Hello Surfcasters!
SLIMs are now in stock! If you simply can’t wait to re-stock, scroll down to the SLIMS headline now.
For those of you who would first like to share my ramblings about plug lips and wetsuits, read on…
With the cooler weather, it feels like we are farther along into Fall then we actually are. If my trip to Cuttyhunk is any indication, we are off to a slow start. The fish are just starting to move – which could mean a later Fall.
Another reminder of Fall is the last fish I took at Cutty had an 8” porgy in its stomach. So be sure to have a good supply of gold and bronze plugs in your bag. A Blackfish and Bronze in Giant and Troller and a SLIM in Porgy/Scup are always in my bag this time of year.
Taking Care of Sharp Lips
Just a heads up — I noticed the lip on a Giant Bunker I had fished several nights in a row had gotten very sharp. It doesn’t take long for the lip to get razor sharp when a plug is fished in the rocks or dragged through the sand. Just take some 120 grid sandpaper and dull it down. It wouldn’t take much if that sharp lip hit your leader while fighting a fish — you could quickly lose both plug and fish!
The Value of Wetsuits
I am also looking at my wetsuit a little differently lately. I have been fishing in a wetsuit since the mid 80’s and it has always been a means to wade out a little farther or swim out to a distant rock. Now, I appreciate the higher degree of safety the wetsuit provides — with the recent death of a surf fisherman who was swept off a sandbar and drowned while wearing waders. A wetsuit in a similar situation would provide buoyancy and warmth. For all the years I’ve been fishing, I have never heard of a surf fisherman drowning while wearing a wetsuit, but there have been countless fisherman that have drowned while wearing waders. Granted, a wetsuit will not keep your head out of the water if you are unconscious, but nonetheless, a wetsuit is the safer choice.
Wearing a wetsuit doesn’t mean you have to swim to offshore rocks, I know plenty of wet suiters that don’t wade any deeper than their chest. My son and daughter from the West Coast will be fishing with me for 4 nights on Block around the new moon. They both will be wearing wetsuits.
If you are in the water this time of year without some form of insulation, hypothermia can become a serious issue. And if you are tired of being wet and cold, it is too easy to switch to waders! This can be deadly. I won’t do it. As it gets colder, I wear a dry top over my 7 ml wetsuit. Be safe out there, wear a PFD (personal flotation device) if you are fishing in waders… or better yet, wear a wetsuit.
SLIMs Now In Stock!
I have just added 35 new items (a combination of Surface and Diving SLIMs) to my SLIMs inventory on my website – be sure to check is out. I will be adding more during October. This will be your last shot at SLIMs before the price goes up. As of November 1, 2010 Surface SLIMs will cost $35 (now $30) and Diving SLIMs will cost $40 (now $35).
Two Fr*ee Custom Colors
Finally, here’s a painless way to score 2 free custom color plugs (your choice of color)….just send me a photo of a striper over 26 lbs. caught on a BWL pike. Get fishing! This opportunity ends November 30, 2011.
Good Fishing this Fall!!
Gary
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