I recived this email from a Blog reader Greg. I thought it was interesting enough to share with you all.

Zeno

Zeno,

I was checking my email after I closed up the shop today and couldn’t help send this email after reading all of the posts. This is really me rambling on. Hope you get a chance to read and maybe provide to your subscribers to read “for your information” or “food for thought”.

This piece of writing began after reading the SJ Blog post on October 3rd titled “Two Piece Rods”. A variety of comments were shared and some debated. Zeno posted a comment “No one sane can say they rather fish a two piece rods unless it’s a storage thing” and it sparked my writing because I would. Maybe I am not sane. I typed this up on Monday night and sent the following email to Zeno because I thought it was way too long to post. I am not an expert on rod blank construction but I wanted to shed some light on these new high tech and high performance rods:

Even if St. Croix made a one piece Legend, Century made a one piece Sling Shot, CTS made a one piece Vapor Trail or S8 (I think it is now available or soon will be)… I would still prefer the two piece blank. I might not be the majority but I have reasons why I love two piece rods and it isn’t for storage and travel although that is the major factor.

I own a variety of rods, too many (Century, CTS, Fenwick, G. Loomis, Lamiglas, St. Croix, among others) and actually love them all. Yes, I have many rods built on Lami GSB blanks from 7 through 12 foot. They do/did their job and kept asking for more. Sure I abused them over the years and a couple have broken. In the past two years these rods have begun to get dusty. Not because there is anything wrong with them but because there is more performance available at a great value.

 First and more most, all rods will break if abused. Let’s remember that a fishing rod is a tool. We (anglers) present the lure and then (if good or just lucky )hook, fight and land the fish. And then do it all over again. As most know sometimes fishing demands the longest cast possible to reach outside the sandbar, a feeding school of fish,  a rip or structure that is holding fish, etc.  Because rods are held for long periods of time, the physical weight is import as well as sensitivity to feel the lure and the BITE. May the best tool for your job prevail.

 [This paragraph is not fact, it is not proven, it is my opinion. ] I feel strongly that two piece rods are superior to one piece rods. A 60/40 (70/30 and even 50/50 style) two piece rod provides  the angler with a stiff butt section that transfers the cast’s energy into the top section. I feel that this energy is lost in soft one piece rods. You can see it clear as day when watching one cast, when it bends right through the reel seat.  Ok, there are parabolic rods designed for long distance casting that bend like a “c”; however, these rods have specially designed tapers which store and transfer the energy to the tip.  These tapers are found on specialty rods, not your average fishing rod blank. I have found that my various two piece rods offer more sensitivity (quicker tapers- thinner tip diameter) and more fish steering control and leverage (stiff handle section). Also in most cases two piece blanks have much smaller butt diameters than comparable one piece rods.  To me this I great because like fishing a 17 or 18 size reel seat much more than a 20, 22 or even larger.

Two piece rods are just as strong if not STRONGER! I cast to tuna (well over  100-lbs) with all two piece rods. As far as reported breakage? No offense, I would guess angler (like 95%+ of all breakages), high sticking or a nick in the blank (abuse). Yes I’ve seen plenty of broken rods (I work in a full service bait and tackle shop). A slim percent are actually a defect situation (blemish in the blank: wrinkle in the scrim, imperfections in material or resin, human error when sanding the blank) because most rod blanks are inspected (acid load test)before shipping out at the manufacturing facility.  As far as a rod blank’s action power, line/lure weight and abs (absolute breaking strength)it all comes down to the blank’s design which incorporates it’s methods of construction, a combination of the blends of material, the amount of material (thickness) and the taper.

Fiberglass is cheap, heavy, slow but very durable.  Graphite is more expensive, light, fast and fragile. Furthermore blanks with higher modulus graphite scrim equal a lighter, more responsive, more sensitive, faster action (more resistance to bend) rod. They also tend to feature thinner walls that are more prone to breakage from abuse; however, outperform glass rods. Please take note that there are many rods that fall in the middle between the two extremes. These rods are created with a blend of material glass and mid modulus graphite. For strength these fibers need resin and also resin needs fibers. In recent years 3M has taken a huge leap forward in resin technology, now offering super strong and super high performing resins which have been enhanced with nano-particles. These nano-resins have been formulated by 3M with nano-granule additives to allow blank building a world of opportunities, an amazing new strength to weight ratio possibilities.

