Today I had the opportunity to go fishing for haddock and pollack on Captain’s Fishing Parties with friends I have not fished with for quite some time. We choose deep sea fishing on a large party boat because it’s safe, accessible, and it simplifies logistics.

I have fished on several “part boats” over the years and picked up several theories on how to rig for bottom dwellers. On this trip, I field tested each one theory and learned some valuable lessons. First, bait beats jigs, all day! Second, you need a 16-ounce banker, no exception. (Thankfully Captain’s Fishing Parties sells them on the boat at a fair price.) Third, the high-low rig is king because it allows you to touch the bottom without snagging and it keeps the bait moving just above the bottom. Baits in motion produced more hooks up than baits resting on the bottom. This is fact, not fiction! If you want to know the fourth lesson that I learned and some additional tips, drop me a line . 😉

After making some adjustments to my rig and method, I started catching fish.  My custom rig not only helped me catch fish, it also allowed for quick untanglements.  The mates on the boat loved my right because it made their jobs soooo much easier. Time is fish!

Bottom line, I had fun, I caught fish,  and I got to bring home fresh fish fillets for dinner. As an independent angler, I strongly recommend Captain’s Fishing Parties without hesitation!

When fishing new water, my search bait of choice is the Senko because of it’s versatility and multi-species catchability. The Senko can be rigged Wacky or Texas, with or without weight, and can fish the entire water column. Senkos also mimic an array of bait because they are available in several sizes and a spectrum of color patterns.

Having caught fish in waters that I have never fished before via Senko, I am convinced that the Senko is the optimal search bait. I have caught several species on Senkos: largemouth bass, small mouth bass, and chain pickerel. This past season, I added a new species to my Senko search-catch list: catfish! I am now convinced that the Senko is the ultimate multi-species search bait.

I fish from January to December in search of the largest specimens representative of the species that I am targeting. Having an accurate and realizable scale that allows me to quickly and safely weight a fish is an essential piece of gear in my arsenal. Hence, I purchased the Berkley 50 lb Digital Scale

This water-resistant scale can weight fish up to 50 pounds, has a tare function, and can store up to 10 weights. I really like the non-tear fish clip. The required two CR-2032 batteries are included. Just open the package and go fishing!

The first time I fished a froggy pattern, I witnessed an explosion on the water’s surface that was then followed by the feeling of a heavy fish. The fish was polite. The fish only ripped off one leg from my frog. The second time I fished a froggy pattern, I witnessed an even bigger explosion and felt an even heavier fish. That fish was not so polite. The fish ripped off both legs from my frog!! Hence, my inspiration to make a trailer hook for my solid-body frogs.

Making a trailer hook for solid-body frog is easy. First, clip a hook to one end of a 50 lb Tactical Angler Power Clip and a swivel to the other end. Second, insert a length of monofilament through the eye of the swivel, insert the two tag ends trough an appropriately sized marine shrink tubing, and pull hook-clip-swivel assembly into the marine heat shrink tubing. Third, shrink the tubing via heat gun. And lastly, insert the eye swivel through the hook on your frog.

This presentation is optimal for solid-body frogs with a wide gaps between their legs and open to sloppy water patterns. I now land more fish and my Plano boxes are without amputee frogs! 😉

Last month we lost a pillar from our community: Steve Medeiros (1948 – 2021). Steve founded and built the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association from the ground up for 23 years. His work ethic and ability to bring people together are leadership qualities to be emulated.

Pic 1

When I was the President of the Plum Island Surfcasters, I reached out to Steve to add my club as an affiliated club. I was expecting an artificially complex bureaucratic process. Not. The PISC has been a proud affiliated club ever since. Thank you Steve!

During the early years of my company (E-Fish360, LLC), my ideas exceeded my profits. I reached out to Steve to exhibit at the New England Saltwater Fishing Show with the hope of getting more exposure and expanding my network. I was expecting to go into the red. Not. Steve offered me very possible discount (Early Bird Special, First Time Exhibitor, and RISAA Member) so that the cost would not exceed my shoe-string budget. Thank you Steve!!

After I created my first fishing seminar, I reached out to Steve to present at the New England Saltwater Fishing Show []. I was not sure what to expect because I had never presented at a fishing show before. I shared my slides with the RISAA board and described my presentation style. After my request was approved, I was expecting the smallest stage at the show. Not. I presented my first fishing seminar on the main stage of the New England Saltwater Fishing Show. Thank you Steve!!!

As I talk to business owners in our community, I now know that my experiences were not unique. Steve collaborated with several clubs on a regular basis and helped many companies “get off the ground” by providing them booths and stage time at the New England Saltwater Fishing Show. Thank you Steve!!!!

As a member of the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association, I am delighted to see the organization continue navigating towards Steve’s vision. I have full confidence in Greg Vespe, the new Executive Director. I believe in Greg’s ability to build and expand on Steve’s exemplary work so that RISAA can continue to adapt to the needs of our community and our aquatic species for the next 23 years and beyond.

The slop is one of my most productive frog patterns.  Fishing this pattern can be intimidating because the fish can be anywhere at any time.  This pattern can produce frustration, fish, and everything in between.

Slop is a layer of organic “stuff” that is formed from grass beds below the water’s surface.  This layer blocks the sun and consequently kills the grass below, which creates waterways for fish to travel.  Fish freely travel these waterways because they feel protected by the cover above.

