STRIPER SURF DAY ..This weekend at River’s End Tackle
March 24th, 2012 10-4
It won’t be long, the first migrating schoolies will be at the wall and the long wait will be over. Until then join us in celebration of surf fishing. It’s a great day to hang out, take in a seminar and just get reacquainted with some old and new surf rats. We’ll have great speakers, demonstrations, factory reps, sales, door prizes, barely edible food and good friends.
FEATURED SPEAKERS, John Skinner – Fishing the Bucktail. John just wrote the definitive book on how to fish one of the deadliest striper lures.
Tony Stetzko – Reading the Beach. Tony will show you how to determine what’s going on under the surf
Steve McKenna – will demonstrate Slug go rigging. Steve has mastered the rigging and fishing of this “must have” in your bag.
One of the reasons I liked Dennis’ video was that he talked about one of my favorite things…and color wasn’t it.
I am talking about a needlefish. It has become one of my favorite lures which is kind of silly thing to say. Because at different point during the tide, even in the same location, different plugs are my “favorite”. But needlefish gave me fits much longer than most lures. I just could not “feel” if I was doing it right. Until I realized there really was no wrong way to work a needlefish Just compensate for current speed and most retrieves work. Twitch? Yes. Straight? Yes. Pump and reel in an sweep? Yes. Fascinating lure and besides a darter, probably have caught me most fish in last five years. In fact, it comes out of my bag at night usually first these days. Which ones? Super Strike most of the time. Many wood guys make great needlefish these days but I been partial to Choopy lately because of its thin profile and loads of sand eels in our waters. Charlie makes great needlefish. Lots of time you might want a wood because of slower sink rate over the boulders or shallow sandy beach. Choppy needle fits the bill nicely
And color? Oh, yes, that age old question. Color does not matter until it matters. That is the best way I can put it. I think Dennis would not be caught dead without a green one on Block Island. For me, I don’t really care as long as its yellow. If that doesn’t work…it’s going to be a long night…
Don’t get me wrong, I am not that stubborn and I will switch to what works. It’s just that I have so much confidence in yellow, if it doesn’t work it’s kind of deflating.
Few years ago, when I was guiding for a year we sucked wind at False Bar. I suggested we move to North Bar, away from the crowd. I picked 4 small stripers on consecutive casts on a white SS needle but my customer was not getting a touch. I gave him my needlefish even though I did not think it was the color as he was using same plug in blue and I stepped back. It was May 29th and there were very few fish around. He fished for a 20 minutes without a bump as I tried coaching from behind. Then I asked if he would mind if I made one cast with a brand new, never-seen-water yellow SS needle in the same size. Mustad hooks and all.
First cast and we had a winner..this beauty 44lb
Green is good for money..give me a yellow any day..lol
Not sure who was suprised more, fish or I ?
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show off……haha…..nice fish…..nice bait
↓nice fish…..
↓Charlie makes an awesome needlefish.
With the sandeels we have had the last few seasons in NJ his needles have produced countless bass.
Love Choopy Lures !!
↓Choopy, flat glide and SS all day!
↓“I don’t care as long as it is yellow”, rings so true! Something about it jsut works.
↓Will have to use some Choopy Lures this year. Recently at a Show I purchased some Choopy 1.75oz. Darters at $20/ea.
↓Every color pattern will work… but every color pattern will not work all the time. (Try and decipher that cliche)
IMO it color does make a difference – whether it be to the bass, or to the surfcaster, it does make a difference. If you’ve witnessed, like I have, a caster in a line-up of guys talking to himself and pulling his hair out because he had a blue needle and green is landing cows everywhere except on the end his line – well you get the picture. It made a difference to him as he begged me for a green. We all have preferences and those preferences should be your confidence patterns – but always keep an open mind when someone tells you something different.
Thanks Zeno.
↓ITS NOT THE PLANE KAHUNA DUDE… ITS DA PILOT BAM! BAM!
↓Finally got my acess back. It took 2 hours on the phone with Mcafee . Z did you know that your not a secure sight…..what a joke
↓love a good blue over white habs before the sun comes up. White after hours over rocks, just good stuff . SS whenever
↓i like the choopy with the calmer water, but SS for the rougher water and heavier winds. I also like the smaller swimmers Choopy makes..
↓Are choppy needles gonna be the new habs? I hate seeing habs needles come to a end.
↓I will fish choppys this season.
Show off! J/K, nice fish, Thanks for sharing!
↓Nice fish Z! Great read.
↓I finally had a chance to watch Doc’s video in it’s entirety and he is one fascinating gentleman. During the week I tried to watch the video in segments time permitting, and one thing that seems to get overlooked by the excellence of the interview is the opening sequence! The music is perfectly paired with the night vision shot. The interview itself is well worth multiple views and Doc’s view on conservation and sportsmanship are spot on. Thank you both.
↓And if I was paying attention I would have posted that comment on the blog with Doc’s video and not the needlefish blog from last week! Low quality i know, sorry about that.
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