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| February 2000 Archives | |||
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| Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 |
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It's February, at least that's progress towards spring! Still in the death grip of winter, but at least we're managing to melt some snow each of the past two days, that's always a good sign. I saw the long range forecast...I wasn't paying strict attention to it, but I swear I saw the numbers "50" for one of the days in the near future. That's a nice number...think about it. 50 degrees is a magic number in the spring time for it tells us that the stripers will be in all their likely locations and will whack both lures and bait. To me, 50 degree water is the official end to winter! 50 pounds is the unwritten magic mark that measure the accomplishments of a striper fisherman. It's funny, it's always been the measure, even when this size fish was common enough that dozens could be had in a single season in a specific location. Sure, boaters caught more, but this measure was meant to be bested on land. 50 inches is the supposed length at which a striper will weigh 50 pounds. See, 50 is a magic number of sorts...at least for the striper fisherman! Even if gets up to 50 degrees this weekend, it really won't change the striper fishing around here...even without going, I suspect that they have somehow snuck past or headed east. I promised myself a shot at a February keeper...if we see that nice day this weekend, I'll give it a shot. Not an honest fishing trip, just a couple hours with small tin doodle-bugs and pork rind...I think there's some places that the fish are always around! I just think when the water gets too cold, they aren't doing much eating...it's like you trying to chow on a burger right in the middle of a killer "ice-cream-headache" from drinking a Slurpee too fast! I don't think I could eat with an ice cream headache...doubtful the fish bother either. But, I will try, I'm sure at least one brave soldier will step forth and offer to accompany me...I don't know when yet....you'll feel it in the air, the night will make itself known to you! :)) I got a suggestion this morning from Achez...one that I am almost embarrassed for not having up here on my own! He suggested that I have e-mail links to all the congress(folks) and assembly(folks) that take part in the making and changing of many rules and laws regarding all things having to do with the stripers. I'll be upfront with you, the many that know me will nod their heads, but I do not trust the institution of government. Sure, we need one, only since people have gotten so far side tracked from the "rule book", the Bible. No, this isn't headed for a religious tint, but the fact is, if you've ever read the Bible, all the rules are laid out there...each one...had they still been honored and followed, our neighbors would be our brothers and strangers would be welcomed into our home like family. Back to the government. The intent of our forefathers was actually ingenious, they laid the plans for a functioning system where the majority would really be the ones in power...now it has been adulterated to the point that the ones in power, a miniscule percentage of the population, make rules and laws that protect and reward mainly themselves. Imagine your boss asking you to fill out your own paycheck..."just put in there whatever you want, that'll be your pay." That'd be pretty nice...instead, that's what those in power do, write themselves bigger checks, buy nice things for themselves...protecting themselves all the while. Pretty nice position to be in if you have no conscience. What does this have to do with the fishing? Well, the powers that pull the strings in management are being influenced more by commercial monies than buy the sheer numbers of non-commercial fishermen. Money talks. I am saddened by the way this works, so many don't take the time to look into how laws are made. The process is actually quite complicated. There are stop gap measures through the entire process that allow those that have made promises to those who have padded their pockets in one way or another to remain apparently not responsible for decisions that are unpopular. In that, I mean that when a bill is to be "researched" there are committees to do this...appointed committees, not ones we the people voted for, ones appointed. They have subcommittees and even these have clerks working for them. Information is passed up through these channels...along the way, there is less responsibility for the decisions made as you approach the top, or the elected official. So, if a decision that is unpopular is mysteriously made into law, the blame goes downhill to the committees and the subcommittees until it rests on people that we the people didn't even vote into office. Tricky. I have long questioned the way this works, and to look further into it and to actually track a bill from inception till the final vote is to watch a debacle in progress. Anyway, sorry for the political