Fishconomics

Posted on March 1, 2009October 29, 2017 by Julio Silva

Predatory fish will not expand more energy than the prey they are hunting shall provide. This would be diminishing returns. As anglers, we can learn from this self-preservation instinct. Why should we pay more money for a bait that will seduce the same quality fish as a another bait that costs significantly less?

For me, fishconomics is easy, select a bait that satisfies the following criteria:

Made In USA
Strong
Versatile
Catches Fish
Value Priced

The first requirement, is my personal preference. The second, third, and fourth, are a must! The fifth, “Value Priced” is central to fishconomis. For example, I love to fish Danny plugs! Last fall I was in Saco Bait and Tackle for the first time. I was trolling through the shop, when BANG! A tasty yellow-over-white Danny plug for $17.00 caught my eye. Right next to this plug was another Danny plug for $35.00. Both were made in the USA, strong, versatile, and independently proven to catch fish. The latter had a better paint job than my truck and a prestigious reputation. But, the former had a higher “value price” and is hence a tenant in my plug bag.

I recently attended the annual Plum Island Surfcaster’s 2009 fishing show. The presentation by Zeno Hronin was worth the price of admission. Before Zeno’s talk, I had the pleasure of speaking to Ray Jussaume from Line Stretcher Tackle Company and Gene Bourque from Hogy Lure Company. The baits from these two innovative companies exceed the fishconomic criteria by a full cast.

The surface tension from Line Stretcher Tackle Company caught my attention immediately, given my fetish for top water baits.

Fish360 Surface Tension

The construction of this lure is the cause for its “bullet proof” reputation:

Solid ABS Plastic
Tru-wire techonology
Strong, Penetrating Hook

In addition to surface tension’s construction, I also like its castablity and the wide spectrum of species it seduces.
The versatile hand-poured soft plastics from Hogy Lures Company are perfect examples of fishconomic baits. The beautiful thing about these baits is the numerous ways they can be rigged to adapt to different conditions, water depths, and structures: tandem, texas style (a.k.a. weed-less) or jig heads. The thing that hooked me was that the operation to rig a Hogy a la Steve McKenna (a.k.a. tandem) takes less than 5 minutes with the re-usable tandem Hogy rig!

During Gene’s presentation at show, I asked him “Are Hogy plastics bio-degrabable?”. He responded that they are made with a natural organic oil, which I have to imagine is more environmentally friendly than machine extruded petroleum based soft plastics.

The currency of predatory fish is energy. The currency of anglers is money. Spend your currency wisely, the fish are!

The Fisherman’s Bucket

Posted on February 2, 2009January 14, 2018 by Julio Silva

There are a plethora of tackle and bait storage solutions on the market today. No question. But, when it comes to a low cost, light, non-corroding, water resistant, low maintenance, and multi-functional solution, The Fisherman’s Bucket surpasses the competition:

Fish360 Fisherman's Bucket

The low cost, non-corroding, water resistant, and low maintenance features are self-evident. But, how can a simple “bucket” become so versatile and serve multiple functions for a fisherman? The universal use of The Fisherman’s Bucket is to store fish. I became convinced of this when a Japanese man (who did not know a single word of English!) approached me, smiled, bent over, and removed the lid from my bucket. His face turned from excitement to disappointment when his eyes processed the fact that cavernous volume of my bucket was filled with tackle and not fish. Besides fish and tackle storage, The Fisherman’s Bucket serves as a seat, and can be easily rigged for other purposes (e.g. live well or eel bucket).

Some manufactures have realized the versatility of the “bucket” and have produced commercial products. The ones that I have seen have the following features for a price of $19.99:

Thin side walls
Flexible lid
5 Gallons of storage

Such products will not last the demads of surf fishing. First, surf fisherman also need a sturdy seating platform that is not going to collapse under his or her weight or flip over in the trunks of our vehicles. Second, surf fisherman need more than 5 gallons of storage volume: we catch big fish and carry a good amount of tackle.

