I was always a believer in that you follow your passion and let it lead you where it may. I am sure you have dealt with people in the past that left you less than impressed. Maybe a dude in Home Depot while you were looking for a faucet or a guy behind a tackle store counter. I’ve booked guides in the past when I went away with the family that made me want to toss them overboard and take away their boat. And there probably is some reservation for many of you that might be considering a surf guided trip. Especially to a place like Montauk. But you need not to worry, the only name you need to know is Bill Wetzel at www.longislandsurffishing.com.

The man lacks no passion, stamina, effort or personality. I am not familiar with many guides, and what they do, but when someone asks me about guiding I tell them to call Bill. Because he truly is not only a fantastic guide but also an exceptional dude.

Who knew that he was an expert on UFO’s and astronomy?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2gafRg1nsE[/youtube]

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Many times, as we have a bullshit sessions on the beach, we tend to complain of just how much the sport has changed. From unwillingness of the new anglers to pay their dues, to availability of all this information on the net and yes, even fresh reports. Then we get home and the first thing we do is check the reports on the net ourselves..lol

Yes, internet has become a very powerful tool for learning, and in recent years socializing too. No need for phone calls any more, just go on Facebook and see what your buddies are doing. If you can read between the lines, there are more reports now, fresher, on Facebook then noreast saltwater.

And the social thing…it’s cool to reconnect with old friends. It’s not so cool when your old flame sends you message 20 years later professing her undying love…lol.

But there is a whole generation that will never embrace the social networking besides the one on the beach. You won’t find them on Facebook, you won’t read their stories on blogs, they won’t even write stories about the old days in the magazine. They are private, proud and they still fish under the old rules. Be sneaky, don’t use the light unless absolutely necessary, leave your truck in one location and fish in another. Don’t tell anyone about the plug that work for you, don’t use your mojo plugs when others are around…

Yes, I understand that for some this is hard to understand. After all, don’t we all want to be the guy on the rock were everyone can see us, don’t we all want to yell “yeeha” every time we hook up, don’t we all want to wear a wetsuit and then go to the water up to our knees, and don’t we all want to take pictures of a plug we caught fish on and then put it on a Facebook ?

Apparently not

There are not many left like Fred Schwab, and every day there is less and less of them. I can listen to them talk all day long and still have million questions about the old days.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SPG4Ugv0Ik[/youtube]

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Let’s make someone Easter really special by awarding the great set of Super Strike Lures, courtesy of very generous Steve Musso from Super Strike Lures. I hope all of you have a great day with your families.

The random number generator spit out a number and gave us a winner. The winner of the set is danodano9…. daniel_blanchard9@hotmail.com

You have 5 days to get us your mailing address at info@surfcastersjournal.com

Congratulations

Damn, the news hit me like a ton of bricks. I was at 7/11 getting coffee Friday night and while checking my emails while waiting on line I read an email from Steve Musso in disbelief. Jose Wejebe, the man behind the Spanish Fly fishing show, dies in the plane crash in the Everglades.

I did not know Jose personally but we did exchanged few emails when I was doing story on Costa Del Mar new “Jose” shades named after him. He was also working on a pictorial/interview for SJ. We were all set to begin in few weeks working on a story. It was originally supposed to happen few months ago but he asked for more time to come up with pictures of fishing on the flats. It doesn’t really matter, in the great scheme of things, it’s just an irrelevant blurb.

The important part for me was just how approachable fellow he was and how much did he enriched my life with his show and his adventures.

Rest in peace Jose, you will be missed by many.

The fishing I quite good this early in a season, New Jersey is yet again  leading the way in consistency and size. And the jersey boys are starting to hammer bigger bass on bunker….on Easter !!! It was fascination to get phone calls about bluefish in South Shore inlet a week ago in March!

It won’t be long before the big girls make their presence known all over. With that in mind, here are few words from our resident big fish hunter, the one and only Crazy Alberto Knie

Happy Easter everyone

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

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Peter Laurelli makes some great videos, the kind I would do if I knew what I was doing. And to think that he does all this himself. I know most of you can’t comprehend what is involved into making something like this but I just want to plant a little seed in your head.