rant, everyone should find out how laws are made and watch how any bill aimed at conservation flounders and gets tossed around from committee to subcommittee until it's put off so long from being voted on that no one even remembers what is is and why we need it. The basic rule that I've learned is that it is far easier for commercials to have a fishery reopened than it is to have one shut down...regardless of what the majority wants or what the science says. So, bottom line, I will do my best to put together a list of addresses, emails, and phone numbers for all the members of legislative process in all the states that are considered to be striper states. I'll start with NJ as I already have the list, including the committees. I'd love to have a bill tracking script that follows a bill from birth to death...that might be a little tough. I will put up a list of who to contact and will hopefully be able to keep you informed as to when to contact them regarding what issues. If you'd like some insight on the goings on of the NJ Legislative process, check out NJ State Legislature Home Page, it's really worth it to look at some of the bills in progress...or to just read through the pile of laws there. Sorry Achez, this one got away from me a little! :) Another excellent suggestion that I received was to put up the sizes of the Lex Lures in the pages with each plug type. Who suggested this escapes me at the moment, but I will give them credit when I find out! This is a most excellent idea, it would remove any surprises when people receive their orders...I hate surprises and I'm sure you do to! What I want is for you guys to know everything about every item that I offer for sale here, I want you to buy based on facts not on pretty pictures. The things that I sell here are things that I know catch stripers....in time, they will sell based on their reputation alone. But, for now, I'd like to give you all the info I can on each item so that you can get some in your hands and start letting them help you catch more stripers. My real goal here is, as stated, to help you all catch more stripers. I have gone to great measure to do so, but my efforts have only begun. I have plans to incorporate more and more tools here to help. I have met nearly 50 guys that I've met on-line, each one has added to my knowledge and hopefully I've added a little to thier arsenals along the way. Perception...it's a word that I use often...here it is again! Success in fishing to some means catching 1 or 2 stripers when they go out. To others it means catching 15 or 20. Still, others may catch 15 but none big enough to feel they were successful that evening. Perception. I've hear guys talking about killing the fish, every cast....then find out they landed 6 fish. To me, that appears to be a below average night. To many a 6 fish night is unbelievable. This is how perception can cloud our understanding of the fishing situation at hand. I would like for everyone here to catch more stripers next season, regardless of how the season unfolds, I think this goal is easily reachable. There are many fishing websites out there, but I have not found one yet where the proprietor has personally undertaken a goal such as the one I have here! Most sites are just set up to make money and sell products...this one is set up to transfer fresh and useful information to make you a better fisherman...and to sell products! :) The major difference is that I am not offering for sale a tackle shop catalog of items, I am only offering items that I have found to be above average in catching ability. You won't find everything here, but eventually, you will find everything useful here. You will come to realize that when you buy something from this site, you won't have to wonder if it is any good, that will have already been personally done for you! I remember when I started out, buying everything hoping to get something that worked...and ending up with lots and lots of junk and a few things that really worked. Here, you will get things that have already been tested, no junk, no piles of useless items...no money wasted in the learning curve. Surf Chat is back up!! I moved it to a new directory, so please follow this link to the new location. If you book marked the old place, it won't work anymore! I am adding to the page some more information on registration and possible problems and solutions so that more of you can use Surf Chat, it is really awesome! Some of the regulars there include me, Dubs, Paul Naj, Steve, Ditch Jigger, D_Powell, nanz, ChrisR, JohnM, DougC, KenK, SamF, GMiller, RichG, and probably a dozen others that just escape me at the moment...I apologize! These are in no particular order...but I can tell you this, it is a riot! It is also a very useful tool for the transfer of information. A topic can be brought up, discussed in unison by a dozen folks, and laid to rest in a matter of minutes! I hope to see more of you there, 44 people are registered there at the moment, and I just started requiring registration yesterday! One thing, if you get to the password login box and have not registered, don't bother using your login and password for the bulletin board, it won't work. You must enter through the links on this page...at least the first time...after that, you will have registered and can then enter any way you'd like! The new