With some basic materials and a few tools, you can create your very own Fisherman’s bucket at a fraction of the cost

Materials

3/8″ Poplyproplylene rope (e.g. camping rope or marine rope)
< 5/32″ rope or twine
5 Gallon Bucket
6 Gallon Bucket
Bucket Lid
Duct tape
Foam (e.g. recycled styrofoam trays)

Tools

Jigsaw
Drill
1/2″ Drill bit
5/32″ Drill bit
Utility Knife

Procedure

Remove the metal wire handles from both buckets. Measure 4.5 inches from the bottom of the 5 gallon bucket and mark the bucket with a black permanent Fisherman’s Bucket marker. Repeat until you go “full circle”. Using role of tape, just cover the black line with the outside edge of the tape.

Fish360 Fisherman's Bucket

Using a 1/2″ drill bit, make a pilot hole just below the duct tape edge and insert the Jigsaw blade into the hole. Using the edge of the duct tape as a guide, cut off the bottom portion of the 5 gallon bucket. Insert the newly created “bucket extender” into the 6 gallon bucket and align the holes left by the wire hangers. Using a 1/2″ drill bit, enlarge the fist hole; be sure to penetrate the side wall of the “bucket extender”. Repeat for the other side. Remove the bucket extender from the bucket. Using duct tape, secure strips of 1/4 inch thick styrofoam to the side wall of the bucket extender. This will created a tighter “seal” and reduce “wobbling”.

Fish360 Fisherman's Bucket

Insert the bucket extender into the bucket. Align the previously enlarged holes. Insert one end of the 3/8″ rope through the hole and tie a knot on the inside. Run the rope over the top of the bucket an insert the other end of the rope through the other hole and tie a knot.

5/32″ drill bit, make a hole in the back of the lid. Run the twine through the hole and tie a knot. Secure the other end of the twine to 3/8″ rope. This will prevent wind or water from taking the lid to Posidan’s front door. Trust me!

Options

Based on the purpose of the your bucket, there are several varions.

If you do not have a 6 gallon bucket, then two five gallon buckets will work fine. This will just give a shorter seating height, which may be desired based on your height.
The less labor intensive option would be to purchase a 7 gallon bucket and simply replace the wire hanlde with the rope handel and attach the lid. In fact, the 7 gallon bucket has the same height as the 6 gallon/5 gallon bucket combination.
If you application is going to be eel transport or storage, I would recommend a black bucket, given that eels take on the color of their surroundings; unless you are looking to produce albino eels.

Getting to the Point

Posted on January 2, 2009October 29, 2017 by Julio Silva

The one thing that unites all fisherman (saltwater, fresh water, boat, shore, bait, lures, or flies) is the hook. The best rod, reel, line, bait, and perfectly tied knots will not land quality fish consistently without the aid of a strong, sharp, and penetrating hook.

My selection of a hook starts with the species that I am targeting and the method, which in turn define the appropriate hook geometry. For example, when I target Stripped bass and Bluefish from the shore or boat via mackerel, menhaden, herring, clams, sea worms, or eels, my first choice is the Owner SSW In-Line Circle Hook:

Fish360 Hook

This hook is sharp! It’s point can penetrates my fingers with minimal force. I NEVER leave home without band aids and waterproof first aid tape. This hook is also strong! It’s fabricated with high quality wire that is fully round.

Fish360 Hook

I like the geometry of this hook. First, I like the in-line point; from my experience, circle hooks with off-set points gouge and penetrate internal organs. Second, I like the wide gap between the point and the shank, which I believe facilities penetration. Thirdly, I like the “belly” of the hook because it allows for a good sized chunk to be hung. These physical characteristics have contributed to more landed fish than any other—particularity on nights when the fish are spooky and selective about their meals.

When the conditions are right, I switch over to a J-Hook. My top choice J-hook that landed Striped bass and bluefish consistently from shore or boat that was:

Fish360 Hook

That is until a fish of a lifetime snapped it at the “bend” during the last fall run:

Fish360 Hook

This hook does have a sharp point. And it does penetrates well. But! It’s not strong enough for trophy fish. The strength of a hook is determined by several factors; but all factors being equal, it comes down to wire thickness. The thicker the wire, the stronger the hook; but, the slower the penetration speed. Hence, a hook needs to be “just thick enough” for the species you are targeting.

After Goole’ing to the last page on the Internet, I narrowed down the candidate list to two models, from two different manufactures. Unable to decide, I called Owner directly to get additional technical details. The knowledgeable person who returned my voice mail, listened to my story and recommended the Owner SSW hook.