Rod blank technology has changed a lot over the years and with it evolved more performance oriented rod blank design. For competitive reasons not all blank manufactures are willing to tell all about their blanks construction for competition purposes.
 – Here in the USA St. Croix rods is at the forefront of rod building technology with their innovation, technology and machinery. Their proprietary technology such as their 3M nano resin (NSi  – Nano Silica) [not used in the Legend Surf Series blanks] , continues tapers (IPC – Integrated Poly Curve Technology) and  superior hoop strength (ART  – Advanced Reinforcing Technology) are light years ahead (in terms of performance) of the blanks of yesterday.
 – Across the Atlantic, Century rods (from the UK) is also at the forefront of rod blank technology. Century offers their autoclave technology,  which is basically a climate controlled resin curing process. It eliminates impurities in the resin which makes for a stronger, more durable and longer lasting rod blank. The climate controlled process incorporates heat and pressure during the curing process to increase density and tensile strength . The finish product is a super slim diameter, light weight and a very crisp powerful rod. Part of Century’s cult following is because of their anti twist technology (ATT) which is achieved by their machined ferruls that ensure a perfect fit via raw carbon to raw carbon mate. Each male and female is unique and not universal.  Century also has beautiful tapers (smooth and consistent) as well as great action for optimum fish fighting comfort and high performance casting. I am sure Mike at KM Custom Rods could shed some more light on his line of Century blanks.
– CTS (hailing from New Zealand) is at the leading edge of rod design. CTS rod blanks feature a unique 100% non woven fiber carbon helix core (single carbon spiral) which offers incredible power, response and strength yet super light weight. CTS offers (with help from computer aid) tapers without flat spots and optimum load transfer for amazing casting performance. CTS uses high quality carbon to optimize strength and weight. They also offer their rods with super strong internal high strength ferrules. I don’t know much about the fine details of how CTS works their magic other than what is displayed on their website. Maybe Rich at RH Custom Rods could add more information.

I highly suggest getting out and attending any of the casting day demos that are offered. Get your hands on one as soon as possible and give it a cast. I don’t think you’ll look back.

I hope most all know this but I have to add:

Anyone who claims that two piece rods suck because they tweak out of alignment… please learn how to properly put together a two piece rod. I see lots of angler just push the top and the bottom section together (-><-). There needs to be a twist.

  1) Both the male and female side of the ferrule need to be clean; no sand, salt, blood, slim, etc. If dirty  clean away (a q-tip or a test tube brush might be required for the female side).  Always add a little bit of “nose grease” or better yet ferrule wax to the male side. Take care of your equipment and this step is a breeze.
  2) Align the rod’s top half guides at about 45 degree to perfect alignment (0 degrees) and then slide the two sections together and twist 45 degrees to seat and align in one movement. A slight degree or two will not make a difference. If the guides are 5-10degree “out of wack” redo.
  3) TWIST and lightly pull to take apart. If hands slip use a rubber jar opener grip or that perforated material which is used to line cabinets. If need be, acquire a helper and twist in opposite directions. Don’t ever grab a guide for extra grip.

Hope you enjoyed the read… now let’s go fishing. It’s prime time!

I will make this short and sweet…the winner of Columbia Sportswear Balaclava who guessed first  that Roger’s favorite shot is on page 151 is …

..bunufish….

please furnish your shipping address to info@surfcastersjournal.com and we will get this out to you

Number two..the video below…it’s a shade under 4 minutes long and it took me about 5 hours to do it…and 2 hours to upload it to YouTube. each ogf the 4 times i had to make changes!…..you’d think I still have a donkey in my back yard. Sadly I don’t. I do have to say that whoever redesigned Final Cut into ProX is a #$%^& genuis !!! Normal, dumb people like me finaly “get it”. Thank you Steve Jobs

So watch it…while I medicate myself with some Theraflu and get my butt to work. In full 1080 HD if your eyes are up to it.,..the ful interview is about a half an hour long

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lAZQhd9XcM[/youtube]

Someone asked me on the beach yesterday why would anyone want a two piece rod instead of a custom rod. Let’s take out of the equation the need to break a rod down for transportation or storage.

