new video from Peter Laurelli….

This year the full 20 minute movie will be shown as part of the International Fly Fishing Film Festival

[vimeo]https://vimeo.com/56019229[/vimeo]

Dude makes EPIC videos…the underwater footage of last year one was insane!

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

Once in awhile I put this stuff out there, a call for help in a way. Stuff I can’t get to, stuff I could use, stuff we need for a magazine.

And I also promised you to continue with news. The big news of the week is that I KVIT . For those of you without working knowledge of Cringlish language (croatian-english) that would be, I quit. Dave Anderson who I have a  world of respect for will be  managing editor of the Surfcaster’s Journal Magazine. He will work with all the columnists and writers and do what I have been doing. Where does that leave me? Hmmm, let me see. Write, pictures blog, ad sales, billing, invoicing, video, shows…oh yeah, that pesky thing called regular job….lol. So from now on , any inquiries about writing ,stories , please contact him at danderson_nef@yahoo.com  . We are working on getting him surfcastersjournal.com email but use the yahoo one for now. The haters can still contact me at zenosucks@surfcastersjournal.com.

And yes, I will still be writing this blog…I can’t believe some misread my original post this morning but then again my cringlish is tough to grasp

The winner of Ultimate Surf Belt is  frankbklyn21@yahoo.com …please email us at info@surfcastersjournal.com with your shipping address

Can someone please email me a picture you took which shows this  mycobacteria disease? I need it for an article and I don’t have any. I would really appreciate it.

As I told you, I will be working on this Montauk series over the winter. Does anyone have old vintage pictures of trucks, people, town, anything related to Montauk? Please email me or send me a link to a place where you know there are some. You can contact me at zhromin@verizon.net

If anyone has an idea for article for SJ they want to write, please drop mDave a line with your idea. Even if you have a suggestion as to what you would like to see other write, let us know. We can only think of so much.

We’d like to feature a gear modification column, not so much on regular basis but as an occasional series. We all tinker with our stuff and until recently most of the stuff you bought for surfcasting was not designed for surf fishing only. If you have an idea, shot Dave an email.

Let’s face it, your feedback is important. Like I said many times, in a lot of ways, we do this for you guys on this blog. Yes, a lot more people come and go but to me, you are our most important readers. No disrespect to masses that read SJ but to me you guys are like family…except there is no sneering remarks, insults or putdowns. What kind a family is this ?:-)

And how ironic is that after we moved the blog to another server that it went caput yesterday? You can’t make this stuff up

As I was writing today’s blog which was going to be an giveaway of a different kind I checked my emails after giving my one typing finger a break. And there was a note from Steve Knapik from the Ultimate Surf Belts thanking us for a honest review of his belt and asking us if he could make this Christmas more special for one of our readers by giving them a chance to win one of his belts.

With so much pain and suffering this year, in the spirit of the holiday season, he wants you to tell us how you were helped by someone this year. It does not have to be fishing related. During these times, reflecting on others and what they mean to us is what this season is all about.

So, in order to enter the giveaway, you have to tell us how you were helped my someone. There are a lot of good deeds done this year, so let’s hear about it. We will pick a winner at random in a day or two and try to get you the Ultimate Surf Belt by Christmas time.

What a terrible week it was in so many ways. Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers go to all of those affected by the terrible tragedy in CT. Sometimes in life you try to make sense of things but you just can’t. Tommy sent me a text on Friday to put the TV on, I was running around, trying to get to physical therapy on time that I did not even have a radio on in the truck. I am at the loss for explanations as a father, husband and just a human being on what happened. Tommy’s dad lost his battle with cancer this week and I know how much he hates the group hug stuff that goes on the other websites,,,but I just wanted to acknowledge it. Any person that is responsible for creating a genius art guru who makes the SJ come to life should be remembered with fondness.

After writing all this, the rest of the words, to be honest, seem irrelevant but just like we felt the world was caving in during Sandy and on 9/11, the sun came out the next day, athough in so many ways so so many, life will never be the same.I promised you some more details of what we have planned for you in 2013 so i will try to put them in some coherent sentences this week although I haven’t mastered the “coherent” part yet.

