Hello Surfcasters,
Greetings this holiday season! There is a foot of snow outside my window as I write. Makes me miss the ocean intensely.
The Ways I Fish
I have spent a lot of fishing time keeping the fish honest. That means fishing a spot to make sure fish are NOT there is as important as fishing a spot where they should be. Plus , of course, there is always the intuition factor — the strong feeling one gets for where the fish are even though everything points to somewhere else. Whether it is based on logic, fishing report, weather conditions, bait, or just a feeling… if my time is limited, I will go with my feeling providing it is strong and the spot is relatively accessible. If I don’t have a strong feeling or other information does not point to any particular place, I will fish in one of two ways.
The first is to “quick hit” several spots until I hit fish. This works well on Block Island because the fish are usually there; you just have to find them! By “quick hits” I mean easy-access spots where I fish for 15 to 20 minutes. If I don’t get hits or fish, I move on to the next spot. Ninety percent of the time, we hit some fish along the way and settle in and fish that spot. The only time I leave fish is if they are small — smaller fish tend to school together and the name of the game for me is bigger fish. My gear is set up for bigger fish so it is not that much fun, and often not possible, for me to catch small. The only way I know if there are small fish around is if the other guys are catching them! I am usually not getting hits from smaller fish on the big plugs I fish.
My second, and more preferred way to fish is to settle on a spot that takes more of a commitment to get to in both time and energy. The hope in this type of fishing is that there will be more fish and fewer fishermen when you finally get there. There is nothing better than having a good stretch of shoreline on an ideal tide where you can take your time and fish it thoroughly. Big bonus if the fish are there, too!
Photo Contest Winner
Ron Powers from Massachusetts won the photo contest with a 34 lb. striper and wins his choice of 2 custom BigWaterLure Pikes.
New Inventory
Just in time for last-minute holiday purchases, I have added some Giants and SLIMs to my available inventory, plus some cross-over colors in both styles. Traditional Pikes will now come in Block Island Green Pearl, Scup/Porgie, and Shad. SLIMs will also come in Blackfish, Bluefish, and White Pearl. Check out Traditional Pike inventory or SLIMs inventory.
Presenting to Connecticut Surfcasters
On Wednesday, January 5th, I will be speaking at the Connecticut Surfcasters meeting in Madison, CT. My topic (no surprise) is “Making and Fishing Big Plugs” I will also bring some plugs to sell. If you are in the area, please attend and be sure to introduce yourself.
Coming Down the “Pike”
I have been testing a lipless pike in different sizes and have settled on one that is the same length as the SLIM (8”) but has an even slimmer profile. It’s called a Sand Pike and it is a cross between a needlefish and a spook. You can fish it slow like a needle, or lower the rod tip and give it sharp jerks so the plug will dart back and forth. It has worked great around sand eels — and on my second cast with it this Fall on Block, I caught a 28 lb. striper. I did not spend much time taking pictures of this fish because I hooked it pretty far out (this plug cast very well) and we were both tired by the time I got her in against a stiff current. I weighed her quickly and got her back in the water.
This plug is ready to go and I will have some available right after the New Year. I will send out a separate announcement on this. I am also working on a slow sinking and fast sinking version. It is slim enough to work around the sand eels, but big enough to attract bigger fish!
Wishing you and yours a joyous holiday season,
Gary
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