Why would I, or anyone in my shoes, buy/use a two piece rod if I could get a custom rod instead.? It doesn’t make sense, does it? But you got to look at the whole picture. First, know who’s talking. I never been the guy who chases after the fads, I was never the first guy out with VS, braid or anything else. It took me years to switch to clips. I still wear $80 Grunden pullover splash top. So me jumping on the two piece rod bandwagon is not going to happen.

Here is why I did it. I liked the St Croix line of rods but unfortunately they only came in two piece. Do you think I would preferred this configuration instead of a single rod if they offered it? Of course not. I fished for years with Lamiglas GSB rods and nothing else. Great all around rods. There is nothing you can’t do with them. However holding  St Croix in one hand and Lami gsb in other you will be amazed just how much lighter St Croix Legend is. The other attribute I really like is that Legend’s are not as sloppy as GSB when finishing a cast. What more is there? Why do people make this stuff to be more then what it is?

To me St Croix Legends feel better, they are crisper during the cast, very sensitive when retrieving a lure. Would I lean on it as hard as I did with GSB? I doubt it. I swam with it few months ago in  Cutty and I because the water is about ten to twelve feet deep I was using my rod to push myself along. This is much easier done with GSB.

Some of you might say why not get a different one piece from Lamiglas instead. After all, they have other models. You know, if I looked hard enough, I would have probably found something to suit me. I am not a fan of Super surf , but I am sure there are some blanks that would have been just great. But I also know that St Croix has a kick ass warranty in case I need assistance and that they been one of the biggest supporters of this magazine since the day we started it and that means a lot to me.

What are the pitfalls? The only thing I experienced was that you might have to adjust your guides occasionally. Which is to be expected. Other than that , I don’t see a difference.

we are in the midst of a fall run..would you like to win one of these prizes ?

Prizes

1. St Croix Legend Surf rod of your choice
2. Commando Custom Surf bag
3. Penn Battle Spinning reel of your choice
4. WileyX Polarized glasses
5. Hansom Tackle Saltwater Pliers
6. Set of Super Strike Lures
7. Set of Choopy Lures
8. Set of Guides Choice Lures
9. Set of Line Stretcher Lures
10. Complete Set of Lure Tubes System

This is just a reminder to send us the pictures of those big girls you release and enter them into STRIPERTHON 2011

Here are some entries from this year

A quick note..the vintage Montauk shirts should be shipped tonight  to those who ordered them . We have something like 5 or 6 leftover that we overordered by mistake.

Anyones wants one, inquire at info@surfcastersjournal.com about sizes. Like i said, half a dozen of assorted sizes

You probably heard it but just in case you missed we will tell you about it. Montauk Classic weekend tournament this past weekend in Montauk was a awash in big fish. Which means that you will want to go there :-)…..this weekend. Of course it would have been better if you were there last weekend and caught those giant fish yourself. Or maybe you were there and like I, only caught fish smaller than your eels. That’s why my friends there are sharpies (like the tourney winners) and the rest of us.

And if you missed last weekend contest, there is another on tap this weekend. Paulie’s Bait and Tackle Tourney is happening this weekend. So sign up and good luck.

In case you are wondering , both cows were landed on lures. But not just any lures. They were both caught on the lures made by Super Strike. One on the new weighted Heavy N Needlefish and the other on the SS darter. Both caught within few minutes of each other, or I should say, weighted within few minutes of each other….yet caught in different locations. I am not surprised that they were caught on Super Strike Lures.

As I sat and interviewed Paulie on camera last week after the shop closed he must have said “Super Strike” two dozen times when talking about lures, what works, what he likes, what is staple, and on and on. Congrats to the anglers on their achievement and Super Strike lures makers Steve and Don Musso for providing the “tools” .

BASS
John Bruno 49.30
Gus Tserpelis 48.74
Mike Coppola 32.34
Rich Michelsen 24.12
Mike Larson 21.88

BLUE
Mike Larson 11.58
A. Pasquale 10.58
Howard Lawrence 10.10
Rich Michelsen 9.50
Terry Marburger 9.50

and look at the forecast for next few days

TODAY
E WINDS AROUND 15 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 20 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4
FT THIS MORNING BUILDING TO 4 TO 5 FT THIS AFTERNOON. PATCHY FOG EARLY
THIS MORNING. A CHANCE OF DRIZZLE. VSBY 1 TO 3 NM EARLY THIS
MORNING.

