Is that a bright moon of what? Holy crap! The SJ crew got out last night only to find remarkably little traffic but absolutely no sign of life in the ocean either. Other that the flotsam of weeds that carpeted the beach. But we are almost there, two more days and the beach is our once again. Gone will be the soccer moms, chauffeuring the kids to school, and fair weather fishermen who do not like the thought of cold and crisp northwest winds one bit. And yes, those pesky lifeguards who quickly spring into action if you attempt the make a cast before 7 PM will retire their Speedo’s for the year. The nights are getting shorter and the morning have become refreshingly comfortable. Let’s hope for little or no disruption from hurricanes this year. Nor’easters, yes, they can do a world of good, but hurricanes are just a pain in the ass. The bait situation looks fantastic in a lot of places…but (and it’s a big butt…Kim K size) I am not sure the fish are there to eat them. Some say fish are staying in deeper waters last few years and they are not on decline. I would really, really like to believe this. But what is alarming me is a lack of resident fish. And this is not just one place I fished, but Cuttyhunk, Montauk, Moriches, Fire Island and Jones inlets…the solid bumps from a resident fish have been missing…I am not an alarmist but it’s getting a little scary in some place

We promised you things you didn’t expect ….BIG THINGS….so do expect for us to pull a rabbit out of our hat once this new issue lands on your PC, tablet, android, iphone or something else Apple will invent before we wrapped up this issue and stock goes to $1000 a share. It kind of ties in into what I mentioned before. I will keep the details to a minimum since we are still finalizing the final details but Surfcaster’s Journal , in conjunction with some great supporters will give you a chance this fall to win the ultimate surfcasting reel,  a ZeeBaaS ZX 27. No, ” I am in” will not get you into the winners circle but catching a good fish and releasing might…teasing done, stay tuned for further announcements 🙂

Speaking of ZeeBaaS reels..I told you this last year, but I will repeat it again. It is remarkable the transformation this reel company has undergone under the new stewardship of Ron D. Many of you know Ron as a maker of Lordship Lures, an anal-focus-on-smallest-details kind of dude …just bustin’

Which is exactly what ZeeBaaS needed. Improved communications with customers, fast turnaround on service but most important thing at all is that ZeeBaaS reels are once again built in USA by using just about all component made here. Which means Ron and his elves are painstakingly building each reel and they are the only company that I am aware of that subject their reels to pressure testing before they leave their shop. I’ve seen this contraption and although I am not at liberty to divulge details, take my word for it, you’d be impressed. Ron brought his attention to details to every facet of manufacturing and although I pity you if you are his supplier and are making his Z hats and he tells you that one stitch is half of nanometer to the left of the center of gravity :-)…….As an end user, you got to love what they have done. I bought my ZX27 last year and been fishing it ever since with no issues.

It wasn’t always like that. I also had an original one with drilled drag knob and had a lot of issues. But this new one is submerged, buried in sand, and it still as smooth as butter. It’s nice to have a reel on which the line is laying as it should and drag actually works…all the time. If you are a looking for top of the line reel or your wife is feeling really generous this holiday season all you need to know is how Google ZeeBaaS…and send a link to ZeeBaaS website to your wife 🙂

And now, one of you will get a chance to win one in few weeks..all you need is a cast and a dream ..lol

[issuu width=420 height=162 shareMenuEnabled=false showHtmlLink=false proSidebarEnabled=true backgroundColor=%23222222 documentId=120707201511-7f8cda4eee37461cb729655825046239 name=issue14 username=surfcasters_journal tag=fishing unit=px v=2]

Today, we are having a really, really sweet giveaway from Guppy Lure Co to celebrate the Labor Day, the unofficial start of the Fall Run. Many of you who fish the Cape Cod Canal know these lures very well. Since 2003, the Hess brothers have been crafting handmade classic top water lures that many surfcasters grab out of their bags first when conditions call for top water. You have to cast a Guppy to understand why 🙂

You can check out all their products at  http://www.guppylure.com/index.html

They are making today’s special giveaway possible by offering two lucky SJ Blog readers a chance to each win one special scale painted 3 ounce popper and one Guppy Lure T-shirt.

