Its time to unveil the latest Surf Fishing 101 installment to the public and guess what it is?

Yeah, Sebile shads and not by design either.

This is #17 in the series which came after # 16 with Mr Wetzel and Mr Musso talking about bottle plugs. makes sense? 🙂

Its just kind of fitting, considering I have been somewhat smitten by the lure this fall, or its possibilities I should say…

Enjoy

We haven’t had a giveaway in a long time so lets do something special today

Surfcaster’s Journal Magazine columnist John Skinner has a new book coming out on November 11th, Fishing for Summer Flounder

Today we will give two of our readers a chance to win a copy before you can buy it in the stores. Please enter the giveaway below the book cover picture, in a giveaway box

a Rafflecopter giveaway

John will be appearing, signing books and doing two free seminars at LI Holiday Fishing Flea Market at Hofstra University on December 4thh, sponsored by SJ Magazine and PENN Reels

First 300 attendees will recieve a tackle gift with paid admission, plus we will be giving away a brand new PENN Reel every hour of the show via free raffle

For all details please visit http://www.lifishingshow.com/

Special thanks to High Hill Striper Club fellow member Robert Hurley for the idea for this Tip of the Week

If you have struggled with cutting VMC hooks for your plugs in the past, this might help quite a bit

Totally irrelavant

I got this working prototype large 2 ounce Yo Zuri Mag Darter 165 in the mail this evening.This is what happened on first cast and many casts afterwards. All smallish fish but all over this plug
We were told to expect these lures to be in stores early Nov

The Redemption

Towards the end of the night, I thought I was going the get a chance for redemption. Because we were loosing water and we had to push out with a tide I switched from fast sinking shad to a sinking shad. It’s slower sinking   progression allowed me to work it at a slower pace. I got a hit at the end of a cast, literally as I was reeling in the slack. At first there was just a stubborn dead weight. Like the fish was saying ” how dare you  hook me!!!”  That was followed by a screaming fast run first to the left before changing direction to the right. I don’t like this, I said to myself, something is not right. Suddenly I can feel it’s progression upwards. It’s too far and too dark to see what is happening but I am certain that I am correct…..

Then I feel a head shake, fish  breaking the water and then lading back into the water and stripping the drag. I don’t know about your but no self respecting large striper has ever came out of water and shook his head on me which can only mean one thing….

Big, very pissed off bluefish

After few more energetic runs I brought it to my side although you can never say that you got it ” under control”. Somehow I managed to get Boga around its jaw, a quick weight showed 18lb plus and after few photos the fish was released unharmed. I do have to say that being tall sucks when you have to take pictures with a fish, every damn fish look tiny.That is why I stick taking pictures of other people..lol

ODM Genesis rod that I used for the first time had no issues tossing these very heavy shads into wind or controlling or fighting all these fish. I am rarely this impressed with rod after a first nightly use but then again I usually do not catch these many quality fish in one season, never mind one night.

In closing, I know it’s one night of crazy fishing and if Silver Fox did not have equipment problems and ifs he fished all night along me, he might have similar results with a plug like darter or bottle plug. He got most of his fish by tossing heavy loaded needles into strong NE  wind. All I can do is report what my success rate was that night. And it’s not really one night, it’s kind of continuation of week nor’easter few days before which was the continuation of confidence I got by fishing with Patrick few days before.

Which brings me to possible, or equal if not even more important part of fishing, having confidence in the lure you are using. Yes, I did have a very good success with Sebile stick shads last few weeks but I am at the point where I feel EVERY cast could be a hit. I did not feel good that way for the past year or so that I owned these lures. Something obviously changed, my confidence in these lures is currently sky high. In fact I am writing this on a flight AA22 that just took off out of Dallas Fort Worth on the way to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, with Ryan White from Century rods. We are hoping to put some major hurting on  exotic species. Here is the real kicker. A month ago I had about 30 to 40 different  poppers ready to be packed for the trip rom super strike, line stretchers and some exotic variety. Guess what? I substituted two boxes of stick shads for the poppers, meaning I left a lot of  the poppers at home. That’s how confident I am right now when using this lures. I know, I know, I used the poppers for over 30 years and shads for 3 weeks, and yeah, part of this is probably an infatuation.

Only the time will tell if I was right or if I was brimming with overconfidence. I know Ryan will throw popping plugs  most of the  time.

Hasta La Vista Amigos

I meet silver fox in  a lot, his tiptop is on and he’s ready to go back to the light. He wants his pound of flesh and I don’t blame him. I lost all my leaders in the mayhem, including  about half a dozen Bucks. So while I am trying some new leaders in the dark silver fox is on the move yet again. On his way to the light.