When we bought the new platform we thought our dreams have come true. Finally we get to embed videos and customize it with our logo, the way we wanted to fit. And unlike our old issuu platform which did not work with Ipad or any apple products, this one did. If you remembered we had a separate link for IPAD viewers and one for desktop. Not very professional but keep in mind that it’s just two dudes on shoestring budget. Yes, Tommy still made it look better than anything big boys out together put out but on the end of the day, we only have so many hours..and family always, always comes first. That is why I am typing this at midnight after they went to bed.

The platform promise was wickedly simple. You make a single file, upload it to a server and then the software recognizes automatically what you are using, mobile, tablet, desktop and voila, it adjust its layout so it can be optimized for that device. Thing of beauty I am telling you…except no one told us few things.

The most important in my view, and this is by no fault of anyone, just a nature of a beast, our landscape format….pages are  long and it’s impossible to fit two landscape pages onto a tablet (or a phone) and make them flip. So we decided that as of next issue in January SJ will be laid out in vertical format. Still same size but now in the classic format like most publications. Tommy is actually excited about the idea. He likes the challenge. I was glad to hear it because at first I thought he was going to show up at my house with a can of gas and matches. So that is number one. For the first time you will have a true “flip” viewer on your ipad

You’ve seen the sample of the video we embedded into the last issue. That was just a test run. I am of the opinion that the publications will feature more and more interactive content or other media formats besides just text and picture. And I want SJ to be on the forefront of this, just like we did with web publishing. We are developing an original series about history of surf fishing at Montauk Point. I’ve spent some time interviewing  fellows that were not part of Montauk Rocks Film. Guys like Fred Schwab, Vito Orlando, Manny Moreno or the Hardest Working Guide in the Business, Mr. Bill Wetzel. I know it’s going to take me a year or two to put the whole thing together and I am aware of my limitations too. It will never be as polished as Mr. Siberry film. Just like anything I do, it will have plenty of Zenoisams. But I think I can handle making 10 to 20 minutes “episodes” for each issue of the Journal. Look for this series to debut in the March issue of the SJ. I am hoping to have a trailer for you shortly, kind of see what it is all about. Not so much about the place as it is about the people and how fishing was in the 50’s trough today. Stay tuned for that

Btw thank you for the kind works regarding the SJ Holiday Video the other day. I watched my daughter play that song the other night at concert, the Carol of the Bells and it’s so powerful. Once I got home I started to work with a concept and hours and hours latter it was a almost a 2 minute video. Yeah, I suck at this.

We are also working on two how-to series and possibly adding a third one which will appear also exclusively in the pages of SJ. None of these videos will be on YouTube or another site. There are few more announcements, some that will surprise you, and some that will delight you, but I will save those for few more days as I have to still make sure we are all on the same page.

I am not going to bore you with details of what and why. I would like to use this opportunity to thank all of our supporters who advertised here on the blog and in the magazine. They made this dream of ours a reality. But after 20k or so of unpaid bills we have decided that we cant to this anymore. My dream has always been to have this grandiose publication that people are going to love and that will be about the sport that they love. That it would be the best, the longest, the most gorgeous thing you can think of. And I think we did that for the most parts but it’s time for me to throw in a towel in more ways than one (more one that latter). We decided that in order to keep peace at home, to pay the writers, the platform, the new servers for mag and blog (notice how this thing does not crash after we moved it from godaddy), more cameras and more content, we are going to make SJ magazine a publication for subscribers only for what we feel is very reasonable twenty dollar a year subscription. So now you are not only getting the magazine but exclusive content like how-to videos and original series. And yes, we are already thinking about another original project just for you.