Fish360 Hook

The “Cutting Point” validates the sharpness of this hook:

Fish360 Hook

I am convinced that it’s stronger than its predecessor because it’s wire is fully round, thicker, and of higher quality material. (Yes! I did measure the thickness of the wire via vernier caliper.)

When I am targeting trophy fish via plugs, sharp and strong treble hooks are not a option. The plug itself can give the fish additional leverage to straighten a hook. The pedestrian hooks that decorate the plugs of trophy hunting anglers are VMC 4X treble hooks— for good reason! However, for this upcoming season, I am going to replace my VMCs with the Owner 4x treble hooks. Why?

“My preference is the Owner 4x-strong “ST” (for super tinned) trebles. I have never found a treble hook that could match their strength, sharpness and anit-corrosion properties. It’s as simple as that.”

– Leo N. Orsi. Striper Chronicles East Coast Surf fishing Legends and Adventures.

Getting to the point, when it comes to selecting a sharp, strong, and penetrating hook, I start with Owner because they have bleeding sharp points and “just thick enough” wire for the species being targeted. Owner hooks deliver awesome penetration.

The New Englad Bait & Tackle Shop

Posted on December 1, 2008October 29, 2017 by Julio Silva

While in Oxford, England, I was absolutely amazed by the number of small book shops. At the time, there were two mega-book stores in the city who were competing with each other and with the small book shops, some of which are so deeply rooted in the town’s history that they are local landmarks. Interestingly, the Tourists tended to shop at the Mega-book stores and the Bibliophils shopped the small book shops.

On this side of the Atlantic Ocean, in New England, the same pattern that I observed in Oxford, holds true here as well: Googans tend to shop at the Mega-stores, while Fisherman tend to shop at New England Bait and Tackle Shops. Why?

Great Customer Service
Fishing Expertise
Purpose Specific Tackle
Local Fishing & Access Information
Custom Plugs & Flies (by commercial and local craftsman)
Custom Rod Building
Rod & Reel Repair Services
The Best Bait Possible!

I once organized a fishing trip with four of my friends. By the time everyone showed up at my house, it was 6:00 PM. The bait shop was closing at 7:00 PM. When we were 30 minutes way, I called my friends at Surfland Bait and Tackle on Plum Island, Massachusetts and asked them if they could stay open 15 more minutes. Ray Moulton said, “Tonight we can’t, but we can put your bait in a brown bag with your name at location “*********”. When we finally reached the shop, there were three other bags with names on them.

During one of the recent fall runs, I was trying to buy a last minute gift for a friend: a 9 ft surf rod with enough backbone to cast a 3 oz pyramid sinker and a high-low rig decorated with clams into the Atlantic. I went to a local sporting goods store (that shall remain nameless) because I did not have time to drive to a New England Bait and Tackle Shop. After browsing through the rods on display, I asked the clerk in the Fishing department for help. He replied: “I do not fish. I just work here.” I immediately called my friends at Surfland Bait and Tackle on Plum Island, Massachusetts and Kay Moulton responded “We have a lot of those. I will have one set aside for you the next time you are up our way.”

Fish360 Bait and Tackle Shop

A few seasons back, I was on vacation in Wells, Maine. I traveled up and down Route 1 from Wells to Ogunquit (and back!) in search of a New England Bait and Tackle Shop. I found many great bait and tackle shops that specialized in fly fishing and fresh water fishing. But, no New England Bait and Tackle Shops. I ended up traveling back to Massachusetts to pick up fresh clams at Surfland. (No comment on the clams that sold for bait in the state of Maine.)

During the last fall run, I was up in Wells, Maine. I traveled up and down Route 1 from Wells to Ogunquit (and back!) in search of a New England Bait and Tackle Shop. This time, I saw a sign:

Fish360 Bait and Tackle Shop

I immediately turned off Route 1 into the parking lot. As I walked towards the shop, the first thing that I noticed was a pair of waders hanging upside down just to the right of the front door. I walked in and said “Hello.”. Knowing how difficult it is to get good clams in Maine, I asked Robert Mirisola if he had any Mackerel. “Yes. I drove down to Boston this morning to pick them up.”, he replied. In fact, Seven Rivers Bait and & Tackle is the only shop in Maine that I have consistently found eels and custom plugs. Rob, a true outdoors man, knows first hand what is happening with the “stripah” bite in Maine.

