SURFCASTER’S j o u r n a l
Legendary waters require legendary lures.
The Yellow 2 3/8 oz Rattl'n Little Neck Swimmer v.3
GOOFING OFF AT WORK WAS NEVER SO MUCH FUN
We know many of you are nursing battle scars from this year's fall run and are cleaning your gear for the winter. Others are still chasing after stripers, looking to get in a few more casts before the fat lady sings. And of course, there are those whose fall run is just starting to kick into high gear. Such is the life of the surfcaster. There is always a bite going on somewhere during the fall. The problem is finding the time to chase it. While you were busy chasing fish, we were busy interviewing your clergy, girlfriends, wives and we even checked Santa’s list once or twice. We wanted to know if you have been good or bad this year and we couldn’t really trust your fishing buddies to tell us the truth. After all, they did talk you into calling in “dead” at work during the Nor'easter a few days ago? We rest our case. Why did we need to know if you made Santa’s List? Because we’ve put together a few gift ideas that you can use not only to outfit yourself but we also included a few items your better half will appreciate too. Most of the items in this special issue are things we’ve been using for years and have grown to love and trust. Some of these products we have become fans of only recently. But all of the items were tried, cast, poked, dunked and used by someone at the Surfcaster’s Journal magazine. We take great pride in getting to know the gear we write about and we think you’ll appreciate our efforts. Of course, you should still do your due diligence by asking for opinions on popular Internet fishing boards. Just be prepared for a hundred divergent opinions, sixteen insults and a feeling that your gear is so antiquated it should be burned immediately and replaced by titanium waders and a $600 platinum dive knife.
We are of the opinion that you should buy the best gear you can afford, but keep in mind that many times expensive gear is not necessarily the best. We are not comfortable recommending expensive plastic lures that feature cheap hooks or suggesting that you pay a fortune for 150 yards of super-duper braid. We prefer items that are built to last instead of those that feature mostly bells and whistles. Because the bell does not toll under the water and the whistle is useless too. Surf, sand and salt water are not your friends but instead, your adversaries. Buy yourself some nice stuff with your secret stash, stuff that will stand the test of time, and will be impervious to salt and sand. You deserve it. Santa told us so.
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THE ROD VAULT
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Aquaskinz Gloves
There is something else that we use to assist us in landing fish but this particular tool in our arsenal is much more versatile than you might think on first glance. We were one of the first to fall in love with Aquaskinz gloves even though we had to endure being called the Michael Jackson of the Surf. Laugh all you want but we had grown tired of wrapping our fingers with all kinds of tape only to see them slip off our finger in the middle of the night. The original Aquaskinz gloves were good but the casting finger which it protected was shredded by braided lines and heavy payloads rather quickly. We rejoiced when they came out with a redesigned model featuring a Kevlar casting finger. What we didn’t like was the strap that went around the wrist which was too short for our gigantic hands. Now that the strap has been lengthened, we have nothing left to complain about. They protect our index finger while casting and they greatly assist us in landing the fish by being able to grab not only the leader but often times the braided line. Best of all, our wife loves their suppleness too. She claims that they are very form fitting, stylish and best of all non-slip, which helps her a great deal when we send her up on the roof to clean the gutters!
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Boga Grip Just like you we like to catch fish. But unhooking them can be a challenging proposition, particularly when wading on a sandbar when the waves are crashing from all directions. Yeah, we are men enough to admit that we use our Boga Grip tools to land most of our fish. Not only does it assist us in keeping a thrashing bluefish away from our privates but by using it you also minimize touching the fish with your hands and removing the protective coat of slime that covers each fish. Our Boga Grip also helps us keep the fish in the water during the unhooking and release process and hopefully minimizes the stress the fish endures. This will help a fish recover its strength faster when released back into the ocean. We love the fact that this tool also features a scale so a quick lift is all you need to see just how much that monster you caught weighs. Some of those who are visually challenged have used fluorescent paint or nail polish to mark the little lines that indicate the weight of the fish as they can be hard to see at night. We, on the other hand, have scraped the marks of our scales with a grinder. Instead we have three marks on our Boga: turd, cow and call Surfcaster’s Journal because we caught a world record. Yeah, the last one was a bitch to enscribe around the Boga Grip so we gave up and just added “Big Momma”.