I do want to say one thing in closing of today’s blog. In a lot of ways, the SJ is made for you guys here on this blog. I appreciate all the support from Facebook fans and people that stop by once in awhile to enter a giveaway. But to me, you guys on this blog are the reason why we do this. I was actually considering closing down the blog as of new year but believe it or not, our advertisers here were not happy with my idea. They felt that this is the best and most desirable group of surfcasters they want to reach. Which is very flattering. And it should be to you too. So like I have always done in the past, when I found a fork in the road and I had a choice to either fold or stay the course I did the third thing. Yeah, there is a third thing and its called making it better. Look for the news of expanding of our blog in near future too. And the blog will remain where it is, outside of the publication.

Anyway, that is enough typing for tonight. My elbow is barking and yes, after 3 months of pain that would not go away I am now in physical therapy 3 times a week trying to get rid of this pain before spring. Because on the end of the day, all I ever wanted to do is fish

Which is why you are here too

and in case you are jonesing for some “action” check out this sick video of GT rushing a school of bait. If stripers moved at this speed I think I would fish in Kevlar waders!!

[youtube]http://youtu.be/r4mA6WsFJQE[/youtube]

need I say more ?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMUFA26ZBlU[/youtube]

You remember the other day when I was wondering out loud where the hell do all those commercially caught striped bass end up since I never seen it on any restaurant I frequent? You are going to get a kick out of this news story posted on Yahoo Health yesterday about fish sold in NY.

Fish sold in New York is routinely mislabeled: study

By Peter Rudegeair, Reuters
Dec. 11, 2012 8:25AM PSTDec. 11, 2012 8:25AM PST

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Nearly three in five New York City grocery stores and restaurants that sell seafood have mislabeled part of their stock, substituting varieties that could cause health problems, according to a new study.

Some 39 percent of the fish obtained for the study by the ocean conservation group Oceana was inaccurately identified, Oceana said. Sometimes cheap fish is substituted for more expensive varieties or plentiful species for scarce ones.

Forensic DNA analysis revealed 58 percent of 81 New York retailers and eateries sampled incorrectly labeled the seafood they sold, according to the study released Tuesday.

“It’s unacceptable that New York seafood lovers are being duped more than one-third of the time when purchasing certain types of fish,” Kimberly Warner, a senior scientist at Oceana and an author of the study, said in a news release.

In some instances, consumers unknowingly purchased fish that could pose health risks.

Blueline tilefish masqueraded as halibut and red snapper. The FDA urges pregnant women, nursing mothers and small children to avoid tilefish given its high mercury content.

All but one of the 17 white tuna samples obtained from sushi restaurants turned out to be escolar, a fish whose diarrhea-inducing properties earned it the nickname the “ex-lax fish.”

Mislabeled seafood can present a public health concern because many hazards are species specific, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) spokeswoman said in an email. Allergic reactions and food-borne illnesses are some of the possible health hazards, the spokeswoman said.

New York’s rate of seafood mislabeling was higher than Miami’s (31 percent) but lower than that of Boston (48 percent) and Los Angeles (55 percent), according to recent Oceana investigations.

What distinguishes New York’s seafood marketplace from those of the other American cities Oceana tested is the presence of smaller, independent food stores, 40 percent of which sold mislabeled fish, Warner said in an interview. In contrast, only 12 percent of seafood bought at national chain grocery stores in New York were labeled incorrectly.

The problem is not new. A study appearing in a 1992 issue of Consumer Reports found about a third of the seafood sampled in New York, Chicago, and San Jose was incorrectly labeled.

Nor is seafood mislabeling an issue that has gone unreported. The discovery in August 2011 that Zabar’s, a gourmet food store on Manhattan, had been passing off crawfish as lobster in its lobster salad for at least 15 years was the subject of multiple, high-profile media stories.

(Additional reporting by Sharon Begley; Editing by Cynthia Osterman

Lots of stuff rattling in my brain, some good and some less so but very little time to put it on the paper..or in my case MS Word. I will fill you in hopefully in the next few days on what is going on with the mag and bunch of other stuff but let dedicate today to “news”.

First, I just learned , which probably means that is an old new to you guys, Super Strike Lures Boy Wonder Mr. Steve Musso announced recently that in the 2013 Super Strike will be featuring VMC hooks and Roscoe split rings. He is hoping that my mid 2013 all production would be done with VMC. This is  good news for all the Super Strike fans like myself. Glad to hear it.

