Married to an angel....and reports for the fling area!

May 18, 2000:

   Yesterday my lovely wife and I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary. Thanks to all the well wishers on SurfTalk, you guys rule ;^)  Yes, God blessed this salty soul with an absolute treasure, Carole is more than everything I was looking for in a wife. Thank you honey for these past 4 years and I look forward to the next 50 or so with you...

    Seems while I'm busy preparing for the Fling, many are "sampling" the Fling area and much as I was hoping, the reports are getting better and better with each returning report! It could, it might, it may just happen the way I've seen it before. The fish are moving around...and they are certainly becoming more prevalent on the beaches each night...we might just have timed the Fling for the peak of this current activity bubble...now wouldn't that be nice? ;) There are keepers being taken on plugs and on bait....and hopefully, on flies that they just aren't currently being offered! It looks good folks, all the forecasts are calling for ample cloud coverage, the SE wind yesterday shook things up just enough, and we should all be fishing in some nice stuff! Yea, it may rain, it may drizzle, but with the full moon earlier this am (3:30am roughly) we'll need the drizzle, clouds, and/or rain to really score. Bring some dry stuff, bring a towel...nothing beats drying your face and head between spots! The fish are eating bombers, MegaBaits, Yozuri's, teasers, and I'm sure, clams and bunker. I've only gotten a few first hand reports, but they all speak of activity...and each report is better than the last...just the way we'd hoped! Tonight, no matter what, Dubs and I will give the Fling area an honest working over, we need to, it's almost mandatory!  Tomorrow I'll give you my official take on what to expect...  At last look, the forecast for tomorrow is looking snottier than previously anticipated! We might find ourselves throwing clams if this new forecast comes to fruition! Bring rain gear! 

   Tonight, 12:00 midnight, the tournament season gets underway for the clubs fish the invitational tournaments. We updated the page and included this seasons tournament schedule. To all the club members that read this page, let's get out there and try to start the tournament season off with a win! We've got the guys, we've got some talent, we just need to put the rubber to the road and we should have our best tournament season yet! This tournament is hosted by Steven's Surfcasters, so it's oceans only, no rivers or bays...and the minimum size for the two stripers you can weigh is 28". If anyone doesn't have a valid NJ Bonus Fish card, they can only weigh one striper at 28" or better. People will ignore this law and weigh two stripers without the bonus card, don't be among them! We should encourage the tackle shops to not allow this, but I would rather see clubs take care of this from the inside, encouraging their own members to not break the law. We can only worry about our own, just the way it should be. I do this it's great that all the clubs have agreed not to accept the baby striper of 24" as allowable in the tournaments, that does my heart good!  

  New things on the catalog...and more coming! I just finished adding the Bomber page...including the much spoken about Schoolbus bomber...also, 6" Long Distance MegaBaits were added. Coming soon, Fin-S-Fish, snaps, swivels, Korkers, and yes, finally the fluorocarbon!

  I received the first of the MegaBait jigs yesterday...and all I can say is WOW! I've never seen metal jigs that looked as fishy as these do, and they are cheaper than similar sized Crippled Herring. The finish on these is protected so well that I doubt even the toothy aggressors will be able to mess it up! Very nice indeed! I immediately took some photos and put the page together for you guys that throw metal jigs. We will carry the 1 1/2, 2 1/2, and 3 1/2 oz jigs for now...if there's any call from you guys for the big fellas, I'll get the 4 1/2oz jigs in ASAP!

Sincerely

The Flingers and the Bunnies

May 20, 2000:

     UPDATE: Now carrying Yozuri's! 5 1/4" Floating Crystal Minnows, $6.99! 5 1/4" Floating Tobimaru's, $8.49!! Cheapest prices I've seen!!! Yozuri 5 1/4" Suspending Crystal Minnows, $7.49! Pages will be up by Monday. Also, Fireline, 14, 20, and 30# - just $14.49! Trilene Big Game line, clear or green,  1/4# spools, $7.49!  We're gonna keep on addin' stuff......