After finishing tying few leaders in the dark I went to the Bluffs and made few casts but I didn’t particularly care for the way to water was moving, or for the way the waves were moving. So I go back to the truck in the lot and drive further along to the north side. I sent text to  silver fox where I am, so he can find me later. I filled the bag with Sebile swim shads, darters and heavy needles, locked my phone in the car and I’m was on  my way.

As I walk in the darkness, I see  few guys plugging  the famous spot (let’s just call it that) and I also see a solitary angler on the other side of them. I decide to go on my own and take a position about twenty yards on the left side of the angler. I fire 155 Sebile Sinking Shad into the darkness, pick up the slack and start working it with slow, deliberate raises of a rod, pumping if you would like to call it that.

BAM!!!

I set the hook and feel a extremely heavy weight. Line starts to peel off my Van Staal and then the line just snaps

WTF!!!!

I retrieve my line only to find that  knot I just tied in the parking lot failed! There is a lesson for today boys and girls,  don’t rush the important shit. I changed the leader, now pissed,  not only that I lost the fish but I lost stick shad.I fired up another cast with Sebile shad. Two cranks ….

BAM !!!!

Exact same thing happens.Line is  pealing off my reel and then it snaps  again at the knot !

Are u serious @#%^$@!!!!!!

Some of you’re probably questioning why I can’t tie a decent knot. Or the fact that I would admit this publicly. And I could explain to you that I  fished the previous night late.  And that I did 4 hours of weights working out and my regular job in last 24 hours and  that I don’t remember the last time I slept. But you know what? There is no reason or good excuse to tie a bad knot.

I walked back to the truck and refilled my bags and retied all my leaders.

Of course the whole time I thinking if those fish are still going to be there when I get back. When I got back in the water they let me know within seconds, as the fish slammed the shad and shortly  bottomed my 30 lb Boga scale. The next half an hour there was basically a repeat motion, almost like watching Groundhog Day. Big fish after big fish was hammering the stick shad. Even when I switched to gigantic 8 inchmodel it got slammed within two cranks of the reel. Amazingly the fella next to me never    landed a fish in that time span. I swear to God I wanted to walk over and give him one of the shads but I knew that we were in New York and he was probably going to go tell me to fuck myself. Which is exactly what I would say to him. And before either I or you get carried away about Sebile shads in particular, a public device announcement is in order.

There is no rod that can do it all, there is no magic in any lure, the ratio of success in surf is probably :

90% Pilot

10% Airplane

Many of you could have replicated this with another lure. Many would not know where to cast however. Most would cast during a strong NE exactly in  the direction the fellow next to me cast. Which is exactly where you should cast UNLESS you are 20 yards down tide. My point is, I am no genius. I am just aware of some very specific things about this particular spot.

Pilot , not airplane.

After about an hour the bite petered out and I moved to the other side the reef. I found  silver fox in this Quigley getting ready to go in the  water. He told me he had a few fish at the light but had a hard time landing them. I filled him in on my stick shad experiment and told him I was going to make a few cast in front of his rig while he gets ready.

I got into water and fired a long ass cast into frothing water with 155 fast sinking shad. I wanted to bring  it up in the water column fast as this is notorious shallow, fast water area. I pumped the rod once , and it  was almost ripped out of my hands. I knew immediately this was a good fish and I started to backward one step at the time walk  towards the shore while looking for silver fox. All went well until I got the fish in close, then she used the backwash to peel off a lot of line on three consecutive runs. I yelled in the direction of  his truck to come down because I might need help in that sweep But I don’t know if he heard me with waves crashing all around me. Finally I had a fish  laying on the its side on dry land as wave receded. That right there being a key word “receded”. It looked slightly smaller than the 47 ponder I have hanging above my desk, with shoulders just as impressive. She banged her head few times on the rocks and I saw the Sebile Shad  fly out of her mouth. I was tripping over the rocks trying to get to her and slide my hand inside her mouth but a wave beat me to it. Suddenly she straightened out is was is about a foot of water. There I was using my feet AND  my knees trying to tackle her. I just couldn’t get a grip one her,  the sliminess and the waves gave her freedom. I frantically searched with a flashlight in the foam to no avail. I let out a @#%Y primal scream, walked into the water , made a cast and then set the hook about a dozen times on the next poor fish. I was cursing profusely for the next several minutes while silver fox walked in water and and hanged a bass that bottomed out his  scale on the next cast. 

