Busy weekends and busted rods :(

May 26, 2000:

    Greetings and salutations! It's Friday, the weekend will soon be upon us....unfortunately, so will the masses and throngs of people looking for some rest and relaxation! Sure, they may flock here to the shore for relaxation, but it's the last thing they'll let us "locals" do whilst they inhabit our fair lands....it's every man for themselves, traffic will make a surf-side drive by a nightmare. Stores will be jam packed, parking will be at a premium....all we can do is cross our fingers and pray for rain! ;^) The good thing about the 100,000 people who will come to Belmar and worship the sun....very possibly 60% of them will be of the female persuasion, and a fair number of them will be top notch eye candy. Now if we could just get the other 40% (males) to leave the other ones here, we could probably find Dubs a "keeper"! No matter, he enjoys the hunting. I found my "keeper", turns out she lived within 5 miles of me for the past 20 or so years....and to think, I was looking in all the wrong places for so many years! Anyway, this is a fishin' site, let's get back to the fishin'!

    The past couple of trips have been sort of hodge podge, no real plan, no real effort, just goin' out and throwin' stuff. Paul and I went out a couple nights ago and threw stuff...we had a plan and it worked out ok. I landed 5, he landed 8...and if there's one thing you can count on with Paul, you all get to hear when he puts a whuppin' on me like that ;) Anyway, we started in the suds, to no avail...the 20kt south wind made the suds a lil uncomfortable. We ended up on the rocks, a much better choice. Still, the bass didn't want to do it the easy way, they wanted to be on the south side of the jetty...which would require us to eat many waves and take a pretty thorough beating along the way! The ate schoolbus bombers better than anything else we threw to them....except for a few shining moments when the were banging a green mackerel 1oz Mag Minnow, but they quickly realized Paul didn't have one, I guess they felt sorry for him and went back to eating the schoolbus, so much for my 15 minutes of fame :( Among the 13 fish landed, there were a few of the legal variety, all released.

   The next trip, Dubs and I thought we try some of this (over rated) daylight fishing....boy, talk about disoriented! As much as some folks have trouble fishing at night for not being able to see, I actually have a hard time in the daylight...don't know why, maybe it's my nocturnal ways catching up with me, who knows, but I sure feel outta sorts when casting into a glaring orange ball on the horizon! Not only that, we forgot our sunglasses?!?! The main mission was to hurl some of the new MegaBait Jigs that have had my eye since I got the first 60 or so....each time someone orders a handful, I find myself gazing longingly at the prettiest jigs I ever saw, swearing that but once, I will fish into the daylight, just so I can give these things a test drive. Well we did, we threw them...and man, without reservation, I'll say that both Charlie and I were reaching distances previously un-reached! The 2 1/2oz jig was the weapon we chose, I tried the yellow mackerel, Charlie the black backed one...and we had more than one hit per cast for the entire time we threw them! What ate them you ask? How about all the critters that were in residence on that sandy point that morning! We had bass, blues, sea robins, fluke, and sundials grab them...and a few things that we didn't land and only guess what they were. Much as I expected and have been saying, everything will eat them! I'm now waiting on an order that will round out my collection to include the 1oz and 1 1/2oz MegaBait jigs...I've only got the 2 1/2oz and 3 1/2oz ones right now....and I've got plenty of plans for these fellas...but the 1 and 1 1/2oz ones will allow me to throw these beauties on my little Loomis steelhead rod that I play with in the surf! This is a good thing it turns out, cause when we were in the heated battle with all critters of the suds, my 2 piece 10ft Lami spinning rod just decided to explode! Yup, throwing a 2 1/2oz jig on a rod rated for 2-4 ounces, never nicked or hit the rod, it just exploded when I went to fire another shot into the briny deep....we were almost reaching the herd of unidentified whales that were frolicking off the beach a ways...I'm calling that the briny deep! So, three trips, two rods explode, neither one my fault! Most times a rod blows up on me, I can turn the finger of blame around and wag it in my face...neither occurrence recently could I even fathom what I had done wrong! The rod prior to this one, my 11wt Orvis Trident, after many hundreds, possibly a thousand fish, spread over 3 seasons, on one hookset a few nights ago, it just blew up! I landed the fish...a decent keeper of maybe 8#'s, but I did so with what Charlie was calling, a "blackfish" fly rod! 