   The new    is up! Gotta love DPowell and his humor...meeting him, he was just like I thought he'd be....just as funny, just as sincere, and somehow Bill Klein managed to keep DPowell's fingers outta the Krispy Kremes for the entire Fling! ;^)

   The morning of the 20th found me sound asleep...and man, did I need the rest! The is now behind us, the weather was as mean as it gets, but to the 55 or so guys that made it, it was a complete success! Yea, it was windy...it was cold...the fishing was difficult as we guessed it might be with a 20+kt wind blowing all day prior to the Fling...but we all got meet each other! I wasn't ready for the sight of nearly 50 guys standing on the side of Ocean Avenue in Spring Lake and we got there....it's less than 10% of the registered members on SurfTalk, but it was quite a site! It was my pleasure to shake the hands of so many fine fellas, got to meet some people who I've known for over a year online and now have a face to put with the name...I sincerely thank all of you, I was duly impressed! So, did I mention it was nasty out?  The wind chill was easily in the 30's, the waves were an easy 6 feet, the wind blowing NE at about 20-25kts...not real good for plugging to say the least! The sweep from north to south was such that even 8oz of lead was getting rolled like a split shot in some places, other places you could fish 6oz just fine. Team "Bumps and Bruises" (GMiller's team ;^)) had fish right away, while my crew was working just 50 yds south of them didn't get a hit. Being one of the last teams to start, we had to drive past my first 4 choices of starting location...DaveS had his crew in my first choice of location (note to self: next time, get "locals" who don't live around here to be team captains!) Some teams scored, some didn't, some stayed together through the night, some split up....but the biggest shock to me was that two captains that left the Fling area, and just went fishing by themselves. While I would have thought that the volunteers would have stuck it out with their teams, such is life. Sorry to anyone this affected, I'll make sure I get more solid commitments from anyone volunteering to lead a crew of visitors through a night of fishing!

   I'm not sure what the totals were for the Fling as to fish landed, I think GMiller's team did the best, they had, I believe, 9 fish landed, 2 keepers! The big (and most pleasant!) surprise was new striper hunter BobE...Bob had never fished for or landed a striper, he was looking forward to his first during the Fling. Lead by the formidable Captain Bumps & Bruises himself, BobE had 2 keeper stripers! His first two stripers, both keepers! These guys fished hard, they fished lots of water, and they were rewarded for their efforts. From my team Squidlips and Gooddog headed south together to fish promising waters...I heard they had landed a 30" fish early, but have no idea how they fared for the rest of the time out, I'll know more as the details trickle in! Charlie and I, encouraged by the serious lack of sleep for the prior 48 hours, went home at 4:30am to sleep...any more for me and I'd have been face down in the sand somewhere, just no way to make the whole thing for me! By that time, 80% of the Flingers had gone home, the ones who wanted to fish were still fishing, and we were toast. Bill Klein and Dave Powell are indeed two of the finest fellas I've come across, it was our pleasure to make their acquaintance, in fact, we thoroughly enjoyed meeting each and every one of you! So many came from so far, I only wish that the weather was more becoming of a beach side Fling!

  For the guys that made it to the midnight meeting spot, some of the pain was erased when the truck pulled up with the 4 Playboy models....but that's a story we'll go into when the pictures are developed! ;^)  And no, I had nothing to do with this, just one of those funny twists of fate that seem to find folks that refuse to go to sleep just cause one day turned into the next as the hand of the clock point straight up......and I smile thinking of the girls posing with the Flingers...and that keeper bass posing with the girls and the Flingers....the pictures should tell the story better than this still groggy Flinger......

  New things on the catalog...and more coming! I just finished adding the Bomber page...including the much spoken about Schoolbus bomber...also, 6" Long Distance MegaBaits were added. Coming soon, Fin-S-Fish, snaps, swivels, Korkers, and yes, finally the fluorocarbon! **Pictures just added to the Bomber page - as requested!

Sincerely,

Tim Surgent

May 22, 2000:

  As promised, the    page is up! I doubt you can find these anywhere for the prices we'll sell them here! These prices may end up being introductory, but at the moment, we're planning on selling them for this price until further notice! Also, pictures were added to the Bomber page. Next addition - Uncle Josh Pork Rinds....and yes, I found some black ones! ;^)

   Much going on, there's been some "issues" on , but they were quickly rectified, imagine some poor soul taking pot shots at me for simply protecting the best interest of the 500 folks registered there? Takes all kinds. What some people may not realize is that there are laws against vandalism, even online! We haven't yet had to prosecute someone for the malicious mischief that folks feel moved to post, but rest assured, besides the 15 or so lawyers registered, I know a few others personally...finding one in your area shouldn't be too difficult! I hate to have to write this stuff, but I'd like those with mal intent to consider themselves warned...much as all our momma's taught us, if you don't have something nice to say, then don't say anything! We want everyone to feel comfortable posting here and will make every effort to keep it that way, please don't test us. 

