Surfcaster's Journal issue 4

...for all men are e

equal before fish -Herbert Hoover

This issue marks a very important point in the existence of the Surfcaster’s Journal magazine. If I told you that this yearlong journey went according to plan, I would be fibbing. To be honest, none of us at the Surfcaster’s Journal had any idea of what the future would bring. Heck, we still don’t know what is waiting for us around the corner as we start work on season number two of the magazine and the blog. One thing I do know, this journey has been very enjoyable and rewarding. My friend Andrew Chase, a renowned chef whose story you will find on the pages inside this issue of the magazine is fond of saying that he likes to feed a man’s soul, not only wow him with culinary pyrotechnics.

Those are my thoughts exactly as I am typing this letter on an airplane thousands of feet above the surf line. We never intended to become business entrepreneurs as some suspected when we published our first issue a year ago. Instead, we wanted to feed your souls and open up other perspectives on this wonderful sport with stories about interesting people, stunning photography and conservation issues. Not only that but at the same time we also want to increase your success rate in the surf with articles from some of the most respected anglers plying the beaches today.

There were times when I seriously considered throwing in the towel and calling it quits. You have no idea just how much work goes into putting together a publication of this type while maintaining artistic and journalistic quality. But the reason I find the strength and patience to move forward lies not in my personality but in your participation. Your emails, that say we are doing a good job, keep us motivated to do better. Your donations and purchases at our online store help defer some of the costs and keep the magazine and blog subscription free. Your handshakes at the shows or on the beach express how thrilled you are to have a publication devoted to the sport you love. These are the things that make our efforts feel appreciated.

For that, I must thank you, the reader of these pages. I also have to take this opportunity to thank all those who were asked to be profiled, interviewed, or who were asked to write for us in the past.

We have always said that we would rather have surfcasters who are passionate about our sport write a short story for us than employ professional writers to give us 5000 word essays. We are always looking for new opinions and new contributors. So if you have an idea, drop us a line at info@surfcastersjournal.com at any time.

Last but never least, I would like to thank our advertisers. Without them it would not be possible to keep this publication subscription free. Please visit their websites. If you have a personal relationship with them or you purchase a product from them, please thank them for supporting Surfcaster’s Journal magazine. I can thank them till I am blue in the face but your words carry more weight than mine ever could.

We at Surfcaster’s Journal have always been very conscious of conservation and all us share strong common conservation ethics on the beach and at home. It's something that stems from our membership in the High Hill Striper Club. We grew up around legends like Fred Schwab, Roger Martin and William Muller. This is why we decided to create STRIPERTHON 2010, the first coast wide, season long catch and release striper tournament. We hope you join us in educating the general public on the importance of conservation not just of our beloved striped bass but all species in our waters. Our tournament is free to anyone who wants to enter and is designed to promote catch and release of large, breeding age stripers.

t n l e k n

f n p d o d e r s h

There currently is a lot of disagreement on the present state of stripers between anglers and even scientists themselves. We at Surfcaster’s Journal are of the opinion that stripers are currently being over fished. We haven’t a degree in marine biology nor a doctorate in science to back this claim, instead we base our opinion on our own experience in the surf, coupled with the opinions and catch rates of our friends along the striper coast. Could it be that the fish have taken a different migration route into deeper water in the last few years? Could that have a major impact on our catch rate? Absolutely, but when we couple the disappointing “Young of the Year” index numbers in recent years with a lack of schoolies in many locations this spring and increased harvest and pressure from both recreational and commercial sectors, it is evident to us that the stripers might find themselves in trouble in a relatively short time. It would be a shame if we have not learned anything from the crippling moratorium we endured just a few decades ago. We will keep sounding the alarm bell that this fishery needs to be better managed and we suggest you do the same.

Zeno Hromin

Cover photo: Zeno Hromin Surfcaster's Journal is published quarterly by Surfcasting LLC. Publisher reserves the right to accept or reject any advertising submitted for publication. Surfcasting LLC and Surfcaster's Journal assume no responsibility for errors made except to republish in future issue any advertisement having an error.

Use of this material without express written permission of Surfcasting LLC and Surfcaster's Journal is strictly prohibited.

S U R F C A S T E R ’ S J O

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U R N A L P R E S E N T S

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CATCH AND RELEASE CONTEST

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AquaPac Waterproof Backpack Let's face it. Today’s surfcaster is not the same stealthy and minimalistic animal that he was 30 years ago. Today's surf fisherman carries so much stuff with him that we predict that this solitary sport will go the way of golf in a few years. How great it will be when every one of us has a caddy to carry our gear! Think about the possibilities!

Cold beer at the snap of your fingers, hooks replaced on lures in between tides and your own personal photographer! Until then, unless you rob a bank or win the Lotto you will have to put up with carrying your own stuff. We at the Surfcaster's Journal have a responsibility not only to try to catch fish but to use photo and video equipment to bring the beauty of this sport to your PC monitors. But how do we carry our equipment into the most unforgiving terrain imaginable without having it destroyed by salt water, rain storms and sand? There is only one name you have to know if you are looking to keep any of your gear dry in the surf and the name is AquaPac. We recently tested their waterproof backpack and are happy to report that is as good as advertised. It is completely waterproof and in addition, there is an additional

internal waterproof pocket in which you could store your gear in case you have to keep it away from your wet stuff. There are ample other features such as a key pocket, carabineers, taped seams, mesh pockets on the outside for bug spray, water bottles and more. It’s 100% PVC free insuring that it will stay supple and will not crack even on the coldest of days. Of course, on real cold days, we rub ourselves all over with Ben Gay and toast some marshmallows in our fireplace! We know that some of you are more hardcore than we are. Laugh all you want but getting old is not all that it’s cracked up to be, especially if you are broke. We do have to warn you that although the backpack is waterproof we do not suggest you swim with it as the big air bubble will force your head under the water!

VMC Hooks Sometimes a product dominates an industry to a such an extent that you wonder if that’s a good thing. Take for example Microsoft Internet Explorer which is found on just about every PC in the world. Although there is better web browsing software available, the darn thing dominates the market. The distinction between that particular product and many others that dominate their industry is that others are actually demanded by the consumers instead of being shoved down your throat.

Take a look at VMC hooks as an example of a product that in a few short years has come to dominate the market for premium quality hooks on lures used in surfcasting. Not only are lure builders using these hooks because they think they are good but the surfcasters are demanding and expecting that VMC hooks be attached to the lures that they buy. How did this happen so quickly and on such a large scale? One word, quality! VMC Permasteel hooks are strong, sharp as a tack right out of the package and hold the point better than most hooks we’ve used over the years. They are priced right, meaning you don't need to make a choice between a quality hook and that disco ball you been asking your wife to hang over your bed. We particularly like VMC 9626PS for lures and VMC 917 open eye Siwash hooks for rigged eels. Cornering the market is usually bad for consumers but in the case of VMC hooks it’s been a great thing for the surfcaster.

Ebbpoint Surf Bag Recently we were in the market for a new surf bag. Our trusty Van Staal bag is still in good shape after years of abuse but we were looking for a bag to fill a specific use. First, we wanted a single row bag as we are getting old in the tooth and have a hard time hitting the toilet standing up, never mind carrying a two row surf bag full of lures. Second, we wanted a long pouch on the front in which we could store large rubber baits and a few giant twenty inch eels rigged with 9/0 hooks. Third, because we occasionally muster enough courage to swim to a distant rock, we needed a bag that would drain the water quickly when we finally got our overweight butt onto the rock. And last and most important, the bag had to ooze quality instead of being tricked up like it's made for an astronaut. Simple, functional and high quality is what we were after.

When we spoke to Nick from Ebbpoint Surfcasting he suggested that we might actually like a removable pouch in the front of the bag which we could take off when we are not carrying rigged eels. In addition, we could just toss the removable pouch with eels inside into a freezer. Preposterous, we thought, as we’ve never seen anything like it. How dare he even suggest such a contraption would be carried by world class surfcasters such as ourselves?

Ok, maybe a world class “Super Googan” is more accurate but still, a removable pouch?

We are happy to report that Nick not only impressed us with his design but he hit it out of the park. Not only is the bag as well made as any we’ve ever seen in stores but the removable pouch was a stroke of genius. Everything about the bag screams "quality" from heavy stitching, to large Velcro closers, ample drain holes on the bottom and even a heavy duty belt! Since we have a hard time painting a picture with words, feel free to take a look at our video review on Surfcaster's Journal YouTube Channel.

Lure Tubes Every once in awhile a product comes along that makes you wonder why you never thought about creating it yourself. This is how we felt the first time we looked at the belt tube system from Lure Tubes. In all fairness, it's a very simple contraption, a PVC tube with an attached cap, drainage holes in the bottom and a clip to attach to your belt.

What is so ingenious about it? It's actually more than one thing. If you are an angler who hates the feel of a surf bag slung over your shoulder or if you have back issues that prevent you from carrying a bag full of lures, your prayers have been answered.

You can just clip some Lure Tubes on your belt, load them with plugs and hit the beach. Your back will thank you. If you are like us and love all things associated with eels aka "bass candy", you will find Lure Tubes indispensible. Instead of shoving your eel skin lures into your bag where they will get mangled by hooks from other lures you just insert your eel skin lure into a Lure Tube and again, hit the beach. But wait, there is more! When you get home, instead of transferring your eel skin plug into a zip lock

bag, you can just toss the whole Lure Tube into the freezer with the eel skin lure enclosed. It will be ready to roll the next time you head for the beach. Another good use for them would be for those of you who try to carry the contents of a small tackle shop on your back. You just can't seem to be able to leave any lure you own behind. But what if they hit black and watermelon darters? I’ve got to take that one! But your bag has only so much room. What to do? Just clip a Lure Tube to your belt and keep adding lures. Simple, affordable and well worth checking out!

Hogy Double Wide We have a confession to make. There was a time when we looked at rubber baits and thought that they were more or less all equal. Yes, some are longer or shorter, some feel soft and limp while others are pretty stiff. Then we got schooled so fast that we still wonder if those events actually happened or they were a figment of our imagination. Let us explain. We went to Block Island for the first time this spring.

Since we were babes in the woods our expectations were tempered. But just because we suffer from low self-esteem doesn't mean our partner did. Let's just say that our self-esteem wasn't helped by the fact that he slaughtered stripers on Hogy Doublewide rubber baits while we watched‌‌.and counted his fish. We got into some fish too but nothing like he did. The most amazing part of this experience was that he rigged them in many different ways: worm style, with a swim plate, weedless and caught fish with all of them. We tossed rubber from another manufacturer but did squat so we stuck with what we know best: Super Strike lures. After returning

from Block we emailed Mike Hogan, the maker of Hogy lures, and described our experiences. We told him we were going to Cuttyhunk in a week or so and he suggested that he make us a giant prototype 14 inch Doublewide. The darn thing was so huge that we named it "horse!$&#" immediately after pulling it out of the box. Everyone stopped laughing when we nailed a 28 pound bass on it with our first cast. We like the fact that Hogys are softer than most other rubber baits and we absolutely love the whole slew of rigging options Hogy provides. From darter heads. swim plates, weed-less and many others, you can make this rubber lure work under just about any conditions.

Of course, they don't work when you attach them to a giant lead head and cast them into the Cape Canal Canal or your local inlet. Everybody knows that stripers always feed on the top and only on pencil poppers at dawn. Or so we’ve been told‌...

Big Fish Prey Swimmer We will readily admit that there are a lot of wooden lures on the market today. So many in fact that is hard to break through all the clutter and underhand selling and promoting that goes on at many fishing websites. When we met Larry Wentworth, a few years ago at Cuttyhunk, we were immediately impressed with his approach to lure building. He never tried to tell us how great his lures were or push us to buy some. Being a giant of man all he had to do was look at us the wrong way and we would have cringed in fear and swum to New Bedford and bought some. But Larry is a gentle giant and, from what we can tell, a heck of plug builder. It took us three years but we finally got our hands on his Prey Swimmer. As soon as we made our maiden cast with it we were kicking ourselves in the ass for not getting one sooner. The Prey casts like a dream even though it’s a metal lip. We loved the stainless steel through wire, VMC Permasteel hooks and Spro swivels. No skimping on quality here. The paint job is superb, one of the best looking commercially available lures we've ever seen. But all these great attributes are probably shared by many lures on the market today. In our mind, the $64,000 question is: “Does it catch fish”? Not only have we caught fish on it from the first time we tried it but we have had fish all over it every night of our trip. Of course we had to try the Prey in our local waters because New York stripers often ignore offerings that are not locally grown!

Ok, we are kidding about that part but the Prey swimmer is no joke regardless where you decide to use it. We've been impressed sufficiently enough that we made an appeal to our wives to let us go back to Cuttyhunk to get another one. We are still waiting to hear back on that proposal.

Van Staal Bailed Reel Many people have told us, over the years that making a bulletproof, bailed reel that would be used in the surf, was akin to Mission Impossible. Such a reel would have to endure harsh conditions such as salt spray and sand, to baking in the full sun on roof racks and being submerged underwater. These conditions have made plenty of pretenders fall on their faces over the years. The Achilles heel of this type of reel was having the bail snap closed on the cast. The line breaks and your $50 lure sails into the ocean while tears run down your face. Well, if the only reason you are using a bail-less reel is because all your bailed reels failed you in the past, we have a recommendation for you. And wouldn’t you know, it’s a bailed reel that is made by a company that built its reputation catering to surfcasters: Van Staal. Never, not even once, did we have to deal with the bail prematurely closing during the cast. No lures sailed towards Bermuda, something we can't say for many other bailed reels we tried over the years.

Kudos to the Van Staal engineers who designed a bail that only closes when you, the angler, wants it to.

Not only have we had the pleasure of casting with it ourselves, but these reels were used by clients we were guiding, most of whom could have used a little seasoning before they attempted to fish the place where many dreams are ruined, Montauk Point, NY. We even had one client who insisted on throwing a week old bailed VS 250 and an equally new Lamiglas 1321M rod into the water every time he got sprayed by a wave. Let's just say that we were not thrilled to have to search in the kelp for our rod and reel every time a wave rumbled towards the shore. The real kicker came when he took off the waders we let him borrow and 50 gallons of water poured out.

“Oh, you guys are not wet?� Those waders have never really dried out completely but fortunately our bailed VS 250 seemed to take the abuse in stride. We never washed it, never cleaned it, preferring to take care of this minor maintenance au naturale, via rain showers. People fell on our reels, swam with them, threw them in the water but could not break them. For anyone who prefers a bailed reel, with a waterproof drag, built like a tank and almost maintenance free, we think that a Van Stall should top your list. Maybe even be the only thing on your list! We bought more expensive reels recently that filled with sand after two trips. We like to stick with people and products we know and trust. And so should you.

