I know most of you own a pair of Korkers. And I have to say that Korkers came a long way in boot design over the last few years. However, the studs in the soles, the most important reason of why we buy these shoes has not improved. They work great on a new pair but too many fall out if you are not constantly on top of them. I also know many of you are not too keen on spending more $ on studs after you purchased your wading boots, regardless if they are Korkers brand, Simms, Cabelas or whatever. But I have to tell you, if you are going to spend any time fishing the jetties or climbing rocks, you must take a look at studs from Grip Studs at http://www.gripstuds.com/Surf_Fishing.php Dave tested them last year and wrote a glowing review in the issue #20 of the Surfcaster’s Journal Magazine on pages 18-19. This May I got some and I added them to my Korkers Chrome boots. I purposely only added them to one foot ,just to see the difference between boot with only Korkers studs and one with mixture of Korkers studs and Grip Studs. Instead of striping existing Korkers studs, since I lost a bunch on left foot I decided to just ad Grip Studs in their place. I drilled a hole first trough the plastic Korkers inserts then used a drill and Grip Stud Install tool that came in a package to add Grip studs into the sole. I started using them on Cuttyhunk in late May and used them every time I went out this June, which was quite a bit. I did not fish on sand this June at all other than one night in State Channel. I was basically a jetty monkey, about five nights a week. How many fish did I catch ? If we count Sea Robin and Fluke, quite a few. Yeah, that good. Regardless, I got about 25 trips in , some swimming and crawling at Cutty rocks, long walks over dry pavement, quite a few trips over parking lot locally and of course, local jetty rocks most of the time.   There are not many products on the market I would unequivocally say “Get it” but darn it I think Grip Studs are as close as I ever got to saying that. First, the most important stuff. They Grip insanely and unlike Korkers studs your feet wont “slip” as much as they are very “sticky”. How many Grip Studs did I lose since late May? How about ZERO! How many are dull or bent? ZERO.   Grip studs feature solid tungsten carbide core-to-tip shaft and a rust-resistant finish . Once you screw than in your sole, boot, waders, sneakers, flip flops, its almost impossible for them to ever fall out. This is a description from their website. Secure your footing on slimy weed covered rocks and in heavy surf with Grip Studs™ high performance boot studs. These durable traction studs with their unique wide–auger shank do not bend, back-out or fold over in the sole like other narrow-threaded studs. ….   I know there has been a considerable debate over the years about using this or that type of studs. Some guys recommending Locktite , other are recommending all kinds of home remedies and fixes. I have never tried other brands of studs and after trying Grip Studs I know I don’t have to even consider it. I am adding the remainder of my package to my right foot and when my boots fall apart I will back the Grip Studs out and use them again

As I briefly mentioned yesterday, the new issue of the Surfcaster’s Journal Magazine is live. If you have any issue logging into your account, please contact us. It could be that your subscription is expired or we have a card on file that you since changed. No worries

Obviously you do not need the App to view magazine. For those of you like myself that read everything on desktop, the app wont make any difference. For those of you that live on tablets, it will ,as Tommy would say, change your life!
Not quite, ha-ha

You do have the ability now to use the App to view magazine off line. For example you can download the new issue, go to the beach and read it without having wifi. Obviously in the past you could only read the magazine while online. You can also pinch/zoom on your tablet after tapping it once.
Why did we do it? Becouse you guys are worth it, simple as that. None of us wants SJ to become something that is boring in any way.

Ok, the app itself.

Here is how it worked for me. Go to either Goggle Play Store (Android) or Apple App Store and search for app named 3Dissue. Download the sucker to your device. Its Free

Now go back to your browser. Open your browser like you normally would and log into your SJ account. As the new issue appears you should be automatically prompted by the app by being asked “Do you want to view this with the App”

Click yes or whatever that might be and give it a minute or two and the whole new issue will load up on your device. Then you are all set. In the future you can just tap on the app on your device and go to library and pick and chose your issue

As of right now, today, only current issue 26 is available on the app however our Genius department is working right now on making the whole Archive section available to you via app in few weeks. So stay tuned for more good news and enjoy.

