Things are lookin' up for the fishin'

July 25, 2000:

The weather forecast for last night looked like one we didn't want to miss...plans were made, stuff was organized, and a fishin' we were going. Unfortunately, the weather didn't pan out the way it was forecast, by 9pm the waves were still only about 1 1/2-2 feet, the wind still 5kts NE...not quite the snotty, rainy mess we were expecting! Regardless, we had some crabs to burn up. The first spot had Paul, Charlie, and I each with but one oversized rat-tailed flounder to show for our efforts. Not discouraged but getting later, I let Charlie take my truck home to pick up his car and Paul and I headed north in his truck. We set up camp some miles north of where we first started. It certainly looked more promising than the first attempt. Sure enough, I didn't get my second line out and the first was being beaten up. I missed the hit...it wasn't quite a bass hit but was more aggressive than a skate. I got the second rod out and started to rebait the first...and the second gets jiggled. I land a nice fluke, an eater that Paul quickly put aside for dinner. He tells me he likes other fishes...but his lil one's will eat the fluke while daddy eats the fishier fishes. So be it, the fluke had gobbled the crab deeply into it's gut anyway. As I'm rebaiting that one, the first one goes down good...and then pops up....rats! Missed that one too! Reel in the first one, finish rebaiting the second and now the first as well. And I put them both in together, that way I could be ready for either one to go. A couple minutes later, the first one gets hit again...and I miss it. Paul tells me he caught a weakfish and it's beginning to make sense, they travel in ravenous packs and must be what was beating up my baits! After numerous missed shots, it gets a little quieter. Paul moves his gear down my way and we're shooting the breeze when the Loomis gets bent over....hard...and the drags screamin'! Yeeeeehaaaa, that's what we've been waiting for! It looked to be a good one, too! I wrestle the rod outta the spike...and it's gone! :( I'll never understand how a fish can be so stuck one second and so gone the next. At least now we knew the good stuff was around. The first rod gets hit again and I hooked this one...but it was nothing more than a monstrous sea robber. Then Paul gets a good shot and the rod stayed down....he landed a keeper who was put aside alongside the fluke from earlier on. And then it got really quiet...nothing else...not a hit. At least the water was moving well here, I made a note to stop back there next time out. 

     Well the wind's blowing steadier now, the waves are nearing 5 feet....the rain's likely to get steadier....it certainly sounds like a good night to get out and throw plugs and rigged eels. It'll be tough to leave all the crabs home, but it must be done...I've not thrown strictly lures in quite a spell now and have a hankerin' to do so. Hardy's coming down tonight, he'll throw lures till his arms fall off...I must do it, it needs to be done! Couldn't ask for better conditions, so long as the weeds and the junk doesn't get all up in the suds, we should do quite well tonight. I haven't had a good night throwing eels yet this year...we've caught some fish, but not real steadily, just one here, one there. I'm optimistic that this evening could be very different. We're certainly due to run into a pack of ravenous stripers, it's been a while. The crab fishing is new and different...and comes with a load of confidence right from the start, but there's nothing like having plugs and rigged eels mauled every couple casts....I'm looking forward to it.

  Hey, if you folks find any problems as you are surfing around here, please let us know, we try to get them ironed out immediately, but we can't if we aren't aware of them, so please let us know! Send and email to webmaster@stripersonline.com and let us know the problem and where it occurred, we'll fix it right up! 

    The Fling pictures are being scanned right now....and edited as well! The peelurs are popping with reckless abandon, I'm gonna need some help fishing all these things if they don't slow down. We're flat outta the black Ultimus 10" eels but have them ordered from everyone who can get them. And we're going to be adding a few new sections to the site and a bunch of new features to  SurfTalk! Check out the e-SurfAuction, there's a bunch of Yozuri's there...and some fly lines...and for some reason, it looks like one of the guys is selling off a ton of his lures?!?!?  Cms, you takin' up golf or just cleaning out the old tackle box? ;^)

   Coming soon: 
My review of the nice rod that Tres from Hatteras Outfitters sent me.
New features and an upgrade for SurfTalk.
Another poll....possibly a weekly poll...it's good to know what you guys are thinkin'!
The Spring Fling 2000 page....yup, with pictures.
New items for the catalog, nearly ever day we're adding stuff there!
Revamping of the entire archive section.
Crazy Alberto pictures....yes, he is crazy, I doubt that's even a nickname ;-)
And just plain lots and lots more...if you can think of anything that you'd like to see here, please let us know, we're eager to help!