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Costa Del Mar Are you familiar with the Spanish Fly? No, not the one in liquid form, you pervert. Instead, we are asking about the fantastic television fishing show that goes by the same name. We are sure you’ve seen it and we think that many of you secretly wish that you could be like the star of the show, strappingly handsome José Wejebe, when you grow up. Well, there is no need to wait till your first facial hair pokes through your baby skin, you can be like José right now. How, you might ask? By getting a pair of new Costa Del Mar José Wejebe shades. Costa recently unveiled their new 580P lenses. They are super-lightweight and have impact resistant lenses that provide razor sharp color enhancement and the highest level of polarization. I know these are big words for some of you so let's simplify it. These glasses enable you to see the fish below the water’s surface in spite of the sun’s glare and they don't hurt your nose as much. Capish? Up to this point, 580 lenses have been available only in glass which still is the most scratch resistant lens material, but now you have a light weight option in 580P lenses. Will José Wejebe shades make you the coolest cat on the beach? We think you might want to consult a plastic surgeon with that question. José is a fishing show host, not a miracle worker! All kidding aside, it looks like Costa has another hit on their hands with both José shades and their award-winning 580 lenses. The Costa name has been synonymous with quality polarized eyewear for decades. From the looks of their constantly improving parade of new products, they are
on the way to a bright future. Now if we can only get José to pen an article for the Surfcaster's Journal....hey, we did get him to return our email! He told us his favorite glasses were blue mirror with black frames. “I’ve been wearing Costa’s sunglasses for years – my work depends on being able to see fish and targets both in the water and in the air,” said Wejebe. “For Costa to name one of its new styles after me is an incredible badge of honor, one I’m proud to wear!”
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SJ Holiday Buyer’s Guide
New classic tin lures from Salty’s
VMC Permasteel hooks
USA 2x Stainless split rings
saltys.co Christmas is coming! Kits make great stocking stuffers for the fisherman in your life! Fresh or Saltwater Kits, New 2 oz darter kits now available
MADE IN THE USA
Cuttyhunk Fishing Club Are you in need of a very unique gift for someone special in your life? Or maybe you are a surfcaster who is looking for adventure a chance to hook up with the fish of your dreams? We would bet good money that renting a room at the historic Cuttyhunk Fishing Club for a few days would be just what the doctor ordered. Located on the bluffs overlooking Martha’s Vineyard sound, the Cuttyhunk Fishing Club is a picturesque bed and breakfast on an island many surfcasters consider to be the Holy Grail of surfcasting. To get here you must take a ferry from New Bedford or swim across Buzzards Bay. We recommend you save your strength for swimming among the giant boulders that dot the Cuttyhunk shoreline. Instead you can jump on a Sea Horse Water Taxi for your trip across the bay. There are only a few cars on the island as most locals zoom around on golf carts or quads. There is a small general store that has funky operating hours and if you are looking for beer or alcohol here, you won't find it for sale. Cuttyhunk is a dry island so bring your own alcoholic beverages if you must. We suggest you lay off the booze as fishing here can be extremely challenging. You will need a sharp mind and quick reflexes to maneuver around the boulders that dot the shoreline. We like the Club because it is quaint and never crowded. The dozen or so rooms are decorated in a nautical motif while the dining and relaxing area’s walls are filled with artifacts from the Club’s proud history. Former Presidents were members here as were many industrialists and tycoons in the old days. These days the Club is populated with wideeyed novices and veteran surfcasters who are seeking big stripers under the cover of
darkness. People are friendly and they might forgive you if you forget to bring your American Express Card. Just don’t leave your Korkers behind. Slippery rocks and the underwater bubble weed forest have humbled many of surfcasters in the past.