I got another page of Lex Lures up...two actually...the Lex Style Swimmers and some Dani Trolling Swimmers. The trolling swimmers are actually just up there in two colors that will be discontinued...I have all of them left that Tony had...once they are gone, they may be gone forever! Hard to tell with Tony, but that's what he threatened....he says he doesn't want to make the rainbow plug anymore...it has 13 coats of paint on it! I don't blame him a bit...that's a lot of paint! I'm waiting on the custom colors and the first 4 of the exclusive plug designs. He suddenly split Saturday for a show in NY...I was planning on going over and gathering up arm loads of new stuff for photos...but that didn't work out as he wasn't there! I did manage to switch his site over to point in this direction...he really wants out of the internet portion of the business, I gladly accepted! :) I expect to have photos of the missing plugs up there this week...as soon as I get them I will put them up! Sincerely, |
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Ground hog day and the fat little rodent saw his shadow! Rats, I was hoping there were a few more hit men as described by Robert Williams yesterday on Surf Talk...seems the wordmeister blessed us with another of his great ones about the attempted assassination of Puxatawney Phil! He's the little ground hog who is dragged kicking and screaming from his hibernation to look for his shadow...if he sees it there is theoretically 6 more weeks of winter. If he doesn't, winter will be over shortly. Well, he saw it....and all the other "Phils" saw their shadow this morning as it's quite clear today. Not that I believe in this method of climatology, it's just folk lore that attracts quite a bit of attention. There is a positive note here...at least it's late enough into the winter that people are thinking about how many few weeks left until spring...that alone warms up my hear! I'm going to spend a few minutes and go over the registration process for Surf Chat as there were many questions yesterday! First, to get there the first time or for the first time since I am requiring registration, please do so from this page...even the link in this paragraph. Doing so will take you to the welcome page for Surf Chat where you will find a link at the bottom. I'll also put the link here so you won't have to go looking for the registration form. Ok, that done, now you are free to come hang with the many guys that are making daily/nightly forays into this most spectacular of community tools! It really is amazing the amount of people that have been in there recently and it only looks to get bigger! Some folks have had problems with what others have deemed the "revolving door." It seems so browsers or system configurations are more conducive to being tossed off there at will. Poor MikeP a.k.a., Ditch Jigger, he's got it bad from home. Some nights he's there without a problem...others, he's getting razzed from the other guys who aren't getting tossed. DPowell found a fix for the guys having a hard time getting there who are using Internet Explorer 5.0. This is the link to Microsoft's Virtual Machine update...please read any notes from Microsoft about this update. The page describing the update and what it fixes can be found at Microsoft Virtual Machine and IE5.0. Please read that page, I will not take any responsibility for problems you may encounter with this update, I simply put the two links here in order for you to take advantage of a fix that has been successful for some who could not get on Surf Chat . I will also add it to the welcome page in hopes that it will help some of you to avoid the "revolving door." JohnB was having issues last night...at one point, he said "I see, when someone new enters the room, I am tossed out to make room for them!" Yes John, someone's gotta do it...last night, it was just your turn! :) Actually, there is no physical limit to the number of folks that can be in any one room, but it does get confusing to follow the conversation that you are trying to be a part of. The best way to rectify this is to simply tell a few guys to meet you in one of the other 4 rooms and you can then chat with them in less of a crowd. I met BobbyT in the Tackle Room last night and learned that he lives near one of my favorite places in the world...the Cape Cod Canal! I told him I was green with envy...and I am....what an untapped striper machine that Ditch (nickname for the Cape Cod Canal) is! I've heard of much fewer problems with the later versions of Netscape, I personally use version 4.61 and have had no issues at all. Register, go there, enjoy yourselves. The same rule applies, respect yourself and each other, don't use profanity...pretend that there are young future striper guys there with their parents watching over their shoulders, I would personally like