The winner of Pelican Flashlight with adjustable lanyard from Hansom Tackle is greg.od11@gmail.com
You have until Sunday to contact us via info@surfcastersjournal.com with your shipping address and we will forward it to guys at Hansom tackle. Thank you all and thanks Hansom Tackle for making this possible… http://www.hansomtackle.com/

and some neat news from SJ columnist “Crazy” Alberto Knie
Al is working on his new TV show, Tactical Angler for 2015
Here is a first released trailer
More info at http://www.tacticalangler.com/

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uF_PGucmYH0&list=UUq0lLWU77ZPGbbmIIxW5mdw[/youtube]

 Just a quick note before work, I will expand on this. New issue is up along with a new free App that you can download from either Google Play or Apple App store.And possibly the best cover ever. You can now zoom and pinch SJ on your tablet and view it offline. Tommy put some info on how to get the app inside the mag. Enjoy   Editor’s note…i like the idea of a single hook. Anyone has their plugs rigged up like this? Zeno   \ NEW WILLIAMSON® POPPER PRO CALLS ‘EM TO THE TOP \— D\esigned to mimic an injured baitfish breaking the water’s surface, the new Williamson Popper Pro features a cupped face and a versatile, pencil-style body perfectly suited for popping on top with both slash-and-stall and walk-the-dog retrieves. “The Popper Pro replicates the sounds that a frantic, injured baitfish makes as it kicks its way across the surface,” says George Poveromo, host of “George Poveromo’s World of Saltwater Fishing” TV show. “That commotion can be just the ticket to call fish up from the deep, or in from a distance, and trigger them to strike.” Poveromo ties on a Popper Pro when fishing both inshore and offshore. “That chugger is so universal it can be used for Snook and Tarpon as well as Dolphinfish (Mahi-Mahi), Tuna and Cobia,” he says. Precisely weighted for maximum casting distance, the Popper Pro features heavy-duty in-line VMC® hooks for optimum swimming action, point exposure and hook sets. It’s available in seven color patterns: Ayu, Black Purple Phantom, Bruised Purple, Blue Sardine, Dorado, Green Mackerel and Red Head Flash. The Popper Pro is available in two sturdy sizes, both built to withstand prolonged assault from aggressive pelagic gamefish. The smaller version is 5.125 inches long, weighs 1.25 ounces and features rugged stainless steel through-wire construction. The larger bait is 7 inches long, weighs 3.375 ounces and features stainless steel pin-and-swivel rigging. Born on the rugged south coast of Africa, Williamson makes lures for those who thrive on the challenge of finding and conquering the world’s largest fish. Hard-won knowledge and a sincere passion for offshore angling assure that there’s a Williamson lure to fill every spot in any saltwater spread. Call them to the top with the unique pop of the new Williamson Popper Pro. Suggested retail price: $12.99-14.99   An extremely versatile topwater lure ideal for targeting multiple gamefish species, the new Williamson Surface Pro calls up fish when worked both fast and slow. “Watching a fish explode on a topwater lure is one of the most exhilarating experiences you’ll ever have on the water,” says Williamson pro George Poveromo, host of “George Poveromo’s World of Saltwater Fishing” TV show. “The Williamson Surface Pro elicits those explosive surface strikes that we as anglers can’t get enough of.” Whether conditions call for a steady walk-the-dog retrieve, a rip-and-stop cadence, or a quick slashing retrieve, the Surface Pro delivers action to fit the bill. “When the bite’s really on, sometimes all you need to do is just hurl the lure out there and hang on,” Poveromo says. “But sometimes you have to experiment a little with your retrieve speed and style. The Surface Pro delivers enticing action when fished both fast and slow, so you can give the fish what they want.” Worked slowly but erratically, the Surface Pro resembles a “severely injured fish darting and slapping around on the top,” Poveromo explains. “Speed up your retrieve to mimic a bait fish that’s really scurrying, then try to pull out of there with a very fast retreat.” Poveromo ties on a Williamson Surface Pro to target Snook, Tarpon, Cobia, Tuna and schooling Dolphinfish (Mahi-Mahi). Anglers in the northeast can use it to target striped bass. “It’s a really universal type of lure,” he says. -more- Precisely weighted for maximum casting distance, the Surface Pro features heavy-duty in-line VMC® hooks for optimum swimming action, point exposure and hook set. It’s available in seven color patterns: Ayu, Black Purple Phantom, Bruised Purple, Blue Sardine, Dorado, Green Mackerel and Red Head Flash. The Surface Pro is available in two sturdy sizes, both built to withstand prolonged assault from aggressive pelagic gamefish. The smaller version is 5.125 inches long and weighs 1.625 ounces. The larger version is 7 inches long and weighs 3.5 ounces. Both sizes feature heavy-duty oval split rings and laser-cut plate hook hangers. Born on the rugged south coast of Africa, Williamson makes lures for those who thrive on the challenge of finding and conquering the world’s largest fish. Hard-won knowledge and a sincere passion for offshore angling assure that there’s a Williamson lure to fill every spot in any saltwater spread. The Williamson Surface Pro will become your new go-to bait to call fish to the top. Suggested retail price: $12.99-14.99 ###