TONIGHT
E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 20 KT. SEAS 3 TO
5 FT. A CHANCE OF DRIZZLE IN THE EVENING…THEN A CHANCE OF SHOWERS
AFTER MIDNIGHT. PATCHY FOG. VSBY 1 TO 3 NM.

THU
SE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT…BECOMING S 10 TO 15 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO
20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. A CHANCE OF TSTMS. SHOWERS
LIKELY…MAINLY IN THE AFTERNOON.

yummy

and now for some comic relief…at my expense , of course

We have one rule on our blog, we never make it about us. It is not a pulpit from which we make our legend grow. Instead we try to make it informational and educational place where you can check in, have a cup of java and start your morning. Or dream about Kim. Whatever rocks your boat.

But today I will make an exception because I have to answer the most often asked question when it comes to stuff I write for the mag and blog….how do you do it and where do you find time?

Let’s look at Monday…I can assure you Continue reading →

It’s still warm on the beaches…last night I had to remove my hat as I was sweating profusely….but soon, it’s going to get chilly. Nights will get longer and southwest wind will gave way to the ones from north bringing in the cold air. You are going to be cold. Your giant noggin and your balding head will take a brunt of the abuse. But there is hope…..get one of these Balaclava wraparoundyourgiantheadandneck from Columbia Sportswear and you will be warm and toasty on the beach. Breathable, quick drying and comfortable, your head never had so good.

Not only do we tell you about it, but we will give you a chance to win one, right here on the blog. Go to issue #9 of the Surfcaster’s Journal Magazine at www.surfcastersjournal.com and try to figure out what is our Editor, Roger Martin’s favorite picture of this issue. You get one guess, and first person that guesses right will win this Balaclava from Columbia Sportswear Company.

The winner of the pliers sheath from Hansom Tackle is larry leopold
Congrats pal, you will like this. Email us at info@surfcastersjournal.com and tell us if you would like an orange or black pair and your shipping address…we will take care of the rest. I cant believe just how many of you have these pliers from Hansom…glad to see they found the place in the market…good product from good people

[issuu width=550 height=213 showHtmlLink=false proSidebarEnabled=true backgroundColor=%23222222 documentId=110909055811-4b5c375cab104e5195026dfe8d489310 name=issue9 username=surfcasters_journal tag=fishing unit=px id=54f2a2a6-526b-0113-c7be-f957283b1fce v=2]

Lol…will you admit that I got your bullshit-o-meter to register a high reading after reading the title?

But there really is nothing to it, just another  4 AM brain fart before heading to LIRR and back on the ladders, wrapping duct.

But seriously, I do want to bring something to your attention. Most of you have either read in books or have a firsthand experience with bottle plugs aka Casting Swimmers. Today I will only talk about ones made by Super Strike as they are the staple in my bag. There are few other makers of these plugs, primarily Gibbs and although I like them I only use them under certain conditions, maybe a blog post for another day. But Super Strike bottle plug is always in my bag. Regardless if I am fishing Montauk, sand beaches of Long Island, local jetties, Block Island rocks, Cape Cod Canal, just about anywhere. Cuttyhunk too but there I prefer a bottle darter instead of a pure bottle plug. I used them in rough water, moderate water and flat water. Wait, did he just say “flat water”? I though bottles are best and only used when surf is rough?

If you believe that, then you might also believe that Kim Kardashian marriage is going to last more than a year. Or that her ass is real..