Go Pro HD Camera Sometimes you know that certain products are going to be great even before you buy them? That’s how we felt about the waterproof camcorder from GoPro. To this day we still are flabbergasted by the fact they could pack so many features in such a small camera. Not only does the Go Pro camera feature Professional Quality1080 HD but its ultra wide lenses will give you a 170 degree ultra wide view! Bombproof and waterproof to 180 feet, you can for the first time strap the camera to your head and jump in the water head first without worrying about water somehow seeping in.

The camera’s enclosure is very well made and the number of attachments are expanding by the day. You want a helmet cam to attach to your bike helmet while you drive along the Cape Cod Canal in search of striped bass? They make that. Do you want a head strap so you can wetsuit to distant rocks and get some stupendous video footage in full HD? They make that too. Or maybe you want to attach the camera to the underside of your fishing truck to record the trip from a cool angle or on the hood or on the top of your kayak? They make that too. How about a wrist strap or a chest strap while you are wading onto the sand bar? Believe it or not, they make those too!

Regardless what type of harness or strap you use to carry your GoPro camera we can guarantee one thing, the resolution will be fantastic. Not only will you be able to recorded movie quality video footage but you can also use GoPro as a still camera recording at 5MP automatically. The neat thing about using the camera is that you can choose between taking a single shot or having the camera take shots automatically in sequences of 2/5/10/30 or 60 seconds. How great is that?

As you know, surfcasting is a physically demanding sport, practiced in some of the most unforgiving conditions any fisherman could face. Wickedly fast currents, crashing waves and, oh yes, those unforgiving slimy rocks you stand on top of that have destroyed your gear in the past. We are happy to report that the GoPro camera enclosure is made out of thick plastic that takes abuse like a champ. In addition, if you end up scratching your case, you can always pick up another for a very reasonable cost. Another thing that surprised us was the ability of the GoPro camera to record sound under water even within its waterproof enclosure. No, we don’t claim that you will get an Oscar winning soundtrack from your recording but it's clear enough to understand what you are saying while standing on a rock. We found this out the hard way when we were editing our video at home and our wife walked by and heard all the unpleasant things we yapped about her on the rock. We didn’t know the sound would carry so clearly through the waterproof housing.

Believe us when we tell you, we are still paying for that one!

We received our camera a day before our annual Cuttyhunk trip but it only took us a few minutes to figure out how to use it. We created a quick video, only to show you the stunning High Definition and possibilities of using a Go Pro Camera.

RuRu Lures The first thing we noticed about RuRu lures was that its creator, Billy Riker Jr. went out of his way to pay homage to the great lures of yesteryear. We at Surfcaster’s Journal dig the “old school” stuff and RuRu lures are right up our alley. We like it that Billy has decided to concentrate on designs many other plug makers shun, like Conrads, Eelys and Jointed Swimmers. We recently got a chance to use the RuRu Danny plug and we walked away very impressed. Unlike most Danny style metal lip swimmers, the RuRu creation swims underneath the surface by design. Some builders are clueless about how to design and build a plug that will do what the builder wants it to do. Billy’s idea behind creating a subsurface Danny was something that we agree with.

There is no fish in the ocean that spends all its time on the surface. In fact, an injured fish will often have a hard time swimming upwards to the surface. Instead it will drift towards the bottom where it will quickly become a target for hungry stripers and blues.

RuRu’s Danny lure is designed with just this in mind, giving you another level in the water column to explore with your lure. No one said all the "Danny Style" swimmers have to swim on the surface. We were also impressed with the casting ability of this particular metal lip swimmer. Few metal lip lures we have tested cast very well. We don’t think many builders actually give much thought to their lure designs. Instead they just copy another maker to a T and then rush it to market! You think? We also liked his pencil poppers quite a bit. In fact, we like his whole line of plugs. Anyone who builds only a few hundred plugs a year with a strong emphasis on quality yet pays homage to master craftsmen of yesteryear, gets our respect. RuRu Lures are more than ok. Check them out yourself and you will quickly realize that "quality lures for quality fisherman" is more than just a catch phrase they use in advertising.

Tactical Anglers Somebody said that you can't reinvent the wheel. Although that might be true, you can definitely improve it. We at Surfcaster's Journal, being an old and cranky bunch, take a cynical view of anything that is "new and improved". Why? Because we are still seething because our wife turned down our request for a "new and improved" super duper custom rod for our birthday. She said "Can't you catch fish with the 74 rods you have in the garage"? Yes we could but what would be the fun in that? To show you just how set in our ways we are, we'll share a little secret. We hated clips. We didn't care who made them. We tried them all and hated them all.

Some cracked open like chestnuts over an open fire when a two pound schoolie tugged on our line, some let our lures slip off into the abyss, never to be seen again.

We stuck with Duo Locks and Crosslocks snaps, perfectly willing to sacrifice a few fish a season, mainly due to our forgetting to close them properly. When we accepted a pack of the Tactical Angler clips at the show this winter we had no intention of using them. Maybe we'd toss a lure or two with them but we knew we were going to go back to our snaps. Then a strange thing happened. After the clips sat on our desk for 5 months, we rigged a leader and went fishing.

First thing we noticed was an enlarged throat which made it easier to connect tins and large hooks. But how large? Well, knock us over with a feather, but we took notice when effortlessly we slipped a giant 9/0 VMC Siwash on the clip. When our rigged eel danced under the surface with moves that reminded us of Shakira, we were impressed. When we landed ten bass between twenty and forty-four pounds on that eel and the Tactical Angler clips showed zero stress, we were in love. From its patent pending slip proof design, to its wider throat and stronger, thicker wire, the Tactical Angler clip has replaced our trusty snaps after more than two decades of service.

These clips are the brainchild of surfcaster extraordinaire "Crazy" Alberto Knie whose exploits in the surf reach legendary status. The only thing we are asking is does the Crazy One package the clips himself? Because if he does, there might be some good mojo rubbed off him and onto the clips. They are available in 50lb, 125lb and 175lb test and they are definitely designed with big fish in mind.

Flying Fisherman Sunglasses We are well aware that in the current economic climate, we can’t spend money like a drunken sailor on fishing equipment. Let's be honest, every surfcaster can use a good pair of polarized sunglasses to cut through the sun's glare on the ocean surface and spot the fish, Not only that, but when you put on a good pair of polarized shades for the first time you will have an "aha" moment when you realize that you can see deeper through the water column and identify underwater structure you never knew existed before.

Not everyone is willing or able to drop a few bills on designer polarized shades but don't fret, there are quality and affordable sunglasses available from Flying Fisherman. We recently had a chance to test their Magnum shades with AcuTint RhinoLenses and we came away very impressed. They are virtually shatterproof and offer maximum protection from UVA and UVB rays. They provide deeper visual penetration through the water and reduce eyestrain, all at an affordable price. We like their wraparound design that eliminates side glare and reduces wind penetration on your eyes. If you always wanted a quality pair of polarized glasses but thought that they were out of your price range check out Flying Fisherman’s line of affordable shades on the web or at your local retailer. We bet you'll be as impressed as we were.

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Lou Caruso

They Say You Can’t Teach an Old Dog New Tricks … Really ?????

There have been a lot of articles over the last two years about this “Fuji New Concept System”. I made a conscious effort to learn about this new guide layout as I always try to stay on top of new technology. The first thing I did was to take a blank, tape on some guides in this new configuration and go test cast it. I was not very impressed. I felt that the lay-out caused line slap that would affect distance. Also the line wrapped around the first guide when I cast in a severe cross wind. I went to the rod building forums to see what the consensus was on this new guide layout. Most seemed to be in favor and seemed to have very good results.

Back to the drawing board. While this was taking place, there was an article posted on a rod building site with an improved way to lay out the guide configuration. I decided it was going to be all or nothing and stripped my favorite 9 ½ foot back-bay rod. I taped on the guides in this new configuration and went back to the school sports field. I let a 1 oz sinker rip and the first thing I noticed was the sound. The line made a smooth “wizzzzzzing” sound passing through the guides. After another fifty or so casts I went home and wrapped the rod. I put it to the test this spring and am very impressed with how it casts and how it handles when fighting a fish. I have since re-wrapped another two of my rods using the Concept Layout.

There are a few things I have found with this configuration. First, it’s not for all blanks. I would not waste my time on anything heavier than a Lamiglas GSB 1321M or the SSU 1321MH. I believe you lose the benefits on a heavier blank. (The GSB 1321M makes a kick-ass rod wrapped New Concept starting with a 40-stripper guide.) Second, I would not go any smaller than # 10 running guides. I like to make sure my swivel and clip pass through the guides. I can get a 150# breakaway through a #10 ring with no problem.

Third, if you are someone that “forces their cast”, this layout may not be for you. You need to let the rod load and do the work here.

On a positive note, this Guide Layout is pretty incredible when it comes to fighting a fish. You can see the entire blank arch smoothly thereby making the fish fight the entire rod, not just you and five guide contact points. It feels like you have to use less effort to land a fish. You also lose almost two ounces of weight using the New Concept Layout.

new concept layout

traditional 6 guide layout A lot of “old dogs” will not have anything to do with this guide layout. Some of the quotes: “Too many guides means more guides to break” and “No way those small guides can work”. I know a few of these guys and would not even try to sway them. (It was hard enough getting them away from those 70mm wire Mildrums)! They can out-fish me and many others on any given day so I know I would not be able to change their minds.

Food for thought: smaller guides, since there are more of them are going to be much harder to break than a big honking 50mm stripper guide. Try bending a small # 10 running guide vs. the traditional #50 Stripper. I can verify this as I managed to fall, face first on a jetty recently. Although many guides smacked the rocks, and had their paint chipped off, only the #30 stripper actually twisted beyond repair. My reel also took quite a hit!

One last thought: If you go the New Concept route, do your homework. Have a general idea what it should look like. Some feel that if they use a particular style of guides this constitutes the Concept System. Couldn’t be further from the truth…. It’s not the type of guide, but the layout of the guides. I have seen a few rods now that claim to have been wrapped New Concept and clearly were not.

Lou has been wrapping custom rods for over 30 years.

Visit him on the web at: LousCustomRods.com

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in the kitchen a n d r e w c h a s e

story:zeno Hromin

Tunusual o say that Andrew Chase’s life took an number of twists and turns, only

to end up back where it all started, would be an understatement. How else would you describe being born in New York City but moving to Nantucket at an early age and spending your life by the sea and living off it? Yet stripers remarkably were not an important part of his life as a youngster.

And yet, when you turn the clock to today, after numerous jobs all over the world, you find striper fever permeating every part of his life. This seems ironic in so many ways.

However chef Andrew Chase is not one to look at life that way. His attitude is like the sun rising above the eastern horizon every morning. Each new day is filled with endless possibilities. He might have gotten bitten by the striper bug later in life but he has more salt in his veins than many of us.

He was born in New York City and moved to Nantucket when he was about to go into the first grade. His mom and her boyfriend were bay scallopers, living off the riches of the sea. Like many kids on the island, Andrew had a job at home. He was responsible for opening scallops after school each day. His childhood on the island was like a storybook. No worries about crime, traffic jams or strangers. Instead, he spent his time collecting mussels or catching horseshoe crabs to sell to lobster fishermen for

bait. And there was always fishing! He particularly liked fishing the ponds of Nantucket which held loads of pickerel and bass and even an occasional striper which would make a foray into brackish waters. But instead of chasing after stripers in the surf he was much more interested in tangling with bluefish. They were a sure bet, easy and fun to catch.

Stripers were a more mysterious species to young Andrew, requiring more patience than he had at this early age. He vividly remembers being aware of incredible catches of big stripers in the 70’s and early 80’s, when stripers were thought to be an endless resource.

Up to this point in his life, Andrew experienced the same things every Nantucket resident did in their childhood. You were free to roam around, you spent hours playing in the fresh air and there was plenty of bounty from the ocean at the dinner table. After finishing college but not feeling ready to make a commitment to grad school, Andrew’s life got took a very interesting path. He got a job at a French restaurant, Le Cygne, in New York City, where he worked for a few years. They helped him get a year long apprenticeship in Champagne, France. Upon returning to the United States he got married and worked at the River Cafe, the Union Square CafÊ and the Sign of the Dove restaurants.

Soon he decided to return to France for another year, this time to a three star Michelin

restaurant in Alsace, called Le Crocodile. While in Alsace, Andrew and his wife would go to the Rhine River on his days off to fish the river and enjoy nature.

After fishing they would hit a nearby restaurant for Tarte Flambee which is basically an Alsatian pizza. This region in France has a lot of Germanic influence as France and Germany took turns claiming it over the centuries. This is the prime reason why, unlike in the rest of France, here you will find lots of sausages, sauerkraut and freshwater fish like carp and eels on the restaurant menus. In fact, his restaurant, with three Michelin stars served eels. He knew they were delicious but he never dreamed that one day he would be impaling them on a hook and casting them into the surf in search of stripers.

All things come to an end and Andrew and his wife found themselves back in New York City after a year. Andrew worked as a chef de cuisine at the Sign of the Dove, then as an Executive Chef at the Monkey Bar and later as an Executive Chef at The Mark Hotel.

He came to realize that hotel management was not why he became a chef and he longed to open a restaurant he could call his own. With the help of his longtime cooking partner, Erwin, his lifelong dream came true and they opened a small bar/restaurant called the Café Katja. Because Erwin was raised on a farm in Styria in Austria and Andrew was exposed to Germanic cuisine in France they decided to serve Austrian food. Or at least that is the reason they give to anyone who asks. What they won’t tell you is that their food goes great with good Austrian beer. They wanted Café Katja to be a bar with a small menu where people from the neighborhood could gather a few times a week without thinking too hard about it. They make their own liverwurst, pickle their own herring, serve lots of different beers and just have a good time. For Andrew, social interaction or “feeding the soul” as he calls it, is just as important as culinary pyrotechnics.

Somewhere between the time Andrew left the job at Hotel Mark and opening Café Katja, he decided to take some art classes. It was something that he had some experience in. This was what he always thought he’d like to do “when he retired”. As he approached fifty, two things were evident. First, he wasn’t going to retire anytime soon and second, who knows how much time any one of us has left? Why waste it all on work? So after taking ceramic and welding classes at the local community college, he is incorporating art into his life. Just like fishing, cooking or a good book, the art enriches his life today. He did not wait for retirement. Good advice that many of us should heed!

Where does surfcasting fit into all this, you might ask? We told you this was a journey with many turns and twists. Although he grew up on Nantucket, Andrew never got bitten by the surfcasting bug. Then again, he was only a teenager when he left for college. We would assume that he was, like most red-blooded American teenagers, more interested in girls than surfcasting.

But then something happened to bring all those childhood memories back to the forefront. A chance to once again be one with nature, in a place so magical that most of those who fish its shore call it the Mecca of surfcasting.

