran with it. That is why we are here, why the magazine is here, why the blog is here.

There is no “light on the end of the tunnel”, Continue reading →

By Anglelo Peluso

In today’s world rife with high-technology communication capabilities, email and texting have contributed somewhat to diminished writing skills among today’s generation of students. Remarkably, I’ve heard stories from corporate recruiters that have actually received resumes accompanied by cover letters written in “text-speak.” For example: “I hear UR hiring. Here’s some 411 about me. WBS. Ciao.” Back when I was hiring for the corporation I worked with during my business career that resume would have made a quick acquaintance with the trash basket. But some organizations involved with fishing and the outdoors have set about to do something to change that or at least make a small difference. Continue reading →

You can tell that this two piece rods, pro and con,  is bugging me because it keeps reappearing in my thoughts. No, it’s not the two piece rods per se. Instead it’s something I wrote about many times over the years, the inability or unwillingness to change.

Someone asked me what if my top section flies off on the cast while I am on the rock? Good point. But what if you snap your one piece stick on the adjoining rock? We are both screwed. Yes, I do have one more thing that  can fail….which brings me to the subject that I want to bring to your attention.

Should you eliminate all chance of equipment failure? Then you won’t have a choice but to tie directly to your running line. No leaders, no split rings, no swivels, no clips, no two piece rods. Hell, throw away your waders and buy a wetsuit because ,hey, you MIGHT get wet. Your knot might slip. Your leader might chafe. Continue reading →

We wrote about it in the current issue of the Surfcaster’s Journal Magazine about Spro new Split Snaps. Now thanks to the generous folks at Spro, we will give you a chance to win not one, but 4 packs of these Spro Split Snaps. The winner will receive one package of each 25,45,90 and 125 lb test  of these Spro Split Snaps

[issuu width=550 height=213 shareMenuEnabled=false showHtmlLink=false proSidebarEnabled=true printButtonEnabled=false shareButtonEnabled=false searchButtonEnabled=false backgroundColor=%23222222 documentId=120111023118-9d1048647cfe41d090399d5cfee4d4ff name=issue_11 username=surfcasters_journal tag=fishing unit=px id=70069923-d325-f4da-96e8-406b89269658 v=2]

This weekend didn’t quite go the way I planned, but you try to make most of it. I did the seminar at Fisherman Conservation Association in Staten Island on Saturday and had a great a great time. Thank you to those who showed up to hear me speak. After that, I made a beeline for home and went to my daughter concert at Tiles Center which was another fantastic performance by the Nassau/Suffolk youth band.

The plan on Sunday was to head up to the Islandia show on Long Island with Tommy. We figured on a yearly trip and then spend the rest of the day waiting for a big game. Our plans changed as we attend our friend’s Mark memorial service which was quite touching. After it was over we decided to take a ride anyway out east and spend an hour  there..or so I thought…It ended up being a lot more than an hour

The fascinating part about these shows is that many are quick to whine that they are either small, wrong time, there are no deals. What they don’t see is the work that goes in putting this together. All done by volunteers, people who don’t mind spending a weekend helping vendors and insuring that show goes without a hitch. My hat is off to all of those who jump in and lend a helping hand, regardless if its NY, NJ, CT, RI, MA or show in some other place.

I spent some time talking to Rich from CTS Rods. He had a new Vapor stick out in one piece. I got to be honest here and many of you will disagree with me but so be it, not the first time. Continue reading →

I woke up this morning with nothing but sadness in my heart. Yesterday we lost close a very close friend and a hell of a surfcaster. A fixture in the Montauk surf for last few decades ,Mark Levy never was and never will be your prototypical Montauk Regular.

He was as stubborn as a mule, he had a stamina of a twenty year old and a piercing stare that would make you want to go fish twenty yards away from him. But to us who knew him, he was the most loyal friend, a fishing partner and man who loved life. He liked fishing on the sandy beaches of Nassau County but he LOVED Montauk until his last breath. There was no place on earth where he was more at piece, more in his element then when he planted his feet on a slimy rocks on the Montauk North Side.

I still have a vision in my head of a hard nor’easters under the Bluffs, with a driving rain that pierced your soul. A huge menacing waves that were ready to swallow you whole if you took a step too close to the water. And there was Mark, standing on his rock, always the same one, wiping his glasses away in a downpour so he can make another cast. Like the world did not exist around him, as if he was all alone, he paid no attention to hundreds of casters to his side. Just cast, reel, wipe glasses, lean , cast , hook up, and on and on… Oh , how he loved those storms on the north side of the Light, how he loved tossing Super Strike Poppers in the middle of the night and catching fish while everyone else just scratched their heads.

May the Montauk Light be an internal beacon that guides him in afterlife. I am certain that Mark is already sharpening his hooks in Heaven, waiting for another tide to flush all the stripers from their Heavenly hiding spot.

He was a long serving member of High Hill Striper Club who was actively involved in the club and was one of the most ardent proponents of conservation and catch and release. I am not sure if I have ever seen him keep a fish of any kind and I knew and fished with him for almost two decades. He was not the type to tell others what to do with their fish but you’d see what he was thinking on his face. He wore a heart on his sleeve, there was no gray area , it was either black or white. Or in case of his beloved Super Strike darters, yellow.

Man sure could fish that darter, but to me, I will always remember that it was him who uncovered the magic of the Little Neck Poppers at night, and not willingly either. You had to earn his respect. I will be eternally grateful that I did.

To all his friends, family and fishing buddies, sincerest condolences on your loss from all of us at the Surfcaster’s Journal.

World has lost a hell of a surfcaster yesterday..they just don’t make them like Mark anymore..

Rest in peace buddy …and catch em up in heaven.

It’s time to play…name that picture. Yes , it’s our bimonthly feature where Surfcaster’s Journal staffers pick their favorite photographs in this issue of the Surfcaster’s Journal Magazine. This time, the job of picking his favorite shot fell to our esteemed editor Roger Martin.

You guess what Roger’s favorite shot it and you’ll win…..

This mojo Sub Darter from Tactical Anglers and a pack of their TA Clips which have taken over the surfcasting in recent years. Hey, great products sell itself. So here is your shot, post below the page you think Roger’s picture is located. You it guess correctly, and you win.

I will see some of you at my seminar at FCA headquarters in Staten Island tomorrow. If you are still on the fence I suggest you get down before you hurt yourself..or at least that is what my grandmother would say..lol

Seriously, come down for a breakfast and a bullchit session till noon. It should be a good time for a good cause

[issuu width=550 height=213 shareMenuEnabled=false showHtmlLink=false proSidebarEnabled=true printButtonEnabled=false shareButtonEnabled=false searchButtonEnabled=false backgroundColor=%23222222 documentId=120111023118-9d1048647cfe41d090399d5cfee4d4ff name=issue_11 username=surfcasters_journal tag=fishing unit=px id=70069923-d325-f4da-96e8-406b89269658 v=2]