So two winners, each receives a lure and a T-S=shirt from the Guppy Lure Co. Like that old Smuckers commercial said, “With a name like Guppy, it has to be good”

[issuu width=420 height=162 shareMenuEnabled=false showHtmlLink=false proSidebarEnabled=true backgroundColor=%23222222 documentId=120707201511-7f8cda4eee37461cb729655825046239 name=issue14 username=surfcasters_journal tag=fishing unit=px v=2]

Just an update on the previous post. Tommy and I meet with dude that drinks at the Genius bar in regards to redesigning the website, fixing this darn blog and a brand spanking new platform for the magazine. More or less, we kind of figured out what we think it should look. Look for the changes sometimes next year. Tommy is going to be a lead guy on this as he is the Director of Cool Sh!t..and he knows what looks good. I am little behind the ball on this as I am sure that old Sophia Loren poster is still hanging in my room in Croatia. And yeah, I am a big fan of Mel Torme…so there…lol

Coincidentally, Tommy is working on the new issue of the Surfcaster’s Journal, should be out in a week and so..just in time for the fall run. There is a very honest look at the life of one of the hardest fishing surf guides anywhere…stay tuned.

We also wanted you to know that any donation to SJ Crew from today on will go to newly established SJ Junior Angler Program. No, we do not want you to flood us with donations and no we are not soliciting any. We are working on few ideas on how to fund it, including some catch and release tournaments in the fall with Junior Angler Program as the sole beneficiary. Stay tuned for details on that..we need to get kids involved into sport and into reading SJ instead of FB 🙂

Tomorrow we have a very, very special Labor Day giveaway from Guppy Lure Co, you can check out their lures at  http://www.guppylure.com/

More on that tomorrow..I’ll leave you with something that is destined to become a classic, made by dudes who never made a cast in their life….ANIMAL NewYork

[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/42129694[/vimeo]

The winner of the book Striperman, Confessions & Secrets of a Commercial Pin-Hooker is Greg  filter357@yahoo.com

You know the deal…you have 5 days to email us your shipping address at info@surfcastersjournal.com

[issuu width=420 height=162 shareMenuEnabled=false showHtmlLink=false proSidebarEnabled=true backgroundColor=%23222222 documentId=120707201511-7f8cda4eee37461cb729655825046239 name=issue14 username=surfcasters_journal tag=fishing unit=px v=2]

As many of you know, Block Island was an epicenter of some crazy good fishing years ago. Rhode Island sharpie Dennis Zambrotta was fortunate to be a part of this once-in-a-lifetime even. He wrote a book about it, Surfcasting Around the Block. From what I understand, the book is currently at the printer and is expected in the stores in few weeks. I am sorry I have no further information on it but as soon as I get it, I will send it along.

I found this footage from two years ago when I spent a Memorial Day at Block with Dennis. It very much fits into what’s in the book

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOAAEQb5R4c[/youtube]

[issuu width=420 height=162 shareMenuEnabled=false showHtmlLink=false proSidebarEnabled=true backgroundColor=%23222222 documentId=120707201511-7f8cda4eee37461cb729655825046239 name=issue14 username=surfcasters_journal tag=fishing unit=px v=2]

Its 5 AM and I am writing a blog before catching a LIRR to work. I know it’s not illegal to work on a Sunday …but it should be! Then again, I should thank my lucky stars that I have a job in construction these days.

Two nights ago I made one more feeble attempt of chasing a ghost, a fish that is not there. Instead of weakfish I found Bob laying in the little rip. Oh, well, at least he provided a little excitement besides flailing my arms trying to swat mosquitoes…and he was delicious. Try to say that about another male 🙂

I am batting zero against weakfish this year, same batting average as the last two years. And to think that I caught almost two hundred keeper weakfish out of this little spot just a few years ago..depressing.

Tommy has been chasing the ghost too except he has never caught one before. He swears that he had few hooked on the East End of Long Island in June. Bunch of our friends had few the night before in this spot. Tommy went the next night but could not land anything he hooked on Yo-Zuri MagDarter. And when the weakfishing was decent about ten years ago he was probably either chasing stripers, stripers or enjoying being a God on a punk ban circuit.