Sincerely,

Tim Surgent

Gettin' tougher to get outta here?!

July 26, 2000:

  Sadly, I didn't make it out last evening with Hardy...and that's a shame, I really wanted to go! It's just tough to leave here with so much to do and so much going on, I'm figuring the more I get done now, the more likely I'll be able to get out in the fall. Yea, it's sad, but it's also a good thing, we're growing here everyday, adding new faces, new items, and working on new features....and that's nothing but good! Rich's report didn't sound like I missed much fishing, but the company is always good with him, he's a determined fisherman, you'll rarely find him with out his lure in the water. If it isn't in the water, he's changing the color of his MegaBait....that's almost all he throws anymore, a true convert, a believer in the magic of the MegaBait! We've just recently added another color to the 6" and 7" MegaBaits, they call it "schoolbus", I call it yellow shad...a schoolbus color it is not, but it is the only one with a good showing of yellow!

(Shown here: 7" and 6" MegaBait Long Distance Plugs in "Schoolbus"  we're calling the color "Yellow Shad"...they really don't look like schoolbus colors, now do they? ;-)  

      I'll be re-doing all the MegaBait photos to reflect the new sizes and new flavors that we've recently begun to carry. Also, the 5 1/2" Minnow Style MB's are due...any day now! These are going to be killer plugs, the 4 1/2" size has already proven the fish's susceptibility to the colors and action...the fishermen have testified to the superior casting qualities...and now, they'll be 1 inch longer and weigh 1 1/4 ounces! Yeeehaaaa, the fish are gonna rue the day these things hit the street, they'll no longer be safe, even a long way from the beach! I'll let you know when I get the first delivery, I've got back orders out the wazoo for them which will be filled with the first delivery....and we'll make sure there's enough to really be ready for you folks that haven't ordered them yet!

As the Fling pictures were finished, I came across some nice ones of Paul Naj, doin' the crab thing. That morning was an eye opener to Charlie and I, it was the first time we got to see what a true shedder's claw looked like. Sure, it had been described to us as "looking like cooked lobster meat"...but that wasn't real clear. Paul showed us that the claw under the shell should look just like the piece of claw you snapped off...the firmer the better! Also, some other hints to look for was a purplish tint on the inside of the claws on the smaller crabs...the bigger crabs almost always have that purplish tint, the lil guys only have it when they are ready to burst! Since that morning, we've become quite proficient at gathering prime shedders...almost too proficient during times we can't get out and fish much!

Paul Naj, landing a decent striper who couldn't resist the lure of the "peelur"!

   Can you believe July is almost behind us already? Man, time flies! It was this time last year that the suds were inundated with billions of tiny peanuts (baby bunker, a.k.a. "nuts") From what I'm hearing, there are billions of them in the rivers and bays...and the fish are also aware of this. If there's one thing that will get the attention of every single fish in an area, it's tiny peanut bunker...they are full of fat and school so tightly that the pickins are easy! If you're looking for some decent night time action, take an occassional gander at some of your local rivers/bays....you never know just what you might find! Also, look for these lil guys to grow quickly and hopefully, they'll start to filter outta the back waters and come on out front where everything out there will corner them and have their way with them...and look for the fly action to get very interesting when they do! 

    Hey, if you folks find any problems as you are surfing around here, please let us know, we try to get them ironed out immediately, but we can't if we aren't aware of them, so please let us know! Send and email to webmaster@stripersonline.com and let us know the problem and where it occurred, we'll fix it right up! 

    The Fling pictures are being scanned right now....and edited as well! We're flat outta the black Ultimus 10" eels but have them ordered from everyone who can get them. And we're going to be adding a few new sections to the site and a bunch of new features to  SurfTalk! Check out the e-SurfAuction, there's a bunch of Yozuri's there...and some fly lines...and for some reason, it looks like one of the guys is selling off a ton of his lures?!?!?  Cms, you takin' up golf or just cleaning out the old tackle box? ;^) **Update, it seems CMS is not taking up golf, but his significant other has begun to notice exactly how much tackle he's accumulated! Oh, the humanity, one of our realest fears has come true!?!? Be careful folks, gotta hid all those new shiny lures lest they find their way to the auction block! ;-) It's a nice bunch of stuff, check it out!

Sincerely,

Tim Surgent

Monofilament woes....