Andrew and his wife were invited to Montauk Point, New York by some friends and Andrew brought along a cheap rod and reel combo. He still remembers stopping by Paulie’s Bait and Tackle to pick up a few lures and Paulie telling his wife, “We are going to get your husband addicted”.

When they got back to the city he started fishing the beaches behind Breezy Point and there he caught his first New York bass. His life hasn’t been the same since. He enjoys meeting likeminded surfcasters and enjoys the sights and sounds of the ocean. Being able to tangle with such a magnificent fish in the shadow of the New York City skyline is truly enthralling. When your wife tells you that she has never seen you this happy, it’s a good thing. Chef Andrew is enjoying every minute of it. Surfcasting has enriched many lives whether you walked the surf from childhood or you were a city kid who grew up in Nantucket and rediscovered the call of the ocean later in life.

Prosciutto-Wrapped

Black Sea Bass

leek fondue and

quark dumplings serves four

for the bass: 4- 5 oz. black bass fillets, skinned (can substitute any white fish but I also like it with bluefish) 8- paper-thin slices of Italian prosciutto fresh thyme leaves salt and pepper, freshly ground canola oil, for sautéing for the dumplings: 16 oz. quark* or whole milk ricotta, drained in a strainer overnight (Appel Farms brand quark can be found at Whole Foods) 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour 3 small eggs 2 teaspoons salt ½ teaspoons pepper, freshly ground ¼ teaspoons nutmeg for the leeks: 5 cups leeks (about 3 large leeks), trimmed and cut into ½” dice and washed in two changes of water 1 ¾ cups chicken stock or water 6oz. butter 2 bunches of chives, minced 1/3 cup white wine or dry vermouth salt, to taste

This method of preparing fish is a personal favorite and very simple to do. The dumplings take a little practice. You may need to play a little bit with the flour if you feel they need more binding; test one before you cook them all. Once you get the hang of them, they can be used to accompany all kinds of fish or meat and can also be made into a pasta course (i.e. with a sauté of mushrooms or just some fresh tomato sauce and a grating of parmesan). This recipe will make more dumplings than you need for this dish but I’m sure you’ll find a use for the extras. Obviously you can substitute any vegetable for the leeks; sautéed spinach would be great. If you go this route, you’ll want another sauce. Just deglaze the pan you cooked the fish in with some white wine, swirl in some butter and you’re good to go.

First make the dumpling mix.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, salt, pepper and nutmeg into the quark with a whisk then stir in the flour with a rubber spatula. Mix everything thoroughly, cover with plastic film and set in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Next, prepare the leeks.

Trim the leeks of their roots and of the darkest green parts. Cut them into ½”dice and submerge them in a large bowl of water. Lift out the leeks, leaving the sand in the bottom of the bowl, repeat at least one more time.

Season the filets with salt, pepper and a scattering of fresh thyme leaves. Lay out 2 or 3 slices of prosciutto per filet on your cutting board. The slices should run vertically and slightly overlap each other, giving you a rectangle. If the ham slices are very large, use less. You only want enough to just cover the fish one time as it’s rolled up.

Place a filet at the bottom of each rectangle and roll it up. Set aside.

Fill a large saucepan 3/4s of the way with water and salt it moderately; about ½ what you would use if you were cooking pasta. Bring to a boil then turn down the flame.

With a soup-spoon dipped in water, scoop up spoonfuls of batter and drop into the water. Turn flame back up and cook at a simmer for approximately 7-9 minutes, turning the dumplings to make sure they cook evenly. The dumplings should feel firm; cut one in half to be sure they’re cooked. Lift out the dumplings with a skimmer or strainer and place on a large plate or cookie sheet and set aside. Don’t throw out the water, you will need to re-heat your dumplings in it. As the dumplings are cooking, put the leeks on to cook.

In a medium saucepan with a lid, bring the chicken stock, vermouth and butter to a simm salt them lightly. Cover the pan and cook the leeks gently until very tender, about 12seasoning to your liking. Turn off the heat and keep warm. The leeks should have plenty the pot. That’s your sauce!

Meanwhile, sauté your fish in the canola oil, browning the ham on all sides. Cook until ju skewer or thin-bladed knife is a good way to check the doneness of fish. Insert it into t about 10 seconds, then touch it to your lip. It should be just barely hot.

If your timing is perfect, the dumplings are still hot. If your timing is like mine, re-heat the du Spoon the leeks with their broth into 4 shallow bowls, add the dumplings all around an Sprinkle with all of the chives and serve.

*note: quark is a fresh curd cheese, similar to ricotta but thicker and more tangy. I ingredient in Germanic cooking.

mer. Add the leeks and -15 minutes. Adjust the y of buttery liquid left in

ust done. Using a small the filet and leave it for

umplings now. nd top off with the fish.

It is a commonly used

Katja Cafe is located at 79 Orchard Street in New York City. For more information visit their website at http://cafe-katja.com

CUSTOM HANDMADE

MADE IN THE USA

WOOD FISHING PLUGS

LORDSHIPLURES.COM

MADE IN THE USA

by Vito Orlando

Some men only have eyes For one woman in their life Others play the field Before taking a wife I belong to the former And have eyes for just one She has given much joy Some nice days filled with fun My woman does not Have hair of gold Nor does it turn silver As she ages and grows old She does not cook Nor cause any woes She does not dress In fancy, expensive clothes Not one nasty word Has come out of her mouth Never raising her voice Not even to shout

But she can be tough As an adversary and foe She can be especially rough When the gale winds blow She is a radiant beauty Reigning like a queen Overlooking an ocean That sparkles in green It’s on The East End The place she resides With kelp covered boulders Resisting all tides Many of earth’s creatures Inhabit her dome But first and foremost Striped bass call her home Many before me Have fell for her charms Attracted by the beauty And Embraced with open arms

My cheating days gone No need for a distant shore Since my love is nearby I will travel no more Montauk is her name But called Mecca by some I will share my true love With all that will come Though you may stray And fish distant lands Like the pull of a magnet You’ll be drawn back to her sands No need to No need to No need to When Mecca

cheat roam fish elsewhere is home

Handcrafted to be eaten ALIVE!

produced by handmade in MASSACHUSETTS - vmc HOOKS wolverine TRIPLE SPLIT RINGS - thru WIRED kroc SWIVELS - sealed AYC length-6” weight-2.3 oz

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the photograpy of

A l b e rt o K n i e

As I was walking on the beach with my rod in one hand and a camera in the other, someone stopped me and asked why I take so many pictures and why I love to fish.

Well, apparently that person didn’t realize that I was an honor graduate from a prestigious Art school and have spent many years as a Corporate Art Director in the field of broadcasting and in the creative Advertising industry. He also didn’t know of my passion and probably couldn’t fathom why I would give up a lavish lifestyle to become a fishing bum.

I take my fishing very seriously and my photography displays my artistic views. I present the interesting, the subtleties and I also present the obvious that most fishermen take for granted. My photos serve two purposes. One, I use it for various publications, creative freelance advertising purposes and my other intention is to exhibit the natural beauty that many others cannot experience or express in the sport we enjoy so much.

In my photographs, I present the beauty, the agony, the challenges and the experiences that are seldom captured in photos. When you capture these images, often forgotten experiences can be revisited. All in all, I hope that my photos give you a new perspective and appreciation. More importantly, it heightens the less obvious and glorifies our passion to the next level. This can only be done with countless and sleepless hours that are dedicated to this sport.

Below you will find a few of my favorite surfcasting images and I will explain why I find them interesting.

Montauk: The Surfcasting Capital of the World: Although many photographers have taken photos of the Montauk lighthouse, this one is special to me. It was a beautiful September morning and the sky was on fire! I had to drop my rod and take the shot. Only a fisherman could have taken this photo because I was wading waist deep in the surf.

The Death March: To some, surfcasting is an easy walk in the park‌ but only an avid surfcaster can appreciate this image. I call it the Death March because it takes a special breed to walk a long distance over slippery bowling ball size boulders to hunt for fish.

Solitude: Only a serious surfcaster would know that surfcasting is not a spectator sport. This surfcaster had no idea I took the shot, nor did I want to acknowledge my presence to him. The beauty lies in the silhouettes, the sky, the water and the spirit of this surfcaster.

Abstract Beach: We often take long hikes without paying much attention to what we really need to see. We often smell the air, hear the breakers, look at the birds, feel the breeze, and constantly think about finding fish…. but we seldom appreciate what Mother Nature has to offer. I took this unique shot because of the sand’s natural curve, the organic shapes and shades, and the broken down fence inviting my eyes to look deep into the water columns where the gray sky meets. All in all, this beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder… and it is up to the beholder to share what is seen.

The Reward: Like most people, it’s hard to stop fishing when the bite is on‌ but when I took a quick glimpse, I dropped everything and captured this magical moment.

After a long deliberation, it dawned on me that it was rewarding on both ends. The happy fisherman with his reward, and my reward is that I captured it and I am able to share it with the world.

Engulfed: This is a shot of a persistent surfcaster who pushed his limits and tempted fate. I watched every bypassing sweep until a snarly wave engulfed him down to his knees.

Although you might think this picture was retouched, it was not. It was all natural light at dawn under the Montauk lighthouse.

You can contact Alberto at fishingdesign@aol.com for more information on his photography or to purchase prints.

Interview By Zeno Hromin

We recently had a chance to chat with California plug builder extraordinaire, Mike Fixter.

Mike's creations are some of the most sought-after striper lures in saltwater today.

We know that you have a pretty colorful background, including a childhood in what some consider "Heaven on Earth" and later in your life a tour of duty in what others consider "Hell on Earth".

I was born in 1946 near Hilo, Hawaii on a sugarcane plantation. Mom and dad were there during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, which is quite a story in itself. When I was three, my dad introduced me to fishing the tide pools along the Hawaiian coast. His surf casting equipment consisted of a stout homemade 10' to 11' bamboo pole and a Pflueger Templar reel filled with 72 pound test Cuttyhunk line. His best catch was a 78 pound Ulua (Giant Trevally). Quite an accomplishment for surf casting off the rocks with that type of equipment!

In the early 1950's we moved to Santa Cruz, CA which is about 75 miles south of San Francisco and right on the coast. From my bedroom window I could tell if it was high tide, low tide, big surf or flat calm. If it was calm I went fishing. If the surf was big I went surfing. It was the perfect place and neighborhood for a kid like me to grow up in. It was mostly made up of old time Italian fishing families. My first rod was a solid fiberglass bait caster with a Pflueger Supreme reel loaded with Dacron. By age 8, I was taking my fishing very seriously. Catching everything from salmon, steelhead, surfperch, halibut, kingfish, sharks, all sorts of rockfish, skates, sting rays, mackerel and bonito. Although there were a few striped bass not far from where we lived, my dad never did catch a striped bass, but he had without a doubt laid the foundation for my lifelong passion of surfcasting for stripers. "Thanks Pop"..... We continued to fish a lot together all along the coastal beaches, streams, rivers, wharfs and cliffs until 1964 when I graduated from high school. At this point, I joined the Navy for four years, part of which included a tour in Vietnam as a radio operator for the river patrol forces in the Mekong Delta.

In 1969 I started my 30 year career as a firefighter, engine company/station Fire Captain. It was also the year I started seriously pursuing striped bass. At that time there were plenty of places to fish for stripers, but the long stretches of beaches like Half Moon Bay, Sharp Park, Thornton Beach and Ocean Beach, were what I heard the most about and so that is where I began my apprenticeship. Mostly following the crowd and throwing metal (tins) at busting fish. It was a 150 mile round trip to Ocean Beach with a lot more skunks than paydays. But I stuck with it and paid my dues. My future was bright, I just didn't realize it yet at this point.

We've heard that you spent some days pin hooking in your early years. Tell us a bit about it.

Along with my unsatiable desire to become a more successful striper fisherman, I also took advantage of the opportunity to fish commercially. Primarily as a single deck hand (entire crew consisted of just the skipper and I) fishing all hook and line gear for King Salmon, Albacore and Rock Cod. I also had a 15' Gregor aluminum skiff that I fished from by myself targeting mostly rock cod, but also the occasional salmon and halibut. I seldom made much money with the skiff but there were a few days that were exceptional. One day in particular comes to mind. I had launched the skiff alone through the surf at a place called Lime Kiln Beach, several miles south of Point Sur. The beach was somewhat steep and consisted mostly of small gravel. The ocean was flat calm, a perfect day to fish this highly productive yet extremely unpredictable and dangerous stretch of coastline. I motored out to about 15 fathoms, tied off my bow line to a couple stands of kelp and commenced to literally pile up the fish. I was fishing with 10 hooks and each drop produced 10 quality fish ranging anywhere from 5 to 15 pounds consisting of Ling Cod, Vermilions, huge black rockfish, jumbo Olives, Copper Rockfish, etc.

By early afternoon I had a mound of fish that went from the center seat all the way to the bow and from gunnel to gunnel. As I headed back to the launch point it became very apparent how greedy and stupid a predicament I had gotten myself into. The skiff was bow heavy and wallowed sluggishly as I contemplated how to save my own butt as well as my catch once I hit the beach and attempted to pull the boat out of the surf line. I waited for a little larger than average swell and then went full speed ahead attempting to ride the back of the swell as far up onto the beach as possible. The landing was perfect, but the skiff was far too heavy for me to pull out of the surf line.

So there it sat. Awash in the surf line with each succeeding wave causing my boat to slide back into deeper water and take on more water and wet gravel. Before long even my fuel tank was floating away. The only thing keeping it close was the fuel line connecting it to the motor. A helpful crowd soon gathered and I had them emptying my boat of each and every item they could manage. Be it fish, oars, outboard motor, rope, anything to lighten it up. I then ran my anchor line from the boat up to my truck and managed to pull the boat out of the surf line with the truck. I got lucky on this one....

REAL LUCKY! Those people who helped me can never be thanked enough. They truly did save my dumb ass. In an attempt to thank them I sent them all home with heavy sacks of fresh rock cod fillets. The 2 hour drive home gave me plenty of time to think about my idiotic maneuver and how lucky I was. When I got home I iced the fish, threw a tarp over the whole mess and sold them the following day. I don't know how many pounds of fish I gave away to those who had helped me, but I still had a hell of a payday. A lesson well learned that would not be repeated.

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My days as a deckhand on various hook and line commercial boats provided me with many challenging experiences, including extended offshore trips for albacore and tuna and shorter trips (typically 5 to 7 days) for salmon or rock cod. We fished primarily the waters from Point Reyes to Morro Bay, including the Faralone Islands and Big Sur Coast. Both our rock cod and salmon fishing seldom took us beyond the 100 fathom line, but chasing albacore could take you a long way from home. The best boat I ever had the good fortune to fish on was a 46' Sun Fjord named the “Gayle R�.

