Ok, here we go…we got lots of winners

The crew from Saltwater Edge and RedGil picked out three random numbers today which they sent to us. Then we matched those numbers to the entries that we already assigned numbers during the week

 winners of Saltwater Edge/ Redgil contest are

The winner of $250 Gift Certificate from Saltwater Edge is Keith Alexander speedracer11767@yahoo.com

The winner of $50 Gift certificate of RedGil is George Mello gator009@comcast.net

The winner of any one lure from SWE stock is ROBERT KRETZER  audio1fx@optonline.net

  Continue reading →

Ok, some of you have complained to me personally that I spend way too much time putting myself down. There is a reason for that. The one thing that petrifies me and keeps me awake at night..is for my head to swell so much it could barely fit through the door. You know what I am talking about. You’ve seen your friends catch few fish and next thing you know, they sadly  know everything. You’ve seen teenagers on line asking questions about what to buy to get started, then dispensing advice like a seasoned surfcaster. Sharpie, Hardcore (yup, still hating that word) ,Expert…you can have all of those. No disrespect to those who strive to achieve the heights in this sport, it’s great to have a drive, but this blog is not about a person, it’s about a magazine and sport we love. My biggest fear is that when I leave someone with personal agenda will take over and use this forum to promote themselves..I hope I never see that day Continue reading →

First, I want to thank the folks from Saltwater Edge and RedGil for $250 Gift Certificate contest, $50 in Red Gills and any lure from SWE stock. They will pick three numbers and we will match those numbers to donation numbers we assigned to each person., Stay tuned for the winners this weekend. If you are not familiar, here is the link to the blog post

https://surfcastersjournal.com/blog/?p=5336

Somebody sent me a video the other day that was made by my friend Tom Lynch of NJ. That dude has some mad video and editing skills! I don’t know, I always felt I could do stuff ok but was always lacking that artistic touch that Tom has with video or Tommy has with SJ. Wait, maybe I should change my name to Tom too?

That was too easy

Anyway here is the video of Big Rock Shovel Head metal lip swimmer. In case you don’t know who Big Rock is, he is Russell Paoline, our beach buggy columnist and maker of Big Rock lures. You can contact him russellpaoline@gmail.com to get more info about his lures. He makes small batches at the time and I belivee he is making shovelheads now.

 [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CccR3U06iYw[/youtube]

In other news..for those you RM Smith plug hounds, Saltwater’s Tackle in Islip received their first delivery of RM Smith plugs last week. Get them while you can. Same can be said for RI Popper lures at East End Tackle and Afterhours Lures at Cow Harbor bait and tackle that incidentally is ready to service your ZeeBaaS whenever your heart desires.

Of course Paulie and Pat at River’s End will take care of all your Van Staals. With these guys now all servicing these reels locally, the first guy that sends their reel to Oklahoma or Stratford to get regular service should get 10 lashes. No Soup For You. Or maybe he should spend a night consoling Chris Humphries.

Did I call that of what ?

 Few weeks ago I said they won’t last a year….which means that i can now go back to sending her 50 emails a day asking her to be an official SJ hottie

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God knows (and so do all of you) that I am not a great writer. Heck, I am not even good, never mind great. But what I try to be is honest. I figured if I am , you will see past my misspelled words and all the “zenoisam” and understand what I am getting at.

I don’t give out praise that easily either. Most of the equipment and lures that I use are good. There are only few items in my surfcasting arsenal that I consider great. Sometimes my rigged eels are great and sometimes they look like they were rigged by an 8 year old. My SS darters are great..when fish want them.

I’ve read many books on surf fishing and many are good. I doubt there is a book that I’ve read that I haven’t picked up a thing or two. What would I call a “great” book? Shinning Tides by Brooks published sometimes in the 50’s. It captured my imagination. It made me dream while I read it. It is hard to do this in a how-to book. Very hard. Presenting the facts in entertaining manner can be a daunting job. I know all of you have read The Art of Surfcasting With Lures. I still ship 5 to 1 of The Art of Surfcasting to any other book I published for me or for others. It is your vote on its usefulness, not me telling you what is good. And that is the way its suppose to be.

But I got news for you. There is new sheriff in town and his name is John Skinner.

John has a book being printed as we speak ” Fishing the Bucktail” that I will call “great” book without reservations. All I am going to say is this, I have never read anything like it. I never wanted the book to end and all I could think is how am I going to stick a lojack device under John’s truck so I can follow him around. Yes, the book will be considered a how-to more than his previous bestseller A Season on the Edge.

What did I get out of it? After all, I have been fishing for few years now. I wrote few books. I should know my shit. Let me tell you something, I am reconsidering most of the stuff I do with my bucktails and modifying many things in particular places after reading this book. Look, I don’t want to tell you that you need this. What I am telling you is that you going to want to have this book.