   Now, there's the issue of this "funk" that GMiller had been previously enjoying...it seems the funk was transferred to Paul at the Fling when he (unknowingly!) shook Geoff's hand....you shoulda seen the look on Paul's face when he realized what had just happened! No doubt, he felt this funk coursing through his veins upon contact with Geoff's hand...I'm sure he didn't even need to hear Geoff say who he was, it was already done when the hair on Paul's neck started to stand up! This was the beginning! Paul shook the funk after but one night, the Fling night....but me, I had shaken Geoff's hand even before Paul, but I knew who he was going in, I think the funk lie dormant for 24 hours or so for me....but it was there! The next trip fishing I did great, had 7 keepers and 2 shorts in 1 1/2 hours...but that night, while seeking the striped ones with the fly rod, I busted my 11wt :( This marked the beginning of the funk for me...where will it end? That's the question that I am considering now as I type and mentally go over the items in my first aid kit.......

Sincerely

Long Weekends and half hearted efforts

May 30, 2000:
     First things first, the new is up! Yup, it was late, seems when my computer is off and I'm out fishing...Saturday morning sneaks away on me! DP tells me this is the last of the funnies aimed at the Fling...but we're gonna work out something for the "I survived the Fling" type T-shirts that are in the works ;) Good one DP...little did those unicorns know that there were plenty of Krispy Kremes left! 

      Just a little reminder...please let others know about all that we have going on here! It's a great way to help spread the word...the more popular this site becomes, the more we'll be able to offer you here in content and products. Just a lil reminder, it only takes a second to email a couple of your buddies and let 'em know! Thank you in advance!

  So, the long weekend is over, but it is thankfully followed by a short work week...gotta love that! The fishing was just so so over the long weekend for Dubs and I, but we really didn't exert all that much effort :( Busy making changes, rigging tackle, tying flies, relaxing, watching movies, nursing aches and pains...we only managed a few hours in the dark each night...and almost always during the wrong tide! Our fault, the motivation was having a hard time overcoming the urge to just chill out. Nothing big for us, Charlie's 30 1/2" striper was the longest, just making the cut for this past tournament with a 30" minimum length. I had a couple over 29", but without spinal alteration, they wouldn't make 30" no matter how much they looked like they should. Best night? Tough call, either Sunday night in the rivers where we had 15 minutes of very good action with fish up to 30" or Saturday night where we had intermittent action in the suds with fish up to 30 1/2". I think it was probably Saturday night, the action was such that we would get hits for 5 minutes at a time, some good fish were lost, many hits missed, and a smattering of stripers landed. I'm in the process of feeling out a rod sent to me by Tres from Hatteras Outfitters...an evaluation if you will. It's a solid stick, well built, and well designed. It's action is somewhere between my Loomis 108-20C and my Lami XS91MHS. I'm still getting a feel for it, but after the first thousand casts, I'm pleased. It does have the guts to lift a 4# fish up to my hand without me having to climb down to water level to pick it up. I didn't doubt that it would, Tres told me he hung a 4# weight on the tip of it to see if it could do it! It can. The fish have been hitting plugs a little funny lately, I think there's an abundance of tiny bait around and am guessing that the fish are smacking the plugs rather than inhaling them...I missed many hits on Saturday night, many more than I think is normal...but these things happen from time to time when the fish aren't committing to a meal. Time will tell, and I packed a spool of mono with me just to try this rod out with mono as well. It throws 7/8oz and 2 1/2oz equally well, these are the extremes of what I asked it to do so far....I don't think it will throw much below 7/8oz, but I'm sure it will heave 4 or more if required. For sure, it will make a super spinning jigging stick, it's got the backbone to control even a big critter and sinking a big 8/0 hook should be absolutely no sweat! More on the rod as details become available ;^)