The skipper had pretty much outfitted the boat from scratch. He got the cabin and hull as separate shells and did everything by himself with help from a few friends and family members. All the fiberglass work, hydraulics, wiring, electronics, plumbing, sink, toilet, diesel stove, welding, rigging, fish hold refrigeration, compressor, motor installation, drive shaft, propeller, fuel tanks, woodwork, etc., etc. My point here is that this skipper knew his boat inside out and backwards. If something went wrong 100 miles off the beach I trusted him with my life and his knowledge of how to fix whatever might go wrong. He was a Portuguese guy from the Azores and just somehow knew where the fish were going to be and how they would behave even before the fish themselves knew what they were going to do. He could keep the boat on top of fish (especially while salmon trolling) with unbelievable consistency. Commercial fishing can be dangerous just by the nature of the job, but he always thought safety first. No matter how good the fishing was, if hazardous weather was on the way, we did our best to avoid it. This is not to say we never got caught in some ugly weather and got our butts kicked, but I always felt safe with him at the helm. Thanks Franky, fishing with you was always an honor.

Building lures seem to be far removed from pin hooking in the Pacific Ocean. When did your fascination with building lures begin?

It was sometime in the early 1970's that I got the idea that it might be fun to try and build my own plugs. I had seen guys catch fish on what appeared to be factory made pencil poppers that were most likely made by Stan Gibbs and so that is what my initial attempts at plug building tried to emulate. I was quite familiar with wood lathe work from shop classes in high school and my first 8 hour a day job (summer job at age 15) was doing wood lathe work. I worked at a place called Sinkinson's Redwood Products and we made all sorts of stuff from salad bowls to pepper mills. But even with this prior lathe experience I had NO IDEA of what went into making a wooden fishing lure. I didn't even have a commercially made pencil popper to copy from. I just started out using what little info I could recall from a quick glance at the plugs other guys were using.

On my first attempt at building a pencil popper, I used oak hoe handles that I bought at the local hardware store which I cut to length. The blanks were turned and through drilled on a neighbor’s lathe. For the "though wire" I used 220 pound test mono and incorporated that into my shock leader. The mono ran through the swivel for the belly hook and the tail hook was tied to the end of the mono to keep everything secure. These lures were really crude and as ugly as a mud fence. The weight of the oak allowed them to cast okay, but I had no clue about adding a tail weight to improve the plug’s overall performance

For a short period of time I tried other woods like basswood, poplar, pine and Douglas fir and I used screw eyes on most of them. In fact, some of my very first pikies were made from basswood and had aluminum lips with a brass though wire. I finally got smart/curious enough to get my hands on a Stan Gibbs Pencil popper and take it apart.

My key findings were that the plug was made of much lighter wood (I'm guessing either pine or white cedar) and that there was a length of hollow lead at the rear of the plug that the through wire ran through. I experimented with various weight configurations and pencil lead but soon had a friend make me a mold to pour my own hollow tail weights.

Then as luck would have it, a very good fishing buddy of mine stumbled on a pallet of “2 X 2� Alaskan Yellow Cedar (AYC). I'm not sure he even knew what it was, but he felt it might make some good plugs. And how right he was! It was found under a dusty tarp at

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the old Freeway Lumber Company and I have no idea how long it had been sitting there, but if you dated it forward it was at least 37 years ago. In my opinion it was the perfect material for building what I was looking for in terms of plug performance. To me it seemed to have the perfect weight to buoyancy ratio and absorbed very little water compared to other woods I had tried. A little piece of lead weight placed in the proper location and you could balance it out to do whatever you wanted the plug to do.

Along with the good fortune of finding this "pot of gold" (the AYC), I also found another pot of gold in the form of one of the West Coast’s original wetsuiter type striper fishermen who would climb the cliffs and swim to the rocks all along the hazardous Pacifica, CA coastline in his search for stripers. His name is Harry Bode and without question his favorite plug was the Creek Chub Giant Pikie. He was kind enough to show

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me his plug of choice and the next time I saw him I presented him with my own version of a pikie. He looked it over and gave me a few bits of encouragement on how it could be improved and I was on my way! Using Harry's recommendations, I added a little more "meat" to the body of the plug and made the tail end slightly more chubby. Within a week or two, I had built a plug what I felt was very close to what Harry had suggested. The pikies were about 8" long, had hand cut stainless steel lips, stainless though wire, eyes made of shoe lace grommets and map pins. The hooks were 4/0 Mustad trebles. Modifying the plug’s body shape was Harrys' idea and the home-made lips and eye components were my own creations.

About the same time all this was happening, there was a Sportsman’s Show in the San Francisco area that I decided to attend. I wanted to bring along a few of my pikies to proudly show fellow striper fishermen. Some of whom included Harry Bode, Abe and Angelo Cuanang and Chris Morello. When I had the time, I would build plugs and bring a small assortment of them with me each time I made the 60 mile trip to the various areas around Pacifica where the striper crew would gather. It was at one of these locations Chris Morello bought his first Fixter pikie. He paid $8.00 for it with money he had earned on his paper route.

Over the years, word gradually spread that I was making plugs. To my good fortune many of them were finding their way into the hands of some very talented surfcasters. Mostly these were guys who fished "The Rocks" around Pacifica and put my plugs to the test on a daily basis. It is to these guys I will always owe a debt of gratitude. The other side of that coin is that you don't always know who you are selling plugs to. Unfortunately some of my plugs fell into the hands of a few individuals who had no respect for the striped bass fishery, often taking more than their limit and then boot-legging their catch for $$$ on an illegal market. Certainly not the kind of treatment these magnificent fish deserve.

Chris Morello

Harry Bode

Mike Fixter

We are getting a strong feeling that we at Surfcaster's Journal share your sentiments on stripers being a magnificent species. Tell us more about your conservation ethic.

As a plug builder I think I owe it to the fishery to act as an advocate for the striped bass. I want to set an example by releasing most everything I catch. I want to educate fellow fishermen about the severe decline of our west coast striped bass fishery. I want to point out what the causes are and what can be done about it. There are those who respect the fishery and go by the rules and there are those who don't. If I know for a fact that a guy who wants to buy plugs from me, knowingly violates the Fish & Game Regulations, I will not sell him any plugs. I once had a guy come up to me early one morning and say "Hey Mike, I knocked the heck out them last night on one of your pikies. Take a look at this". He proceeded to roll back a tarp in the back of his truck and show me seven stripers ranging from 20 to 40 pounds. Then he asked me if I had any more pikies for sale? My response to him was “What the hell are you going to do with all those fish, the limit is only two!!!� His response was "I'm going to sell them". My response to him was "You know damn well you've broken the law and if you think I will ever sell you another plug you're even dumber than I think you are". I don't think what I said phased him in the least, but he sure as hell never got any more of my plugs.

You Pikies are so highly regarded that your nickname “Pikie Mike” really fits. What is it that you like about building these wide body beauties? Do you have a thing for ”plus size” big girls? We mean stripers of course...:-) I guess the nickname "Pikie Mike" got fittingly pinned on me because it was the first style of plug design I had good success with during my initial years as a plug builder.

The Creek Chub Company obviously had come up with the original version of the pikie. I just kind of added my own touch and modifications to best suit our needs here along the California coast. It just seemed like the combination of AYC, a wide plug body with a chubby tail section, proper lip size and the placement of a little lead for balance would give the finished product that perfect amount of noise, enticing tail wag and moderate roll that would provoke the stripers into getting suicidal. There were countless hours of trial and error that went into getting them to swim right. I don't use any duplicators, seldom take measurements and consider each of my plugs to be a unique, individual creation. Trial and error (lots of errors) over the years have taught me how to make whatever minor adjustments may be required to get each plug to swim to my standards. I have made pikies that will perform in most any condition, i.e. strong current, run deep, etc.

Tell us something about these lures in action. What are the optimal conditions for tossing one, how to retrieve it and what kind of condition/structure are they most productive in?

As for our California coastal waters, my favorite way to fish pikies is on a slow retrieve in fairly calm water. Just fast enough to get that nice tail wag and moderate roll. They can also be fished very effectively by letting them swing with the current and just keeping good contact with the plug. This is regardless of the type of structure, beach, gravel or rocks. Once you get familiar with how the plug behaves and how to present it there is a very good chance that if there are fish around, the plug is going to get hit. I think it would be accurate to say I am about as self taught a plug builder as one could be. I had no one to show me how to do any of it from a construction standpoint. There were no other plug builders around that I was familiar with, much less any websites to guide you through the entire process. That being said, I think it is also important to mention that a few years after I started building plugs I met a gentleman named Hank Morioka at a fishing show where I got to see some huge wooden top water metal lip swimming plugs he had made. His craftsmanship was impeccable and to the best of my knowledge he made very few plugs and they were difficult to come by. I never got to watch one of his plugs swim, but I bet they were mighty sweet.

What else do you make in addition to Pikies?

Although pikies are my most popular plug I also enjoy making several other types of plugs including: eel skins, needlefish, pencil poppers, canal specials, striper strike type poppers, Polaris type poppers, "cigar" metal lip swimmers, Danny's, roundheads, surfsters, spooks, an assortment of Roosterfish plugs including an offset spook that represents a Mullet and also a variety of plugs for other game fish like Albacore and Giant Trevally. An old Rockwell/Delta wood lathe and an A.L.Young Machinery Co. Band saw are my 2 major tools. I've got a table saw and drill press, but about all they do is collect dust.

We have heard over the years that you test every lure you make? Is that any truth to that legend?

By bending my own lips (on some of my pikies) I have much more control on how the plug will behave. If every plug I made was identical in shape and weight and would swim great, then a standard lip would meet my needs. But building freehand without a template or duplicator and creating all sorts of body shapes requires some flexibility in deciding where the through wire hole is placed. Obviously where the lip slot is placed is also a factor. The diameter of the plug and how buoyant it is, can also play a big part in the equation. I think for a plug builder to call themselves a true "custom" plug builder they should have a good understanding of how to apply all this when the customer asks for something that truly is "custom". Be it a pikie that someone wants to run deeper than most or a huge cup faced "bomb proof" popper for Giant Trevally or tuna.

Tell us about your future plans. We understand you had been dealing with back troubles for a long time...

I have been very fortunate to have fished in many places including British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona, Mexico, Hawaii, the Cook Islands and well beyond the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. But there has always been something about surfcasting for stripers that will always have a special place in my heart. Along the way I met some interesting characters. In Feb 2010 I got up one morning to work on plugs for the Asbury show. I had a fair inventory of plugs partially assembled and was doing the tail loop on a bunch of them. I did about 4 of them that morning and my back seized up to the point where I knew I was all done making plugs for a while. Perhaps a real long while! So far, any attempt to build plugs since then has only aggravated the situation. So for now I am not building any plugs.

Now you know that the next time you toss a "Fixter" Pikie into the ocean you will be truly casting a one of a kind masterpiece made just for you. I know we at Surfcaster's Journal Magazine have always been fans of Mike's lures but after we did this interview we realized that they are even more "custom' than we thought. This made us wonder if we should stash these one of a kind creations in our basements or hang them on the walls. But we also know that Mike, like many other fine plug builders today, makes these beautiful lures for you to catch a fish with them. So toss them in the water and enjoy watching their amazing action. Just don't forget to hold on to the rod for that big strike that is sure to follow.

Your fishing partner since 1986.

O L D S AY B R O O K . C O N N E C T I C U T . 8 6 0 . 3 8 8 . 2 2 8 3

A Striper Experiment: A Season Without Eels

Steve McKenna

I don’t know exactly when I got the idea for this “experiment”. I think the notion began sometime in late October of 2008. I recall that I received a phone call around that time from one of my old surf buddies who had recently gone over to the dark side and was now catching his striped bass from an 18 foot center console. Billy told me that he had been catching some nice fish right at first light directly in front of an old surf spot we had both fished many times together in the past. He related that he was so close to shore while he was catching these bass that he could touch the shoreline rocks with the tip of his 7 foot rod. He added that he had fish up to the 40 pound range on live bunker. After hearing this I knew that I would have to set my alarm for 3 AM the next morning and drag my butt out of the rack just to see if I could sample some of this great bass fishing from shore.

Early the next day I arrived “Johnny on the spot”. The spot was along the east facing shoreline of Narragansett, Rhode Island. I remember that this cold, fall morning was amazingly still. No wind with flat calm conditions and very little white water around the rocky shoreline. I quickly readied my gear and walked with a fast step to the rocky point where Bill had been experiencing all the action. It was still pretty dark when I made my first cast. I think I started out tossing a live or rigged eel into the 20 foot drop off directly in front of the large boulder I was standing on. Fifty or so casts later with no takers on the eel, the first signs of the new day appeared on the eastern horizon. With the new day dawning, I decided to take off the eel and snap on a wooden metal lip surface swimmer which was always standard operating procedure with me when these conditions presented themselves. I remembered that Bill said he had most of his action on bunker at first light so I was going to try to mimic his live bait with my parrot colored Danny plug.

The sun had just begun to peak over the island of Jamestown when I saw a large swirl in back of my Danny boy. I continued to reel slowly watching the plug a little more intently with my tired eyes. I remember that just as I was about to lift the plug out of the water to make another cast I saw and felt simultaneously a massive swirl and hit on the plug. The large fish inhaled the Danny and made its way eastward with a quick and very powerful run. About five minutes later and after a great fight I gilled a striper which looked to be about 40 pounds. I immediately unhooked the three sets of trebles, placed the fish up on the bank behind me and readied myself for another cast. I cast the Danny for another half an hour or so as I watched the sun take a high, almost blinding position in the sky. It was then that I decided the action was over and it was time to pack up my gear and get the large bass to the local tackle shop for the official weigh in. I kept the fish because I was in a club contest and knew it was a contender.

The weight of the striper on the digital scale was 40.3 pounds.

On the drive home I thought about the big fish and the manner in which I had caught it.

It was the biggest striper I had taken on a wooden swimming plug in quite a while. It was at that moment that I began to think about metal lip wooden swimmers and what it would be like to fish with them exclusively for an entire bass season. I wrestled with the notion all that winter mainly because I was a tried and true live/rigged eel fisherman and only used artificials during specific situations like the aforementioned dawn scenario. I did, however, have some experience with using strictly artificials as I fished for stripers with nothing but nine inch Slug-gos for several years and had excellent success.

Over the winter of 2008/2009 I thought about the metal lip swimmer, learned as much as I could about them and bought many of them to use during the upcoming season. I was now locked in. No backing out. I would use the metal lips for the entire season and promised myself that I would not go near a live or rigged eel. Also, I would only use wood. No plastic or rubber allowed either. I decided to start my informal “experiment" on May 15 since this is about the time when bigger bass arrive in my area and they almost always go “on the night feed” around that time.

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There is one provision though that I must mention before I detail my experiences and findings of 2009. There are a lot of wooden, metal lip plug makers out there. An informal count shows about 64 of them and that doesn’t include part time or private builders. I am only one person and I could not physically use every one of these plug maker’s wares.