Fish360 Bait and Tackle Shop

The eight items above define and differentiate the New England Bait and Tackle shop from the X-Marts, Mega Stores, and eCommerce sites. But, they are not what makes a bait and tackle shop a New England Bait and Tackle Shop. It’s the people, the stories, the aged floors turned squeaky by the weight of the 50, 60, and 70 lb specimens, the original black and white photos, and the children asking countless questions. The New England Bait and Tackle Shop provides the products and services that we selective New England Fisherman require to successfully target the multitude of species that swim in our salty and sweet waters. And the good people who work in our New England Bait and Tackle Shops are pulling fish out of the near by waters with the very tackle they sell, and without getting their cars towed. What does that tell you?

Unfortunately, I have not yet visited all the New England Bait and Tackle Shops, but I have had the honor and pleasure of visiting many of them. Surfland Bait and Tackle and Seven Rivers Bait and Tackle exemplify and set the standard for The New England Bait and Tackle Shop. We are fortunate to have many more such shops and I encourage you to visit them, shop them, and talk to the good people there. And an amazing thing will happen: you will start catching more quality fish!

Fisherman wanted.

Resources

Surfland Bait and Tackle
28 Plum Island Blvd.
Plum Island, MA 01951
978.462.4202

Seven Rivers Bait and Tackle
1720 Post Road
Wells, ME 04090
207.646.0654

You know you are a surfcaster if…

Posted on August 9, 2008November 24, 2016 by Julio Silva

You decorate your Christmas tree with plugs [no hooks!]
You named your dog “keepah” and your cat “schoolie”
You drink sea water and spit salt
You think ideal fishing weather is a N’easter
You get caught looking at Plug porn on the internet.
You only care about using wood you can cast.
You think nothing feels better after a long winter than the spring run.
You get caught fondling your new Van Staal.
You think happiness is a sleepless night on a cold rock, unhooking big bass, that you never tell anyone about.
You bitch about $4.00 a gallon gas but don’t flinch at $500.00 in new plugs.
You climb into your own bed in the middle of the night and your girlfriend says “who is that.”
You rather come to S-B.com instead of watching the local news.
You think it is better to Hab than to Gibb…
Your only criteria when buying a new vehicle is how to carry your rods.
Your job is second on the priority list to fishing.
Your idea of a good nights rest is a power nap for 30 mins before the alarm goes off.
Your idea of drinking and driving is a Dunkin Donuts coffee to keep you awake on the drive home.
You have a real good set of excuses lined up on why your car stinks.
You wonder how you will resolve work and fishing.
Your wife has a pained expression now when you mention spring is near.
You promise your wife you will do spring yard work in spring and not try to hide it in July.
You won’t do certain things because of your serious back pain, arthritic knees, and cranky joints but you will go walk all over Cuttyhunk climbing on rocks to fish.
You are actually thinking of using a condom for a non sexual purpose (eel skin).
Every pair of pliers you own are made of stainless steel.
You snow blow your driveway in your waders.
The only reason you workout at the gym is to prepare for tossing 5oz jigs at the canal and the death march out to squibby.
You think you are cool when riding a girls bike.
You know in February what time sunrise is and the exact date of the full and new moons for May, June, September and October….also scheduled the time off from work for these days.
You are always watching the fish in your fish tank before during and after a major storm and taking notes.
You use your lunch time at work to catch up on sleep and to prepare for the upcoming night of fishing.
You wish someone bottled eel smell and sold it as perfume.
You are going to send your kid to Mass Maritime so he can provide up to the second fishing reports of the Canal during the fall run.
You know what Plug in What Color and what size to use on which rod with a certain reel and and what pound test Braid or Mono to use with the Current Tide, Wind Direction, Wind Speed, Air Temp, and Moon Phase……But you can’t find clean socks if they aren’t in the draw you expect them to be in.
You’re taking a romantic walk on the beach with your SO [significant other] in some tropical paradise, and the only thing on your mind is “man, that is some pissah structure out there”
Your getting married in a park overlooking the ocean in September and as you are exchanging vows you see birds going nuts and get distracted for a few seconds and have no idea what the pastor is saying.
You only wash your hooded sweatshirt when actual fish guts get on the front. Slime and snots are ignored all season.
You have used your purse as an auxillary tackle box.
You never, ever go to the beach without a rod. Because you’ve already learned this lesson the hard way….
You have completely educated your immediate family about the significance of New moons and bargained for yer disappearances from major familial functions during them.
You know every “public facility” (porta johns, too) from CT to ME and its availability in the wee hours of the morning.
The last five books you’ve read’s titles prominently feature the root words “stripe”, “surf”, “water”, and “bait/lure”.
You begin sleep deprivation training in FEB, so that, by June~~October it’s not a problem to function for three days on 6 hours of sleep.
You wake your wife up setting a hook in your dreams.
You can’t see out any window in your house because of all the plugs hanging on the curtins.
Your wife is afraid to open soup pots in your fridge because they’re likely to contain live eels.