  We still haven't run into the giant trout that we were enjoying for a couple weeks...but I'm sure they are still around! We're praying for our good friend Ditch Jigger who's been in the hospital since Friday...a very sudden (and painful!) gall bladder problem! Ouch! I was shocked to turn my PC on Saturday night and find that Mike was in the hospital, suffering as much from not being fishing or online as he was from the pain in his abdomen! Last I heard from him was Friday when he was complaining that he had some whopper of a stomach ache...next thing he's in the hospital! I spoke to him on the phone in the hospital, he's in good spirits, watching TV and resting up...they'll operate on Tuesday (today!) and hopefully he'll be home on Wednesday. At least a week to recover after that, but everything looks good last I spoke to him. Stay tough Ditch, get better my friend! It's these sudden reality checks that like to keep us on our toes and remind us that no matter how much we may feel like, we really aren't the ones pulling the strings ;^) 

  As usual, lots of new stuff going up on the pages, and we're doing our best to get up some new articles and finish catching up on the photo pages. I did fall in love with one of the new lures here, the suspending Yozuri Crystal Minnow. It's a beautiful creation, a real niche filler. 7/8oz and 5 1/4" long, it casts very well for a crystal minnow and the colors it comes in are first for Yozuri. The one that really caught my eye is one that our good friend Plug is certain to take a second look at! It's a beauty, black back, dark gold (reflective) sides, and a strong orange belly...yummy! All the suspending Crystal Minnows have a unique lip, it's far wider than on the previous lures by Yozuri, which will give this one a wider wiggle at slow speeds....and the fact that it will suspend makes it perfect for the jerk and wait portion of my suds retrieve...just wait till the fish see it! ;^) Very pretty...I'll get the pictures up ASAP. I redid pictures last night for the 1oz Dani Style plugs and the 1oz FatBoy plugs...two plugs that will get a lot of use in the upcoming months!

   We had the pleasure of meeting two more southern gentlemen this weekend, Xpeirrat and Wormy (obviously, not their real names, board names used to protect the innocent ;^)) These guys are a real pleasure to hang with, we had a lot of laughs...didn't catch too many fish, but we had a lot of laughs! We only got to fish with them on a couple of occasions, JohnM was their tour guide. I think the conspiracy continues, they both reminded me how much I need to drive down and fish Hatteras...is there no end?!?! ;^) Yes, I will drive down there...as soon as my stripers leave...not a moment sooner...unless, of course, you provide the horror stories on monstrous bass....for that, I may forsake my local haunts and come visit this point I hear so much about ;) 

  I'm looking for results of this weekends tournament as well as details for last weekends tournament. I know we came in second last weekend to Asbury by 20 points...but what were the totals? If someone could first over the results and details for these first two tournaments, I'd be more than happy to post them on their respective pages! Just send them to tims@stripersonline.com  That's it for now, I know I'm forgetting something, but my fingers are running outta steam! 

Sincerely

New things and the hope of big fishes

May 31, 2000:

UPDATE: The Shark River Surf Anglers were victorious in this past weekend's tournament! We came in first, 371 points to Asbury's second place at 310 points. Not too shabby considering the difference in numbers of members! ;^) Jerry Taylor (SRSA) had the big fish at 23#. Last weeks tournament we came in second to Asbury Park...but Jim O'Donnell had the big fish last week with one over 20#'s. Look's like we're gonna be competitors! ;^) 

    As my good friend and fellow sadistic striper hunter, RichG, a.k.a. "Hardy" of Team Laurel & Hardy, would say, "Happy Wednesday!"  It's always a pleasure to speak to this energetic and positive thinking individual...and he and GMiller, a.k.a. "Laurel" of Team Laurel & Hardy, are becoming unicorn hunters that make me proud! Nothing of real note landed lately, just consistent successes in the face of not so pleasant conditions, these guys have come a long way and become good friends of ours in short order. Morning fellas, let's hope the surf calms down a bit in the next 24 hours and we'll try to give it a work out! Got lots of new things to throw at the fishes, much new stuff to test out...I like to give things a good work out, a personal going over in battle field conditions, before offering them for sale here. Just thought I'd say hello this am front and center to these guys.