to make certain that each and every person that wishes to go there will be made to feel comfortable. Just as everywhere else on this site, I won't tolerate trouble makers or disrespectful people. I'm not implying that any of you owe me respect, but you certainly owe it to yourself and the others that you encounter here....I guess that does include me! :) I have been extremely proud of each and every person that has taken advantage of the many tools that I have been able to put here for your use...even to the point that many others have commented on what an incredible bunch of people you are...I couldn't agree more, you are making my work here very pleasant and I hope that by policing ourselves I will never have to remove someone from this site. To date, I haven't even had to remove a post from Surf Talk....a true reflection of the quality of people there...and I sincerely thank you! So, we finally had a couple visitors of the fairer sex on Surf Talk!! Nothing could make me happier, the insight from the ladies is a big help to all of us as we continue our primeval quest to understand our "better halves!" One of the most versed of female anglers that I've had the pleasure of conversing with, Surfgirl, has blessed us with her presence there...no one better to give us the female perspective that has been lacking. I'd like to thank her for her input, as well as thank the wife of a fellow surfcaster for hers as well! I got a look at some of the exclusives from Lex Lures last night...I must say, Tony's right on the ball! He had with him the lures that BrianBM sent me...only done in wood...I think they are going to be incredible...I'll save the couple pictures I have of these early prototypes until after I give these boy a swim in Shark River this afternoon. They look spectacular, but that's the easy part, now they have to work spectacularly as well! They are as of yet unnamed, but that won't last long. :) I also got a first hand look at the exclusive colors that he is making for me, the schoolbus and the black-n-purple. The schoolbus color Tony wasn't happy with...I was in love! It was perfect and he will continue to paint them in that fashion even though it's not what he had in his minds eye. The black-n-purple was more a black-n-lavender...my fault, I described the color to him but didn't send him with a sample of the color...that has been rectified as I found a very old black-n-purple bomber, gave it to him and said "like this." He'll have the color mixed today by computer...I love technology! :) To show his level of commitment, I point you to the following. He said he had a couple hundred of the Surfster Style plugs ready for their final dip...and then he described their form in detail...I told him that was not what we had decided on....he tells me he'll just make 200 new ones and scrap those that I wasn't happy with! Where else can you get that kind of service! :) One more note, in all fairness, he also told me that he spent considerable time with the new owners of a big name wooden plug manufacturing company. After my insistent "are you sure" questions last week when he was here, he now tells me that he's not really sure which of thier plugs are through wired and which are not! I always try to be certain of any information that I pass on to you and now I am not. My apologies if what I said about not through wiring the plugs was in error, I was very careful to ask Tony repeated about the plugs he had actually seen....something was lost in translation. I am uncertain which are and which aren't now...and I apologize! I will find out the facts and put them here in detail. Any company deserves to have the facts published and I should have never said anything without actually seeing the other plugs myself. I'm not saying that information that I relayed to you regarding this issue was incorrect, I am simply saying that now, after speaking to Tony some more, am no longer certain that the information I was given was 100% accurate. I will clear this up with a phone call later today and will let you in on what I find out. The part about the plugs that I actually had in my hands was 100% fact, they were not wired through, they were poorly made, the screw eyes were not all the way into the plugs, and the wood in the rear of the plugs was just raw unfinished wood...no paint. And they were sporting hooks that I wouldn't throw to a weakfish. These are facts, had the plugs in my hands...that's the kind of info I'll continue to pass along to you! Have a good one folks, as always things are moving along at a rapid pace due 100% to your continued input, orders, and encouragement and I cannot thank you enough! The new I got another page of Lex Lures up...two actually...the Lex Style Swimmers and some Dani Trolling Swimmers. The trolling swimmers are actually just up there in two colors that will be discontinued...I have all of them left that Tony had...once they are gone, they may be gone forever! Hard to tell with Tony, but that's what he threatened....he says he doesn't want to make the rainbow plug anymore...it has 13 coats of paint on it! I don't blame him a bit...that's a lot of paint! I'm waiting on the custom colors and the first 4 of the exclusive plug designs. He suddenly split Saturday for a show in NY...I was planning on going over and gathering up arm loads of new stuff for photos...but that didn't work out as he wasn't there! I did manage to switch his site over to point in this direction...he really wants out of the internet portion of the business, I gladly accepted! :) I expect to have photos of the missing plugs up there this week...as soon as I get them I will put them up! Sincerely, |