July 28, 2000:

After a dusk and then a dawn of some pretty interesting peelur fishing, a run at throwing plugs and rigged eels was necessary...just to see. One of the big selling points of this trip was the fact that Charlie and I had been raking in the area and seeing a good number of big sand eels...and an occassional fish chasing them down. Sand eels are without a doubt one of the best baits to have in residence where you fish. They are tasty, they take up residence and will stay in the area for a couple weeks or more...and fish of all sizes will stuff their faces with them. Imitation of them is easy, almost anything thin will do...smallish rigged eels, needlefish, stubby needles, bombers, Yozuris...almost anything! I got one in the rake the other morning, it was over 5" long...we haven't seen sand eels that long in quite a while. The last time I remember them that big was 1998...and there was some good fishing with them!  The rigged eel fishing was pretty good that year, the Felmlee "little green eels" as I call them produced many fish...and some nice ones. That fall, with the sand eels in residence on the beaches of Orltey, Brick, Normandy, and Seaside, there was a very consistent morning bite along with an excellent pick of fish all night long. Seems once the eels are entrenched on a stretch of beach, the fish will fall into a groove...and it was nice to be able to count on them! Once a year, I'll spool up a spinning reel with mono...I know I'll curse it, I know I'll miss hits and lose fish with it...but there's just something wholesome about throwing plugs on mono...something that brings me back to a time before braids.  First thing I was reminded of was how much distance I'd lose on each cast! After I fired each one, the mono leaving the spool would make some noise as it left...the plug sailing...me watching for the splash...but for the first 5 or so casts, I was expecting the plug to land a lot further out than it actually did! Reason number 1 why I prefer braid, 30-40% further casts with the same effort! Then, even with the stiff NE wind and the "rubber band" as I call mono, I managed to get a good hit...and I whiffed, just bending the rod enough to feel something on the other end. Reason number two why braid is better, in the wind, even with the belly, the braid has no stretch and puts you in contact with the fish faster. No big deal, I've missed plenty of fish before. A bit later, I miss another one. Then after Paul released the first lil' striper of the night, I had 4 hits in a row on a little green Felmlee rigged eel. I missed 2 of them, stuck one that bent the rod for a couple seconds and then fell off, and missed the 4th one. Now I was gettin' a little frustrated with the mono. Reason three why braid is better...it sinks hooks with less effort! I trade that rod for my conventional, the one I usually throw rigged eels with...and now I couldn't buy a hit with the same cast I just had 4 hits in 4 casts...go figure? Back to plugs....and I miss 3 more hits. Paul lands a small weakfish on a teaser....and braid! ;-) 

    We're off to a new spot, the rain coming a little more steadily...Paul stops at the truck for rain gear. About 4 casts from the new spot and I get creamed, rear back and bend the rod good! It's about time I got one stuck with the mono...and it feels like a decent fish, not giving an inch from where I stuck it! Just as Paul asks what it hit...it just falls off!?!?! I reel in, cut the leader of the rod, and replace the spool with the braid that I've actually become reliant upon. It seems that once you fish braid for so many years, asking mono to do the same job is nearly impossible. You get used to setting the hook in a deliberate but not exaggerated motion with braid...you forget that you have to really swing and then follow through with mono! These lessons are hard to learn after years of not using mono. With my spool of braid back on there, where it will now remain until next year when I try the same experiment, I then hook a substantial weakfish a few casts later...and I land it and release it...but sadly, it's now time to go home. Lesson learned, notes made, mono is for bait fishing! ;-)

   The Fling pictures are nearing completion...and here's but one of them. Mind you, this was the nastiest weather and fishing conditions that a good number of the Flingers have ever fished in, the rain and the wind and the big waves just kept pounding...till we ended up at 7-11. And that's a whole 'nother story! We had coffee...ate a huge pile of Krispy Kremes (which, BTW, are not better than Dunkin' Donuts! :P) and took some pictures when the bunnies showed up. I had nothing to do with the arrival of the bunnies....honest! Sometimes things like this just happen in Belmar in the summer.....

     Hey, if you folks find any problems as you are surfing around here, please let us know, we try to get them ironed out immediately, but we can't if we aren't aware of them, so please let us know! Send and email to webmaster@stripersonline.com and let us know the problem and where it occurred, we'll fix it right up! 