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Fireline Braid
We’ve been users and fans of Berkley Fireline Fused line for more years than we care to remember. Yeah, we tried some braided lines that were recommended by local celebrities and internet heroes and found them all to be less reliable than our Fireline. Some of them had an oily like slickness when touched, a few had the habit of breaking for no apparent reason, and some were so thin that threading them through the swivel was like trying to thread a needle. Who's idea was this anyway, to make a 50lb braided line thinner than sewing thread? Seriously, there is a point when your line is too thin to grab with your hand or to tie knots at night. We won't even mention those dreaded wind knots. Just try to tie your super-duper-100lb test braid that has the diameter of 4 pound monofilament. We have better things to do with our time, like going fishing. We heard all the reasons why we should switch from our Fireline Fused line over the years. It's too thick, it's not round, it looks "worn" (yet it never breaks) and it increases the drag when fishing in fast inlet waters. Hold on a minute, now you have our attention! The thinner, rounder braided lines do have the advantage of less resistance when sinking against the current. When we went shopping for a braid, we took everyone's advice, including recommendations from keyboard surfcasters who populate many fishing forums and regurgitate advice they read only yesterday. After we let all this great advice sink in, we went with a brand that we trusted more than any other: Fireline Braid.
Our new Fireline Braid has been on our reels now for a second season and we cannot say one bad word about it. It is round and lies on the spool better than our Fused line. It’s thin, which reduces drag, helping it sink quickly and it has increased our casting distance. It’s virtually wind knot free and most important, extremely strong. We don't know why we took so long to convert to braid, maybe we were just waiting for the right thing to come along. Consider our wait to be over and if you are in the market for a braided line, Fireline Braid should be one of your top choices.
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Stop telling lies to your wife when she asks you why you are constantly losing your socks. The TI Buddy System is a complete solution for the surfcaster who finds himself in distress and should be a part of every angler’s survival kit. Manufactured in Turdistan and engineered to the highest standards of the waste management industry, the kit’s main feature is an industrial grade solid titanium bucket. This is not an ordinary bucket but a handsome throne that should provide you with many, many years of worry-free service. It comes with a lifetime warranty that covers all the parts except for normal wear and soiling. The bucket must be sent back to the manufacturer for an annual servicing in order to keep the warranty valid. We will re-polish it, insuring you have the shiniest throne on the beach. A self-service kit is also available for only $99.99 and it consists of a proprietary tungsten turd remover, a gallon of ammonia, supple sheepskin gloves and a titanium polishing gel. In addition to the handsome pail, the kit consists of one package of thick, moisturizing wipes that will leave you feeling refreshed and a cleaning sponge which can be engraved with your initials for an extra fee. But wait, there is more! If you are one of the first one hundred callers to call 1 800 SAVE-A-SOCK you also will receive a complimentary pair of handsome leather thong underpants which should take care of any areas you might have missed while out in the field. As an extra bonus for readers of the Surfcaster’s Journal,we’ll throw in a gallon of menhaden scented hand moisturizer. All of this can be yours for only 12 monthly payments of $49.99. Be prepared when nature calls and get your own TI Buddy System We at Turd Incorporated know our crap!
TI BUDDY SYSTEM
1-800-SAVE-A-SOCK
Guy Cotten Surf Top Are you tired of looking like an astronaut when surf fishing? With reflective strips on your jacket that ruined every picture your buddy took of you and your giant striper? Are you annoyed that you are sporting a giant logo on your jacket that makes you look like a Nascar driver, but without compensation? We have just the thing for you. Just like you, we are turned off by reflective jackets which make you look like a Christmas tree every time a buggy lights you up on the beach. We are also not big fans of jackets that have more pockets than a pair of Old Navy cargo pants. Let's get real. How much stuff are you really going to keep in your jacket pockets? To be perfectly honest, we never used many pockets on any of the jackets we ever owned. Fishing gear goes in the surf bag or on the belt and the cell phone in an Aquapac waterproof pouch. If you are like us, you'll appreciate a jacket with maybe a single front pocket, adjustable neoprene cuffs, made out of breathable material that is totally waterproof. If we are going to dream then let’s add a soft collar that won’t chafe our neck together with a hoodie tucked into the collar for the rainy days. Now if it only came in pure black without a giant logo anywhere… But wait, what we are describing is not a pipe dream. This kind of jacket actually exists and we at Surfcaster’s Journal are big fans of it. What we are describing is a Guy Cotten Surf Top. We love the fact that the neoprene cuffs can be cinched down with Velcro and we love that our hood can be stowed away behind the collar. In addition, we love the stealth look of the jacket. No one will ever call you Liberace again when
you buy and wear this top. And trust us, the chicks on a morning jog really dig a guy in black attire once the sun has risen over the horizon! We love that the jacket is made out of breathable, durable fabric that keeps you dry and comfortable and we love the adjustable neoprene waist that keeps our ever-growing beer belly cozy and dry. The folks at Guy Cotten have been making commercial foul weather gear for a long time and they know that florescent yellow that they often use for commercial boat fisherman is not something surfcasters want. It's nice to see a product that not only does a great job of keeping you dry but also makes you look good for a change. Chicks dig it and surfcasters approve, you can't beat that combination! For those of you who like to swim with the fishes, be on the lookout for the Guy Cotten Surf Top with latex cuffs. They should be in stores by the end of the year.
