I am back from trip from Montauk and hopefully I will get few minutes of time during the week to put thoughts together. Yes I looked at the forecast of Gale NE winds and I called in dead. Yes, there were fish and boy were they……….tiny!. Holy crap I was not expecting that!

Anyway, got some thought, got some videos to cut during the week but first I need a little family time, which always comes first

Here is a picture of my friend Adam under the light, a lot of hairy moments there this weekend

Here is a my buddy Rich about to get swallowed by a wave

and also. few minutesa go  I added these new redesigned SJ Mermaid shirts to our online store at  http://surfcastersgear.com/ Limited stocks and Tommy redesigned the back from Long Island to Forever Dedicated . You guys get the first shot at them tonight

Also, the new Night Crew Long Sleeve shirts are finally in stock. I know many of you have asked.

more thoughts on Montauk coming up…

I spent the last few weeks fielding phone calls from “interested” parties. No idea how otherwise to call them, but they all seemed to want to know where we stand on the new striped bass proposed regulations. These are all “recreational” fellows under this or that umbrella. And I would finish every conversation by same question, asking them what is their opinion of why for-hire fleet and “recreational industry” in general is always skittish about even broaching the subject of game fish for striped bass. Not that game fish status is something I spend a lot of time thinking about, but I been curious for a long time why there is no love from recreational “industry”

Now lets make one thing clear. People say game fish status for striped bass does not do a damned thing for conservation. All it does is take fish to be consumed from one user group (commercials) and gives them to other (recreational).There is A LOT of truth to that. If resources are just relocated from one user group to another, then yes, game fish or no-sale for stripers does not conserve a single bass. Game fish inn itself in NOT conservation measure

However, I have heard from numerous sources in last few weeks, including at ASMFC hearing that poaching in NY might be BIGGER than a whole commercial quota! I am naïve, I never thought poaching was a BIG problem but according to those who know better, it’s a big problem in NY.

Be that as it may, my question on why there is zero support from recreational ” industry” was purely academic. For the life of me I could not understand why would not a charter or party boat support game fish for striped bass. They are as they call themselves a “taxi service for the recreational anglers”. They transport those who cant to fishing grounds and provide opportunity for them to fish.

In case you are confused what game fish status is, it simply means no commercial sale. There are still size, limits and seasonal restrictions to every recreational angler. Just like they are on snook and redfish in Florida. You can catch it, you can eat it. You just cant sell it. Which alone would destroy all the poachers. Or at least most of them. But again, this has nothing to do with me wanting to take fish away from someone’s plate or impede commercial guys from making a living.

No, my question always was, for years now , why there is no support from people that would actually BENEFIT from game fish status? After all, if striped bass could only be caught and kept by recreational anglers, then there would be a bigger pot from which for-hire fleet would be able to draw. More fish per customer, lower sizes, what is the downside?

So I am sitting at the ASMFC hearing on striped bass in Stony Brook and I listen to for-hire fleet captains and then it hit me! According to testimony of many of them, they are not only “taxi to recreational anglers” BUT they also hold commercial striped bass tags! Now I get it! Why hasn’t someone filled me in on this before, its so simple. I feel like such an ass for never even considering this.

The same people you and I call our “allies” in protecting this fish we so adore are also commercial fishermen for the same species. How do you like that? Does recreational organizations that these for-hire captains fund and belong to, and who support them know that they are actually representing commercial fisherman at the same time? The non-naive part of me would have to say yes.

This has nothing to do with right or wrong. I don’t think there is right or wrong here. You do stuff that is legal, even if that means you are a surfcaster and you take your “legal” limit home every day, its ok with me. It might not be ethical, I might not agree with it but it is legal. And I am a big believer in respecting the existing laws. So these for-hire recreation/commercial charter boat captains are not doing anything wrong. But did you ever consider that they are also commercial striped bass fisherman? I never did but then again, I am naïve. We tend to separate for hire fleet from commercial guys but maybe we shouldn’t? Of course they are not going support any stinking game fish bill. They will not be able to commercially fish for bass if that happens

There are a TON for hire and party boat captains that do not hold any commercial licenses. The Montauk Mosquito fleet, the ones surfcasters most detest when they get between them and the blitzing fish are actually the most conservation minded. We’ve seen that at the hearings and we known that for years. Yeah, they will always be annoying with their run-and-gun fly fishing between you and fish, but at least take comfort that your feelings on conservation and health of the species is in line with theirs. They won’t drop off their customers after preaching about conservation to them and then go pin-hooking!