Yes, bottle plugs are little dirty secret of many midnight raiders in the inlet jetties, on any place where there is a good drop-off (hint, inside inlets) and strong current. You don’t need a howling 30 mph NW winds to cast a bottle plug  at Shagwong and catch fish. You can do it with a SS Bottle just about every night, under any conditions in the fall, including the glassy flat calm conditions. What you do need is a moving water, the faster the better. Cast the plug slightly up current and dig it in, just like you would do in the rougher water. Then just reel enough to maintain control. That is it. Many jetty jocks feed the bottle in the current then only reel until the plug starts to dig in. At that time they only hold on to the rod, letting the current move the lure. Try it, you might be surprised how well it works. Just don’t cast in on a gently sloping beach without much current because they will dig into the bottom ASAP. Some of the beaches are much steeper than others, for example Cape Cod beaches are known for their slope, locally Moriches is so steep some years it’s hard to walk straight. Find a jetty, drop off ,swim to the rock and just retrieve it like any other plug. Trust me, it’s impossible to work a bottle plug the wrong way. The plug will tell you, by pulsating and creating resistance when you are doing it right. If you are hitting the bottom, the bottle plug might not be your best weapon but if you can work the lure without getting snagged, I would suggest you hold on to the rod.

btw

the shirts were odered and those of you who picked up books in addition to shirts, all we be mailed together, hopefully by the end of the weeek

It is third week of September. What does that mean? That Montauk is hot? You think ? This stretch from now till about Columbus day is probably your best chance to get onto some insane daytime blitzes there and I know many of you have made plans to cash in your chips.

When you do get there, stop by Paulie’s Bait and Tackle. You will find a pot of coffee on at all times. You we’ll also find a knowledgeable and  friendly staff inside. And outside? You might find more then you bargained for…lol

There are always few fellows hanging on the chairs, shooting the shit and talking what, when ,where. The place is an epicenter of Montauk fall run and Paul is the ringleader. I know many of you are now in a full fall run mode. No sleep, no work, no honey-do…just fish. But crap happens and at Montauk it happens more than anywhere else. Busted rods, broken reels, lost plugs, ripped waders, lost Korkers. It is nice to know that you can pick anything you need within five minute ride and head back to the point and back into the action.

Many of you have Van Staal reels and yes, they are built like tanks. But they still need service or at times repair. Don’t send them to Tulsa, Oklahoma but instead either drop them at Paulie’s or ship them to him or River’s End in Connecticut. These guys have been trained to expertly service and repair your Van Staal reels. They can often fix them the same day if you are in the jam. In case of a guy like Paul at Montauk, this is his bread and butter. Other then few magical weeks in the fall when he is the God amongst crazy, sleep deprived surfcasters, he is struggling like the rest of us. Is this really any of your concern? Not really but establishing a relationship with a local tackle store goes a long way when you are in the jam and you need something NOW.

This is not only limited to Paulie’s. Many of our supporters, River’s End, Cow Harbor, LI Outdoorsman, East End Bait and Tackle, Saltwater Tackle, Fisherman’s Headquarters, all of them have been hit hard by not only the economic times we live in but ever-expanding regulations too. They have to compete not only with other tackle dealers but with internet retailers too. In some ways, you might think this is none of your concern, and in some ways you’d be right.

But in other ways you might be the only guy who doesn’t get a whisper “go to xyz, fishing is hot”. Because internet retailers don’t do whispering. Real people do.

Speaking of support…

There are lots of people who came on board to support Surfcaster’s Journal . Some have told us that they only advertise because they want to support the publication. Because it’s one of a kind. And they are surfcasters too.

I do have to single out one supporter for his vision and belief in what we were doing. Rob from LI Outdoorsman was a first tackle store to become a Surfcaster’s Journal supporter. He came o  board before we even launched our first issue, while we were still knocking around ideas. He believed in us and we will be eternally grateful.

Speaking of LI Outdoorsman, they are having a giant sale and bbq this weekend at their store in Rockville centre. If you are in the area, stop by and say hi

I tried to upoad their flier few times with no luck

also this from Bob Jones

Hi Guys,
Frank Pintauro & myself have agreed to put on a show of vintage NY lures from the 1940’s and 1950’s; to benefit the Water Mill Museum. We will be displaying choice baits from our collections.
The 3 day event will be held; starting 9/23/2011 and ending 9/25/2011. 11AM to 5PM each day.
The Water Mill Museum is located at 41 Old Mill Road in Water Mill, NY 11976.
Water Mill is about 45 minutes west of Montauk and you will pass it on your trip out.
Any of you who are going to be in the area, please, stop by. Frank is a leading authority on the history of NY baits and I will do my best to answer any questions.
Any monies generated will go directly to the Water Mill Museum to cover their operating costs.
Thank you. Bob

again, I could not uplod the flier but here is the link..sorry PC problems

http://www.stripersonline.com/t/807313/watermill-museum-vintage-ny-baits-show

We like new stuff, especially when it comes from people we like a lot. Like Scott from Hansom Pliers, one of the earliest supports of the Surfcaster’s Journal magazine. When he said he has news, we listened. And news it is. http://hansomtackle.com/is just stocking dealers with new AQ-8 Plier Sheath  