What I did do is that I tried to fish with plugs that I had used in the past and with which I had caught fish. I also relied heavily on intel I gathered over the winter from surf fishing friends, the internet, books and magazines. I bought and used those recommended plugs. I even selected several other builders’ stuff that I thought just looked like “fish catchers”.

In the end, I spent a lot of money and acquired quite a few wooden metal lips to use over the 2009 striper season. I can tell you too that most of the plugs that I used were effective but some were not. That is just the way it is. Some builders out there can make some plugs well and others not so well. If you decide to fish with wooden plugs, this article will hopefully assist you in picking the right plug for the right situation. As you might assume, I was really excited to begin the season and this is what happened!

First of all, I think we should establish that there are three types of wooden, metal lip swimmers. They are surface swimmers, shallow and medium depth swimmers and deep swimmers. Surf fishermen should carry all three types if they want to adequately cover the water column. In my experiment I used all three styles. Let’s break them down starting with surface swimmers.

SURFACE METAL LIPS I believe that when most surf fisherman think of a wooden metal lip swimmer they think of the surface swimmer. It is certainly the most popular and all good plug builders/manufacturers turn them out to some degree. Furthermore, the most popular surface metal lip is the “Danny” plug. This plug was originally designed by the late master plug builder Daniel Pichney of Jackson Heights, New York. Dan made a super surface swimmer in three sizes, 1 ½, 2 ¼ and 3 ¼ oz. The 2 1/4 oz., 6 inch model was the most popular and the most copied since Dan’s death in 1985.

The surface metal lip should do just that, swim on the surface from splash down to the end of the retrieve. A good surface swimmer will do that right out of the package however some have to be tuned in order for them to perform correctly. “Tuning” them is easy. Just use small pliers to bend the line tie in the downward position. That’s the place on the front of the plug where you attach your line or snap. Bend it in small increments until you achieve the correct action. The good surface swimmer should have an alluring “S” type motion while rotating side to side on a slow retrieve all the time staying on the surface. If your plug does not do that then it has no business in your surf bag. Use it as a paperweight! A good surface swimmer will let you know if it’s going to produce. Just throw it in the water, during daylight hours to check its action. A good surface swimmer will look like a wounded bait fish crawling to reach safety in the rocks or in the shallows.

There is another type of wooden, metal lip surface swimmer too. It is called a “Surfster” style plug. They look a little different than the Danny but achieve the same thing, swimming in an alluring manner on the surface. Surfster type plugs are popular but for some reason not as much as the Danny. I think because the Surfster might be a little tougher to make. The Surfster swimmer can also be tuned like the Danny style lure. Just bend the line tie wire down in small increments until it swims right on the

surface from start to finish. Please note that I advocate tying your leader directly to the plug. If you must use a snap I highly recommend using a quality snap with a rounded nose like the new Breakaway F11. Utilizing such a snap will only make the action better on any swimming plug you want to use.

During my experiment of 2009, I used both the Danny and Surfster style surface swimmers a lot. The surface swimmer was my most productive swimmer by far. I used both the Danny and the Surfster during daylight hours, at dusk and dawn and after dark.

My largest fish came after dark. They performed well from the middle of May until the end of November. My biggest fish of the year came on a surface swimmer, a Gary 2 chartreuse colored Surfster. I caught the 35 pounder at Deep Hole, South Kingston, R.I. in early November. In addition, Surfsters accounted for several other 30 pound bass over the course of the year. The Danny was a close second though as far as size and numbers. I particularly like to use either surface plug around the rocky shoreline of Narragansett, R.I. where I normally fish all season long. The 2 Âź oz. style was by far my favorite size in that area for most of the season but I did very well with a smaller Danny in late May and early June up in Narragansett Bay, R.I. when the area was loaded with adult menhaden. Unaccountably, the smaller 1 I/2 oz. Danny surface swimmer was one of the best plugs up there with good action during daylight hours around mid morning. I also did well with the smallest Lefty swimmer in yellow or chartreuse. The Lefty, by the way, is another surface swimmer produced by the late plug maker Lefty Carr. His swimmers are very similar to Surfsters and could be considered in the same category. I had fish up to the low twenties on the smaller Danny's and Lefty‘s. It is interesting to note that I did absolutely nothing with the larger size ( plus 3 ounce) surface swimmers even though there were larger bait fish ( adult menhaden) all over the place!

I also found that the more white water in the area to be fished the better the surface swimmers worked. However, it was not always necessary particularly in Narragansett Bay. It seemed though that casting surface swimmers was always better, day or night, as long as there was some white water around the rocks. The only place/scenario where I

didn’t do well and actually really could not use the surface swimmers was in rip or inlet situations. The Danny or Surfster were not made to be used in fast current like you would find in an inlet or breach way. The surface swimmer just will not perform correctly in current but there are other metal lips that will and I’ll detail them later in this story.

During my experiment with surface swimmers I found brighter colors to be more productive. I did very well with chartreuse, parrot (green over yellow), white, all yellow, yellow over white , green over white and all green. Chartreuse was by far the best color though in the Danny and the Surfster. It accounted for all but one of my bigger bass. It also didn’t matter if it was day or night, full moon, new moon or whatever. The chartreuse color was number one. I also tried darker colors like blacks, purples, burple, blue and blue white. My most consistent darker colored Danny or Surfster was black back purple sides and belly. I think I had a few twenties and one thirty pound bass on that color combination. As a result, I really don’t subscribe to the dark plug/dark night, light plug/light night theory anymore. Light colored surface plugs work best for me no matter how dark or light it was. I believe light colors work so well because the bass can see them easily, particularly in rough or dirty water. It should be noted also that most of my surface swimming plug fishing was done in fairly shallow water. I don’t think they are deep water plugs and would always use the two other type plugs mentioned that I will discuss later in this article. I think surface swimmers lose their appeal to bass in water over 10 to 15 feet deep.

SHALLOW/MEDIUM RUNNING METAL LIPS This is another important group of swimmers that a striped bass surf fisherman should become familiar with. There are a variety of different types of these swimmers around and almost all plug builders make them. Here again I am very lucky to have been around when Dan Pichney was alive and building plugs. I bought directly from him. Most of his stuff was $5 to $7.50 each (wow)! I still have some of his stuff left over from yesteryear and still use his Danny's and other subsurface plugs which I purchased back then and more recently. He made wonderful plugs which have accounted for thousands of surf caught fish. If you can get your hands on any of his stuff, you should. Believe it or not Pichney plugs can be bought on internet websites. There are still a lot of them around in new condition. I would never hesitate to buy one. They work.

With that said let's look at subsurface wooden metal lip swimmers that run just below the surface to about 6 feet down. As stated, there are a lot of these swimmers available on the market today. When buying, stick with plug makers that make metal lips with fish catching reputations. They include but not limited to Lordship, RM Smith, GRS, Fixter, LP, Gibbs, Big Fish, Afterhours, Beachmaster, Tsunami, Greenpoint and the like. I know I left a few out but space does not allow it. Hats off to the private builders too who offered their plugs to me when they heard of my experiment. Thanks to Paul Moriarty (Professor M) and Mike Maffeo of Long Island, N.Y. I was fortunate to have met these two men and their plugs are superior bass catchers. During my experiment I used Pichney subsurface swimmers like his Atom Junior, Atom 40 and Bootleg, as well as other maker’s copies of those Pichneys. All produced in water up to 6 or 7 feet. All of these had wonderful action.

Subsurface swimmer’s action is a little different than surface swimmers. Subsurface plugs have more of a side to side motion as if they were pivoting back and forth on a steel rod in the middle of them. Believe me, you'll know when you see a good plug swimming.

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All of the metal lips in this category caught bass in inlets around R.I. They were at home in moving water and, truth be told, caught very few bass elsewhere. I used them around rocky shorelines and other structure with little success. I did much better with them after dark and really didn’t fish them during the day much. I kind of think they were all designed for low light and after dark situations. I never took a bass during daylight hours on any one of them except the Greenpoint swimmer. I think they work well during the day (and night) because they are a metal lip, wooden copy of a plastic Rebel or Red-Fin type plug which can be effective during daylight hours. In particular, I liked Greenpoint's 5 inch version. I did well with the Greenpoints throughout the season, especially in the summer months from mid July and all of August. Greenpoint's really saved my butt during the doldrums because they really mimicked the predominant sand eel bait that was in the area that I fished. The Greenpoint plug “matched the hatch” perfectly with its thinner profile of the sand eel and out fished all other subsurface wooden artificials.

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I must admit that I “cheated” a little during those summer months by using a small 4 inch rubber Red Gill teaser up ahead of the 5, 6 or 7 inch Greenpoint plugs. This combo worked great with double headers a common occurrence. The yellow Greenpoint and the pearl or all black Red Gill was deadly! If it wasn’t for the Greenpoint's/Red Gills I think I would have cracked under the pressure of frustrating summer fishing and used live or rigged eels.

Other subsurface swimmers like the Atom Junior worked well most of the season particularly in the Narrow River inlet which I fished often. The Beachmaster Junior Atom in yellow, cotton candy, white and chartreuse hooked the largest stripers of the year for me in June and again in September and October around Narragansett. These plugs worked well in shallow to medium depth and in locales with current. White water also helped these plugs be more effective but it wasn’t as important as with the surface swimmers. The colors of these subsurface swimmers was similar to the first group of plugs. Bright, attractor colors like yellows, white, pinks and greens/chartreuse worked well. I didn’t have much success with black, blues or purples with the exception of the all black Lordship 40. This plug was also an exception in the size of the shallow/medium swimmers that I employed. Most of these swimmers were in the 5 to 6 inch range like the favorite size surface metal lips. I did particularly well with that mid range size and did poorly with smaller and larger plugs except the black Lordship.

DEEP SWIMMERS Deep swimming metal lips are what I call the Rodney Dangerfield lures of surf casting because they don’t “get any respect”. I think so because number one, most guys don’t really know about them or how to fish them. Moreover, not many plug makers build them and if they do, they don’t produce many. Deep swimmers have every right to be in a surf men’s bag because they are perfect plugs for the right situation. And that situation is deep, fast moving water. Most surf fishermen are scared off by these spots and usually don’t wet a line in them because they are the toughest places to fish. If they end up fishing them it is usually with heavy lead headed buck tails. The deep swimming metal lip is the perfect plug for these locations and the deep swimmer makes them a breeze to fish. Just cast up current and let them dig in. Just reel slowly until the plug returns to you down current. Repeat. It is that easy. The well made deep swimmer is made to swim deep, up to 12 to 15 feet, effortlessly. Moreover, a well made deep swimming metal lip will get down to a lurking bass hiding behind a boulder 12 feet down. It offers that bottom dwelling striper a bigger meal than the small lead headed buck tail. And that might be just the ticket to a good night rather than a skunking. During my experiment I found, on several trips, that bass wanted a deeper running offering. The deep swimmer fills the bill.

Good luck finding a true deep swimmer though. Beachmaster makes several like the Cowboy, Cowboy Junior, Conrad and the Slope head on occasion. If you see one of these, buy it because it will catch bass for you. Tattoo Plugs produces another deep swimmer called the Deep Diver. I think it’s more of a trolling lure but it will get down and is somewhat readily available. It is at home in strong current. Their construction allows them to have unbelievable stability in fast moving water. You could fish them easily in places like the Cape Cod Canal in Massachusetts. By the way, deep swimmers are like surface and subsurface plugs in that they can be tuned by adjusting or bending the line tie up in small increments. I’ll say it again because it’s

important. When tuning a plug always test it in daylight before actually fishing it. The action on a good deep swimmer should be just like the other shallow/medium subsurface swimmers I described. One more important point on tuning! Some plugs cannot be tuned, i.e., they cannot be altered to swim the way they are supposed to swim. I have bought several that were supposed to swim one way and just wouldn’t after much adjustment. They just won’t work. They became expensive paperweights. Other deep swimmers can be had by Surf Asylum (Conrad) and Greenpoint (deep swimmer).

Again, if you can find any Pichney deep swimmers like his Conrad or Slope head Conrad, by all means spend the money. They are the best.

In the course of my experiment I used the deep swimmers a lot. My favorite color was white. I tried other shades but the white one took the most and the best. I even caught a 4 lb. fluke on it. Now that’s getting down.

As with any experiment there are some facts, figures and findings.

When the season without eels experiment ended, the total results where surprising. In 2008 I had approx. 350 bass on live eels. I made about 88 trips from the middle of May to the middle of November. My biggest striper on an eel in 2008 was 37 pounds.

In 2009, I caught about 287 bass on metal lips swimmers of the three types mentioned in this article. I made about the same amount of trips, 85, during the same amount of time. My biggest bass on a metal lip was 35 pounds.

The two seasons were very similar. I was surprised! I would say that the only big difference between 08 and 09 was the average size of the fish. The eel year, the stripers were larger. I caught a lot more 20 pounders in 2008 than 2009 and I caught more smaller bass in 09 on the plugs then I did on eels in 2008.

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WHAT’S IN YOUR

BAG? h t i W MIKE VERACKA photos by zeno hromin & michael luccini

Remembering things from our past, especially those things that the current crop of surfcasters is unaware of, is a definite sign of old age.

Although most of us wish we could turn the clock back a few cranks and revisit our youth, there are certain events and things that we remember fondly. We here at Surfcaster’s Journal do share those feelings when it comes to publications that preceded ours. For example, The Surf Fishing Magazine was a fantastic publication that consisted of two issues before it ceased publication. It was the brainchild of surfcaster extraordinaire, Mr. William “Doc” Muller. Not only was it entertaining and educational but it was also something that we surfcasters could call our own. One of the most popular features in this publication was “What is in your bag”? In this feature, some of the sharpest minds along the striper coast shared the contents of their surf bags with the reader.

There are few surfcasters that will tell you that they don’t want to know what is in the bag of a sharpie they admire. This is why this feature was one of the most popular ones in the magazine and is still probably the one most talked about.

We at Surfcaster’s Journal salute “Doc” Muller for going to great lengths to compile this information and bring it to the reading public. Over the years he has set a high standard of excellence in journalism and surfcasting.

Although it might be impossible for us to follow in his footsteps considering that most of us are high school dropouts, we salute Mr. Muller for his efforts.

Our idea of "What’s In Your Bag" is more modest but will be done with an equally passionate approach. Our goal is to profile current, past and hopefully future sharpies in these pages without being in awe of our subjects or misspelling most of the words. Although either one of these lofty goals might be out of our reach we will give it the old college try.