I contacted DEC for a full list of all commercial striped bass tags holders. I thought it would be neat to have it accessible to all. Don’t bet on DEC responding to my request with any urgency..haha

But seriously, for the first time in my life I clearly understand why many for-hire captains do not support even conversation about game fish status. Sometimes I am a little slow, but even a slow poke gets there in time.

We got another giveaway for you guys but first few announcements

The winner of the KVD Braid Pliers, Lanyard and Sheath giveaway is Steven McDonald  stevemac1515@gmail.com

You have 5 days to contact us at info@surfcastersjournal.com with your shipping address. Congratulation

This is something I just put on our Facebook page. If you would like to nominate your deserving veteran, please do it on SJ Facebook page, not here on the blog

A Surfcaster’s Journal subscriber wanted to honor our service personnel by purchasing Five subscriptions to the Surfcaster’s Journal Magazine and instructing us to award them to five deserved surfcasters. He prefers to remain anonymous, his only reason was to acknowledge the sacrifice these man and women have made to keep us and our children safe from harm .You must nominate either an active or retired member of the armed forced. All the other info is on our FB page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Surfcasters-Journal-Online-Magazine/365270663420

Ok, for today’s giveaway.

I have a set of new Bomber “Long Shot” lures from Bomber. Our thanks to people at Bomber for providing today’s giveaway prizes. I think its safe to say that more striped bass fell victims to the wiggle of Bomber lures over the last few decades than probably all other plastic swimmers combined.

These are new for 2014

Here is a description from Bomber website

The Bomber Saltwater Grade Long Shot

The Bomber Saltwater Long Shot slender minnow bait was engineered to maximize four main characteristics that make up a fish-catching machine. First, an internal weight transfer system allows the rattle to roll to the tail end of the bait on the cast, then rolls back into position when the lure hits the water. That, along with the aerodynamic shape that cuts through the air, makes for super-long-distance casts even into a stiff wind. Next, the Long Shot’s wide swimming action mimics a damaged baitfish – a strike trigger for all species of gamefish. Another characteristic that sets the Bomber Saltwater Grade Long Shot apart from the rest are the color patterns and decoration that are regionally specific. Whether you’re fishing the Gulf off the Texas coast or big waters anywhere, there’s a color pattern that fits your needs. Finally, if you’ve created a lure that big saltwater fish want to eat, it better be strong enough to handle the battle, time-after-time, and the Long Shot is up to the task. It comes equipped with 4x Saltwater hooks and heavy duty hardware.

The winner will recive a 7 inch, 1 3/4 oz Bomber Long Shot lure in Menhaden pattern

and a 5 inch , 3/4 ounce Bomber Long Shot in Baby Blue Fish pattern

First, I’d like to thank so many of you that stopped by our table last night at the Fisherman Surf Show and told us how much you like what we do. And thanks to our friends at The Fisherman Magazine for having us. We always have a great time but last night was particularly hectic…I wonder if it had something to do with hot mermaid on some garment?

Speaking of mermaids, we have few (very limited stock) shirts left . Whatever is left, few of each size is in our online store now at www.surfcastersgear.com I wanted the blog readers have a first shot at them before the FB crazies clean us out. Yes, we will be remaking them. You can click on www.surfcastersgear.com and it will take you to the online store. I will apologize ahead of time if we run out but we will take care of you guys, that I promise. We also made these new long sleeve Night Crew shirts for the first time. But they sold out in a lot of sizes. Large and I think few others are gone. We had few left and they are up in the store now too but they will be coming down on weekend and we’ll put it back up one we remake them.

Another giveaway on the weekend and winner of KVD pliers. And I know that you are aware that new issue of the Surfcaster’s Journal Magazine is live at www.surfcastersjournal.com If you are a subscriber. log in and enjoy. If your subscription has expired, log into your account and update your credit card info. I will be working all day today on activating and renewing subscriptions from last night show. Tommy told me issues, 24,25,26,27 can now be viewed with an APP. We are committed to make all issues app compatible

And last but not least…a little short video of what our crazy Fly Fishing columnist John Papciak does with a fly rod (and a regular rod too) enjoy [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUR8lqorEnY[/youtube]