This is the week of ICAST, a giant fishing show that is taking place in Orlando this year. I always said that one year we will attend but it wont happen this year do to scheduling conflict. I will try to reach out to some of our friends to get you some news this week.

First is Dave Colley, the representative and Regional Account Manager from St Croix Rod company. I’ve noticed that they had a 12 foot Legend Surf rod at the shows this winter. At 12 foot rod is not for everyone and I was curious what was behind their thinking. So naturally I asked Dave for some more information.

Dave, why a 12 foot Legend Surf model?

Like the legends that came first it started as an idea of a longer rod to fit a particular area. Montauk, standing on a rock you just swam to and not being able to use your feet to help load the rod. The rod needs to bend all the way through with less effort an still be able to throw 150+ yards with a 3 to 5oz plug or pencil. The rod is rated 1-6oz and handles 6 well.

How and where did this beast of a rod went trough testing and development?

We made several versions and sent them to Rich Swisstack and Davy Torrick for testing. The first rod we did was in an 11 because we had the tooling for it and they received that in the fall. Both of them loved it and signed off the rod so we ordered 12 foot tooling. That came in through the winter and it’s kind of difficult to test rods with snow on the ground but we found a way. They took the test rods to a park and started with bank sinkers 2oz to 6 and found out in a hurry they needed more room. Feet planted together 2oz sinker 165 yards easy cast. So then they started going up in weight same cast 4oz 200 yards. Swiss threw all the braid off his reel.

What kind plugs is mind is this rod designed for?

The LSS120MHMF2 is designed for big pencils long distance style! 1 to 6 gives you the option to cover a lot of plugs swimmers and the like. It has some SC1 glass in the tip section like the MM models blended with SC4 throughout the rest of the rod. ART, IPC tooling, FRS are all incorporated in the Legend series.

Thank you Dave, You can get more information at St Croix website at http://www.stcroixrods.com/products/saltwater/legend-surf/

 

 

The new issue of the Surfcaster’s Journal Online Magazine is finished, Tommy is just putting few finishing touches on it and ironing some details. Look for it in next few days.

Four new videos, including a video from John Skinner, articles from Zambrotta, Diagnault, Skinner, Papciak, Anderson, Jakob, Gaddis, Lomonaco, Albano, Caruso, Crazy Al, Pintauro and few other things.

 

First, the winner of Pelican Cooler Catch & Release contest.

Yes, its been a challenging spring for many of our readers. But we did get few submissions and we thank you all for sending them in. We wanted to award the cooler to someone who submitted a picture that illustrates what we do and what we believe in. Fish that was released, and a picture with composition that truly reflect the beauty of this sport

The winner of Pelican Elite Pro Gear cooler is Mike Roy. He nailed this 42 pound beauty on the south side of Cuttyhunk Island few weeks ago and fish was released to swim another tide. Congratulations to Roy and thanks to Pelican Products for not only making this possible by providing the Elite cooler but for making the most insanely built cooler we ever tested.

Surfcaster’s Journal Online Magazine will celebrate this Independence Day with a giveaway from Hansom Tackle . You can find them at http://www.hansomtackle.com/

This is a new product from Hansom Tackle,  a Pelican Light with adjustable strap. Here is a description:

Pelican, USA assembled light with 24 lumens output dive light with twist on/off activation.