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Line Stretcher There probably isn't one lure that is more misunderstood and misused than the Line Stretcher brand of lures. Some guys think they are only for distance casting and yes, they do great job at that. Some fellows think they are a bluefish magnet and they are correct. Some feel that they are most effective on South American species like roosterfish or giant needlefish and they are not lying. Many swear by them when chasing albies in early fall and yes, they definitely do a bang up job at that too. And then there are those who love to fish them at a slower pace and catch a ton of stripers doing it. Excuse us while we clear our throat and let all this sink into your head... Got it all? Good. Sometimes people tend to associate certain products with certain applications and Line Stretcher lures are definitely a victim of that. Our friends who make frequent jaunts to Costa Rica or Mexico buy them by the dozens in every color of the rainbow. Our other friends take a load with them on their albie chasing trips to Martha's Vineyard. Unfortunately, it seems that our friends don't think very highly of us since they never invite us anywhere, not even for dinner. Come to think of it, we are not sure if they are our friends at all! Hmmm‌.whatever, let's call them people we know. We have taken plenty of stripers and bluefish on Line Stretcher lures over the years. We like the reflective strip in its belly which gives out a lot of flash on the retrieve. We love the fact that even we can cast this lure a country mile. We like its indestructible ABS plastic and the fact that it is through wired. But most of all we like the fact that it catches fish. Next time you are on the beach and the fish are not responding to your large pencil poppers, tie a Line Stretcher lure on and work it the same way. Just make sure you hold on to your rod. Tightly!
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Princeton Tec We are always on the lookout for the “next great thing” but too often we realize that hype and quality are two different things. We recently ran into a friend who told us that Lowe's home improvement store of all places, has this dynamite waterproof flashlight that features a red and white LED lens. They swore on their mother that this light was indestructible. Guess what? Half way through our second night, while perched on a rock in the middle of unfamiliar water, the light crapped out. We would have been in a world of trouble if we tried to swim to the shore without being able to orient ourselves on that dark, new moon night. Fortunately our trusty Princeton Tec light came to the rescue. Right then and there we promised ourselves (and our wives too at a later date after they gave us a good beating) that we will not fall for the hype again. Not when our safety depends on it. Yeah, we might try wasabi spiced almonds, which by the way are delicious but might cause you to emit flatulence few friends will appreciate. But when it comes to dependability and functionality, when it comes to unhooking the fish while perched on a rock or finding our way back to our truck on a foggy night, we will stick with Princeton Tec lights. We used their Rage lights for years and they never failed us, we recently tried Princeton Remix and came away impressed. When it comes to your safety, don’t cut corners. Saltwater and pounding surf are extremely difficult and challenging adversaries. Take your best gun into that battle. Trust us, your family will appreciate it.
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It’s like the mall...
but with that funky “waders in the back of the truck” smell.
Visit our online store.
TOP OF THE LINE
COMPONENTS
AtlanticOffshoreLures.com (401) 762-1884
Precision Pak Ocean Shield 1 – Surf Bag In recent years the snob factor has increased exponentially among surfcasters. One thousand dollar reels, eight hundred dollar rods and yes, even surf bags that cost more than a few bills. But just because many surfcasters carry more “bling” than Flavor Flav, it doesn't mean that the whole sport has gone to the dogs. In fact, we would argue that most surfcasters are more interested in catching a fish than debating who has a bigger…. rod on the internet talk forums. Most anglers want a product that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Also they don't want to be put on a waiting list that is longer than the “will call” Lady Gaga concert ticket list. We have a recommendation for you that will do a fine job and won't break the bank. We recently had a chance to use a few surf bags from Precision Pak and we liked what we saw. They are moderately priced and within reach of even the biggest cheapskate among us. Your first thought is probably, "How good can they be?" at least when compared to bags that cost ten times as much. To be honest, they are very good. In fact, we were a little surprised at the quality and design of Ocean Shield 1, our favorite. It's made of 600-D polyester, lined with PVC sheeting that won't catch the hooks when you take a lure out of the bag. The Velcro flap, when closed, does not open easily and three PVC inserts are perfect for those days when you don't want to carry a large bag. Those who wetsuit will appreciate the simplicity of the design and the D-rings which you can use to secure your bag to your belt when floating like a seal.