From Spinning to Conventional

Posted on June 22, 2008October 29, 2017 by Julio Silva

Generally speaking, there are two types of fishing reels:

Spinning reels
Conventional reels

Each type of reel has its strong and week points. Some fisherman pick one or the other; some fish both, depending on the application and conditions.

After years of trepidation, I have finally made the decision to fish bait and large plugs from the surf via conventional; leaving my go-to spinning outfit for small to medium plugs. The first stop on my journey was to buy a conventional reel. There number and variations of conventional reels on the market is mind numbing. So, I turned the the experts at Striped-Bass.com (Thank you: maddog2020, steve, Rosepointbass, likwid, ThrowingTimber, spence, numbskull, 5/0, Nebe, and chunk). So, without further a do, let me introduce the newest tenant in my tackle box— Mr. Abu Garcia7000IC:

Fish360 Abu 7000 ic3

I got this particular reel because…

Level-wind
Carbon Matrix Drag system
Large handle and knob
Large capacity (17lb test/325 yards)
Two breaking systems to tune spool speed during casting
Customize-ability via upgrade kits
Great value at $150.00 USD

Tips & Tricks

Do not use a spinning rod!
A swivel is optional.
Lubricate after each trip (as indicated in the product manual).
Fully service at least once a year (or more depending on frequency of use).
Replace the stock bearings with ceramic bearings: increases spool speed and casting distance by reducing friction during casting
Braid vs Mono
1. Braid gives more feedback when jigging and facilitates staying in touch with plugs
2. Braid increases the probability of backlashes
3. If going to use braid, try a heavy weight (e.g. 50+ lb) or 20 lb Fireline
4. Generally speaking, line diameter is not as critical as with spinning reels; braid may increase casting distance in certain applications— but, opinions vary on this one.
5. Some pedestrian mono weights are 25 lb Berkely Big Game and 30 lb Ande
When casting and retrieving plugs, the line does not wind as tightly as when casting and retrieving slugs of lead and bait. I would tie on a 2 oz Kastmaster or Crippled Herring and make a few casts and retrieves; this will get the line tightly wound again.

18 lb striped bass

Posted on March 27, 2008November 24, 2016 by Julio Silva

After reviewing my fishing journal, I concluded that based on tide, time of year, and moon phase, July 9th 2005 looked like a good night to go fishing at hot spot “x” for striped bass. I arrived at hot spot “x”, the rain started falling from the heavens as if gravity’s force tripled. The thunder and lighting lit up the dark sky. If I was not a surfcaster, I would have gone home. Ten minutes later, in typical New England fashion, the isolated thunder storm shower passed and a rainbow appeared in the sky, which proved to be a good omen.

I read the beach and hypothesized where a linesider would enter the surf zone. Not wanting to waste time, I treked to the water’s edge and cast my custom Hi-Lo rig hung with Owner SSW in-line circular hooks dressed with clams and pulled vertically via 3 oz pyramid sinker. It was another nice Pendulum cast….until the spool slipped; I forgot to tighten the main drag. The tide was incoming, so I let it sit on the bottom.

While my bait rod was in a sand spike, I prepared my plugging rod. I waded into the water until I was knee deep. I made a cast and stared a slow retrieve. Out of curiosity, I looked back….Holy Poseidon! My Med-Heavy 10 footer was bent over and the spool was spinning so fast that there was almost smoke! Have you ever seen an Olympic athlete sprint in waders? I picked up my bait rod and negotiated with the fish. She pulled and pulled. Once she got in less than 5 feet of water, she traversed 30+ feet to my left. I finally landed her: a 37 inches Striped bass that pulled the scale down to 18 lbs. Beautiful fish! Classic circular hook penetration: right in the corner of the mouth. Beautiful! I examined my rig…there was a hook missing. What ‘da! I must have hand two biggies on at the same time. So I thought. Not! I examined my specimen more closely. Aha! The missing hook was in her tail! So, at one point, I had her fish hooked on both ends. No wonder she was so irate.