For a simple few second clip of guy walking over the marsh…you have to go and set up a tripod on marsh (never easy) then frame it and focus it. Then walk back wherever you came from and walk in front of the camera and away from it to record it. THEN you have to walk back to shut it off, put the camera and tripod back into the case and walk to next location. All this to get one or two second shot.

To think that this 35 minute video is all self-shot is incredible. The underwater blitz footage is hundred times better than anything I’ve seen in Laptew’s video.

This is not a video, it’s an event

You best bet when watching this kind of thing, press play then press pause and let the video load up the whole way. Then watch it without video doing stop and go..

[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/39594064[/vimeo]

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Let me get all the winners out of the way

The Wiley X  shades go to…Peter F Figalore@gmail.com

The winners of Tactical Anglers giveaways are

Jimmy Z   jamesz860@sbcglobal.net

DonH drh@bnl.gov

Tom S   tomas767@gmail.com

I got an email from Mr.Musso inquiring about my flu, which I very much appreciated.

He then asked me to help him “kick off the season for SJ blog readers with a nice lure pack” from Super Strike.

How can we say no? 🙂

So today, Super Strike is offering you a chance to win this Four-Pack of Super Strike Lures aka makers of  the Best Stuff on Earth…or close to it.

Thank you Mr. Musso

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[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-u_GLjNK5E4[/youtube]

Lou Caruso

Are New Yorkers “Harsh”

I recently completed a business transaction with a gentleman from Massachusetts. After the transaction was completed we were chatting and in conversation he made a statement that “New Yorkers were harsh”. I let it go, as I was not sure where he was coming from and did not want to get into an argument.

It got me thinking though. Ever see some of the brawls that take place on these fishing forums especially during the winter? “Internet fisherman” has the ability to spew information like its gospel and if anyone dare go against what they have to say all hell breaks loose. I know, as I was recently on the receiving end of one of these tirades, from a fellow New Yorker no less.

Where am I going with this? I have met a lot of people over the years in this fishing community. 99.9% of them have been true gentleman & women and a pleasure to know. Then there’s that 1/10 of 1% that are hell. They are the ones that make it their mission to be antagonistic and disagree with everyone and everything. They are also usually the loudest and make the most lasting impression.

So for the few that make it bad for the rest of us, I apologize. New Yorkers are a great bunch of guys. Passionate yes, harsh, I don’t think so….

One last note; what you put in print could haunt you and ruin your reputation forever.

Spring is here. Time to get out and fish ….

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I been waiting to get better to do this video but I realized by the time I get better the fish will be here….Wait, the fish are here! Yes, Virginia, including the bluefish.

Back to what I had in mind. I wanted to do this video because showing you pictures would do no justice. I can’t see why anyone who is looking for something like this would not make this product their number one choice. Simple, elegant, stainless, there is nothing to knock. I wish all the product were like this

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1odukoApqo[/youtube]

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I know I still have to pick a winner for WileyX shades, I promise I will this week. Spent most of the weekend tying lose ends before I take my son on a trip. That is when I was not medicating myself. I will be really bummed out if this flu is not gone by next week. Been waiting for this trip a long time….

First, a new video of Crazy Al talking about his Tactical Angler Pouch. Watch it, there is a clue in there

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XjBwIS9wdE[/youtube]

No , there is no clue. I am just kidding. What I am not kidding about  is starting your week on a right foot by giving you a chance to win this plug and clips ,courtesy of Tactical Anglers.

What do  you have to do to win?

I asked Roger , our editor to pick three of his favorite pictures in the current  issue of the Surfcaster’s Journal Magazine.