He actually went to Dick’s  Sporting Goods and bought some shads  after listen to me talking about them and  he was using them. He said he was getting plenty of hits but was just having a hard time setting the hook. So a night that  started at 8 PM went to  4 37 AM in the morning and we were still banging fish. I remembered because I looked at the watch and did a double take, then asked Silver Fox to confirm the time. Who said bunch of old geezers cant do an allnighter….

coming up…

Part 4

The Redemption

Finally I got a chance to put concept of what I had in my head in the motion during Nor’easter of September of this year. Insane sweep on the north side made plugs usless. Hell, if your casts sailed high or if you used wrong size bucktails, you went fishless . I tossed a Fast Sinking 155 Sebile Shad and took some very nice fish up to 20 pounds. In fact, as you can see from this picture, they ate it whole. How does it cast? You would not believe if I told you so that will be covered in the future hopefully in video form. All I will say it’s the best shad tasting lure I’ve ever used.
I left Montauk that weekend convinced that I am on to something but not sure what. I admit, i get obsessed with possibilities. And sometimes I exaggerate things, but damn it this felt “real” But my obsessive personality is exactly why I feel i am so in tune its what I am doing as you can see on the white water videos. There had to be at least 3 instances over the years where I told you exactly on video when I am going to get hit in the wave sequence and why. Its time to put the Sebile to some more extensive test but conditions have to be little less “insane” then during a nor’easter. I love a good old-fashion ass whipping nor’easter delivers, but unless you are fishing few special situations, bucktails are by far your best options. Nothing even comes close.

October 4th 2016

I have not fished with an 11 foot rod for two years now, due to tenderntis . I finally felt ready to go back fishing with a big stick and was considering ODM rods, Lou suggested Genesis 11 foot rod rated 2 to 6 ounce.
Let me just touch on something very important, having your custom rod builder is comparable of having your own hairdresser if you are a lady. Everyone in my house knows that you don’t ever, ever mess with my wife’s hair appointment! My wife has such a trust in this girl that when she asks for an opinion on changing hair style, she takes her advice hundred out of hundred times. Which is exactly the type of relationship I have with Lou. I considered a much faster 11 foot rod but he felt, the way I fish, ODM Genesis would be more suitable. How can you not love s guy who is not only honest but saves you quite a bit of money too? The ODM rod was finished in time for a very unusual trip. Here is the synopsis. I am not going to talk much about this rod as I want to play with it for the rest of the year before I form and editorial opinions. But damn it, after this night I thought it was my lucky charm!!!!

Winds for Montauk were supposed to be 15-20 overnight with not a cloud in a sky. Not a Nor’easter or a storm. Just a little windy day……or so you think
I called in dead at work and told Silver Fox I was going out east for the night.It seems like that is all he needed to hear as few hours later, we were traveling about 1/2 an hour apart on route 27 east.

When I got to East Hampton I realized I left my stocking foot waders at home. My plan was to fish in waders overnight and then wetsuit if I need it in daytime on the south side. I kind of wanted to stay dry, but now that I realized my waders were a 100 miles away……oh well, wetsuit it is

I meett Silver Fox in a lot and got dressed at 8 pm and we headed under the light. Although Silver Fox was born same year as Moses, he possesses nimbleness of a mountain goat and has cahones of a bull that allow him fish under the fabled light. Me, I not so much of a fan, primarily because of difficulty of landing a fish. Add a stiff 15 to 20 MPH NE and you are taking a life in your hands for a chance of lading a fish of a lifetime.
Which is exactly what happened…but I am getting ahead of myself
So we get down the rocks, which were just about all taken already. No one is doing anything for an hour and then like someone flipped a the switch, the mayhem ensues. The rods are doubled over, rigs are broken and men are sliding into incoming waves to grab fish before getting swept by a next set. Silver Fox finds an opening and fires up a cast only to see his line breaks. He re-rigs, makes another cast and his lines breaks again
WTF???
He backs out and is checking each of his guides for cracks, while I take his rock. Striped bass in the 20’s and 30’s pound class are being thrown on the rocks and scurried up to wall. One angler seems to be fighting what it appears a very large fish. He slides down the rocks and disappears under the foam of an incoming swell. A moment later he emerges victoriously, with one of the larges striped bass specimen we have ever seen in person. One arm under the gill of what it appears to be 50 pound plus striper, he scurries up the lighthouse rock wall. If you never seen what a 50 pound bass looks alive and pumping blood though his body…its a majestic sight. The rest of us plus along ad lad fish up to 30 pound range. No one really bats an eye as conditions do not allow you to take your eyes off the ocean even for a split second. Massive walls of water are pounding into the rocks and anglers.