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It snowed again. I guess we got between 2 and 3 inches here. It's snowed more already this year than it has in the last two years...no big deal, I'm not fishing anyway lately! It's solid winter out there, even my Saturday sanity trips to north Jersey to fly fish for trout have had to be postponed...sanity.....can't hang on.....much longer......must fish soon. Yup, hanging by a thread! The reason the trout fishing has been postponed is that all the rivers that I normally fish are reported to be frozen...can't get much nymphin' done are hard water! I am wondering if Round Valley is frozen...I'll have to check Augie from the Round Valley Trout Association. If anyone ever wondered about that great reservoir, Augie is the man to ask. If you ever wanted to be a part of a club that has a very positive influence on the water they fish, RVTA can't be beat. The entire club focuses on that one body of water...others as well, but most of their efforts and attention go to Round Valley issues. Charlie and I fished had been driving by there for over a decade...never really stopped and paid attention to the lake though, it's a big fella'! One time two years ago, we decided to drag my 14' Duranautic up there and give the place a once over. We had no ideas about the lake specifically...we just bought some herring at a local shop, grabbed out lightest of spinning rods, and made it up as we went along. Somehow, we managed to land about 25 trout that day...most of them over 18"...I had one rainbow that measured 23". We also both caught our first lake trout...and we were hooked. Before the next weekend, we had both joined RVTA in an effort to learn more about this great fishery that we had overlooked for so many years. We went back about 10 more times that winter/spring. We did very, very well each time up there. Augie immediately began answering my barrage of questions...with a smile I must say. I quizzed him on bottom contour, lake trout, brown trout, the big rainbows, forage species, and about 100 other questions. He was most helpful! RV had a hold on Charlie and I and we couldn't get enough of it! One day, I had about 20 lakers myself while drifting herring on the bottom...and I had a monster manhandle my little 5' Lami trout rod! It's an impressive fishery...one without a limit to the size of the monsters that live in the 150+ foot depths...and to catch them on a tiny spinning rod is a joy and a pleasure. Recently, I found that they have been studying Kamloops Rainbows for stocking!! For those that don't know about hatchery raised trout...our local trout, the same ones that have always been stocked in RV, they are bread to grow quickly....but thier lifespan is only about 3 years. Kamloops rainbows are a western breed that can live for 10 years or more! These fish were studied, eggs were bought and hatched at the Musky Fish Hatchery, and the lil' guys were stocked (or are to be stocked shortly, I'm not sure). Regardless, these rainbows will take advantage of the heavy Gammarus shrimp populations that live in the flooded timbers at the bottom of the lake...they will grow fat and huge in the upcoming seasons.....giant bodies, small heads...real footballs and fighters! I for one am looking forward to the time when these rainbows have a made the most of the big lake....I can't wait actually! Anyone interested in learning more about these fish or joining RVTA, check out the RVTA page that Augie maintains at the line above...it's a spectacular lake and a great place to unwind while the stripers are deep in thier winter slumber! Which brings me to another point....Poppy is still scoring on the Delmarva! He's catching stripers from the rocks and sand even though the water temp is in the upper 30's! Absurd I tell you! It shouldn't be...it can't be...I hope it's all fabrications! Sadly, I fear that these stories are both true and accurate in detail. February is usually the only month that my mind is truly free of wondering about our striped brethren...and now Poppy makes me think that there just might be some local fish active enough to make fishing a worthwhile proposition!!! So, when April comes along and I look like I haven't "rested" since the fall/winter season of 1999/2000....I'm pointing the proverbial finger at Poppy and his continued successes in 38 degree water! Poppy...you gotta stop...I need some rest! :) Everything is moving along here at an excellent pace, I couldn't have hoped for more! The only thing that's not going as quickly as hoped