You know the old phrase “Bo knows football”

(for you whippersnappers that would be Mr. Jackson)? Well, Mike Veracka knows stripers, particularly the biggest kind. What does he have in his bag that attracts cow stripers to his rod? We are about to find out…

Recently we had the pleasure of running into Mike as he was unloading his giant cooler from the Cuttyhunk Water Taxi in New Bedford. Bloodshot eyes and a disheveled appearance were a dead giveaway of a successful all-nighter. We felt his shredded thumb and rough skin when we shook his hand. This gave away part of the story. Of course we insisted on a peek in the cooler but quickly regretted it. In the cooler lay two giant stripers that Mike and his partner caught the previous night. Since fish of that size appear regularly only in our dreams we concocted a plan to get friendly with Mike hoping that he would dump his partner and take us on instead. We got nowhere even after offering the rights to naming our first born, so we shifted gears and tried to do the next best thing. Find out how the man fishes!

Mike’s “plug bag” is quite fascinating, especially when you consider it contains no lures.

Is it possible that the man is so good that fish just jump on shore at the sight of him climbing onto a rock? Can a successful surfcaster really catch that many fish without a lure? You bet.

His “bag” doesn’t resemble any of the bags we have seen before. Maybe because it’s really not a bag at all! It’s a homemade contraption: a plastic jug with a twist off cap that holds 14 eels. Why 14 and not 15? Because through trial and error he found that anything more then 14 eels in the jug and they end up killing each other. Kind of like two politicians locked in a room, trying to figure out why you shouldn’t keep any of your money. It can turn into a bloody mess in a hurry.

Mike does carry a bag but again, not in a conventional way. Say what you want but this fellow operates in his own world. You’ll find attached to his belt a large Aquaskinz pouch in which he carries exactly one double hook rigged eel and two single hook eels. The man definitely does not suffer from “over-plugitis", a common disease of carrying too many fancy plugs that many surfcasters have succumbed to in recent years.

In this day and age, when we complicate life more than necessary on a daily basis and when we need an I-Phone to tell the wind direction, it is nice to see someone thumb their nose at all the fancy gear and still manage to spank our butts. After all, if you paid attention to the Striper Cup standings for the last few years, you know that Mike’s name is a fixture on the leader board.

Being able to achieve success the old fashion way, by simplification and perseverance is a wonderful thing to see. All Mike needs is a rod, a reel, a wetsuit and an‌. eel.

MY FAV FOUR A LIGHTHOUSE TOUR WITH

DJ MULLER

There are numerous lighthouses that dot our beloved striper coast. From Delaware to Maine there are at least 75 lamps that at one time lit our coast and protected vessels from jagged rocks, shallow reefs and certain doom. They stood as beacons, guiding ships through potentially treacherous passages of the stormy Atlantic. You would not have to search very far to find a surfcaster with an affinity for a particular lighthouse. The mere mention of the place would immediately generate a flood of memories in his brain of awesome hits and gallant battles beneath the lamp’s sweeping light.

Lighthouses were built as navigational aids for sailing vessels in days of old, you know, when they made men out of steel and boats out of wood. Many lights today are simply left as historical remembrances of what once was. Technology and electronics have made the lighthouse’s brick, mortar and steel obsolete since just about every ship, large or small, has radar or GPS to guide it through dangerous waters.

The affection I have for certain lighthouses is based not so much on extrinsic value or sheer majesty, although most are breathtakingly beautiful, but rather my love is based mostly on my success in catching striped bass below a nearby beacon.

I have listed here my favorite four: Southeast Light on Block Island, Gay Head Light on the Vineyard, Montauk Light on Long Island and Barnegat Light in New Jersey. Based on various factors, these four are recognized as true stalwarts in my book. However there are some tough runners up: the famous Hatteras Light in Buxton, North Carolina, where I have caught red drum and stripers with that lamp staring over my left shoulder. Or Beavertail Light in Jamestown, Rhode Island which towers over you like a concerned father watching out for your safety. Believe me that is one place where you might need it!

Then there is Point Judith, also in Rhode Island, with boulders at her feet and big stripers swimming past her flashing white beam. All of these are beautiful in their own unique ways.

se light block island

Southeast Light, Block Island, Rhode Island One of the most stimulating stretches of surfcasting “cloud nine” would have to be the waters that lie below Southeast Light on Block Island. Just a simple glance at this water from high above on the bluff yells “Bass!” I would even go as far as to say that any beach that the lighthouse light sweeps has the potential to put a surfcaster into some serious striper action.

It was a June afternoon. My friend Mark and I were out looking for some good bass water before dark. We picked boulders about 200 yards apart. We waded out to our desired locations and began to cast. My boulder was right out of a dream. I was on the edge of a deep cove to my left and the water dumped just a few feet to my left creating a magnificent rip heading seaward. In front of me was some deep, fast-moving water with a considerable amount of submersed structure mixed in. It was getting me excited just looking at it!

I had fish immediately, (the water looked so good I almost had to)! It just looked that good.

I had a couple hi-teen bass and one big, ugly bluefish. I thoroughly worked the water out in front of me when out of the corner of my left eye I saw the waves crest and white-cap over a huge boulder that was sitting at the base of the cove with great-looking water pulling around it. If that didn’t look like a boulder that would be holding a good bass nothing in this world would! I chose one of Mark’s beautiful pikies. I knew my first cast had to be good, as the first cast into the bass’ wheel house should always be spot on, perfect.

The lure hit the water behind the huge rock, it dug slightly, kicked about seven times when suddenly it disappeared from sight, down among some huge boulders. I can’t recall another time when I saw my line move through the water so fast. It went from behind me on my left at around 8 o’clock and rocketed hell-bent east straight out 40 yards in about one second. As I set the hook I saw a monster flail on the surface, shake its big head three times and then it was gone. I stared out in awe, I didn’t bother cussing because I didn’t have enough time to get that attached. I just shook my head and thought about what could have been.

This particular stretch of beach gets me jacked! It is my favorite wetsuit area because of its and the stripers that hold here will give you the feeling not of will I hook up but rather when w

s endless boulderfields that give you access to deep water very close to shore. The terrain will I hook up.

Gay Head Light, Aquinnah, Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts An Old Friend! For those of you that are familiar with the Vineyard, you know that it is much more than a place a place to fish. It has breath-taking beauty and endless opportunities. It has been well documented that Martha’s Vineyard is also a state of mind. No pushing and no shoving, just relaxation and enjoyment. It is one of the few places where you really can lose track of time when you go and if you do go, I would recommend you forget what day it is. It adds to the pleasure.

I have burned some good nights under this beautiful lamp. It sweeps white and then 7 seconds later red, then seven seconds later back to white. I can never wait to return to that stretch of sand that sits below the light. It is near and dear to me! I caught my first good Vineyard striper from under this light some years ago. It ran around 30 pounds. My buddy Steve followed suit on the very next cast with one slightly bigger. It was back in the day when a 30 pound striper was something special, not something taken for granted. It was a chilly night in mid-October. I used to fish the Vineyard right after the Derby, figuring that most beaches would be empty as most of the Derby contestants would have either left the island or were home making amends to their families for a “month of neglect”. The beaches were always deserted. The world was my oyster!

Steve and I, knowing little about the Vineyard, hunted out the best looking water and we decided on Gay Head. It looked the best! The stretch from Philbin Beach to the area directly below the light (somewhere near Pilot’s Landing) is a long stretch of sandy beach dotted with big boulders…yummy!

One of my favorite spots sits directly beneath the light. I have done well here even up to last year where I had some fish up into the 30 pound class on Slug-Go’s. The rock I favor is a huge “boat ramp” which sits in about 5 foot of water at mid-tide, out about 60 yards.

The water out in front runs very deep with everything you can want as a surfcaster. You can see the creases of numerous currents colliding in the darkness. It sits on the southwest corner of the island so you can imagine the water that passes there. It is one of those spots that once you arrive there you have 360 degrees of water to fish as opposed to your normal 180 or less.

Gay Head light leaves me with a sort of peaceful feeling. It may be the Vineyard’s overall relaxation mode. I feel really good when I fish there, putting Gay Head as one of my top lamp

l state of being, which pushes you into ps.

Montauk Light, Montauk, New York Despite all that comes with surfcasting Montauk, namely the crowds and the fishing pressure, Montauk is one of the places that can withstand hordes of surfcasters and still produce all along. There is a lot of good water in Montauk! From the northside’s outgoing water, to getting beat up under the lamp by a big swell, to the southside rocks which seemingly run forever west, the place is a bass haven during the migration. I have countless memories of battles and blitzes and of course heart-break as the Montauk Light stood watch. I often think about the multitude of battles that have taken place under Montauk Light’s watchful gaze. Imagine if it had a big eyeball! It has seen it all, the big fish taken, the blitzes, the storms. Wow, that would be some good YouTube video!

I associate Montauk Light with three things: being wet, being completely exhausted, and stripers. Montauk creates in the surfcaster an excitement unmatched by just about anything in the surfcaster’s realm. There are the daytime blitzes of the fall which at times go on forever! Then there is the night time fishery which is more or less the complete opposite of the daytime fishing. The night time fishing is calculated and holds unlimited potential for size and numbers of bass. I have enjoyed many a good night bite at Montauk with fish on nearly every cast and a big girl added occasionally for good measure.

It was under this same light where one of my most unfortunate memories was etched into my memory banks. I was fishing just west of the Pill Box on a line of relatively flat boulders in the wee hours. I had just arrived on my rock and even had a bass on the very first cast with an eel. It was shortly thereafter when what every surfcaster fears, happened! Everything got quiet and the sky turned black with storm clouds. Again I said what every surfcaster in my position would have said, the proverbial, “Ah shit!” I knew this wasn’t going to be pretty, as I turned my back to an incoming breaker to protect myself. The wave (as they usually are) was merciless. It smashed down and swept my feet out from under me. I went down, my butt smashing against the large rock I had been standing on. Then the water swept me off the back of the rock into the waist deep water where I was then wedged between two big boulders in the sitting position.

Yes…… underwater! I couldn’t get up! Above me, through the foam and the water, I saw the lighted lamp of the Montauk lighthouse.

Now just about everyone that knows me knows that I am a little strange but as I sat wedged on the bottom, waves rolling over me, in trouble, I remember saying to myself, “Wow this is a view of the Light that I haven’t seen before…it looks cool!” It was at about that time that the adrenaline kicked in and I surged up and out of the water. When I hit the beach, I was completely exhausted. I felt a lot of pain in my back and not until the next day when my back was screaming did I visit the doctor. He let me know that I had herniated two disks in the fall on the rocks and had to go on the surfcasting DL for a few weeks.

When the call of Montauk falls upon my ear, it is loud and it is clear and it also means a week famous light holds is unparalleled energy and the passion that we as surfcasters have for ou

k or two of sleepless nights getting ready for a trip to the Mecca. For what Montauk and its ur stripers.

Barnegat Light, Barnegat, New Jersey Barnegat Light is inside the range of my home waters. It brings to memory two key things: striped bass and bluefish blitzes and complete fatigue wrapped in satisfaction.

Many a night I drove home stoked about what I had just experienced. It is a feeling, as a surfcaster, that I liken to hitting a walk-off homerun in baseball.

Barnegat Light sits on the backside of one of New Jersey’s great inlets, the Barnegat Inlet. It sits on the south side of the inlet, the north side of Long Beach Island, a long barrier island on the Jersey Shore. Directly across the inlet on the north shore, sits Island Beach State Park, a ten mile stretch of beach relatively untouched by man in terms of building and progress but quite the opposite when stripers run the beaches in the spring and fall as part of the migratory route, these places becomes packed with hungry fishermen, and for good reason.

I have spent numerous days driving this beach and have experienced massive blitzes and unbelievable hits under “Old Barney’s” watchful gaze. This stretch of sand, relatively barren of any hard structure, for some reason has the uncanny ability to hold fish and the good fishing usually holds for at least a couple days, some times even a week or two. As far as the beach is concerned driving it and reading soft structure is one of my favorite things to do. The bass inundate this area and use the miles of soft sand structure to feast on bait. By constantly moving and reading water, I have done extremely well here.

Barnegat Inlet’s north jetty is hands down one of my favorite places to fish. I specifically remember one afternoon/evening session when I was fishing a mid-fall pattern. The peanut bunker and mullet were stacked up by the millions in the jetty pocket! Throughout the afternoon I had steadily picked stripers on small metal lips as they repeatedly assaulted the peanut clusters. It was the perfect opportunity in which to catch bass. Whenever the peanut bunker made a push for the tip (in an instinctive effort to go south) the bass were there to attack and drive them back into the pocket.

Now when I said the peanuts were here by the millions I meant it! So much so that at some point after it was fully dark, while working the outer edge with a pencil popper (yes in the total dark) like any good surfcaster would do, I heard a heart-stopping sound that would send any surfcasters into a state of sheer fear. The same thing happened to me years ago on a cold December night while fishing Manasquan’s north jetty. Now I never heard a submarine surface in front of me (thank God) but this is what I would liken it to. On both occasions a huge whale surfaced…slurping directly in front of me. Slurping and “blow-holing”…a sound that would make even Freddy Krueger jump in your arms!!

I was so intent on the bass that I never saw (or heard) the whale coming down the side of the jetty, again it was a pitch black night. I left shortly thereafter, as you could imagine…for several good reasons!

The north jetty gets pounded in a nor'easter and in turn offers some lights-out fishing. At th always seems to be a pile of bait and predators on hand. Note that it is extremely tough and jetty have taken many into the waters of the Barnegat Inlet leaving their fate up to the U.S. C

Anyway the north jetty at IBSP has held for me some great hits accompanied by great fish lights.

he onset of a northeast blow I always indistinctively head for the pocket when I can. There d dangerous location and not for the faint of heart or the inexperienced. The waves over this Coast Guard. If you can get out and work the spot safely, the fish are there!

h and for that, “Old Barney�, as she is known, has a spot in my heart as one of my favorite

My four choices for fav out great hits and mem unsolicited attention, th and I am one who is wil

God bless our lighthou DJ Muller is the author

vorite lighthouses are in no way final. My mind has not been made up. I will continue to seek morable nights under other lamps that call me by name. I will give them similar time and he kind they deserve and I am sure the results will follow suit. If not immediately‌eventually lling to work and, if necessary, wait for that magic hit that we all long for!

uses, friends of the surf rat! of three surf fishing books. For more information visit http://djmullersurfcaster.com/

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THE POINT OF

INFLECTION CONTEMPLATING A FUTURE WITH REDUCED CATCHES

JOHN PAPCIAK PHOTOS: ZENO HROMIN

When Zeno first approached me about an article on the striped bass population, I had some questions. Was he feeling guilty that he launched a publication without the obligatory Conservation Column? Or did he genuinely believe there was a potential problem out there looming, a problem to be felt in the years ahead?

We talked, or to be more exact, I listened.

What came through loud and clear was Zeno’s frustration in having to travel greater distances to find those isolated areas with large fish. He was not seeing fish spread out among many of his usual spring locations. It was striking that his comments echoed what I had been hearing from many other very experienced fishermen over the past couple of years, the most seasoned anglers even suggesting parallels to the 1970’s, before the last official stock collapse.