Many people spend a lifetime chasing after that fifty pound striper but once they catch it they look into the rearview mirror and realize that the pursuit was what drove them, the catching part is often anticlimactic.

Very few people get excited about catching a twelve inch fish. In a world full of know-it-alls, keyboard fisherman, hardcore experts and just plain haters, it is nice to see genuine joy on a buddy’s face. And yes, the fact that involves a 12 inch fish makes it even more pleasurable

You see, Tommy landed a twelve inch weakfish on a ,yes, a Yo-Zuri Mag darter a week ago in the inlet on the east end. You had to be there to see the joy on his face but take my word for it, the night got a little brighter for few minutes as his face lit up with a big smile.

Some things in life you can’t buy, for everything else there is SJ MasterCard 🙂

[issuu width=420 height=162 shareMenuEnabled=false showHtmlLink=false proSidebarEnabled=true backgroundColor=%23222222 documentId=120707201511-7f8cda4eee37461cb729655825046239 name=issue14 username=surfcasters_journal tag=fishing unit=px v=2]

I know some of you probably still have a hard time on occasion getting our blog to load but its been awhile since we had a giveaway, so here it goes

For me personally, the most eye opening book I’ve ever read. No, not because I love boats, or it was written by a new Hemingway. Its because everyone I talked to tell me the author, Sherwood Lincoln is a real deal. And that his estimate of 58 stripers caught over 50 pounds in his career is probably a conservative estimate.

So toady we will give you a chance to win a copy and of course , you can always get your own copy on the Amazon.com if you don’t win this one

Have a great weekend, it’s almost midnight and I got a date with a tide

[issuu width=420 height=162 shareMenuEnabled=false showHtmlLink=false proSidebarEnabled=true backgroundColor=%23222222 documentId=120707201511-7f8cda4eee37461cb729655825046239 name=issue14 username=surfcasters_journal tag=fishing unit=px v=2]

Today we  will share some stuff that ends up in our mail box..

First an email from Blog reader George Oikonomopoulus  from Greece…yeah, that Greece, land of crazy good olive oil, scrumptious lamb on the spit and soon, drachmas . And no Euro’s?

Who cares as long as there is fish to be caught ! Not making fun of the suject at all, but I am glad that fishing is a big part of life in Greece too

Dear Mr.Hromin given the opportunity of your tasteful article about mighty branzino(lavraki or lavrax) I wish you one day to visit my country so we can fish and eat together branzino’s…(like the one in the attached picture)…it’s a female of about 10lb..was caught together with the male which is always smaller and was about 6lb.they were caught with a Rapala max rap 1oz.branzino’s are the primary target for every fisherman who is fishing from the coast with artificial lures and baits…I try to get them by using your way of thinking in surfcasting(east coast surfcasters).it’s hard to do, and success it’s not often, but when it happens it’s big!!!!no one here is fishing with a 7inches lure. I tried it with success as you see and I would like to thank you and the rest of your fellow surfcasters…bon appétit to all of us!!!

with regards George Oikonomopoulus

How cool is that! Not only do we get regular emails from Greece but Costa Rica, UK, and yes, Italy where they are as insane about surf fishing as we are here.

Now for a local flavor we go to Bob (not real name) with whom we corresponded few weeks ago.

• Bob …when can you set a casting competition? In NJ?
• SJ…why? what casting competition has to do with catching fish?
• Bob …I ‘m on the surf lot, I see a lot of surf rods. Every one say that this and that rod is the best. A casting competition with only 11ft surf rod to see, what is the best casting rod I have a ss1772 century surf n zeebaas zx 25.believe me nj have a lot of surfcasters. With high end gear only buy from fishermen supply. there is casting competition all over the world why not bring it to NJ…….. and it a good way to bring surfcaster together. Lamiglass st.croix ctx and century surf rods…what you think is the best?
• SJ …Ron is a good guy at fisherman supply, we love him…casting distance is a competition to see whose Johnson is bigger…no thanks
• Bob …What you mean whose Johnson is bigger! I’m talking about rods..u took it a whole new way…im @ fishermen supply every weekend .why don’t you stop by…..
• SJ …Fishing is about enjoying catching fish , not competition..all we are saying…why does everything have to be competition?
• Bob… It’s a good way on getting fishermen together!!! A competition brings out the best out of people.im just going 2 give up..but thanks for your time….
• SJ …Disagree..competition brings the worst in people..helping a newbie on a beach, that is what brings the good in people
• Bob ..help a newbie on beach with a Wal-Mart rod n reel?…yeah ok.people need better gear before going on surf ………cant show up with a b.s rod n reel..