Doc Muller wrote a bucktail book awhile ago and you might wonder are they alike. They are not even close. They might be two books on same subject but written from two totally different angles. John is a inlet junkie, a guy as comfortable with a 5 ounce bucktail as he is with a small one on the yak. Once you start reading the book and start to get into his head, thinking along the lines he does you are going to step back and say, whoa, this dude is intense…lmao

Anyway, that is all for now. The book is expected to be printed in about ten days and in stores for Thanksgiving. The retail price on this 130 page  book is $17.95 and like I said should be in stores by Thanksgiving.

John is make limited number of signed copies available only to SJ Blog readers.If you need info on address to mail a check please contact us at info@surfcastersjournal.com

Here is the link you can follow to  reserve your signed copy (or you can just click on the picture) and when the book is printed, John will sign it and it will be mailed to you. This is limited time offer. We will. Iftake this link down in few days  http://surfcastersgear.com/Reserve-autographed-copy-Fishing-the-Bucktail-by-John-Skinner-Fishing-the-Bucktail-Skinner.htm

CHAPTERS

1. A BUCKTAIL PRIMER……………………………………………. 7

2. BUCKTAIL CHARACTERISTICS ………………………… 15

3. NUTS AND BOLTS ……………………………………………… 27

4. OCEAN SAND BEACHES …………………………………….. 31

5. OCEAN INLET JETTIES ………………………………………. 41

6. BACK BAY SHORELINES …………………………………….. 55

7. ROCKY SOUND BEACHES …………………………………… 63

8. MONTAUK SURF …………………………………………………. 75

9. SHALLOW INSHORE WATERS……………………………… 83

10. THREE-WAY RIGS IN DEEP RIPS ………………………… 91

11. LIGHT TACKLE FLUKE BUCKTAILING…………….. 101

12. MAKING YOUR OWN BUCKTAILS …………………… 111

13. FINAL THOUGHTS ……………………………………………. 121

Do I have to say anything more than Paulie Interview Part II ?

 Really?

ok, ok, how about a winners of last week giveaway ?

Big Fish swimmer goes to w2rhodes@gmail.com

Big Fish hat goes to sandspike44@gmail.com

Line Stretcher Lures goes to  kckid814@hotmail.com

Lure Tubes goes to  lyco53@yahoo.com

Bio Edge scent goes to  steve@boatinglocal.com

all of you have 5 days to email us your shipping address to info@surfcastersjournal.com

and now…our star…Paulie of Montauk

I would suggest you click on the YouTube button in the right hand corner of the video and watching it on You Tube in High Definition.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L51vE78mjgU[/youtube]

I did get a chance to get out this weekend. I even managed to give a drag on a ZeeBaaS a good work out. I was particular impressed with the balls on the CTS rod Lou built me. Sweet…now if I can find few more fish of that size. Sad fact is that is the only hit I had. But I will take it. Few more interesting thing happened this weekend but you will have to wait awhile till I can fill you in. As you know, certain things in this sport have to become an old news before you are allowed to talk about them.

I am still amazed of just how thin these new blanks are from St Croix, CTS and others. It almost feels like you are fishing with a light tackle rod, never have to worry about your shoulders or arms tiring from casting. But once you hook into a moose, only then will you know just what kind a beast you got in your hands.

As you seen on Sunday, I added a poll, more out of curiosity than anything else. I would like to incorporate these polls into the posts going forward. Here is a poll that is probably more interesting to me than many of you but I just had to know the answer. We have some good writers and we have been blessed with many good books on surf fishing last few years. Forget my books, which are so full of “zenoisam” that if you are a English professor you probably had a mild stroke from aggravation when reading. I am talking about real sharpies like Skinner, Doc Muller, DJ Muller and so on….out of these three, who is the guy that you can’t wait to read whatever he writes?

 [polldaddy poll=5627144]

and last but not least

Who said Super Strike does not make wood? 😉

Let’s start the week off right by giving one of you a chance to win this new orange pliers sheath from Hansom Tackle.
Designed and MADE IN THE USA by Aquaskinz exclusively for Hansom Pliers. This sheath is durable, light weight and built to last. Constructed from 22oz Vinyl Coated Polyester which is 100% Mildew and U.V. Resistant. For the binding they used a Flexible Vinyl-Coated Polyester that is very light- weight and extremely strong. This sheath is expertly designed by Aquaskinz to fit their AP-8 Pliers perfectly. This design won’t take on water and get weighed down. It fits their pliers so perfectly that you’ll always know they are safe and secure on your hip. Available in orange or black

The winner will get  an orange sheath. Lots of stuff coming this week, Part 2 of Paulies inteview, some other interesting videos and other stuff

One more week till issue #10 arrives…if you haven’t read issue # 9 cover to cover, now might be a good time 😉
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I know this is a strange question, but it’s something it’s been on my mind lately.