is the damn credit card processing capabilities that I am waiting on! It should have been done by now...it's not! I'm waiting and waiting for them to get it set up on their end. I have the shopping cart 90% done in anticipation of the "word" that it's done....I am now just becoming irritated with them...but you gotta have a gateway....I have a secure server with SSL, but I still need an electronic gateway to a processing server! Like I told the domain host when they messed up my chat server...if they were any closer, I'd come over there and set it up myself! Oh well, I can only hope that they get this done ASAP as many folks are much more comfortable purchasing that way. I must thank all of you who have trusted me enough to send me personal checks, it shows great faith on your part and as of yet that has gone perfectly smoothly...no troubles on my end or on the end of the consumers! I may start a section soon with customer comments that I've gathered over the couple months....all of it is positive...some so positive that to read it causes me to blush slightly. :^) Just one little vent.....I almost hate to mention it, but it's on my mind and thus I will share it with you! First, I hate superlatives...the best....the most....the biggest...the finest...the most comprehensive, etc. Sure, when these are truths, they are cause for people to rightfully be very proud. Used the way I am seeing them tossed about on the internet, they should be cause for embarrassment! When I checked out a site the other day, one that the proprietor asked me to write for, I was amazed to see that his brand new and tiny site boasted right at the top of the page "The Internet's Most Comprehensive Surf Fishing Site!" I almost choked! By what measure is this decided? Is there some source where this information is decided? What's the link? This just bothers me to no end. Including Surf Talk, there are over 2100 pages here...30 MB's of fishing information, pictures, and links....32,000 links, both internal and external. No doubt, some of the most experienced and well versed surf fishermen in the United States...others from around the globe! Yet, until I find this source of these superlatives, I wouldn't dare proclaim "The biggest surf fishing site on the Internet!" I don't know why others find this a necessity....they ought to be ashamed of themselves. If I had a little more time, I would do some research and find out by what measure these other folks are proclaiming these falsities. It's sad that people take such low regard for their readers that they have to lie to them in this fashion. If I can determine for a fact this was the biggest or most comprehensive surf fishing site, I would still be hesitant to put that up on the top of the page or in a magazine ad as to be totally honest and fair, this measure would have to be checked each and every day....I can tell you right now that the folks who proclaim these superlatives have no interest whatsoever in honesty...they just feel like blowing thier own horns...it's sad, I respect the people that come here, I think they deserve the truth in it unadulterated form...not some string of superlative aimed at putting other sites down. If you ever see anything like that proclaimed anywhere on this site, it will also contain a link to the information used to measure the claim that I am making...I promise! Respect of the readers, a community...blowing your own horn when the truth is not even an issue is not the best way to build a family..... Sincerely, |
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It's Saturday, not usually
a day I do this page, but I have a few things to tell you! First,
the new
Also, I received yesterday another big box of Lex Lures, the exclusive colors...and the first batch of "stubbies" is here! This guy works fast...Tony must be part beaver the way he goes through wood! :) So, this schoolbus exclusive color...it's perfect, exactly what I asked for...the pictures are all taken, all cropped...1/2 edited! They will be finished today and up on the Lex pages by this evening. He also delivered some in black-n-purple, and pencil poppers in the exclusive color of red head/white body. You guys are gonna love this, he's making colors and plugs just for you folks here...they won't be available anywhere else, ever. I'm going to swim the prototype of a super secret cool looking lure today...if I can find some water! Once the swimming and casting tests are done....changes will be implemented...and we'll do it again. When they are finished testing...that's casting and swimming testing...Tony will make me a batch for you guys. Their fish catching ability will be an unknown...they are designed after an excellent fish catching lure, they look to me to be a unique and fishy looking lure...bottom line, they will not have been tested on actual fish! Oh, they will be, as soon as the fish get active again...so all you guys that buy them in the beginning will be pioneers! :) Some folks
are having some problems getting to the chat area...here's a repeat from