The four drain holes on the bottom and the nonabsorbent material that the bag is made of assure that your bag flushes quickly and stays light. This is something that is often taken for granted until you spend a whole tide perched on a jagged, uncomfortable rock. We appreciate the water bottle holder on the side of the bag and the small pocket which can hold a small jar of pork rind. We would prefer this to be incorporated into the side of the bag instead of a narrow pliers pouch because our pliers are on our belt but we understand that many of you like to carry pliers in your bag. There are three bucktail or tin slots inside the bag behind the tubes and at first look we wished there were more. But then we realize that we often carry a dozen bucktails weighing more than J-Lo's behind but we only end up using a single one. All in all, a good value for your money and a neat bag when you don't want to burden yourself with many lures.
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SJ Holiday Buyer’s Guide
CASTABILITY DEPENDABILITY
BASSABILITY
“Fish it like a Pencil Popper for amazing top water action.” 3oz
Surface Tension Lure
with patented channel design.
LineStretcher.com
.4 SIZES .ABS PLASTIC .THRU-WIRE CONSTRUCTION .MADE IN THE USA
RI Popper Pike Your first cast with a new plug holds a lot more importance than you might think. After all, you have a bag full of lures that have been good to you over the years and most of us have very little patience tossing a lure that either casts like a wet rag or swims like driftwood. It all comes together when the lure’s action is dead on, when the finish is good and when, thump, thump, the strike of a fish tells us that we’ve got something good. Then it’s love at first sight. That is how we felt when we cast Rhode Island Poppers’ small pike. Weighing two ounces, this chubby profile, metal lip swimmer has a very enticing action when you crawl it with a slow retrieve. It's not just us who feel this way. Many stripers agreed with us by trying to inhale it. What we particularly liked is how well this lure held up in rough water and current, making it more versatile than most metal lip swimmers. We are partial to pike style swimmers for many reasons ,one of them being that very few builders make them or we should say, very few builders make them well. It looks like the crew from Rhode Island Poppers have drunk some “special pike potion” because the plug performs as it should. There is nothing we don’t like about this plug, from its high quality components and hardware to its very attractive color schemes. We liked it all. And we think you will too.
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SJ Holiday Buyer’s Guide
Rod Vault Over the years we’ve owned different types of roof racks. From $10 racks we found at Model’s to homemade contraptions we made with ski racks and PVC tubing. And to some extent they all served their purpose although that cheap contraption that we bought at Model’s barely lasted us through a weekend trip. But in these days we carry more “bling” in our truck than Warren Buffet carries in his private jet. We might be broke like the rest of Americans but when we mortgaged our house for the seventeenth time, we didn't buy a better car, we bought fancier reels. Unfortunately, leaving them on the top of the truck is definitely not something we would recommend. Gone are the days when one could leave their gear unattended and hit the beach. Locking the rods inside the truck is impractical and for many surfcasters with one piece rods, impossible. So what is one to do in order to protect your “bling”? Follow our lead and use what we use: the Rod Vault. We liked the fact that the mounting hardware is not accessible once our Rod Vault is locked. We liked that it could be mounted on top of the truck or on the side of the camper and that it locks up both our conventional and spinning reels. But most of all we like that it is made out of very strong aircraft grade aluminum. We also are impressed with its simple yet effective design which insures our rods and reels are locked in place. The only way we think that someone could remove our reels is with bolt cutters. If you carry bolt cutters in your truck, we should have a serious talk.