Silver Fox is back with a spare rod. But this time there’s more room so now we both have our own rocks. He makes a cast but his line breaks again. This time is his tip top guide that is busted. Hard to believe both of his rods have nicks in the guides. He said he has another tip in his truck so he goes back to the lot for the third time. I stay for another half an hour but I decided as the tide is coming in, it’s not really something I want to do, take chances with my life trying to land a fish.

Silver fox is in a lot, his tiptop is on and he’s ready to go back to the light. He wants his pound of flesh and I don’t blame him. I lost all my leaders in the mayhem, including about half a dozen Bucks. So while I am trying some new leaders in the dark silver fox is on the move yet again. On his way to the light.
After finishing tying few leaders in the dark I went to the Bluffs and made few casts but I didn’t particularly care for the way to water was moving, or for the way the waves were moving. So I go back to the truck in the lot and drive further along to the north side. I sent text to silver fox where I am, so he can find me later. I filled the bag with Sebile swim shads, darters and heavy needles, locked my phone in the car and I’m was on my way.

As I walk in the darkness, I see few guys plugging the famous spot (let’s just call it that) and I also see a solitary angler on the other side of them. I decide to go on my own and take a position about twenty yards on the left side of the angler. I fire 155 Sebile Sinking Shad into the darkness, pick up the slack and start working it with slow, deliberate raises of a rod, pumping if you would like to call it that.

BAM!!!

I set the hook and feel a extremely heavy weight. Line starts to peel off my Van Staal and then the line just snaps

WTF!!!!

I retrieve my line only to find that knot I just tied in the parking lot failed! There is a lesson for today boys and girls, don’t rush the important shit. I changed the leader, now pissed, not only that I lost the fish but I lost stick shad.I fired up another cast with Sebile shad. Two cranks ….

BAM !!!!

Exact same thing happens.Line is pealing off my reel and then it snaps again at the knot !
Are u serious @#%^$@!!!!!!
Some of you’re probably questioning why I can’t tie a decent knot. Or the fact that I would admit this publicly. And I could explain to you that I fished the previous night late. And that I did 4 hours of weights working out and my regular job in last 24 hours and that I don’t remember the last time I slept. But you know what? There is no reason or good excuse to tie a bad knot

more to come..typing this shit 30 000 feet up in the air over Mexico

I am hoping that by the time this is posted I have made it safely to a very fishy place few thousands miles away. I  have zillion stories to tell you and hopefully when i get back free more to ad, for now,

Surf Fishing Tip of the Week # 8

About a week ago we had some really hard NE winds for few days and Montauk was loaded with schoolies. Yes, some claimed they had keepers on every cast, particularly those who claim they can cast further than everyone else…or had a better rock.

If you been around long enough, you’ve heard all. All I can say that I’ve seen or heard of few hundred fish on saturday and no one carried a keeper home.Not one…

Far cry from this weekend when a “real” noreaster put some bigger fish on the beach. Parade of 30 pound bass in the lot was in the full effect…

Anyway, to each its own. Glad I was able to go for a day, see some friends I did not see in a while and land some good fish. More on these Sebile Stick shads in the future but just a note that I am totally NEW to these lures. I know some of you canal rats know whats up but I was fishing two days this week with Patrick Sebile on LI and I have few stories to tell..when I have some time

Which I don’t right now but here is one shot of stick shads that bass inhaled on north side of the light during a noreaster

Back to main body of todays post. I loaded the PENN Slammer III reel up with SpiderWire 30lb Stealth Braid, got into the wetsuit and walked into Caswells where I managed I think 34 bass and two blues on small bucktail. Some rough conditions, very difficult to get to rocks and yeah, I got swept few times and could be seen flailing my arms like a bird in the wash. But here is the funny thing, no one has seen it because  according to Legend of Montauk,  walk to Caswels is considered “walk from hell”. So I only did it 2 times that Saturday, figured I need to get my cardio in.

Here is a video from that day

Here is a Surf Fishing 101 Bottle Plugs video with Donny Musso and Bill Wetzel

…

This is a  little preview of about two hours spent  in Montauk this past weekend, Full version coming later in the week

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

One of our readers found a cell phone in Montauk Lot over the weekend. If you know who lost i,  have it get in touch with us at info@surfcastersjournal.com