New Issue of the Surfcaster’s Journal Online Magazine should be coming your way in the next 24 hours without any technical difficulties(legalese speak for we don’t know wtf we are doing?) Don’t forget Fisherman Surf Show on Thursday, details bellow In This Issue If you’ve let your SJ sub expire or if you’ve just never pulled the trigger on one check out what we have coming in the September issue! A View From Below, we’ve all heard about those guys that go the extra mile and actually free-dive into their favorite surf spots, but have you ever done it? We’ve all thought about it! Rhode Island surfcaster John Lee has taken on the task and has quickly become addicted! There’s so much to see from concentrations of bait to fish highways to ledges you never even knew existed! Beyond that you’ll gain a new understanding of how the fish relate to structure, what makes one spot better than another and where the fish we all really want to catch hang out—here’s a little clue, a lot of times it’s shallower than you think! A Call To Action, whether you’re a seasoned vet of the surf or if you’re still wet behind the ears the resounding call among striper fishermen is that there is something amiss with the striper fishery. Many sharp anglers have been very vocal about a slow decline for years and now we’re starting to see holes in the fishery which is one of the strongest harbingers of a collapse. Ross Squire is a Long Island angler who has been leading the charge for change within the management system for stripers. He breaks down the latest ASMFC addendum, gives you the ammo to speak up at a meeting or to write a poignant letter to your state’s representatives and makes simple sense of the hang-ups that need to be addressed within the addendum; included with the article is the contact information for every representative on the East Coast. If you love striper fishing now is the time to speak your mind—read along with Ross and then write a letter, today! Fall On The Turnpike, the Jersey Shore is often forgotten when it comes to Fall fishing in fact many of the surfcasters in New Jersey seem to pack it in too early! Tom Kosinski is a hard-working surfman from The Garden State and he lays out a battle plan for the transition from September to December. If you follow his game plan and stick with the method you can find fish right through New Year’s and do it while a lot of the other supposed hardcore guys are working on rounding out their holiday sow-bellies! If that doesn’t make you feel you good, you should check your pulse! The Plug Bag Conundrum, when you’re working the surf, conditions, available bait, wind and terrain are in constant flux—especially in the fall. How many times have you set yourself up for one situation and then found yourself faced with something completely different and unexpected? One of the downsides of traveling via your hooves is that you can only carry so much before your disks start to bark! Surf veteran DJ Muller has a plan that will help you straighten things out and be prepared for almost anything without the need for a Cortisone shot. Have you ever heard on someone catching a 50 on their hand? In our new multi-author column Teddy Menard details the night he watched an angler do the unthinkable, check out The Last Wave to read a story that you’ll retell several times as if you were actually there! Have you ever wondered about the best night a legendary angler has ever had? We asked “Crazy” Alberto Knie to detail his best night in the surf. In this month’s installment of Ask Alberto we got more than we bargained for! “Crazy” Al goes through all of the preparations, weighs out the conditions and details the reasons why he knew that the night he calls ‘the memorable slob night’ was going to be epic. In typical Alberto fashion though, he holds back on the catching which will be detailed in Part 2 coming this November! And there’s a lot more too. This issue is packed with embedded videos, a profile of Guppy Lures and words of wisdom from all of our columnists. Check it out! New tshirt from SJ ,made for those attending Fisherman Surf Show.yup..yours free if you renew at the show or subscribe($20)

also, for the first time, Night Crew Long Sleeve cotton shirts ($30)

I am reading the draft of new Skinner’s book on LIRR on Friday. I am shaking my head and going, ” this Is plain awesome”. It really is, you guys are going to love it, I have no doubt. I got half way though the book but when I got home one thing stuck in my head.

John is obviously brilliant. You’ve seen his videos, you’ve seen what he fishes with, you’ve heard his seminars. I believe he is a scientist by trade, with kid in Princeton University. There are no lack of brains in that family. And going by what John lays out In his book, money is not the only reason either In his choice of reels he fishes with. He says In the book his philosophy is “Buy what you need” and ” that he need is a very dependable reel”

Shall we take a look at his   choices ?

Open Beach Lamiglas 1231m PENN 706Z

Open Beach Lamiglas gsb1201l VAN STAAL 200

Back Bay and Sound PENN Regiment 7 foot PENN SSV4500

Inlet rod old Lamiglas GSB 1321M PENN SSV8500 or 706Z

Sound Lamiglas MB1083M PENN 5500SS

Some people just need a dependable reel. There is time and place for everything. The guys In wetsuits that swim to rocks and even those that wade to chest high rocks need a waterproof reel. Becouse eventually you’ll end up on your ass and be forced to quickly get up and reel your line before it gets tangled up in the rocks…..with your reel under water.