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SJ Holiday Buyer’s Guide
Ruru Pencil There are more good pencil poppers available to surfcasters today than at any point in the history of our sport. Some of them actually work as they should. Yes, with a lot of choices, it is natural that there will be some bad yolks mixed in with the good eggs. There are a few characteristics we demand of the pencil poppers we use. First, we don’t want any “wobble” during the cast. Seeing a beautiful looking lure wobble in flight is like meeting a good looking woman in a bar and then learning that she only dates guys with boats. Another thing we demand is that our pencil popper works correctly on the retrieve. It must also have a durable finish that stands up to the punishment fish can dish out. In addition, they must not take on any water. Waterlogged pencil poppers remind us of Refrigerator Perry from the Chicago Bears wobbling his way towards the end zone after he recovered a fumble. And the last thing we are looking for is “mojo”. There are way too many lures on the market today for us to try them all and what we are looking for is a little “magic”. Let's be honest, most of the lures on store shelves will catch fish sometimes. What we are looking for is that one lure that will catch fish all the time. Before you tear us to shreds for even suggesting that we catch fish on every cast, let us explain. The “mojo” in some lures works in mysterious ways and it doesn’t mean that you will catch a fish on every cast or even on every trip. What it does mean is that the lure will produce with consistency and often when nothing else will. That is what
“mojo” in a lure is all about. We found our mojo in RuRu pencil poppers, specifically their 2.75 ounce Traditional Pencil Popper. It didn’t matter where we fished, this lure either raised or caught fish. You can call it luck; we like to call it mojo. It casts like a dream and we like the quality of the finish and premium components used in assembling the lure. Pencil poppers, wood or plastic, are fairly easy to make but must be balanced properly in order for you to get the most out of them. This is much more difficult to accomplish than one might think. It seems to us that Billy Riker Jr., the man behind RuRu Lures, has nailed this tricky equilibrium in his pencil poppers. This particular lure benefits from a faster retrieve instead of the slow death march with which most pencil poppers are retrieved. So don't be afraid to try it a little faster.
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Salty There are some who will argue that today’s wooden lures are priced reasonably… when adjusted for inflation! We would tend to agree but unfortunately our salary has had a hard time “adjusting”. Every time we got a raise the boss man told us we had to work harder or longer until his demands drove us crazy. I mean c'mon, didn’t we already give him two hours of hard work a day? Yeah, the rest of the time we spend browsing internet fishing sites building our “internet cred”. That certainly was no reason for dismissal, after all, aren't most of you doing the same thing as you are reading this right now? Kidding aside, the economy is tough out there and it is not easy to buy lures like it used to be when we were all spending Alan Greenspan’s money. Now that bill has come due and most of us are more careful with our expenditures. We are also doing a better job of hiding our purchases from our wives. But there is no need to do that anymore. Salty Lures maker Scott Bullock dove head first into making kits for just about every lure imaginable. For under $10 you can buy a lure kit which includes all the components necessary to build your own lures. All you have to do is put it together, paint it your favorite colors and you are ready to go. And in case you have some paint left in the can, you can save even more money by offering your better half a free manicure or pedicure. In all seriousness, we like what Scott is doing, making it affordable for everyone to own a quality lure without spending a fortune. Now if we could only figure out how to take this darn cap off the spray can maybe we could paint some too.
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SJ Holiday Buyer’s Guide
Seaguar Premier Fluorocarbon Leader We have been known to be slow to adapt to new things over the years. Only recently have we fully embraced clips on our leaders instead of snaps. Our hooks often have an aged “patina” look to them, giving them character as they begin disintegrating in our surf bags. Our truck still has some sand stowed away in the undercarriage from our trip to Maine in the early 90’s and our eight track still blasts Lynyrd Skynyrd as we roll down the highway. Ok, we are not that bad, but we are slow to embrace new products. This is partly because we are comfortable with gear we already own and use and partly because of fear of the unknown. Fluorocarbon leaders are all the rage these days and we were definitely behind the eight ball on this one. Recently we decided that it was time to give fluorocarbon a shot. We did some research and found out that Seaguar Fluorocarbon is the leader in this race so we went right to the top of their product line and got ourselves a spool of Seaguar Premier Fluorocarbon. Instead of making a few casts and calling it a day, we instead fished with these leaders most of this season and we came away impressed. First thing we noticed, before we ever used it, was that the diameter of the Premier fluorocarbon leader is much smaller than comparable monofilament line. This obviously caused some anxiety about how this line was going to hold up in comparison to the “rope like” leaders we used in the past. We visited the Seaguar website and found out that their Premier fluorocarbon leader is not only smaller in diameter but it has 42% better knot strength than their competitors.