That’s all folks

[issuu width=420 height=162 shareMenuEnabled=false showHtmlLink=false proSidebarEnabled=true backgroundColor=%23222222 documentId=120707201511-7f8cda4eee37461cb729655825046239 name=issue14 username=surfcasters_journal tag=fishing unit=px v=2]

It’s a long post so grab a cup of coffee and chill. We know that a blog is slooow to load on you computers, just be a little patient till it loads up, we are trying to fix it.    I want to thank you all who sent emails regarding the post from last weekend. We appreciate any feedback. While I am giving thanks, I would like to thank to all the advertisers in the magazine and the blog. It is them who made it possible for us to bring you the best content we can find for the magazine. It is them who supplied all the stuff for crazy giveaways we have had  here on the blog. And remember that unlike most magazines, where you see an ad for an item that you might like but you never will meet the dude who made it, our advertisers are in many cases fishing next to you. Guys like Pat from River’s End, Ron from ZeeBaaS, Ray from Line Stretcher, Tom from Commando, Donny Musso from Super Strike and many others probably fished next to you more times that you knew. Some people will say that they provide prizes as promotion only but I beg to differ. There are shops like Fisherman’s Headquarters, The Surfcaster, East End, Paulie’s, River’s End whose only reason for being part of SJ is to support and say, hey, we specialize in surf fishing. If you need something, stop by. And how many have jumped in with prizes for any contest, seminar or giveaway we ever had? All I need to do is usually ask and stuff is on my front steps next week. Penn, St Croix, Guides Choice , Hansom Pliers and many, many others. Yeah, we had some that stiffed us but that is life, you will hear about that in near future and laugh with us. But on the end of the day, they made something possible what everyone said it can’t be done, a magazine for surfcasters and no one else. Not boaters, not kayakers, not party boats…just surfcasters. And what magazine it has turned out to be.

In August of 2009 Tommy and I sat down and talked about this crazy idea we had. I had no idea what he was talking about. He was going on and on about creating an artistic masterpiece for surfcasters. I am square, he is cool, that is why he calls us Simon and Garfunkel of surf fishing. All I’ve ever seen was The Fisherman and On The Water, how could I visualize this stuff he had in head? But what a vision it has turned out to be. The dude constantly amazes me to this day. In fact, the first story we had,  I wrote on how-to chunk the beach. He said “we are not running this shit. It’s not cool enough”…funny…remembering it like it was yesterday. And its same today…I am the square one, he is the hip one and the SJ magazine is really something we are proud of. Thanks to all of our advertisers who supported us then, and today. Unfortunately, trying to get advertisers to sign up takes a lot of my time, time I could be spending concentrating on getting content, taking picture, video and fishing. And we don’t do quid pro quo, where they dangle the possible ads in return for a fluffy story…no thanks

So how did our life change because of SJ? We sure made a lot of friends over the years. This blog has had one of the most respectful group of anglers anywhere. I spend a lot more time at the computer, just about every free minute I have. I still get up at 4 am every morning to wrap that damned duct and pipe with fiberglass like I did for the past 22 years. Wife still shops in Wall mart and I drive a 13 year old truck that is requires more maintenance than Kim Kardashian’s ass. And this won’t change any time soon with my kids just about college age. Tommy’s wife is a teacher that just lost her position due to being the last tenured teacher in the school. When this happens to young couples with small children and sky hi mortgages, it can be disaster. But he still remains the most insanely positive person I know.

I spent over 5k on camera equipment this year out of my own pocket. Sold lot of my fishing stuff to be able to do so. But the cameras sit in the basement, unused. I was planning (and still do) to create some original and unique stuff for you to watch. But time is hard to find and when people owe you three times that much you tend to visit your PO Box for your daily dose of disappointment. It’s hard to justify to your wife a weekend video shot. I am sure you know what I mean.