Two, East End Bait and Tackle in Hampton Bays is having a blowout 50% off sale on all Wizard swing hook bucktails. You can visit them at http://www.eastendbaitandtackle.com/

Three…BDOutdoors.com on the West Coast is doing something with Sandy Relief on the East Coast They’re selling t-shirts with all proceeds going to Restore Our Shore, an NJ org that aids smaller local charities that don’t qualify for Red Cross Aid. The artwork, was special draw by NJ shore artist Skullboy just for this project. For $20, you get a wicked shirt and help Sandy victims.

http://www.bdswag.com/Rebuild-N-Fish-T-Shirt.html

and four, the winner of two sweet Line Stretcher Surface Tension lures is ….Myerst22@yahho.com

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

Although I believe that fisheries management scientist work hard at trying to figure out just how many fish are left in the sea, I still think that most of their “conclusions” are just best guesses.

And two, I have a soft spot for commercial fisherman. I come from culture where you ate everything you caught and yes, because of it they are paying a steep price today. Very steep with almost barren Adriatic Sea. But commercial fisherman are a hard working bunch which have very hard quotas in place. Do they cheat? I am sure some of them do. Do some recreational fisherman cheats? Do you really have to ask?

My point behind today’s post is that I noticed that more than 4000 people watched this video. It must have struck a nerve.

[youtube]http://youtu.be/Cc8bCOOfFs4[/youtube]

Now when you are having a discussion regarding stocks, all you can voice is your “opinion”. These are not facts. These are opinion of people who spend a lot of time on the water, people we respect.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrezl5zU6fI[/youtube]

Take a look at this chart. Yes, we take more fish than commercial sector. Way more. We as a whole are more responsible for the fish wellbeing than they are. But don’t think commercial guys don’t care. If striped bass fisheries collapse again, they will take a big hit in the wallet. So they know that healthy fisheries are good for them.

Party boats and charter boats on the other hand… As long as there is something to catch, they could not care less. If there is plenty of fluke but no bass, who cares, we are sailing full anyway. They purposely target big fish to kill and  only few captains are preaching leaving something for tomorrow. To most this is a business, you get up, pick a gps spot, take your customers there and drop an anchor or drift. Then take them home and start tomorrow all over again. What species they catch, it doesn’t really matter as long as the boat is full. Why would they?

My point is, forget the charter and party boat fleet other than we should make an effort to reclassified them as commercial operators and ad their catches on the top of the commercial quota. It’s us who kill the most fish and we should admit this already and when it comes the time to set the new rules, we should be adamant we want less not more. Unfortunate in this dumb world, what we don’t want it gets to be added to the commercial side. Sick

Someone should sue the government and force them to adapt same regulations for every state. That should be a start. This is a migratory fish, for every state to make its own rules and seasons is insane. Striped bass as a gamefish to me is a no brainer. Look to what extent Florida goes to protect their fish. Gamefish status did wonders for the snook. And although I admire the commercial fisherman and find that kind of way of earning a living to be a hard but honest, they will have to accept the fact that ever-increasing population and more and more pressure on any species is not sustainable…And I do not accept their argument because they supply “the average Joe” in the seafood market with fresh fish. There obviously is not as many fish as there used to be. How in the world Costco sells tons and tons of fresh caught flounder while I have not seen one in years in mind boggling. Not that I tried. I assume that these flounder are from other places ?

Can someone please answer me where do over 1.3 million dead bass harvested by the commercial sector end up? I am not being a wise ass, seriously. I am curios as I never got a good answer to this. I have yet to walk into restaurant that had striped bass on a menu other then few places in Montauk. I have never seen one, seriously. My local seafood stores never have any wild stripers either. Where the hell to they all go?

Do they cover them with sauce and call them grouper filet? Cat foot? Fertilizer? I have no idea but it seems strange to me.