I like to fish this pattern from my kayak because it provides maximum stealth.  I paddle (quietly) to a spot before the edge of the slop.  I deploy my DIY pole anchor.  I aim my rod to 12 O’clock, cast towards the bank, and slowly retrieve my frog to create a V-wake.  I then makes casts to 1 O’clock, 2 O’clock, 11 O’clock, and 10 O’clock.  If after these five casts, I get no blow ups or hits, I move and repeat until I find fish.  I consider this is a power-finesse method because I cover a lot of water via slow retrieve.  The bumps can be subtle and the bites can be explosive.  On my last trip, I had a fish engulf my KVD Sexy Frog as it jumped completely out of the water!  The visual memory of that fish in flight still triggers my adrenaline!

The next time you are out on the water, apply this method on a slop. Be patient. Keep eye-to-frog contact. And you will catch more fish, and less frustration.

COVID-19
You crossed our borders
Under the blanket of night
Without invitation

COVID-19
You caused travel bans
And the TP Shortage of 2020

COVID-19
You separated families
You gave pain
And lonely death
Without funeral

COVID-19
You selected the wrong species
We adapt
We mask up
We social distance

COVID-19
You selected the wrong species
Our Doctors and Nurses responded without restraint
Our First Responders answered each call with urgency
Our Essential Workers drove our socio-economic machinery
Our Scientists developed vaccines
Our Elected Leaders collaborated
Our Businesses rewarded our heroes

COVID-19
You impacted my fishing
Hades comes for thee
R.I.P.

Along the East coast, there are no shortage of striped bass hot spots. There are no secrete spots. From you mobile phone, you can view satellite images of any section of the Eastern coast line. I know more spots than I can possibly fish on a regular basis.
I fish spots based the spring and fall migrations of striped bass. All the spots I fish are based on my striped bass library. Some of the books in my library are out-of-print. If you want to expand your knowledge of striped bass hot spots, then I would encourage you to buy some of these books while they are still in print.

1. Fishing Nantucket by Capt. Matt Reinemo
2. Surfcasting Block Island and Cuttyhunk by D.J. Muller
3. Surfcasting Around The Block by Dennis Zambrotta
4. Striper Chronicles: East Coast Surf Fishing Legends & Adventures by Leo N. Orsi
5. Fishing the Cape Cod Canal by D.J. Muller
6. Seven Miles After Sundown: Surfcasting for Striped Bass Along the World Famous Cape Cod Canal by East End Eddie Doherty
7. Fishable Wrecks and Rockpiles by Tim Coleman
8. Flyfisher’s Guide to New England Coast: Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine by Tom Keer
9. Fishing New England: A Rhode Island Shore Guide by Gene Bourque
10. Fishing New England : A Cape Cod Shore Guide by Gene Bourque
11. New England Stripers: A Fishing Anthology by Bill Brett
12. Striper Hot Spots: New England by Frank Daignault
13. Fishing the Connecticut and Rhode Island Coasts by Bob Sampson
14. Fishing the Long Island Coast by Tom Melton
15. Fishing the New Jersey Coast by Jim Freda
16. Fishing the Delaware and Maryland Coasts by Andy Snyder
17. Striper Hot Spots: Mid-Atlantic by Frank Daignault

During the build of my custom Gloucester Light Dory, I encountered many challenges. After several prototypes and exploiting colorful words from multiple languages to express my emotions, I conquered each challenge. Ironically, selecting a name for my boat was the most challenging of all. I had no shortage of boat names. For example, “Buoyancy Experiment”, since this was my first boat build. And “Portuguese Power”, since this is a row boat! A clever boat name is not enough to float my boat.

Argo was the name of an ancient Greek ship with fantastic features and capabilities. My custom Gloucester Light Dory has unique features, yes. But, this is not why I named my boat Argo. During the most critical phase of my boat build, I was leading a globally distributed software test automation team. The name of my team was: Argo. Around the time that I completed my boat build, my team merged with another team, and took on a new name. I hence named my boat Argo.

I learned about the Sportfish Angler Data Collection Team (SADCT) from Kim Trull during a Plum Island Surfcasters club meeting. Kim works at the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries with other scientists who study the age of marine species by analyzing patterns in their scales. The data collected from this program is used by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to protect our marine species.

Collecting scale samples while sitting on a kayak or standing on a rock from a fish that you are going to release is not easy. For example, paper records will not work! I have developed a simple scale sample collection method.

1. I measure the length of the fish using a folding plastic yard stick ruler.
2. I remove a eight scales from the appropriate area of the fish (which is species specific) via tweezers (which is on a lanyard) and put them in a snack sized Zip Lock bag.
3. I write the species and length on the Zip Lock bag via Sharpie.

When I get home, I put the scales into the provided scale sample envelopes and fill in the remaining information for each sample. I mail my samples via USPS to:

Division of Marine Fisheries – Gloucester Office
Attn: Kim Trull
30 Emerson Avenue, Gloucester, MA 01930

This will be my third years participating in this program. If you fish for striped bass, bluefish, black sea bass, fluke, or scup, then join us so we can help our dedicated scientists better understand our marine species and help our policy makers reach marine management decisions based on data that will benefit species and anglers.