earlier in the week as to the IE5.0 fix: DPowell, That's it, just a brief one, it is Saturday! I might be hitting the suds tonight...a sadistic February hunt for a surf caught keeper in NJ. I did threaten to land a keeper in February a while back...I may make my effort this evening! I'll keep ya posted! Have a good one folks, thanks to all of you for the many ways in which the help this site to grow! :) Sincerely, Tim Surgent |
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I was informed this morning that Valentine's Day is but 7 days away...if that's not "fair warning" I don't know what is! :) See, my lovely wife Carole understands how busy I am and will most likely warn me at least once a day for the next few days. After that, I am on my own! I will need to get her Valentine's present today or tomorrow as once she stops reminding me, it will be too late...and that would be unforgivable! Valentine's Day is an excellent time to start racking up brownie points for the upcoming season....be creative, they love that! :) First, send them something in a public place, like work for instance. Women love to receive gifts...especially in a place where other women will see these "trophies." I refer to them as trophies as I have been witness to the ladies exiting from Carole's school on Valentine's Day, birthdays, and those "just because" days...those with flowers will carry them like Hiesman Trophies...those without will sneak out, heads down. You can guess which husbands just added incrementally to their brownie points and which just dipped into the brownie jar to make a heavy point withdrawal. Don't get caught in the latter group, the trip those points may cost you could be the potential blitz of the season...collect point heavily from now until at least Mother's Day...then you can start to cash them in...not a moment sooner. Extremely early trips shouldn't count again your cache of points, exclaim them as fact finding missions, not real fishing trips. You will be able to get away with this for only so long. Once you begin to speak of successes while fact finding, the fairer sex will consider the trips as bona fide fishing trips...the removal of brownie points starts here. A diligent brownie point collector will have enough to get them through even the longest season...but it is a work in progress...never will a wise collector let an opportunity to add points slip through their hands! Points not withstanding, always treat your wife/girlfriend like a lady, with respect and dignity. You shouldn't collect points for doing this...it is natural and understood that they deserve this. Offers to help with the cleaning...a good source of point collection...one I specialize in. Vacuum when she's not expecting it....throw in an extra load of laundry on occasion...fold them and put them away and the points will nearly triple! If you have children, offer to fend them off yourself a night a week and tell the lovely wife to just relax...whether she wants to catch a movie with the girls (an excellent option, it sometimes saves you from having to endure a tearful "girly" movie as well!)...or maybe she just wants to take a bubble bath...whatever, give her the night off. Shiny things and/or precious gems are desperate measures and should be used only as the season approaches to pad those points already accumulated...they will directly affect your cash flow and if your present tackle needs some tending to, purchases of precious gems could have you out there in middle of a blitz with old mono line or a reel that needed some tending to but was ignored. In all seriousness, our ladies are important, make them feel that way and they will rarely balk when you want to go fishing! Without our ladies, even fishing is an empty proposition.... I hope this helps, it's time...Valentine's is right around the corner, put some effort into this one, you will thank me in May! :) No fishing this past weekend, it was just too cold! Charlie and I did swim a few plugs in the river, just to see them...the big winner in my book was the Lex Style swimmer in 2oz...it was amazing! It was also the only swimmer I tested (told you it was cold!). The new one that Tony and I are working on has lots of promise, but it's still a little too buoyant in the front third...a problem getting it's head down. Once I got it's head down, it slithered seductively from side to side as it made forward progress...excellent...just what I wanted it to do! Now we gotta get it's head down a little and it will be a killer! The big hit over the weekend was the debut of the schoolbus colored Lex Style swimmer that I put up on the Lex Pages...even I was drooling when Tony first showed that one to me. I just put them up, I'm already down to but one single schoolbus left! I'm hoping to get this color in Fatboy, Dani Style, and Lex Style...but for now, I just have the Lex Style. I'm also prodding Tony to make that color for me in the 1oz Lex Style swimmer. It's a beautiful color and my reasoning for having him make that exclusively for this site is to encourage more of you to fish wood at night. I was told long ago that swimmers are only for daytime fishing...even