Some guys plainly dont need a waterproof reels. I would lie to you if I told you I was not suprised by how many PENN models John uses but then again, I kind of get it why. I fished with VS 150 on my 7′ St Croix Legend for years. And before that on St Croix Premier. It was always good to me. That particular model was probably the most dependeable reel I ever owned (In fairness it was never submersed). But when I thought about buying a new reel for inshore fluking that my son can use too, I thought about that. The fact that it was never wet or submerged in ten or more years I used It. Do I really need to spend that much on another 150? So I did not. I bought a $100 PENN that I been perfectly happy for the application I used It.

To each its own, we should all be glad we have so many choices

Here is a first look  video at new PENN Spinfisher V “Long Cast” model

New rotor

New Drag

New long spool

anti reverse

manual bail

only comes in 7500 model, no bail less option

hoping to do a real life test versus regular PENN Spinfisher v 7500 as soon as I get a chance.

Video

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bilDNCG0C2Q[/youtube]

Of all the crazy thing we do while surfcasting, from hopping rocks to fighting waves, dead batteries in most unlikely places, one thing that frustrates me the most is re-tying stuff on the rock in the middle of the night. Yeah, I could definitely use pair of glasses but most of the time is the line that wraps itself around all the places it shouldn’t. The funny part is, if I get the tying process right the first time, I am done in less then a minute. But if I inexplicable lose my line or have a hard time cutting lose braid…trouble usually follows.

I’ve meet a LOT of guys who carried nail clippers to cut mono, back in the days..lol

Some probably still do although I am having a hard time cutting braid not under tension with pliers, never mind nail clippers. But I think I found an answer to my little incompetence issue and it came as courtesy of this year ICAST 2014 in Orlando Florida.

I received these Braid Cutting shears from Mustad and I thought you’d get a kick out of them and many of you might prefer to see the product on video instead of static picture.

And since we always share the spoils with our readers, we will also give one of you a chance to win these Mustad KVD Braid Cutting Shears. After you watch the video you’ll understand why I think this is a neat product for surfcasters..and only around ten bucks or so

[youtube width=”525″ height=”400″]http://youtu.be/0R9GmBoOVPM[/youtube]

The Midnight Rambler

John Papciak

The Changing Face of Montauk

(Part of an occasional series)

Well, it’s finally here. Tumbleweed Tuesday – The Labor Day Weekend is a wrap, and now places like Montauk have a chance of return back to some state of normalcy. The New Normal.

If you have plans to fish the “Surfcasting Capital of the World” this fall, I wish you all the best. But if you visited this past summer, well, you probably saw enough to have you wondering what the future holds for this once laid back fishing village.

First the bad news.

There is a silent war being waged for the identity of Montauk – or at least that portion of Montauk between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Lots of people pulling at this from different directions, but I see this as a three-way race between the hipsters, the partyers and the families.

Hipsters, in case you did not know, are those young urban dwellers in desperate search being cool, and being in and around all things cool. A fickle bunch, but somehow Montauk is on the list. Long story, but when you have a string of writers who come to Montauk, and after two hours are inspired enough to spin out a story for fellow Manhattan and Brooklyn peeps (Williamsburg to be more specific) well, I guess if enough people read it, they believe it.

Partyers are those 20 to 30 somethings from the island and city, who come to sweat it out in crowded bars, and elbow each other for the opportunity to pay $13 for a drink. Think Jersey Shore, with a college degree and a bit more disposable income.

Montauk has always been that “Quant little drinking village with a fishing problem,” but now some bars come complete with goon-like bouncers with mic and earphones, thumping techno music served up by celebrity DJs, and velvet ropes with guest lists.

Really? Montauk! Who da thunk?

Here again, with a new generation of writers lining up to break the news about the new hotspot Montauk, we shouldn’t be surprised by the results.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/101533357

And of course, let’s not forget to mention those families, in search of reasonably priced accommodations, close to both the beach and restaurants.

It’s hard to tell which group is winning at this stage of the game, but the families clearly are not.

I think of summer crowds and the associated tensions as sort of like a Tropical Storm. Pretty nasty when it hits, but it blows over quickly once the eye passes. But depending on when you pay a visit, you may see some of the aftereffects.

I may have mentioned this before, but if you stayed at the East Deck in Ditch Plains in the past, you’ll have to find someplace else. I’m is still wondering how a run-down motel in a flood zone sold for $15 million. The new owners – known only as ED40, and who have gone to great lengths to hide their identity – has proposed a beach club, complete with underground parking.