Fully Waterproof to 100 meters (deeper than all but the most hardcore, badass, surfcaster guys go)

2 AAA batteries included

Pelican lifetime guarantee

It comes with adjustable surgical tube lanyard with stainless split ring. This makes for a good for primary or backup surf light

They are available now at River’s End Tackle in Old Saybrook, CT and look for them at your favorite tackle store in next few weeks

 

Winner of Pelican Cooler Catch & Release contest announced this weekend

I know many of you are making plans for this 4th of July weekend, I sincerely hope you catch plenty of fish and have a great time with your families. Tommy is putting finishing touches on the new issue, you should see it in few days.

Here is a video preview of issue #26

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YGjRMR11yw&list=UUcdm2o9ggNaFzXclL0_HRlg&feature=share[/youtube]

As you see, there is a new video from SJ columnist John Skinner, in addition to all your other favorite columnists.

We also have a full version of this Cuttyhunk Aerial video

[youtube]http://youtu.be/JBcFHOZdaeY[/youtube]

and also a full version of Canal Memories with Wayne Hess from Guppy Lures. In addition to that there is a video from Red Top Sporting in Buzzards Bay Mass and of course, articles

[youtube]http://youtu.be/4mZrVVegv2M[/youtube]

Frank Pintauro on Vintage Lures

Interview with new ownership of Gibbs Lures

The Bottom Connection by Dennis Zambrotta

Lights & Shadows – by legendary Frank Daignault

$#!+ Happens – by Bill Jakob

A Team Approach – by Jeff Lomonaco & Luke Gaddis

 

We also have a new product giveaway slated for a this 4th from Hansom Tackle, a fitting Made in USA product, stay tuned for that

The winners of two spools of Spider wire Ultracast Ultimate Braid are

beachfire@optonline.net

Fleckworld@yahoo.com

tjsteiner04@yahoo.com

All three of you have 5 days to contact us and to furnish your shipping address and choice of braid pound strength. Congrats

Since I have been fishing since last moratorium (but not during the last moratorium) I am pretty confident that what I am abut to write will hold true. And if it doesn’t, well,  then its going to be another prediction that never came true and I pulled out of my butt.

 

The schools of bass are getting smaller and smaller. The bite (if you are on it) is nothing like you are used to it. Often times its just one tide and fish are gone. Long gone are days of a week long solid bite where you could have tuned your clocks to the time the fish would arrive at particulate stage of the tide. I am truly sorry for those of you who have not experienced seeing a hundred guys lined up on a workweek Thursday morning in the inlet

 

The bass will not be extinct. I don’t think that will happen but you will have to search for them harder then ever before. And because there is less of them, the competition for available food will wane amongst them. No longer do they have to compete with hundreds of other bass in the school. Makes sense, no?

 

Now here is an interesting question. Will the bass sit on the bottom and ignore your lure becouse of less competition? Strangely enough, I would say yes. If bass wasn’t sure about your lure but another was going to beat him or her to it, they would reflexive react. Will they do it now? I don’t think so. I think there will be more fish in the area you fish and you will never know. Which means that your presentation will be even more important going forward.

 

Where will big fish be? I have no idea. But I can tell you with more or less certainty that they will become more active around new and full moon’s in May and June at Montauk. Check Paulies FB page and then correspond those dates with moon periods and you’ll see what I am talking about. (ps, I can only talk about places I am familiar. No desire to be like some keyboard fisherman who will give advice on Martha’s Vineyard from their home in NJ after they visited once). This happens just about every year and people then act like “wow, I need to get my butt out to Montauk”. How about a little forward thinking and planning? After all, same few guys cash in their chips every year.

 

Nor’easter, or hard sustained NE winds in spring will give up few big fish in Montauk. It never fails. In fact, a hard NE winds for at least few days will lit up the same place in the fall but you’ll have to find them. Last year fish were all over the south side for few days during hard NE in fall  but not in the lighthouse area. There are not enough fish/not big enough school size to be everywhere.

 

Fall run will be a shadow of its former self as it was last year. Other then two weeks in earl November the beaches were devoid of life where I fish. The days of getting to the inlet at the beginning of the outgoing in the dark and watching peanuts/mullet/herring gushing out and fish on their tails will be something we’ll have to explain to those getting in sport today. Bluefish might fill this void but they are not nearly as predictable as bass.