then I refused to believe it and caught many fine bass at night with Hahn Surfsters...there's nothing wrong with fishing wood at night, the bass still respond to the surface disturbance in a big way! I got a call from the credit card processing folks on Friday...the package is in the mail! It's just another day or so and this site will be able to accept credit card purchase, online, through a secure server! I haven't had any problem with you folks sending me checks...and I did not expect any, you guys are top notch and first class...but I knew that from the beginning. I need to finish up the shopping cart setup which is quite time consuming but will make your shopping here much easier. A note about the many jigs that I sell here. First, as I've always said, mine are just plain better than 90% of what you can find elsewhere. I just found out why! Besides all of them being exactly the same as the ones I use while hunting stripers, I found that most companies use long shank, non-forged hooks! That's why they are weak, a forged hook is much stronger than a non forged hook...the bend is actually "hammered" flat when viewed from the side. This adds incrementally to the strength of the bend, which is the part that ultimately may be holding the trophy of your lifetime...why chance it to an unforged hook! Not to mention, a long shanked un-forged hook! Long shank hooks are much easier to open, the leverage a fish can gain with a long shank is often enough to open the hook. A hook need not open much to give a fish it's freedom. Like many of you, I learned these lessons the hard way, I hope to be able to save some of you from having to do so! The
new It's solid winter out there, even my Saturday sanity trips to north Jersey to fly fish for trout have had to be postponed...sanity.....can't hang on.....much longer......must fish soon. Yup, hanging by a thread! The reason the trout fishing has been postponed is that all the rivers that I normally fish are reported to be frozen...can't get much nymphin' done are hard water! I am wondering if Round Valley is frozen...I'll have to check Augie from the Round Valley Trout Association. If anyone ever wondered about that great reservoir, Augie is the man to ask. If you ever wanted to be a part of a club that has a very positive influence on the water they fish, RVTA can't be beat. The entire club focuses on that one body of water...others as well, but most of their efforts and attention go to Round Valley issues. Charlie and I fished had been driving by there for over a decade...never really stopped and paid attention to the lake though, it's a big fella'! One time two years ago, we decided to drag my 14' Duranautic up there and give the place a once over. We had no ideas about the lake specifically...we just bought some herring at a local shop, grabbed out lightest of spinning rods, and made it up as we went along. Somehow, we managed to land about 25 trout that day...most of them over 18"...I had one rainbow that measured 23". We also both caught our first lake trout...and we were hooked. Before the next weekend, we had both joined RVTA in an effort to learn more about this great fishery that we had overlooked for so many years. We went back about 10 more times that winter/spring. We did very, very well each time up there. Augie immediately began answering my barrage of questions...with a smile I must say. I quizzed him on bottom contour, lake trout, brown trout, the big rainbows, forage species, and about 100 other questions. He was most helpful! RV had a hold on Charlie and I and we couldn't get enough of it! One day, I had about 20 lakers myself while drifting herring on the bottom...and I had a monster manhandle my little 5' Lami trout rod! It's an impressive fishery...one without a limit to the size of the monsters that live in the 150+ foot depths...and to catch them on a tiny spinning rod is a joy and a pleasure. Recently, I found that they have been studying Kamloops Rainbows for stocking!! For those that don't know about hatchery raised trout...our local trout, the same ones that have always been stocked in RV, they are bread to grow quickly....but thier lifespan is only about 3 years. Kamloops rainbows are a western breed that can live for 10 years or more! These fish were studied, eggs were bought and hatched at the Musky Fish Hatchery, and the lil' guys were stocked (or are to be stocked shortly, I'm not sure). Regardless, these rainbows will take advantage of the heavy Gammarus shrimp populations that live in the flooded timbers at the bottom of the lake...they will grow fat and huge in the upcoming seasons.....giant bodies, small heads...real footballs and fighters! I for one am looking forward to the time when these rainbows have a made the most of the big lake....I can't wait actually! Anyone interested in learning more about these fish or joining RVTA, check out the RVTA page that Augie maintains at the line above...it's a spectacular lake and a great place to unwind while the stripers are deep in thier winter slumber! Sincerely, |
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