Just something to think about. The only reason we make these videos is to bring attention to what we feel is a alarming decline in the species. We let you draw your own conclusions. You don’t need some industry rep pulling the wool over your eyes, or some tree hugger on the opposite side telling you that the world of striped bass fishing as we know it is ending. Do what your heart is telling you is the right thing.. just keep in mind that not everyone has your best interest in mind. And even less people have the fishes best interest in mind. Which might be the saddest part of all this.

Today we have a special giveaway, courtesy of Line Stretcher Tackle Co. I always insisted and do to this day that these lures might be the most misused lures by surfcasters…ever. Yeah, they will outcast any lure of the market just about every day of the week in their size.

Yes, they are killer for blues and bonito when retrieved at slighlty faster retrieve…BUT ..they catch a ton of bass if you just sloooow down your retrieve. Capish? 🙂

Next time you need a long cast, toss one of these suckers and then slow down your retrieve and be prepared to set a hook…on a bass.

Today’s giveaway is for 3 ounce pink Line Stretcher Surface Tension lure and 2 ounce one, courtesy of Line Stretcher Lures. Yeah, SJ Sticker too

[youtube]http://youtu.be/VhVgL6xsz5I?hd=1[/youtube]

A lot of people ask me why I do what I do. Why mag, why blog, why book, why this or that. You might think I am a publicity hound but nothing could be further from the truth. I am never in any pictures and you don’t see me in videos either unless I make one at home. I kind of like the idea of promoting the sport and creating quality content. No, I have not retired yet, my stupid truck only starts after I turn the key three or four times, and seats are covered so it hides all the rips in leather. And yeah, still on a five AM train to Penn Station every morning…with two kids ready for college in a year or two, none of this will change. Heck, I might have to start driving a bike 🙂

Lately I got few “why’s” on the new Montauk project. After all, Rich worked on his Montauk Rocks for 5 years, is it really necessary for me to do same thing. If it was a same thing, I would say resounding no. But I wanted to do something different. I think he succeeded in bringing the Montauk surf  to your living rooms and I think he did a hell of a job.

I on the other hand had other motives. My hope was to preserve the history for the future generations. As Rich found out, getting some of the older regulars on camera is a feat in itself. Charlie Ruger, Donny Musso, Vito, Bragan, Schwab….even Many Moreno who is as closed lipped as they come. They are not from “look at me” generation, they don’t care what you think of them, they won’t be in a blitz line up, they just want to fish. And be left alone. And although they can’t seem to stop talking amongst themselves, you say “camera” and their faces drop faster than you can say “smile”. I know Rich tried to get them on camera for 5 years and did not succeed and it wasn’t for the lack of trying. It might be because they didn’t really know him and they did not exactly know what he was doing with the footage. I am sure after they watched Montauk Rocks today , that if he would ask them again, they would agree to talk.

Ok, maybe they would. But that is about as good as you are going to get with them.

By now you are probably wondering why did they all decide to sit with me.

Grandchildren.

What, you don’t get it? I am getting to it.

My idea was to try to capture some of the historical perspective, a stories from then to today, about people ,gear, place. After all, no one is getting any younger. And every day we probably lose another caster that fished the beach in the old days. We can’t stop life. But we can try to bottle it, preserve it for the future generation. How sad would it be if  my kids don’t have any reference or idea what the fishing was like in the 50’s or 60’s. Like I said, these guys won’t write books. Hell, most of them refuse to use a computer.

So how did they all agree to sit on camera? I told you, grandchildren. I had to invoke that sacred magic card on numerous occasions. At first, I got rejected for usual reasons. “I don’t like camera, I am a nobody, talk to someone else, I don’t have the time”. But then I pulled the grandkids card and told them “Look, I don’t care if you sit with me or not. But I am going to leave you with one thought. Imagine your grand grandson watching you on the screen fifty years from now, saying ” that is MY grand grandfather. He was a Montauk Regular”. It worked when nothing else did 🙂

And that is why I do what I do. So my kid can say, my dad took time to document this for future generation of surfcasters. I know it sounds corny but they don’t make men like those salt-crusted old surfcasters any more.