We need a new magazine platform, other than one we use it now. We’d like to be able to embed videos into the magazine, we’d like to have an ipad viewer on our site instead of linking it to issuu. As you can notice last few weeks, the blog takes forever to load. I mean, it takes me an #@#*&* hour to just copy/paste this !!!……we’d like a lot of things…..lmao.

That is why I wrote what I wrote last week. I spent a week discussing our options with my wife. I got the unexpected….remarkably (I am married to a freaking saint!) she had a change of heart and thought we should invest more into this magazine  instead of saying goodbye. This would include redesigning everything, the mag, the blog, new platform, new servers, new everything from scratch. Mag subscription is on the table but if it that does happen it would be something like twenty bucks a year which is less than a price of one plug…So we will have series of meetings this week to see where we want to go in 2013. I want you to know one thing.

I can’t speak for Tommy but I am sure he feels the same way. I have spent zero words on this blog in three years promoting myself, books or anything I do. I detest promotion, I never wanted to be about me (or anyone else for that matter). I wanted to give this sport back something as it has given me a lot. Self confidence for a fat, not speaking, non-spelling high school dropout from Croatia, photography and book awards, gorgeous sunsets and sunrises on the beach, but most of all, it gave me all of you. All the people that came in our lives because of surfcasting is what makes this such a joy to bring to you every two months. So expect a lot from us, some stuff you don’t expect. Yes, even a monthly magazine for you guys has been discussed but that is not in cards for near future. Some people say cut the mag in two and do it every month. Others say we gave you more  surf fishing content in one issue than any other publication gives you in a year….For some reason I can’t wrap my head around that as of yet.

We promise you this. You guys go fishing, catch some fish, release some for the future generations and we will work on giving you not only a magazine dedicated to our sport but the best kickass publication ever created for you guys. We will honor those who pass through the Heavenly gates, we will remember those that have been on that rock before you. We will keep an eye on conservation efforts, your beach buggy, your rights and your grub. We will bring you destinations around the world and around the corner where you might want to wet a line. We will tell you what is new and what we are buying . We will teach you and entertain you like no one did before with more original videos, more giveaways and more contests….Because we answer to higher authority…You.

And yes, if all works out well, I might be able to fish again. I would very much like that.

[issuu width=420 height=162 shareMenuEnabled=false showHtmlLink=false proSidebarEnabled=true backgroundColor=%23222222 documentId=120707201511-7f8cda4eee37461cb729655825046239 name=issue14 username=surfcasters_journal tag=fishing unit=px v=2]

Let’s talk about stuff we don’t talk about much…eating fish. My favorite subject 🙂

I know many of you enjoy eating fish, eating anything..but I doubt many of you spend as much time obsessing about food like I do. I cook 365 days a year. Even when my wife starts something I take over and criticize her cooking skills to the point where she throws her hands up in the air and leaves the kitchen. Yes, I am anal about cooking. I don’t think making dinner should be, “here, I just got some stuff together to fill the belly”. Just like to a women, you got to make love to your food when cooking it. Imao

As you can imagine, for a guy like me, going on diet is a nightmare. But I been on it since the begging of the year..From 220 or so down to 194 and for the first time since elementary school, I bought size 34 pants yesterday. I figured I use them as a “goal”, when I fit into them, I will be “there”. Funny part is I tried them on and they fit just fine. Not sure I want to go to 32..for Christ sake my 16 year old son wears a 32 and he is like a rail..gaaaak

Anyway, my diet consist of some Greek yogurt and fruit at work and sensible dinner, something I never managed to grasp over the years. And a treadmill, weights and bike every day, no exceptions. As a child in Croatia I was thought to “clean out my plate”. Who knew what, if anything would be for dinner next day. So I ate the same way here, you put stuff in front of me, I eat it…all of it. Remember that huge paella for two people Tommy tried to tackle in the Columbian restaurant last week? I finished mine when I took my family there last time.

One of the things that dives me INSANE as a cook is cooking fish. My wife “needs” a sauce on everything. Ketchup, mustard, cream, you name it, she loves it. She’ll eat a fish but she insist on smothering it with something. Which to me defeats the purpose of eating fish. To me every fish is a delicacy onto itself. Each has a different flavor, different texture. If someone eat the fish I made for them and said “it taste like chicken” I’d shot myself..or them.