How difficult would you think it would be to record landing a 50lb stripers from the surf in the dark? I mean, what are the odds that someone with camera will be there when you catch one? Or you being there with a camera when someone else lands one?

What camera would you use? Go Pro does not work at night unless you ask Spielberg to let you borrow a giant floodlight to light up the spot…of course this would go over well with those who are fishing there. Maybe you could even get away with a rod not being shoved up your…

So, you need to be at the precise spot where the 50 pounder will be caught. You can’t use any lights to illuminate your subject and you basically need a night vision camera…

So, I want you to voice your opinion, what is the chance of a 50 pound stripers being landed on camera, at night, without lights?

[polldaddy poll=4078188]

..

btw..I think you guys are going to get a kick out of this.

This is a new Mars Rover that is going in the space in few weeks. There are parts on this Rover machined by the guys at ZeeBaaS…kind of neat if you ask me

 Todays blog post is from blog reader Ryan Chenette     …enjoy and I hope you are enjoying the weekend….Zeno                                                                                                                                       

                        The Sunset of Summer

             I pulled in to the dusty gravel lot at the beach and was surprised at how many people were there. The beach in mid-September can be hit or miss. Some days are sunny and warm with a slight breeze; others windy and cold. This one happened to be a clear, warm day. I parked my car by the rocks overlooking the breachway and walked over the dunes towards the beach.

       There were groups of people scattered along the beach. Adults sat in beach chairs thrown in rough circles in the sand. Some groups had picnic dinners and glasses of wine, toasting the setting sun. Others just sat, basking in the sun. It was as if, like squirrels gathering nuts, they were gathering up the last breaths of summer.

     The children did not have the same intent as their parents. They were using up every last drop of daylight that they could squeeze from the sky. There were sand castle builders, kite flyers, rock skippers, and wave runners. There were a few brave souls; or as I like to call it, youthful idiotic bliss, that were swimming in the glistening surf line. They were not aware of their own shivering blue lips. Muckling in the waves was far too important to notice such things. These might be the last waves of the year.

    The sun was a bright orange ball as it sank in the West. The grayish clouds wore purple and pink hues as the rays of the sun passed through. The clouds in the East were now turning their own shade of pink to match the West. The silhouettes of birds could be seen crossing the horizon, looking for the resting place of the night.For them, the day has come to an end.

  As the day gives way to night there are only a few sweat shirted people left on the beach. Couples wrapped in blankets, reluctant to let go of the closing day. But, as every season ends , another begins. As one group notices the end of one season, another group awaits the beginning of the next. The camping lot is full of folks awaiting the beginning of Fall.

  I make my way inland,along the channel.  The back pond is full of bait fish, mostly peanut Bunker and Mullet , that have spent the summer in the safety of the inlet. Feasting and growing all year in the shallows away from predators. Now that the days are cooler, they gather in numbers, getting ready to leave their sanctuary and follow the coastline south. The Striped Bass and Bluefish know this and stand guard where the ocean meets the inlet, waiting for their meal. This migration will go unnoticed by most people, but not those in the campground. This is what they came for.

   The campground is bustling with life as the cars of the beachgoers leave in a cloud of dust. The smell of charcoal, burgers and hot dogs fill the air. Men gather in small groups to finish their meals and tell lies over cups of coffee.Laughter and light hearted arguments can be heard from all around.The mood is energetic with anticipation. Fishing poles line the back of the campers, standing ready for the nights battles. Small tables are lit with lanterns as gear is checked one last time before heading out.

        It’s time for me to get my own gear ready for the night. I pass a group of old timers on my way back to the car. Sitting in chairs with their rods in holders, they wait for a bite and sip cold beers. No longer willing to brave the rocks and the falls and scrapes that come with them. Unwilling to give up the sport they love, they compromise with throwing out some bait and waiting. Time is something they have. I’m looking for more action and pass by with a nod and a “good luck”.

         Back at the car I see that more cars have arrived. This is no longer a quiet fishing spot, word has spread. I go through my ritual of getting ready, waders,boots,jacket and belt. I look in my plug bag and wonder if I have what the fish will want: a few substitutions that feel right, and it’s still a crap shoot if a fish will take one. Flashlight,knife, pliers and rod, I’m ready.The surf is calling.

          I walk out on the rocks that my feet know by heart. There are people sitting on white buckets throwing bait out into the channel that will never hold in this current.They look at me, in their sweatshirts,and me water proof from head to toe.I won’t be stopping here. The waters edge is calling, out to the end where the waves smash against the rocks and spray foam up into the air. I step up to the last rock between me and the vast sea and take a cast.

The fall run is on.