Remember my plug? My plug drifted into my friends line. He uses mono. I use braid. Guess who won? In short, I got spooled. Go figure, the reel that got spooled did not even catch the fish.

During the next six hours, I pulled in schoolie after schoolie (13 – 19”). And I started thinking: Are we as Surfcasters trying to to accomplish too much in too little time? I was trying to bait fish and plug at the same time. I know keep it simple, travel light, and only fish one method at a time: bait, eels, plugs, or flies.

Journal Entry
Date: 07/09/2005
Location: “x”
Rod: 10 ft EC Medium Heavy
Reel: Penn 5600 Live Liner
Line: FireLine 20 lb smoke
Rig: Custom Hi-Low made from Ande 50 lb clear mono
Hook: SSW In-Line Circular 8/0 hook
Bait: Clam
Species: Striped bass
Length: 37 inches
Weight: 18 lbs

Plum Island Surfcasters 2008 Fundraiser

Posted on February 28, 2008October 29, 2017 by Julio Silva

Attending the Plum Island Surfcasters Annual Fundraiser is like watching the super bowl, a must do.

Fish360 Plum Island Surfcasters

Why are the Plum Island Surfcasters Annual Fundraiser’s so great?

First class presentations by local surfmasters
Tasty food at unbeatable prices
The famous Custom Rod & Reel Raffle
Many, many, table raffle items
Local Exhibitors (e.g. Fly tying, plugs, & Kayak fishing)
Purchase new or rare quality plugs and lures from local craftsman at fair prices

I got to the “club house” by 8:30 AM. I renewed my Plum Island Surfcaster’s club membership; paid the reduced entrance fee— complements of my PISC membership; and picked up a copy of each complementary fishing magazine:

The Fisherman New England Saltwater Fishing Guide 2007 ($2.00 value)
On the Water 2008 Special Edition ($6.00 value)

My first hot spot was the galley. I ordered a bottom-less cup of coffee for $2.00 and starting reading the landscape. The fist table that I visited was the Surfland Bait and Tackle table. Mike was there selling custom rigged (”striper candy”) jerk bait; e.g. slug-O’s. It was great to see and talk to Mike. He is one of the most technically savy fisherman I know. When it comes to fishing tackle and techniques, I trust and value his opinion. Looking at the rigged bait…”I cannot fish those because the jerking action kills my shoulder”, I said. Mike replied, “Then you should try needlefish.” The light bulb turned on, so to speak.

The first presentation was by Steve Papows, a professional shore guide on North Shore, Massachusetts. Having seen his presentation before, I thought I knew what to expect. Not! Steve all of the sudden, stopped talking, reached into a cooler, and pulled out two vacuum sealed menhaden. He held them up high and said: “This is Peter and this is Paul. They look alike, but they are not. One has spots and the other does not.” He then went into presentation theory and the importance of color and profile. Steve had at least one joke or story for every slide. Great presentation. If you are fishing in his waters, think yellow; but, do not take my word for it:

Fish360 Plum Island Surfcasters

After Steve’s talk, I had a change to say hello to Anton (Tony) Stetzko, professional beach guide and artist on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Tony holds the World Record for the largest striped bass caught from the surf: 73 lbs.

Fish360 Plum Island Surfcasters

I must apologize to Tony because photography does not do this fish justice.

Tony and I fished together after the 2006 PISC fundraiser. The first thing that people think about when they hire a professional fishing guide is “catching fish”. I caught much more than fish. Tony thought me how to “read the water” and how to properly present plugs. I have been landing much more fish ever since. Thanks Tony!

In addition to being a professional beach guide and artist, Tony also makes and fishes his own plugs. I have been fishing his Mr. Wiggly and love the way the plug swims. When I noticed the gourgous looking needlefish on his table, the light bulb turned on again. I bought one in this year’s new pattern:

Fish360 Plum Island Surfcasters

Tony said this pattern is great in the fall during the migration. I am not sure I can wait that long to fish it. I’ll try it out in June and let you know how I do.