So although I am not a cook, or have no training as one, I enjoy cooking. And when cooking fish in particular, I get so wrapped up in the meal, I can’t think of anything but that all day. Especially on the days when the plan is to grill something special.

First the background so some of this makes more sense..where I grew up, there is only one fish fit for the Kings, the mighty branzino. It’s the fish we never ate because it was too expensive for my grandfather. If we caught one, we sold it and bough snappers or porgies. You still had a fine meal and few coins left in your pocket. It is consider the ultimate meal to treat a friend or someone who comes to your house. If you eat brazino regularly and you are either a bourocrat or a rich dude..

Times have changed though. The wild caught brazino are hard to find these days,  but now they farmed them in giant saltwater cages about a mile from my hometown. And that is what you will find when you go to the fish market…even here in USA

The European seabass, Dicentrarchus labrax or Morone labrax, is a primarily ocean-going fish that sometimes enters brackish and fresh waters. It is also known as the sea dace.

Highly regarded as a food fish, it is often marketed as Mediterranean seabass, bronzini, or branzini (branzino is the name of the fish in Northern Italy, with branzini being the plural form; in other parts of Italy, it is called spigola or ragno). In Spain, where, due to its popularity, it is farmed, it is called lubina or róbalo, and in France bar commun along the Atlantic coast and loup de mer in the Mediterranean. In Greek, the vernacular name of this fish, as well as that of the related Dicentrarchus punctatus, is lavraki (λαβράκι).^[1] In Greek cuisine, the fish can be prepared in a variety of ways (e.g. grilled, steamed in parchment) and is often considered a delicacy. Greek journalists use the same word (lavraki) to refer to high-value exclusive news stories, a cultural reference to the perceived luck of an angler when catching this fish.

Which is what I did on Saturday, went to the local seafood place, picked two up and had them gutted and scaled. It cost me $25 for two if I remember. I did nothing to them but dried them , sprinkled some love on them with salt and peeper and heated up the grill. Few slices with a sharp knife on the back so the fish will cook equally on the thin and tick parts and on the hot grill they went. I know some of you guys would never eat a fish whole, I feel the same way about a filet. Where I come from they would stone you to death if you filleted the fish and threw that much meat away. Anyway, that is a story for another day.

A little added love with olive oil while its cooking, turned once and it was done. If you ever get a chance to go to Croatia or eat in the Croatian restaurant they will offer you a fish made only one way. Smothered in olive oil, parsley and garlic. That is it.

The olive oil is the bomb though. It’s not the regular variety from a local store but the two bottles I brought from my trip back home last year. It is almost green, bursting with flavor, not like that see-through crap I buy in the store. But I only use it for a special occasions and unfortunately, I am down to the last few cups. If you came over and offered me a $100 a cup I would tell you no thanks…it’s that good. Or maybe I am just romanticizing because it reminds me of my childhood

Oh man, I will need to double up my treadmill and biking today but it was soooooooooooo worth  it. Wife licked her plate too and no sauce for once. Thank you Lord….

[issuu width=420 height=162 shareMenuEnabled=false showHtmlLink=false proSidebarEnabled=true backgroundColor=%23222222 documentId=120707201511-7f8cda4eee37461cb729655825046239 name=issue14 username=surfcasters_journal tag=fishing unit=px v=2]

just a quick note that the Night Crew shirts in XL and 2XL are back in stock after being sold out for few weeks. Yes, they are back in limited numbers…as usual

and btw..we know that you guys are having problem with Blog loading..we are having problems too..

The SJ Tide and Time shirts have also been restocked in sizes we been sold out

BTW

SJ hats…a dude from Bari, Italy bought the last 7 we had yesterday so they are out of stock. Tommy will make some more green ones…sometime this year ..lol

[issuu width=420 height=162 shareMenuEnabled=false showHtmlLink=false proSidebarEnabled=true backgroundColor=%23222222 documentId=120707201511-7f8cda4eee37461cb729655825046239 name=issue14 username=surfcasters_journal tag=fishing unit=px v=2]