  I left up the page from the weekend for all you folks that didn't get a chance to read it, there were a couple small changes made as some more details filtered in! It was a big success, even though conditions were mean and nasty, it went extremely well and we are all looking forward to the next Fling! Have a most excellent Monday folks!

Sincerely,

Tim Surgent 

May 24, 2000:

    You just gotta love all this rainy, cool, and damp weather...it's like Washington state out there for over a week! I'll take this kinda weather of that muggy, hot, and stifling stuff that's on it's way in the near future! The fishing, since the Fling, has gotten pretty good. As it turns out, the next morning, the Sunday morning following the Fling, we still had a bunch of shucked clams lying around...I thought I'd give 'em a try. Hey, I had a brand new "Born to Clam" t-shirt thanks to JohnB, I might as well try and live up to it! I was surprised to see how nice the water had become, it was ideal for almost anything you wanted to throw in it. All I had was the clams so I proceeded. The fishing right in the Fling area was very good, and I'm at least the second worst bait fisherman alive, Charlie still swears he reserves the top rank here, but I assure you, I'm not far behind! Regardless, I managed 7 keepers to 12#'s...most of the keepers were right around that size...and 2 shorts. Not too shabby considering I was still mentally handicapped from the efforts involving the Fling and the fact that I'm just plain lousy when it comes to clammin'! 

   Last night, Paul and I got out for a few hours...to throw plugs. I did put on the "Born to Clam" t-shirt, you know, just to check it for possible "luck" before relegating it to the closet. I have a witness, I really did wear this shirt, all night long! Anyway, we had tough conditions...you know, the good kind. South winds from 15-20kts, nice waves slopping up the jetties...good plugging water. We fished but one spot north of Belmar, but we scored there. Nothing great, but a good number of bites. Paul ended up with 8 landed, I had a meager 5 count on the rocks. Between us, I think there were 3 keepers released, and some fat shorts. The preferred the schoolbus bomber over all else...except for a few minutes where I was getting creamed on a green mackerel Yozuri Mag Minnow on every cast! I only landed one of those shots, but man, they were plowing that thing! I don't like the giant hooks that come on that lure, after missing/losing a number of fish, I changed to normal #1 Mustad 3X hooks...but the fish decided that for some reason, they had seen enough of the speedy mackerel! We got wet, laughed a bit, caught some fish, and bent some rods.....does it get any better than that?  I doubt it.....

  I began updating a lot of the things that have been gathering dust around here...it's funny how things get overlooked as new things are added! Actually, it's kinda sad, I want to keep the active, a constantly updated biography of the fishes and conquests we make! It will require much time to do, I still have many folks pictures here that need to be added, but I will do it, I love the pictures! If you sent me pictures at any point that aren't yet up on the pages, please accept my apology and send me an email to remind me. I filed many of the photos and it would be a momentous task to try and see which are used and which aren't, you'll save me mucho time! I'm working on changing the main photo page to be much quicker, less JAVA. So far, I've redone my page and Dusky's page...but I'm working on them all in one fashion or another, if you have more pictures or you would like your own photo page, even if you only have one photo, email me and I'll get on it! This is just one of the "old" things I'm renewing.......

  As promised, the    page is up! I doubt you can find these anywhere for these prices! Next addition - Uncle Josh Pork Rinds....and yes, I found some black ones! ;^) Yozuri 5 1/4" Floating Crystal Minnows, $6.99! 5 1/4" Floating Tobimaru's, $8.49!! Yozuri 5 1/4" Suspending Crystal Minnows, $7.49!  Also, Fireline, 14, 20, and 30# - just $14.49! Trilene Big Game line, clear or green,  1/4# spools, $7.49!  Adding new stuff, lowering prices, and just plain trying to make this a better place to shop! Hey, you might as well get yer stuff from the same place you get yer info! ;^) If there's anything you need that's not on here yet, let me know, we're adding new things almost every day!

  New things on the catalog...and more coming! I just finished adding the Bomber page...including the much spoken about Schoolbus bomber...also, 6" Long Distance MegaBaits were added. Coming soon, Fin-S-Fish, snaps, swivels, Korkers, and yes, finally the fluorocarbon! **Pictures just added to the Bomber page - as requested!

Sincerely