Is it really that bad? Are we doomed to repeat history with another collapse? The short answer is that the data does not support this, but it’s a complicated question worth review. In this article, I hope to shed some light on where things currently stand.

What I intend to offer here is honesty, real honesty. I intend to juxtapose some of my own views with those of others, supported by documented data. This will not be an alarmist’s call to arms, nor will it be the “everything’s just fine, trust us” line that we are fed from most in the local press or trade groups. I might say things that you do not want to hear, or that you might strongly disagree with. No harm was intended.

Before getting into the thick of it, perhaps I need to qualify my own views by way of background.

I spent my formative fishing years in freshwater, before gradually switching to the salt in the mid 1970’s. As a kid, I fished as often as my parents would allow, and many times I fished even when I was not allowed. I worked my way from sunfish to carp, then to catfish, then to bass and trout. I fell in love with trout after being introduced to some of the better trout streams within a day’s drive of my home town.

Talk about regulations even in the 1970’s! Little wonder I have zero patience for the whining about licenses and regulations that I hear today. I don’t remember not having to buy a fishing license. On top of this, I had to buy a trout stamp. The sum of both exceeded a week’s pay from the paper route I ran. There were seasonal closures, size limits, creel limits and gear limits. The better trout streams were generally the most restrictive – fly only, barbless hooks only, and no kill.

But even as a kid, I got it.

If you wanted to fish a good quality stream, holding big fish, and lots of them, with all the potential fishing pressure, you needed a gear handicap, and you needed very strict limits on the kill, even if the fish were plentiful.

I also noticed that many of these streams were frequented by fishermen who were very active and vocal in helping keep the matters at hand. I rarely saw a game warden, but there was plenty of policing. The regulars would chase out those who tried to keep too many fish or who otherwise might break the rules. They would coach kids like me, making sure we crushed the barbs, and making sure we knew how to land and release a fish.

I am not so naive to suggest that this is how we can approach the Atlantic Striped Bass.

By historical standards, recreational striped bass fishing was anything but a catch and release fishery. Before the collapse, die hard surfcasters helped confuse the distinction between recreational and commercial by selling their catch. Most were clearly recreational fishermen, all engaged in some other primary trade, but supplementing their incomes based on the opportunity to cash in on their landings.

I, for one, was never involved in the striped bass commercial or “pin-hook� fishery. I came to the striper surf fishery just as things were taking a turn for the worse. Forget selling fish - by then, the sight of a fish being landed might have attracted a crowd. But even with my background, I cannot say for certain that I would never have sold fish, especially if the fish were plentiful, and especially if it was legal and socially acceptable to do so.

Opinions have changed! I am growing more convinced that it does take something dramatic, like a collapse, to effectively shift the thinking of large groups of people.

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The striped bass fishery, though it now includes a following of staunch conservationists similar to those I remember on those trout streams many years ago, still answers to a much larger and much more diverse audience.

The diversity of opinion on where the fishery is heading is reason alone to take notice.

It hit home for me this past July in Montauk, when I invited another family over for an impromptu BBQ. My friend’s wife called late that afternoon to inform me the boys were running a little late as they were just finishing up a charter. When they arrived, they greeted me with two bottles of Chardonnay and a cooler full of striped bass fillets!

The fishing was reportedly spectacular, so I demanded a blow by blow as we poured the first bottle of wine.

“When we got to the boat, the captain was just getting rid of the early afternoon charter,” my friend reported. “We hopped right on board. The captain didn’t even tie up to the dock, let alone kill the engine. He took us right out to catch some live porgies to use as bait. Then we drifted off the point. We limited out in two hours, all big fish to about thirty-five pounds, or better. This was stupid easy fishing, honestly, the hardest part was getting the live porgies.”

I smiled knowing full well that this crew of relatively inexperienced fishermen caught more large fish in two hours that some hard-core surfcasters catch in a year! The bounty was so great that a party of adults hardly put a dent in the enormous fillets that were offered to the grill. At least half the meat had to go into the freezer. This was just a small portion of the overall reported catch, the majority of which was divided up among others on the charter that day.

Rest assured, the remaining fish were put to good use over the next few days. I even brought some to my surfcasting club’s annual Montauk picnic. It did feel a bit odd, offering grilled striped bass to a crew that included fishermen who never keep a single fish. In a week’s time, I went from listening to my BBQ guests, convinced Montauk Point was stacked with large bass, to a sober discussion among die-hard surfcasters, some of whom fished every day, with some wondering if the next striped bass stock collapse was imminent.

How do you reconcile such views?

Models Trump Perception Striped bass, like all other managed species, are tracked using officially-tabulated data, and officially-approved models, covering overall populations and numbers killed. The pissing and moaning from fishermen about the inaccuracies of these models will continue until long after you and I have made our last casts. For me, it’s almost comical to hear the ongoing criticism, always from fishermen with a very narrow agenda (i.e. catch more fish for market or their customers, or keep more fish for their own sector quota).

Don’t get me wrong, I am not suggesting that the models are completely accurate, no model can offer this. But I do believe that these models, after years of tweaking, are easily the best unbiased estimate of reality that we have right now. What you see, or don’t see on the water is termed anecdotal, and by definition, cannot be organized into a comprehensive picture of a coastal fishery. You might think the fishery might one day collapse. This does not mean that I should blindly follow models, as there can be risks that models never see. But the fact of the matter is it’s impossible to quantify individuals’

opinions to use as a consistent management tool. Besides, the models are the least of our worries.

Politics Trump Models Striped Bass, like most other species, are ultimately managed by committee, not by models and scientists. The Atlantics States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), a compact of east coast states, has representatives sitting on various boards, committees and working groups that collectively decide on the future of Atlantic Striped Bass. It is here that models can be “interpreted,” when various agendas collide. Most major actions do require public input, either written comments or comments voiced at various public hearings. But it is striking to note that there is no official requirement that the main decision-making body (the Management Board) must adhere to any consensus communicated via public comment. Some managers have been so bold as to dismiss public comment by suggesting that they are answering to a higher authority – the “silent majority” – when justifying their actions. I never understood how one tabulates the wishes of a silent or absent voice, hence I remain quite skeptical.

As I said before, the models are the least of our worries.

I am not saying to skip the public hearings, every little bit counts. But in my opinion, looking at the management process for the past fifteen years, and seeing the power of the Management Board, it is clear the single most important thing fishermen can do over the long haul is to remain active and vocal when decisions are being made about who will represent your state at ASMFC. A string of bad votes by a rogue representative can help undo years of thoughtful conservation.

Getting back to the here and now, what is the current assessment of the striped bass population?

According to the 2009 Stock Assessment, “The female SSB estimate for 2008 (55,500 mt) exceeds both the threshold and target and is not considered overfished. The current F of 0.21 is below the approved F target of 0.30 and therefore, it is concluded that striped bass are not experiencing overfishing.”

There you have it folks. At face value, there is no reason why the Management Board will feel any need to propose measures to restrict the kill. In fact, it might very well consider additional harvest.

But like most assessments of complex systems, the story is rarely ever black and white.

As I read the report, I first noticed that the all-important spawning stock biomass in this report was revised upwards from an earlier version. I later confirmed with one of the supporting biologists that an update to one of the model assumptions helped add more that 10,000 metric tons (mts) of fish for this latest stock assessment. Had the revision gone in the other direction, it might have put the fishery close to the level associated with overfishing.

Reading further one finds statements like: “Stock abundance has declined since 2004, although there was a small increase between 2007 and 2008.” The report includes a mind-numbing assortment of tables and graphs, but two caught my attention, both showing obvious declines in older fish since 2004-2005.

Source: http://www.asmfc.org 2009 Stock Assessment Report for Atlantic Striped Bass

And what about the younger fish? What is coming up in the years ahead? While the Hudson stock has been stable and producing quite well, the scientists did offer more sober news on the much larger Maryland stock: “Maryland juvenile indices have a variable and declining trend since 2000. The 2008 index was the lowest since the early 1990s.”

Furthermore, the ongoing presence of the disease mycobacteriosis in the southern stock has been reconfirmed in the 2009 Assessment. This disease is reportedly increasing natural mortality in that population, but the impact has yet to be fully factored into the models and projections.

So what does this all mean for the future?

Let’s start with the same report: “Forecasts of age 8+ abundance from 2009 to 2015 and spawning stock biomass from 2009 to 2011 at status quo F (0.21) and selectivity show increases in abundance through 2011, but a subsequent decline in abundance through 2014. Spawning stock biomass would remain relatively stable through 2011. Projected landings of age 8+ fish at status quo F show a continuing decline in 2010 but an increase in landings in 2011.”

Interpretation: Assuming fishing pressure stays as low as it is reported, that is above (F=0.21), there will still be a decline in the years ahead as certain strong year classes work their way through the system.

What the models can never do is synthesize all the quantifiable but disparate indicators, and make sense of the big picture, especially the risks and impact on certain groups of anglers.

Here is my own interpretation of what it all means for surfcasters.

Today we appear to be fishing off some very good year classes. Those now older fish, in particular, probably enjoyed some protection by more strict regulations than what we have in place today. A collapse seems remote, but without similar sized year classes coming up in the future, it is perfectly logical to expect your catch ratios to continue to go down. Furthermore, given the “lagging indicator” aspect to these stock assessments (data is almost two years old before it makes its way into these reports), even if scientists confirm larger-than-expected declines in the stock, there will be a significant delay before the Management Board feels any pressure to reverse a decade-long trend of relaxation in regulations. Along the way, with a good body of larger year classes still out there, it seems likely that many of you will be in the right place at the right time, especially when it comes to big fish.

So to Zeno and many others, it could very well be that your back yard spots may not produce quite like they once did. But if it’s consistency that you seek, especially large fish, my educated guess is that you should expect to throw more money on that E Z Pass and remain flexible with your travel plans.

The tone of my writing might sound as if I am ok with all of this, but that cannot be further from the truth. As a surfcaster, I too have felt the impact. While we are seeing more large fish than I can recall in quite some years, I too am just not seeing the numbers and range of sizes that I saw between roughly 1995 to 2005.

Getting back to my fishing roots, surfcasting was a natural fit for me. I enjoyed the challenge of a handicap, being beach-bound, the simplicity of it all, without the aid of a boat or electronics. Instead I had to build knowledge - a growing understanding of wind, tide, currents and seasonality. I suspect most of you reading this came to surfcasting for similar reasons.

But ongoing success in surfcasting requires more than just knowledge, it requires a robust population of fish, a population arguably well beyond that level offered by a management mindset where the goal often teeters on the verge of removing as many fish as possible without actually depleting the stock.

As surfcasters who fish quite often, you and I are likely to be the “canary in the coal mine.� Our boat comrades will continue to have their days, as will some of us here, especially if bait does decide to camp out on a beach near you. But if the fishery further declines, as it is expected to, there is every reason to expect that we will see it first and will be hit the hardest.

SIGNING ON FOR CONSERVATION 5 things to consider when selecting the right conservation organization for you

By Charles A. Witek, III Photos by Zeno Hromin

For many of us who have spent our lives fishing along the northeast coast, the words “striped bass” and “conservation” are inseparable. We were on the water when the huge 1970 year class exploded onto the scene and we watched with disbelief as, after maybe half a dozen years of the worst imaginable stewardship, it was all but destroyed and the striped bass population collapsed to a level that made many of us wonder whether the days of plenty were gone for good.

We lived through the empty years, endured times when the capture of a single bass was a noteworthy event, and remembered how quickly an ocean once filled with life had emptied. And we did something else. We banded together with a singleminded determination to bring the striped bass back, so that generations yet unborn could know the striped bass as we had known it, wild and abundant, a possibility that lived at the end of every cast; a shadowed presence that might lurk anywhere beneath a green and white capped sea.

In time, the striped bass got some grudging protection in Albany. Then, thanks to anglers coming together all along the striper coast, the Atlantic Striped Bass Conservation Act was passed in Washington, and paved the long road back to the fish’s recovery.

That all happened a generation ago. For many years since, the striped bass has been a valued and carefully managed resource. However, today, there are again dark clouds on the horizon, as juvenile abundance wanes, disease runs rampant in the Chesapeake stock and fisheries managers are beginning to kowtow to commercial striped bass fishermen.

It is time for a new generation of anglers to take up the conservation torch, and assure that the striped bass population remains healthy and vibrant for decades to come.

However, for better or worse, things have changed since the old days. Back then, bass were defended by a loosely associated network of local organizations that were formed for the single purpose of nursing the striper back to health. With few if any exceptions, all were volunteer organizations with no professional staff and little familiarity with either biology or politics—only anglers’ concern for the striped bass brought them into being, and only their members’ dedication to the cause kept them in the fight. Funding, to the extent it was needed, largely came directly from the wallets of the assembled members, who ponied up what they could afford to and beyond, whenever a few dollars were needed.

Today, things are very different. The fishery management process has gotten considerably more complicated, with striped bass subject to regulation at the federal, regional and state levels. The biological assessments used to evaluate fish populations are constantly breaking new ground and crossing new scientific frontiers. In 1995—just fifteen years ago—computers were first used to model the striped bass population. That “virtual population analysis” was novel and its results controversial, a controversy made worse when the State of Maryland, which developed the model, initially refused to release it for independent review. Today, biologists from all of the striper states collaborate on the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Striped Bass Technical Committee, and freely debate the value of various approaches to assessing the striped bass stock.

Thus, effectively advocating for proper striped bass management requires a level of scientific and political sophistication that is beyond most individuals, and most small local groups. It also requires the capability of responding to threats and opportunities at the state, regional and federal level, whenever and wherever they arise.

The good news is that today there are a plethora of organizations which are willing to represent you in various fisheries debates. The bad news is that there are so many different organizations, making so many different claims, that it is difficult to determine which ones will best represent your interests and beliefs. Since, unless you are independently wealthy, you can’t join them all (and probably don’t want to, since some are probably working for things that you vehemently oppose), the question is how you can choose the right organization for you.

There is probably an organization out there for everyone. However, in making your choice, you should keep the following points in mind.

Philosophy: Are you willing to sacrifice your opportunity to take home a lot of striped bass today, in order to assure that your grandkids will be able to experience a healthy striped bass fishery tomorrow? Or do you want to be able to kill more and smaller bass right now, and let the future take care of itself? That’s an important thing to ask, because if you answer “yes” to the first question, you really are seeking to join a conservation group, which will put the fish’s interests first and might ask regulators to increase the minimum size or decrease the bag limit, or maybe even shorten the season, in order to maintain a healthy striped bass population. On the other hand, if

you give a negative answer to the first question, but answer the second in the affirmative, a conservation group is not for you. You would be better off aligning yourself with an organization which espouses “anglers’ rights” (although that is a chimerical concept never recognized, and sometimes explicitly rejected, by America’s courts), consistently opposes any and all additional restrictions placed on anglers and fights much harder for the short-term interests of the fishing industry than it does for the long-term health of the striped bass (or any other fish’s) population.