This is all nice but we’ve seen super duper products get annihilated by rough surf, jagged jetty rocks and bluefish teeth, so we reserved our judgment until we used the leaders for awhile. We took them to sand beaches on the south shore of Long Island and we fished them from barnacle covered jetties. We cast them in the boulder fields of Montauk Point, Block Island and Cuttyhunk Island. Our verdict? We have no idea why it took us this long but we have been converted. Not only did the knots hold up to some pretty big fish that we caught but repeated casting with giant rigged eels did not cause the leaders to fail. The abrasion resistance was very impressive. We liked the fact that the Premier fluorocarbon has low memory so you never have to worry about your pretied leaders looking like Carrot Top’s hair when you take them out of your leader wallet. It performed equally well in hot and cold conditions and yes, it is virtually undetectable underwater. We do know that most of the time our beaches feature water that looks more like what flows in New York City’s sewer system than the crystal clear waters of the Bahamas. However there have been times when we fished in gin clear water, using the same lures as our partner and out-fished him by a large margin. Of course, it could be that he just sucks at fishing or it could be that the fish were shying away from his leaders. We’d bet on the second explanation. Get yourself some Seaguar Premium Fluorocarbon leaders and you can let your buddy wonder why he is not catching fish.
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SJ Holiday Buyer’s Guide
Super Strike Heavy Needlefish There was a time when, in stormy situations, you were limited to either using a bottle plug or a bucktail. High winds and rough seas necessitated the use of lures that could cut through the wind and dig under the waves. Most lures in your bag were ineffective under these conditions as they either cast like a wet rag or couldn’t hold in rough water long enough to be effective. The only other option that was available to you was to load your lures with water, mineral oil or even mercury. But if you are like us and are continually gluing your fingers to the lures and are spending more time in the emergency room than on the beach, it is time to rejoice. Don and Steve Musso, dynamic father and son duo behind Super Strike Lures have introduced heavier models of their already very popular line of needlefish lures. The new Super “N” Fish needlefish lure weighs in at 3 ounces while their new shorter “Bullet” comes in at 2 ½ ounces.They cut through high wind like a hot knife through butter and sink like a stone underneath the rough surf where big stripers live. But if you think that these lures are only effective in stormy situations we have news for you, they are much more versatile than you would think. How do we know? We found out the hard way on a Long Island, NY inlet jetty earlier in the fall. Having just bought the lures the previous day, we were eager to try them but this fast water inlet wasn’t one of the places we had in mind. Since no one in our crew had as much as a bump, we decided to cast one into the inlet to see how quickly it sank. Bad idea! Within two cranks of our reel we were slammed by a giant bluefish who must have
swallowed the whole lure because all we got back was a leader that was bitten above our clip. Not being the brightest bulbs around, we retied and attached another one of these heavyweights and cast in the same spot and you guess it, the same thing happened. Very expensive way to find out that these lures can be used in other places and situations besides stormy seas and high wind. But you know what? We were the only ones who hooked up that night even though we never had the enjoyment of seeing our adversary on the end of our line. Of course we wouldn't recommend these beauties as a teaser delivery system or as an eel skin plug. They cast way too far for those applications!
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Van Staal Reels Have you been really, really good this year? So good in fact that your better half actually admitted it for the first time in her life? Well, the first thing you have to do is get on Facebook and Twitter and tell the whole world about it, because it might be the last time she commits such a gaffe. Then, after you are done gloating, you should send her to the internet website where grown men go to fulfill their fantasies and drool on their keyboards. Not, not THAT website you nitwit. You can keep that one to yourself. It's going to be our little secret, ok? We were thinking of the website where the models are gold, silver and black with bulging curves and shiny cups. Yeah, Van Staal Reels website is what we are talking about! For an angler who has everything or for someone who demands nothing but the best in quality and reliability, Van Staal reels make great holiday gifts. Built like a tank to withstand the harshest salt spray and sand that bring other reels to a grinding halt in a hurry, Van Staal reels have proven themselves over the last few decades to be the most reliable reels an angler can use in the surf. Not only do they laugh at salt and sand which try to disrupt their smooth operation, but they are one of the few reels that can be used completely submerged in water while wetsuiting. Yeah, yeah, we have heard of others that have supposedly similar characteristics. Heck, we even bought one only to find out that after three days on a very steeply sloped sandy beach our “super-duper-cost-more-than-our-mortgage-my-wife-kill-kill-me-if-she-finds-
out" reel has seized. So much for reliability! On the other hand, our Van Staal has never failed us. We’ll be honest with you, the drag is not the smoothest out there. When you crank it, it doesn't feel like butter churning. Instead it feels manly and rugged like a surfcaster’s reel should. You want 27 ball bearings and a drag as smooth as Bernie Madoff was when he separated you from your money? Go buy a boat because the surf is not the place for fancy gadgets, bells and whistles. Van Staal is something we recommend, something we used yesterday, are casting with today and probably will be tomorrow.