Designed and MADE IN THE USA by Aquaskinz exclusively for Hansom Pliers. This sheath is durable, light weight and built to last.  Constructed from 22oz Vinyl Coated Polyester which is 100% Mildew and U.V. Resistant. For the binding they used a Flexible Vinyl-Coated Polyester that  is very light- weight and extremely strong.  This sheath is expertly designed by Aquaskinz to fit their AP-8 Pliers perfectly. This design won’t take on water and get weighed down. It fits their pliers so perfectly that you’ll always know they are safe and secure on your hip. Available in orange or black

They still stand behind their current sheath 100% but they made this available as an upgrade for anyone who wants buy a better sheath.

You can find them at Paulie’s, Saltwater’s Edge and Efingers and coming soon to more retailers near you. You can check Hansom website for details at http://hansomtackle.com/

Ok, now that we got the technical stuff out of the way, we will give one lucky SJ reader a chance to win one sheath, pliers not inluded

Black or orange, your choice

[issuu width=550 height=213 showHtmlLink=false proSidebarEnabled=true backgroundColor=%23222222 documentId=110909055811-4b5c375cab104e5195026dfe8d489310 name=issue9 username=surfcasters_journal tag=fishing unit=px id=54f2a2a6-526b-0113-c7be-f957283b1fce v=2]

There are some things that go together like hand and a glove. Peanut butter and jelly, bucktails and a pork rinds, Charlie Sheen and liquor, Penn reels and surf fishing. Yes, since Penn Reels discontinued beloved 706 series spinning reels there has been a void in their lineup when it comes to battle tested surf spinning reels surfcasters have came to expect from this venerable manufacturer. There are very few seasoned anglers who did not own a Penn 704 or Penn 706 reel and loved it.  And most of these fellows, including many on Surfcaster’s Journal staff still to this day continue to scrounge the tackle shop for parts for these workhorses of the surf. We all have heard the rumors that Penn Reels was in the process of designing a USA made high end spinning reel but to be honest, there were so many delays in making these reels available to the public that many in the surfcasting community assumed that there must be something wrong with a design.

Oh, how wrong they were! Instead of rushing with a halfassed product into the market,  Penn took the time to test and tweak the reel until they were satisfied with it. They had hardnosed surfcasters on their staff testing the reels and providing feedback and it shows in the final product. We got our hands on a reel in late summer and immediately spooled it with some Western Filament Tuff Line XP braid and loved the way the line was spooled onto the reel. We  took it down to the beach and made few casts.  We were offered the bailed version last year when it came out but we decided to wait for the bail less version, reasoning that most of our readers would prefer that version. The Torque 5 is slightly smaller than some of the most popular reels used in surf today like Van Staal 250 or ZeeBaaS 25 but we felt that line shot off the spool just as well. The drag was incredibly smooth and we loved that we can increase or decrees the drag gradually .

 The real test would come in few weeks when fall run kicks into a full gear but first we had to do a patented Surfcaster’s Journal Magazine sand test. Ok, it’s not patented and we have been called idiots for doing it but we feel that this type of testing is needed on a reel that is supposed to be not only marketed to the surf fishing crowd but cost a pretty penny too. So we went to the beach with our video camera, got the reel wet so the sand adheres to is better. We dug a hole in the sand and buried the reel completely. For good measure we stepped on the sand few times. When we took the reel out ,it was caked in the sand which got into every nook and cranny of the reel. We walked to the water, rinsed the reel few times and made a cast. You know that grinding sound your old 706 used to make when you would get hit by a wave? It’s not happening with a Torque. We were stunned that all, and we mean all the sand had flushed out. On the first cast, we expected some resistance, some grinding as the sand flushed out but we got none. The reel was clean as a  whistle and smooth as butter. We are looking forward to some more testing

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