Well look at that , even the link to the magazine appears for you so all you have to do is click. Jeez, you never had it better

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Your job is to pick one picture out of three that Roger picked. First three correct guesses will win these three items from Tactical Anglers

In weird but true news, after almost 20 years of living few blocks away from the Columbian restaurant on Old Country Road in Westbury I finally stepped into it with Da Wife in tow on Saturday. It looked like a place where the locals eats, my favorite kind of a restaurant. I hate pretentious food, fancy plates that suppose to impress my eyes but leave me hungry. Why I haven’t been there before? Honestly, probably because of the kids. Just like many of you, I was probably wondering what the hell they are going to eat if chicken nuggets and hot dogs are not on the menu. Sad but true. But they were both at their friends houses on Saturday and my wife and I had an hour to sneak out in peace…holy shit, why no one told me before about Paella before? I thought I died and went to heaven when that dish showed up. I ate at just about every place in and around Roosevelt Field,Westbury and Carle place in last 20 years, most of them suck. Some of them like the Outback or TGIF are just awful, some like Bacci are solid to excellent, but this little Columbian place really opened my eyes. Good stuff for a very affordable price…can’t wait to go back.

In  fact, it inspired me to got a buy a snapper and grill it just for me on Sunday. For the wife and kids I made meatballs which might be the best I ever made, but they we still not as appealing as this snapper smothered in the olive oil from Croatia and garlic..yummy.

Screw the diet. ..

Have a great week

If any of you are collectors of vintage tackle, you owe yourself to check out the show on April 28 put together by Salt Water Lures Collectors club in Bourne, MA (http://www.swlcc.com/SHOW.html).

One of a kind event where you never know who are you going to run into. Donny Musso is I believe scheduled to make a return appearance this year, Frank Pintauro who writes those wonderful vintage lure builder articles for Surfcaster’s Journal is always a fixture.

Here is a video from last year show

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uGCve5MV7A&feature=BFa&list=UUjlCgoRVvpfZ53H_U5lfecw&lf=plcp[/youtube]

Trying to find a needle in a haystack..is what I felt I was trying to do as I was looking in my basement for some fishing equipment for the upcoming trip with my son. I can’t really paint you a picture with words, I suck a drawing and writing, but imagine about ten thousand books, every decoration known to a man, from Christmas, to Easter, to Thanksgiving, to Memorial day, you name it ,its there..and then there are bins of plugs, plugs hanging off the ceiling, SJ stuff, video lights, umbrellas, outdoor furniture….you get the idea.

So I gave up after five minutes…lol. Why? Because I get distracted easy. Ok, the truth was Brooklyn Decker rang the door bell and asked if I could spare some sugar. Yeah right…

The real truth is that I found some stuff I did not know I had,

I found two SJ OLD SCHOOL hats which I put in the online store as we were out them

then I found these two cool 1951 MTK Vintage shirts in size LARGE we did last fall..those are also in the store. First person to grab one or both, they won’t be made again

I also found two 4xl shirts…knowing that there are not too many of us who wear 4xl I added them to store as buy one get one free basically..for $20 you get 2 4xl vintage shirts….its below our cost after we ship it but we rather have someone use it then them  be sitting in the basement

The few Montauk Surfcasting Capital of the World shirts that are left are reduced to $12. I have to thank Tommy for pointing me in a different direction when I made these shirts. They are much more expensive than your regular t-shirt and in my opinion, the best material I ever wore. I wear mine at construction site 5 days a week, wash it and its still great after a year. And so…props to Yu Dude…

Tommy is in the process of remaking the Night Crew shirts, they will be back in the online store in a week or two

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This has been one week from hell fighting this flu. The only good thing that came out of it that I now know what the flu feels like. No thanks, give me a regular nasty cold any day of the week and twice on Sunday.

Its Friday, many of you will hit the beaches this weekend, many of you for the first time. Some of you will just want to stretch your legs and others are expecting to catch few schoolies to start their season.

But do you , or should you have expectations of bigger fish this early in the season? For 99% of the people the answer is no. But those few that fish herring runs, usually in brackish water are often  rewarded with some monsters each spring.

Remember this fish? From what we were told, it was caught around this time of the year few seasons ago.

Wouldn’t it be nice 🙂

Have a great weekend

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