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THE RETURN OF A CLASSIC. Secrets of the masters: Al Bentsen, Fred Golofaro and Roger Martin “The knowledge contained between these covers is an invaluable resource that would take you a few lifetimes to gather on your own.” -Zeno Hromin
THIS FALL
NEW: UPDATED 2011 EDITION
Wiley X
You probably are reading this special holiday buying issue and are wondering how you can get your hands on some of this stuff without your better half cutting your rods in half and tossing your lures in the fireplace. May we suggest a wonderful gift for that special lady in your life? We’ve been big fans of Wiley X shades long before we started pecking on our keyboard with our one good finger. The first thing that drew us to them, and this is the God's honest truth, was not the fancy unbreakable shades, cool designs or flashy website. No, the first thing we learned about Wiley X was that they proudly outfit and protect the eyes of our Armed Forces at home and abroad. That was enough to warm our hearts and make us look at them in a different light. After all, any company whose gear is strong enough to be used in combat certainly makes a product that can be used in the surf. We bought a few pairs of their polarized shades and we were very impressed. Lacey, their best-selling women's fashion frame, features advanced 8-layer shatterproof polarized lenses in a Bronze tint, a fashionable Italian design and thick polished frames. Not only will you be a hero at home for hooking her up with a cool pair of shades but she will love the fact that $3.50 from each sale is contributed to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, which is committed to preventing breast cancer and finding a cure in our lifetime by funding clinical and translational research worldwide. Wiley X has committed no less than $10,000 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation in 2010. While you browse through their website, check out P-17 and the Zack polarized shades which we own and love. After you pick up a pair for her only then should you pick out a pair for yourself, If you want peace in the house that is.
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Wolverine Triple Split Rings We all know that plug builders are a funky bunch. Some like to paint fancy schemes on their lures, others like to paint simple patterns and then there are those who just want to inhale paint fumes! But there is a common thread that is found among most builders who produce lures for use in the surf. North Bar Bottledarters have them as do RI Poppers’ lures. Hab's proudly uses them and Afterhours Custom Lures feature them on their website and on every lure they make. What are we talking about? Split rings, my dear friend. But we are not talking about some run of the mill split rings that will bend like a pretzel as soon a decent fish puts on the afterburners in an attempt to escape. No, we are talking about Wolverine Tackle Super Rings. You have no more excuses why you still use inferior split rings. We’ve been using Wolverine Triple split rings for years now and we routinely change all our rings to Wolverine even on brand new plugs. Wolverine split rings are stronger than any other split rings we’ve ever used. They are available in stainless finish and in "stealth" black, in sizes 3,4,5,6 and 7 with pull strength from 90 to 335 pounds. They will also be coming out with sizes 8, 9 and 10 in the near future. The split rings on most lures that you buy today look like they were tossed onto the hook like an afterthought. They are OK until you hook into
that cow mama of your dreams. After your split ring pulls and you lose the fish of a lifetime, you will call Wolverine Tackle and order some of their super rings. We are telling you to do it today before you hook that monster bass. You'll have one less thing to worry about. Most of the top lure builders do. Don't spend thousands of dollars on your gear: rod, reel, lures etc. only to lose that dream fish because of the failure of one of the cheapest components in your arsenal. Don't be penny wise and pound foolish. Take the advice of those who build lures for a living. Get yourself some Wolverine split rings and you will give yourself the best chance of success.
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