If you are truly looking for a conservation group, there is another essential distinction to be made. There are some conservation organizations that are angleroriented. While they put the needs of the fish first, part of such groups’ mission is also to assure that the general public gets the opportunity to use and enjoy healthy natural resources. Other conservation groups place little or no emphasis on public access to fisheries resources. Anglers may join such a group, which might specialize in fisheries issues or be more of a “generalist” organization that dabbles in fisheries management as part of a global conservation agenda, only to learn that such organization is actively promoting efforts to create no-take Marine Protected Areas where even catch-andrelease fishing is outlawed.

So we can see that it really is important to figure out what an organization believes, before becoming a member. To some extent, determining the organizational philosophy is easy, as any organization worth joining will have a web page. However, one must remember that web pages are marketing tools, and that what an organization claims it stands for isn’t necessarily reflected in its actions—and actions always speak louder than words. An organization that takes a position on an issue, and prints its comments to a regulator on the website for all to see, gives you a far better opportunity to judge its philosophy than one which only provides self-serving press releases.

Governance: On any organization, someone has to make the final decisions on issues, and establish the organization’s policies. Generally, such decisions are made either by key employees or by a board of directors. Who those decision-makers are will have a lot to say about whether you will want to be associated with the organization.

There are a few types of governance structures that you are likely to run into, each with its own impact on the resource and on the individual angler/member. Some of the most typical are described below.

“Strongman” with small “display” board: Under such a structure, all decisions are made at the highest level, generally by one individual or a very small group of persons.

The board of directors is comprised primarily of industry and media figures, which are nominated to their positions with the expectation that they will provide economic and editorial support to the organization and play a minimal independent role in the actual governance of the group. Policy generally reflects the philosophy of the most important donors. Individual anglers who have no claim to media or corporate fame are generally not represented on the board, and the organization’s “grass roots” have no formal role in policymaking. Such an organization normally does not take strong pro-conservation positions, since doing so could have negative impacts on important donors’ businesses.

Individual members benefit from the organization’s activities if they happen to agree with whatever policies are set, but are powerless to affect policies that they disagree with.

Large organization with small “celebrity” board: Such organizations are often, but not always, an improvement over the “strongman” model. Generally, decisions are made not by one person, but by a panel of staff “experts” and managers, who then pass broad policy initiatives by the board for ratification. Depending on the organization, the directors may be fairly independent and willing to question staff recommendations, and don’t merely act as rubber stamps. The makeup of the board will have a significant impact on how significant board review will be. Media celebrities are likely to rely on expert advice, although there will be some tendency to impose “Hollywood” solutions based on emotion rather than hands-on experience (e.g., the unnecessary creation of no-take marine

reserves, when the establishment of such angler exclusion zones is not justified by existing science. Generally, grey whales and other charismatic marine mammals will get far more attention than striped bass). On the other hand, the boards of some organizations include a number of experienced anglers who understand the needs of both fish and fishermen. Although organizations with “celebrity� boards tend to set policy based on its fundraising potential, they do generally favor long-term conservation over short-term economic gain. Again, their value to the individual angler will depend on whether the angler agrees with established policy, as individual members, unless major contributors, will have little ability to give input on what policy should be.

“Grassroots� organizations with large boards: Like any organization type, the grassroots organization (generally modeled on Ducks Unlimited, a pioneer conservation group that has nothing to do with striped bass) has advantages and disadvantages. Its greatest advantage is that its policy is established by a large board of directors comprised mostly of individual anglers, representing every geographic region in which the organization operates. In grassroots groups policy actually reflects the majority view of its members, with paid staff serving only in an advisory, and not a decision-making, role. Fundraising is also driven by grassroots efforts, meaning that for the organization to remain solvent, it must please a majority of its members, and not merely a handful of big donors. The disadvantage is that, for such a structure to work, members actually have to get off their backsides and contribute a little time and effort to the cause. It is certainly possible to join such a group and contribute nothing more than the annual membership dues. However, for the structure to really thrive, members need to get active in local chapters, attend fundraising events and even serve at the state or national board level, representing the interests of their fellow anglers. Such an organization probably provides anglers with the greatest benefits, as they tend to be staunch conservation advocates and represent the individual fisherman rather than the fishing industry. However, to make such an organization work properly, anglers must get personally involved if they can.

Geographic reach: Striped bass are managed on the state, regional (Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission) and, to some extent, the federal level. To truly be effective, an organization must be able to affect each step in the management process.

Of the three levels, regional management, as takes place at ASMFC, is by far the most important. While it is true that each state along the striper coast sends representatives to ASMFC, and that it is important for any state organization to be able to effectively communicate with its state delegation, it is also true that ASMFC’s Striped Bass Management Board is made up of 12 state delegations, plus representatives from Washington, D.C, the Potomac River Fisheries Commission, the National Marine Fisheries Service and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. To make anything happen—or to keep anything from happening—the votes of a majority of those delegations are required. Thus, to be effective in the field of striped bass conservation, an organization must maintain a presence at ASMFC, and be recognized by the various commissioners as a credible advocate. No organization that fails to have an ongoing ASMFC presence can adequately represent striped bass or the striped bass angler.

Effectiveness: An organization can have every good intention in the world, but supporting such a group will do you no good if the organization is not effective.

“Effectiveness” doesn’t mean that you win every fight. There are a lot of battles out there that are worth fighting, and there are a lot of issues that you have to take on, even though you know you’re probably going to lose, just because failing to do so would be failing the best interests of your members. In fisheries management, “wins” are often subtle and incremental (for example, a decade ago, conservation-minded bass anglers generally felt as if we lost the fight over Amendment 6, because we didn’t manage to get target fishing mortality down from 0.30 to something below 0.25; however, the truth is that fight was closer to a draw, because we completely defeated efforts to raise target fishing mortality to 0.40, something that was being discussed when the amendment process began).

“Effectiveness” is a very difficult thing for the average angler to judge. Probably the best test is how well an organization interacts with the management system, because ultimately, affecting management means convincing managers to do the right thing. If an organization is accepted in management circles, has representatives who sit on management boards and is sought out by regulators to give input on management issues, such organization can be considered effective. Often, you hear little from them, because they are working quietly from the inside, where it is easiest to effect change. On the other hand, organizations that generally seem to be on the outside, putting out streams of press releases that criticize and condemn managers and the management process, but rarely herald success, are seldom effective. Those that engage in personal attacks on

individuals or organizations tend to be particularly impotent, as personal attacks are almost always a sign of desperation, and can often alienate the very people that you must have on your side in order to win. It is very easy, and at times very satisfying, to stand outside the fence and throw stones. It’s a lot harder to roll up one’s organizational sleeves, expose oneself to the stone-throwers, and work within the system for real change. But that is how good things get done.

Integrity: When trying to size up an organization, this may be the most important quality of all—as well as the most difficult to determine. However, whether an organization will be respected by regulators, and whether it will properly represent its members, all comes down to this single point: Will it tell the truth, and tell the whole truth, all of the time, even if doing so may prove inconvenient? It doesn’t really matter what misinformation you’re given; an organization that will lie about its membership figures will lie about fisheries issues and anything else when it might think it useful to do so.

Honesty matters. You can rely on the fact that any organization which tries to manipulate you with lies or half-truths is also viewed with suspicion by regulators, and that such recognized institutional dishonesty makes it far more difficult for the suspect organization to present a credible argument. Not only do such organizations show you disrespect when they provide you with less than the full and unvarnished truth, but they shortchange their members by entering every meeting, hearing or other proceeding tainted by the presumption that some part of their comments will intentionally be untrue.

In an environment where credibility counts, such taint can be the kiss of death for any argument.

So how do you know if an organization has integrity? You can do a Google search, and see if any of their key personnel have engaged in the sort of misconduct that causes you concern. However, if you ever get the chance to meet an organization’s representatives personally, just talk to them man to man. If they can look you straight in the eye, and answer your toughest questions without hesitation or qualification, then there’s a good chance that they’re legitimate. But if they can’t hold your gaze, start to hem and haw, or start trying to misdirect you by changing the topic or blaming fisheries problems on some other group or individual, just walk away, and know that organization is not for you.

Now that you know what to look for, you may find it difficult to locate some of the information described above. Fortunately, the Guidestar website, which can be found at http://www/guidestar.com, can make it relatively easy to evaluate any organization.

One must register to use the site, but registration for basic information is free. Once registered, the website allows the user to look up various tax-exempt organizations and, most important, to pull up their IRS Form 990s. From that form, it is possible to see who sits on an organization’s board, how large (in terms of net assets and annual expenditures) an organization is, how much it spends on lobbying, what its stated mission is, etc. You can also get a rough idea of membership, by taking the gross

membership revenues and dividing that by the individual membership fee. (However, there is a little twist here. According to an accountant who is familiar with such forms, the amount listed on the membership revenues line excludes the tax-deductible portion of the dues. Thus, for most 501(c)(3) organizations, one should divide the membership revenues figure by something like $7 or $10, to cover the cost of the magazine, T-shirt or other hard goods sent to members each year, and not by the full amount charged for annual dues. For a 501(c)(4), the entire amount of the dues should be used as no portion is tax-deductible).

Conservation advocacy is an intensely personal thing. Before joining any organization, make the best use of the information available, then follow your heart. If enough people take that course, and dedicate a little cash, and maybe time, to the cause of the striper, there is real reason to believe that the striped bass will continue to thrive, for our enjoyment and the enjoyment of those yet unborn.

Charles A. Witek III of New York, is the CCA Atlantic States Fisheries Committee Chairman. For more information on CCA please visit http://www.joincca.org

OUR MISSION IS SIMPLE: The stated purpose of CCA is to advise and educate the public on conservation of marine resources.

The objective of CCA is to conserve, promote and enhance the present and future availability of these coastal resources for the benefit and enjoyment of the general public.

COASTAL CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION IS THE LARGEST SALT WATER FISHERIES CONSERVATION ORGANIZATION IN THE NATION, AND THE ONLY ONE THAT IS RUN BY AND FOR PEOPLE LIKE YOU—THE INDIVIDUAL RECREATIONAL ANGLER COASTAL CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION DOES NOT RECEIVE LARGE FOUNDATION GRANTS, OR BIG CORPORATE DONATIONS. THAT MEANS THAT IT IS FREE TO SHAPE POLICY THAT BENEFITS ONLY YOU—THE INDIVIDUAL RECREATIONAL ANGLER—AND NO ONE ELSE

SEE OUR STRIPED BASS POSITIONS: http://www.joincca.org/media%20room/Atlantic/Atlantic.htm SEE WHAT WE’VE ACCOMPLISHED: http://www.joincca.org/Accomplishments.html IF YOU LIKE WHAT YOU SEE, PLEASE JOIN US BY GOING TO: http://www.ccamembership.org/

PROTECT THE STRIPER’S FUTURE! JOIN CCA TODAY!

CONTRIBUTORS Roger Martin has fished the rocky beaches of Rhode Island, plowed through soft sand on Cape Cod beaches and navigated the treacherous rocks of Montauk. But most of the time you'll find him close to home, on the sandy beaches or the back bay marshes of Long Island’s south shore. Over the last half century he has written numerous articles, authored a chapter in William Muller's book “The Secrets of Surf Fishing at Night” and given many presentations on the subject of surf fishing. He was taught how to rig eels by his friend, the late Al Bentsen and has passed this knowledge on to many others. Roger and his wife Marie are co-editors of the Surfcaster's Journal and they are the ones who labor over our sloppy writing, bad grammar and terrible pronunciation errors. For that alone they should be saluted.

Zeno Hromin is the author of two recent bestselling books, “The Art of Surfcasting with Lures” and “The Hunt for Big Stripers.” He is a budding angling photographer who has won numerous awards for his camera skills and a surf guide who specializes in instructional guiding. He is one of the founders of the Surfcaster's Journal and a frequent contributor to the Surfcaster's Journal Blog. You can get more information about Zeno on his website www.zenohromin.com Lou Caruso is a long time member of the Farragut Striper Club, Surfcaster's Journal official "Rod Guru" and one of the most well regarded custom rod builders on Long Island, NY. You can contact Lou via his website www.louscustomrods.com

CONTRIBUTORS Tommy Corrigan is an insanely driven, ridiculously talented dude who designs the Surfcaster's Journal magazine from his head. No guidelines, no drafts and no boxes to plug articles in. Everything that you see is a result of late night inspirations on those nights when his better half makes him stay home. When he manages to sneak out you will probably find in on a local beach, plying his craft. His talents are vast and range from music CD cover designs, to posters, books and t-shirts. Don't be surprised if the shirt you or your kid is wearing was designed by our design guru.

John Papciak is a well respected New York surfcasters. As much as we all admire his fearlessness when swimming to the rocks in the middle of the night we are even more impressed with his conservation ethics. He was one of the people involved in Bring Back Big Bass campaign in recent years and he has been always on a forefront of conservation movement in surf fishing community.

Charles A. Witek III of New York, is a well respected New York angler and Chairman of the Coastal Conservation Association Atlantic States Fisheries.

Alberto Knie is a renowned surfcaster whose exploits are reaching legendary status among surfcasters. Intensely driven in his quest for big stripers, Alberto is also known for his meticulous attention to details and his insane sleeping habits or lack thereof. He is also an accomplished photographer, writer and one of the most popular seminar speakers in the northeast. You can contact Alberto at FishingDesign@aol.com

Steve McKenna is one of New England’s most respected anglers of the past few decades. His humble persona and lack of an oversized ego, which is often found among surfcasters of his caliber, make him one of the most liked surfcasters walking the beach today. Based in Rhode Island, Steve has found success not only at home but in most places he has visited: Cuttyhunk, Block Island or Cape Cod. Put the rod in the man's hand, stand back, watch and learn. Steve has written numerous articles over the years for many Northeast publications including a chapter in Zeno Hromin's book, “The Hunt for Big Stripers.”

Vito Orlando might be one of the most popular anglers ever to walk the beach. His ever present smile is disarming while his wonderful sense of humor is infectious.

Although he has fished beaches of Cape Cod and the islands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, Vito is always drawn back to his beloved rocky shores of Montauk Point. One of the true Montauk regulars, Vito is known as a white water bucktailer extraordinaire .

DJ Muller is a surf guide and author of three books on surfcasting. His latest book, “Striper Tails” is a collection of surfcasting stories from along the coast. He is a frequent contributor to many northeast publications and one of the most sought after seminar speakers in the Northeast. To contact DJ please visit his website at: www.djmullersurfcaster.com

SURF CASTER’S j o u r n a l