   Today is the day, if all went well yesterday, that our fellow surf fisherman, the great and fabled Ditch Jigger should be sent home from the hospital that so rudely made him miss nearly a week of tides! :( All of us have been praying that the operation (gall bladder removal) went well...I'm sure it did, but a little prayer never hurt anyone. Lord, bring us our Ditch back, make him better, faster, stronger, and even wittier than before! ;^) Get better quick Mike, we got things to do and places to go...and we ain't going without you! Matter of fact, JPowers said he won't even let us Jersey guys up there without your supervision! :( I'm thinking we could lodge a formal protest with the Fraternal Order of Ditch Jiggers....but we don't think those drastic measures will be necessary, we'll just bring JP some shiny stuff and I'm sure he'll forget all about it. Anyway, feel better, don't rush it...no throwing anything over 2oz for at least 72 hours after they send you home! ;^)

  So, what's new? No fishing last night...Tuesday night is rarely a fishing night for me, I'm usually catching up on all sorts of stuff still from the weekend and last night was no different. We're finally caught up on the orders, things got out of hand shortly after the Fling, but all is well now! I'm still outta Tobimaru's, they went really fast and I'm waiting on another order of them as we speak. I spoke to the owner/inventor of the last week, he informed me that the 5 1/2" fellas that one vendor promised in mid May wouldn't be available now until the end of July! Oh well, at least this info is far more likely to be correct than that from an over zealous wholesaler! The are still flyin' outta here, I'm in love with them and cannot wait to fish the right kind of water with these most attractive and realistic jigs...and we're well stocked with them! I've been lowering prices on many of the items sold here, including a quiet price reduction of almost every one of the in the past week or so.  There's a little issue that I'm going to address with the Lex Lures this week, I'll keep you informed as things progress. New pictures, lots of new pictures, that's what we're shooting for with the MegaBait plugs, Yozuri Lures, and many of the Lex Lures. We're trying to get more colors in the ....you guys really are starved for the classic schoolbus bombers! ;^) There are still so many things that we're trying to get put online for all you folks, we recently stocked up on Fireline, Trilene Big Game mono, Sampo snaps and swivels, a few big Windcheaters, some new Lex Lures, Seafarer Fluorocarbon leader in all tests from 20# and down. Also, on the Hooks page, there are some super replacement trebles, these Mustad hooks are the strongest, sturdiest replacement trebles we've come across...ideal for all sorts of plugs, we have them in sizes 2 up to 3/0! I can't pinch shut even the size 2 hook....and I can squash pretty much every treble hook I've come across in that small of a hook! Well, we'll keep putting this stuff up here, it just takes time to do it correctly! Also, all the Lex Lures are now available with w/ the optional matching bucktail siwash hook!

      <--- Click here to fill out a simple form to let some of your buddies know about StripersOnline! Just a little reminder...please let others know about all that we have going on here! It's a great way to help spread the word...the more popular this site becomes, the more we'll be able to offer you here in content and products. Just a lil reminder, it only takes a second to email a couple of your buddies and let 'em know! Thank you in advance!

    The new is up! Yup, it was late, seems when my computer is off and I'm out fishing...Saturday morning sneaks away on me! DP tells me this is the last of the funnies aimed at the Fling...but we're gonna work out something for the "I survived the Fling" type T-shirts that are in the works ;) Good one DP...little did those unicorns know that there were plenty of Krispy Kremes left! 

Sincerely