 

Place like False Bar, where you can almost guaranty some type of fish once the current turns to outgoing any time from mid September on is going to be something that we will fondly remember. Last year people were telling me they thought they had a bump. Or maybe they hit the rock, they weren’t sure. Fish will be there again once stocks recover and maybe bluefish will fill the void, particularly on full moon nights but that almost guaranteed action with bass will be thing of the past.

 

Sadly, I think two things that I enjoyed most over the years, mullet ruin and Nor’easters on South Shore are almost nonexistent already. Or I should say, have been dormant with action for many, many years now. So I don’t anticipate that to change. There has been plenty of mullet (and nor’easters) over the past few years but neither produced much of the bite.

 

Depressing?  Yeah to some extent. If you are a guy who likes nothing more than a good blitz you will pay the highest price. If you already prefer to hunt for your fish, you will be ok. You’ll get your share but the numbers will pale in comparison to years of abundance.

 

Unfortunately , this is how democracy works. If we had tyranny, a dictator dude would say ” No Bass For You” like the Soup Nazi on Seinfeld and that would be that. Democracy on the other hand is made out of a lot of layers, trying to insure everyone has a voice. Buts its a slow grinding machine that does not often act in time when quick action is needed.

Keep writing letters, going to meetings and keep fighting for this great fish. No one else seems to be giving a damn which is a shame.

 

As Lee Wolf has said “Game fish are too valuable to only be caught once”

 

Here is the aerial view of Cuttyhunk, the full video will appear in few days in the issue # 216 of the Surfcaster’s Journal Magazine

Enjoy

 

[youtube]http://youtu.be/JBcFHOZdaeY[/youtube]

Editors note

 

I know I am running little behind so here we go.

 

The winner of Rockhopper package of Surf Belt and Surf Clip is  Kevinsarz@comcast.net

You have 5 days to email us at info@surfcastersjournal.com and claim your prize. We need your shipping address.

 

The app…yes, I know we promised it in May. Lesson learned not to open my mouth before I actually see stuff. Tommy is in charge of this, I honestly do not know anything about it. All I know is that Tommy told me that it will be live and functional with July issue. Keeping my fingers crossed.

 

And now for today’s blog by SJ Rod Guru Lou Caruso

 

Zeno

 

By Lou Caruso

To all,
Here is your chance to be heard. If you have had it with  ASMFC, now is your chance to be heard. If you send the below e-mail or snail mail letter to Mr. Michael Waine it will be distributed to every member of the board for their next meeting. Now is your chance to be heard on the future of stripe bass. Every fisher needs to get off their ass, (not literally if your sending an email) and do this. It will take you less then 5 minutes…..

 

This letter was written by someone with far better writing skills then myself, obviously …. It was written to be sent by the NYSCRF but has been edited slightly to fit the individual user.

 

I am attaching My Waynes contact information, both email or if you insist, his snail mail address. THIS MUST BE DONE BY JULY 10th, so don’t put it off. As we all know, the longer we wait, the better the chance it won’t get done..I have made this real simple. You can cut and paste this right to the email you send to My Wayne. Just be sure to add your name and address at the bottom.

 

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do it today…

 

Mr. Waine’s contact information is:

Michael Waine

Fishery Management Plan Coordinator

1050 North Highland Street

Suite 200 A-N

Arlington, Va 22201

Email: mwaine@asmfc.org

 

 

To Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Officials;

 

I am writing this letter to offer comments regarding proposed option changes and striped bass management.

To say that I am disappointed in a lack of action from ASMFC and its recent approach to striped bass management is an understatement. My disappointment is fueled by several significant factors. First, Amendment 6 (2003) states that when a trigger or triggers are exceeded action MUST be taken in one year. However, although triggers were exceeded, no action has been taken. Instead, there has been a seemingly endless array of motions that are clearly designed to delay action, alter amendment 6, and obstruct the proper management of the species. These delays run contrary to the ASMFC amendment rules and are potentially even more damaging to the striped bass population as it also struggles against poor recruitment since 2000, Mycobacteriosis disease, and intense fishing pressure on existing year classes. This failure to take action is an outrage. The failure to act is illogical, is a travesty, and recreational fishers up and down the coast demand ASMFC action now!