I cannot fish on an empty stomach, so I I trekked back to my favorite hot spot, the galley. The menu was full of tasty food at very reasonable prices. I ordered the “Stripah Chowda”. Yum. Yum.

Fully fueled, I trolled from table to table. I stopped at the Salty Bugger table and met Scott (a.k.a. “Salty”). Scott had an awesome display of Dannys and Needlefish plugs in every bait-mimicing color that I could think possible. I have never fished a Danny. (I know. I know. And I call my self a surfcaster. Go figure.) I was very impressed with Scott’s knowledge and passion for plug fishing. I am also very thankful for the time he took to talk to me about Danny plugs and how to fish them. I found Scott to be very approachable because he’s so down to earth and humble. I have just ordered my first Danny in olive white (Salty’s favorite color) from his website.

Fish360 Plum Island Surfcasters

This was my third Plum Island Surfcasters Annual Fundraiser. Each one has been unique and worth the travel and low cost of admission. But, do not take my word for it. According to The Fisherman (No. 9. February 28 2008), 130+ people showed up, the vendors did well, the “kitchen pretty much sold out”, and that the famous Rod and Reel raffle raised $750.00 dollars. In short, the best show yet!

Fisherman keep secrets

Posted on February 25, 2008November 24, 2016 by Julio Silva

In my third year as a self-proclaimed surfcaster, I was fishing the incoming tide on a dark summer night with two friends.

Two hours after slack tide, two gentleman walk onto the beach. They said nothing. We said nothing. Fisherman keep secrets.

Three hours after slack tide. No fish. I walked over to the gentleman and said “Any luck?” The first gentleman who was baiting his rig, said: “Nothing yet”. I looked at his rig and knew why. I have fished with “wacky” rigs, but this one was fish-hooking challenged. “Have you fished this rig a lot?”, I asked. “No. This is my first time fishing in the ocean.”, he responded. That explained the rig.

Breaking with fishing tradition, I told him how to make a rig that I have had success with on the beach we were fishing. He looked at me in surprised. But, followed my suggestion. I said “Good luck!” and walked back to my hot spot.

Four hours after slack tide. One skate. Out of curiosity, I looked over to see what was happing. Bang! The first gentleman was struggling to hold onto his rod while walking toward the water. I put my rod in a sandspike and sprinted like an Olympic athlete towards him. The tip of his rod could not get any closer the butt of the rod without snapping the rod in two. I did not hear any line coming off the spool. He was not gaining any line. “Loosen the drag!”, I yelled. He looked at me in surprise. But, followed my suggestion. A few minutes later, a fat 35 inch striped bass was at our feet.

Five hours after slack tide. Two schoolies. Out of curiosity, I looked over to see what was happing. Bang! The second gentleman had a fish on the line. I put my rod in a sandspike and sprinted towards him. “Open the drag”, the first gentleman said. A few minutes later, a fat 30 inch striped bass was at our feet.

Six hours after slack tide. No keepers. The two gentleman went home with camera full of pictures. And I went home with the 35 inch and the 30 inch striped bass. If I had kept my fishing rig a secrete. I would have gone home without any fish. Keep secrets selectively. Give and you shall receive.

Things to do during the off season

Posted on February 13, 2008November 24, 2016 by Julio Silva

Q: What does a fisherman do during the off season?

A: Watch fishing shows and read books!

For one reason or another, the number of saltwater fishing shows are few in number, compared to freshwater fishing shows; but, they are high in quality. Once of my favorites shows is the On The Water TV fishing show. Each season is also available on DVD and at $30.00 a season, it’s a great value. (I have own the first two seasons and just ordered the third and fourth seasons.)
Some other good shows are:

Once again, for one reason or another, the number of saltwater fishing books are few in number, compared to freshwater fishing shows; but, they are high in quality. I have been building my fishing library book by book. Here are the books that I have purchased and enjoy reading.
Hot Spots

Fishing Techniques

Fishing Stories

“Other”

The Most Important Fish in the Sea: Menhaden and America

Kayak Fishing

Rod Building

Rod Building Basics With Steve Petri (DVD)

In conclusion, there is no “off season”. Fish every day, on and off the water.