    The Fling pictures are being scanned right now....and edited as well! We're flat outta the black Ultimus 10" eels but have them ordered from everyone who can get them. And we're going to be adding a few new sections to the site and a bunch of new features to  SurfTalk! Check out the e-SurfAuction, there's a bunch of Yozuri's there...and some fly lines...and for some reason, it looks like one of the guys is selling off a ton of his lures?!?!?  Cms, you takin' up golf or just cleaning out the old tackle box? ;^) **Update, it seems CMS is not taking up golf, but his significant other has begun to notice exactly how much tackle he's accumulated! Oh, the humanity, one of our realest fears has come true!?!? Be careful folks, gotta hid all those new shiny lures lest they find their way to the auction block! ;-) It's a nice bunch of stuff, check it out!

Sincerely,

Tim Surgent

Fun in the suds....

July 31, 2000:

     Sometimes fishing should just be fun...not a lot of work dragging your butt out on a long jetty or hoofing through a mile or so of soft sand...just plain fun. When it comes to that kinda fun, not much can beat wet wading in a shallow surf in the middle of the night, throwing the smallest plugs and teasers on the lightest outfit you own. Actually, the only thing that woulda made it better is if we did stick to our original plans of doing it with fly rods...that can be more fun that even the lightest spinning gear...but we got a late start (like that's something new!) and decided to just explore a bit with the light stuff.  We decided on the Fling area as there have been more than a few encouraging reports from that area...and we've been seeing good signs while raking crabs there. The tide was very low...the waves only 1-2 feet...and the hole we were gonna fish was pretty much bone dry. This didn't really bother me, but Charlie was doubtful, concerned that there was "no water"....but he hooked up first and soon his worries were all gone! The fish weren't big, they weren't thick, but they did have stripes all over them and that's what we were there for! We walked the shallow suds for a couple hours, casting here, moving there...and trying all sorts of different plug/teaser combos...and had just enough bites and bent rods to really enjoy it. The big winners were the dark shad MegaBait plug and the chartreuse over white bucktail deceiver. Most fish ate the teasers...but an occassional one would grab the plug.

   My first hookup ended up being a "double"...one on the plug and one on the teaser...unfortunately, the one on the plug won the tug of war with the one on the teaser and he and the plug left town :( After releasing the one on the teaser, about 23" (average size), I eyeballed the water where these two fish had grabbed my rig...it wasn't more than knee deep. Turns out, many of the fish we landed were in water under 2 feet deep...and they preferred the white foamy stuff to the deeper stuff. The deep/calm water seemed to be full of hickory shad, the bass were feeding in the shallows. At some point, Charlie stuck something substantial...it left the hole, went out over the bar and continued east...until his snap opened! Yea, I've told him to close them with pliers...but we all have to learn our own lessons...repeatedly! He did land the small one that was either the second half of that double or grabbed the teaser once the big gal was off the rig. So, we walked the suds, caught stripers, weaks, small rat bluefish, nice sized fluke, and hickory shad...and we did it till our backs were sore. The next night, we did the same thing...including getting started later than we should have! 

   First cast the second night, Charlie busted off a fish! Oopps! About 20 casts into my evening, I stuck a decent one on a very shallow flat...and I felt the rig get stopped again as a second one grabbed onto either the plug or teaser as the first fish was leaving town! That didn't last long, the one that grabbed the plug (as I'd later find out) had busted off leaving me just the fish on the teaser. That was ok with me, the one on the teaser was substantial enough to burn line out of the hole, over the bar and down the beach some.  It was a great fight, really enjoyable on the light steelhead rod. Lots of running and lots of head shakes later, I got to pull the Silicone Spearing outta the mouth of a nice striper, 15#'s on my scale. Yea, that's not a big striper in anyone's book...but on this tackle in the shallow suds in the middle of the night, it was a pleasure to meet this one! We finished up the night just as we did the night before, walking the suds, landing numerous stripers, tiny weaks, big shad, and large fluke. Nothing enormous, no great numbers, but just plain fun......

Coming soon: 
My review of the nice rod that Tres from Hatteras Outfitters sent me.
New features and an upgrade for SurfTalk.
Another poll....possibly a weekly poll...it's good to know what you guys are thinkin'!
The Spring Fling 2000 page....yup, with pictures.
New items for the catalog, nearly ever day we're adding stuff there!
Revamping of the entire archive section.
Crazy Alberto pictures....yes, he is crazy, I doubt that's even a nickname ;-)
And just plain lots and lots more...if you can think of anything that you'd like to see here, please let us know, we're eager to help!

Sincerely,

Tim Surgent