Second, it appears to the world outside of the ASMFC that a well thought out plan for management has been hi-jacked by representatives from the states for purposes of their own greed and the greed of their associates. We demand to know why officials in charge of ASMFC have allowed state representatives to delay action and attempt to misappropriate the plan and amendment 6 that is intended to protect and preserve the striped bass. Did we not learn a painful lesson from the 1980s when delays in action almost brought the species to endangered status?

Third, the ASMFC board has hidden behind a smoke screen of demands for precise statistics, studies of option effects, more studies to study studies, and the possible outcomes of “new” ideas that would permit the increased harvest of male fish purported to be in “excess,” and the exploitation of the 2011 Chesapeake year class before, God forbid, it “escapes” from the estuary and enters the coastal migration where all users might enjoy the resource. Have we conveniently forgotten that MANY MALES must attend a single female in order to properly fertilize her eggs? As far the 2011 YOY, why should Chesapeake fishermen be allowed a “privileged” harvest and effect future migrations thus depriving coastal anglers of equal opportunity? Every recreational angler knows, albeit in the absence of precise data, that the Atlantic Coast population of striped bass has declined and is declining rather rapidly. All one needs do is go fishing regularly for striped bass and compare recent results with their results from the 1990s in order to appreciate that reality. Also, although much attention is paid to the Chesapeake stock since it is the largest ask any Long Island angler and they’ll tell you that the Hudson stock is in even worse shape. In the western Long Island Sound anglers are dependent on the Hudson stock for their overall success. To make matters worse in the Hudson, the highly publicized 2007 Hudson year class has not turned out to be the predicted bonanza. There are some fish caught from this year class, but they are few and far between.

Fourth, when we blow away the smog and fog of misdirected studies and debates, the REAL reason for all the delaying tactics is the desire of some people to make MONEY from the killing of striped bass. We ask why ASMFC officials continue to move ahead at a snail’s pace in light of the extreme effects a declining population of striped bass has on the millions of non-dollar motivated anglers? Non-dollar motivated anglers sole interests lie in engaging in a sporting interaction with striped bass, a concern for the food species they need, and healthy ecosystems to support vibrant populations of marine life. Of course in the process, striped bass sportsmen contribute millions of dollars to coastal and local economies. These local and regional businesses include small family-run operations that have been harshly and extremely affected both by a poor economy nationwide and a decline in the striped bass population. Somehow, this portion of the economy doesn’t receive the same emphasis by ASMFC board members as does the demands from those who make money from striped bass. Yet, all studies have shown there is a straight-line connection between the size of the striped bass population and how much money sportsmen spend on their recreation. I do not represent people who wish to get rich at the expense of the striped bass population. Those who exploit the population are only interested in how many fish they can kill instead of how healthy the population is or the quality of the angling experience of non-dollar motivated fishers. There is an enigma in this and it is short sighted because all interest groups benefit most when stocks are at the highest levels. It is shocking in this era of supposed “enlightened” fisheries management to bear witness to the reality that the erroneous time-honored approach in fisheries of the “prisoner’s dilemma” is still alive and well when most thought it dead decades ago.

More disappointment.

So, with not a single dollar bill of motivation, here is what I support and demand. Yes, demand, because the time for tomfoolery and delays has past and the needs of the species MUST NOW COME FIRST!

1. I demand immediate action: One year and not 3.
2. I demand a 31% reduction in mortality in one year. Since any plan only has a 50% chance of success, delays will only reduce the odds of success, since more and more fish will have perished.
3. I support a 1 fish at 32″ per angler per day-regardless of where, how, and when the fish is caught. This regulation must be applied to all venues including party boats and charter boats. Making $$ on the fish does not justify providing these harvesters with an advantage.  Likewise, 1 fish at 32″ should be the standard in the estuary as well. The notion that only small fish are caught in the estuary is nonsense. All places have their seasons and that’s why anglers invest great effort in the estuaries around spawning time. Yet, be it Chesapeake Bay, the Hudson River, or the Connecticut River, it is true that fewer big fish are taken during off-spawning times, but they are caught. Stripers migrate from place to place and each area has its bigger fish season, all anglers in all regions should abide by the same regulations.
4. Minimize the dragger by-catch. Either directed or truly accidental.
5. Take immediate steps to end the severe poaching of small fish in the inner cities of Baltimore, Philadelphia, Boston, and New York.

Yours Truly,

(your full name and address)