The impact on fishing in the offseason is hard to predict, other than more attention to parking violations, and perhaps some specific problems with beach access in front of the former motel.

But don’t worry your little heads on this one, and please don’t join into a chorus of “It ain’t like it used to be.”

You can actually join up with a couple of local organizations with expertise and energy to take up the fight.

http://www.preservemontauk.org 

http://www.preservemontauk.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/ED40-Position-Paper.pdf

http://www.ditchplainsassociation.com

I strongly suggest that you do, actually.

Elsewhere in Montauk, a number of familiar stores in the downtown area will probably close by the end of the year. Johnny’s Tackle and the Willow Giftshop are two prime examples of long-time businesses packing it in. “The people coming to Montauk these days are just not buying the same things that the family people were,” lamented one shop owner.

I get it.

Selling alcohol is higher margin and a very simple business model. And if the weather turns bad over the weekend, business only gets better. Inventory never goes bad. You can change your prices whenever you want, and customers probably will never even ask – probably too drunk to know.

I was riding my bike past the Sloppy Tuna at 6am a few weeks back, and saw the employees hosing down the deck, and then the streets in front of the place. At times like these – a rare moment of absolute clarity – alcohol being converted to urine and vomit, all at a hefty profit.

Now remember, you can’t blame the “partyers,” “citiots,” “hipsters,” and assorted 23-year-old drunks for this transformation.

There is a supply and demand aspect to this equation.

Not every new bar is owned by an outsider, and there are plenty of locals who are quite willing to cash in (or cash out)

Speaking of cashing in, this past summer the focus has been on the rental market. East Hampton (which includes the Hamlet of Montauk) has strict laws concerning short term rentals, and rentals to groups – laws on paper anyway. Homeowners are not permitted to rent their houses by the week, let alone the weekend, and certainly not to groups. But many of them do anyway.

The situation got so bad for one local that she created a Facebook page to document the parties each week.

http://pagesix.com/2014/07/26/airbnb-slobs-are-causing-a-raucous-in-montauk/

“There are a growing number of homeowners who seem quite willing to rent to groups for share houses,” stated a long-time local one real estate professional. “They offer their houses online. They charge high prices to kids on a week to week or even nightly basis, and they charge so much they really don’t care if the house gets wrecked.”

While local enforcement has been slow to respond, at least two homeowners are now facing some hefty fines, and there are now Town Hall discussions about a much more formal homeowner rental registration process.

Here again, the impact for fall fisherman should be muted, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the rental market remains just a bit tighter and pricier in the future.

Speaking of delayed local response, Cyrils Fish House, of all places, is in the cross hairs of local officials. Apparently a backlog of building code violations may have caught up with the owners. Now local officials are working that angle to get the liquor license revoked. The Memory Motel is also under scrutiny.

Hard to say how this will turn out, but if the Town is indeed able to use such violations as a way to turn off the booze, that would mean that most of the “New Montauk” bars are vulnerable. Many of these new bars have a stack of violations.

Despite all the changes, there is some good news here.

None of these hipsters and partyers, zero, nada, zilcho, care about fishing. Zero impact on the beaches, not when most of you will be fishing anyway.

The choices for food are also much better than they were ten years ago.

The dingy motels are also being slowly upgraded (but if you are still looking for a cut-rate dive, there are still a few still standing …I’ll hold off on mentioning any here)

Speaking of conflicts, the Montauk Surf Fishing Classic has been pushed back a week, and will now take place from Friday Sept 26th to Sunday the 28th. This is the same weekend as the Montauk Triathlon festival of races, which will feature hundreds of bikers on West Lake Drive, East Lake Drive, and all along 27 to the lighthouse and back, on Saturday and Sunday morning.

Hmm…slide on campers, negotiating in and out of Camp Hero and the Lighthouse lots, when all those racers are going by Lighthouse at 30 mph…that sounds like a hoot.

The Montauk Seafood Festival is slated for September 13-14, at the Montauk Marine Basin over on West Lake Drive

The 2014 installment of the Fall Festival and Chowder Contest will again take place over Columbus Day weekend.

Depsite the summer crowds, and all the changes, each week from here on out will see numbers steadily thinning.

By Veteran’s Day, most of the seasonal bars and restaurants will have closed, and the concern will shift from being able to get a reservation, to simply finding a good place that is still open.

And by December, Montauk will once again be absolutely desolate.

Until that time, if the white bait shows up… or the sand eels… or the peanuts…or the herring and gannets, I suspect we won’t spend a minute worrying about any of these changes at all.