When I made the transition from slinging baits, eels, and plugs from sandy beaches to rocks with seaweed dread locks, I purchased a pair of Simms boots from First Light Anglers and a pair of K1100 Korkers from Paulies.

I have used the my Simms boots and K1100 Korkers for several years now.  I am satisfied with their comfort, support, and gripping performance.  They have also held together pretty well, complements of their quality construction.

Although the Simms boots and K1100 Korkers are made with non-corrosive and anti-corrosion materials, I always rinse them with fresh water after each fishing trip in Poseidon’s domain.  Sodium chloride is a terribly efficient corrosive ionic compound.

The my Simms boots and Korkers are inexpensive.  Bones are not.  If you surfcast from slippery rocks, get a pair! 😉

Prior to my first skishing fishing trip, I needed purchase a pair of fins.  Force fins are popular with Montauk skishers.  But, I chose a pair of Tusa X-Pert Zoom Z3 split fins.

The technical and performance features of the Tusa X-Pert Zoom Z3 split fins are best summarized in the video by Simply Scuba.

The feature that sold me was maximum propulsion with minimal energy.  The less energy I spend propelling my self, the more energy I have to fish! 😉

Technical details aside, the Tusa X-Pert Zoom Z3 split fins performed exceptionally during my first skish.  They felt like an extension of my feet.  I was able to self-propel past the surf zone with minimal effort.

A pair of strong, corrosion resistant, and fast cutting pliers is a must for any angler— no matter the species or method.  My previous pair of pliers failed these three simple criteria.

I learned of Hansom pliers while reading an issue of the Surfcasters Journal.  I  ordered a pair of the Hansom AP-8 pliers from Cape Cod Canal Bait and Tackle.  They processed my order very quickly and I had my shiny new pliers in record time.

The Hansom AP-8 pliers are made from light anodized aluminum.  The gripping power of the replaceable stainless steel jaws helps greatly when un-hooking fish.  And the cutting performance of the replaceable Tungsten Carbide cutters is amazing.  Mono, braid, wire…no problem! 😉

The Hansom AP-8 pliers come with a quality leather sheath.  But, for extreme conditions, I secure my Hansom pliers to my AquaSkinz E.H.P.S. belt using theAquaSkinz E.H.P.S. pliers sheath.

I have used my Hansom AP-8 pliers while surfcasting, kayak fishing, fly fishing, and skishing.  They have performed beyond my expectations under these conditions.  If you are in the market for a new pair of pliers, then get a pair ofHansom AP-8 pliers!  😉

A proper fishing belt does more than just hold up your pants (or cinch your waders/wetsuit). A proper fishing belt must be stiff enough to hold and carry your gear! A proper fishing belt must have a buckle that will not come undone when you need it most!! TheAquaSkinz Elite Hunter Pro Series belt is a proper fishing belt!!!

The feature that sets the AquaSkinz E.H.P.S.belt apart from other fishing belts on the market is it’s adjustability. If I am fishing with my MTC shirt, wetsuit, or my wool Fisherman’s sweater from Scotland, I can easily adjust the belt to the optimal circumference.

The AquaSkinz E.H.P.S. belt is a high performant and a great value. The belt will grow with you. Literally! 😉

I was working at a recycle day event to raise money for a public school in my town. A person dropped off a purple bicycle with no seat. My friend asked me: “What are you going to do with a purple lady’s bike?” I smiled and said: “Canal Cruiser!”

My newly acquired soon-to-be Canal Cruiser needed a seat and a seat post. Luck struck twice! A second bike came in with a super comfy seat. The frame pipe for the seat post was a non-standard metric size; I picked up a seat post from a local bike shop.

The color purple is royal. But, it’s not exactly my first choice for a Canal Cruiser. I broke the bike down, taped up the auxiliary parts, and sprayed on multiple layers of thick black paint.

To transform the bike into a proper Canal Cruiser, I secured a recycled milk create to the rack with stainless steel u-bolts. I bolted on a custom PVC rod holder. And built a proper kick stand from a recycled pool pole (which I got at the recycle day!).

You can certainly buy a standard Canal Cruiser fully rigged and ready to fish.  But, building your own custom Canal Cruiser for your specific needs is not only fun, but also fishconomic. 🙂

A friend called me up recently and asked me if I wanted to field test a Hobie.  My response was: “Do fish swim?”  We went to a local river.

The first thing thing that I noticed was how quickly the Mirage Drive gear assembly snaps in and out of place.  I was paddling away within five minutes of pulling up to the boat ramp.

When I started slinging plugs into the surf, I was flooded by the number of surf bags on the market.  After a comprehensive technical review and speaking with anglers up and down the East coast, I purchased an AquaSkinz E.H.P.S. Cobra surf bag.  The Cobra surf bag is made in U.S.A. and has purpose-built features.

A surf bag worth it’s weight in salt must stay closed under harsh marine conditions and drain water.  The Cobra bag features Velcro under it’s flap to prevent your plugs from swimming out of your bag; but, with a little force, you can quickly access to your fish seducing plugs.  The 10 stainless steel holes drain water with ease.  I addition, the Cobra surf bag is constructed from an impervious material that does not absorb water!

The Cobra surf bag also has ample storage.  The main compartment has 5 plug plastic insets (8 1/4″ x 2″).

The front pocket can hold plastic baits and 10 jigs.

The two side pockets can be use to hold items like an Uncle Josh pork rinds.

There is even an internal spacer pocket to store a leader spool; if you need a new leader, simply pull. Brilliant!

The Cobra bag is ergonomic.  The bag can be worn in your surf belt or carried using it’s shoulder strap.  Each method is equally effective, if done properly.

While wet-suiting, I wear my Cobra surf bag on my belt.  I keep it on my back side and swing it to my left side when I need to change my presentation.

When I use waders, I wear my Cobra bag with the shoulder strap. I have a large clip on one of of the stainless steel D-rings, which I clip to a stainless steel loop on my surf belt.  This helps to reduce the strain on my shoulder and trapezius muscle.  I also have a Drangon Tail lanyard on the second stainless steel D-ring so that if I loose my footing, I do not lose my bag.

AquaSkinz has been building innovative quality products for 10+ years.  In fact, the people at AquaSkinz are passionate about fishing, which translates in quality surf bags like the Cobra bag.  The Cobra bag was field tested and modified until it was proven to work.  Then and only then was it made available to the Surfcasting community.  Bottom line, if you are in the market for a surf bag, learn from my experience and buy an AquaSkinz E.H.P.S. Cobra surf bag because of it’s features, quality materials, and it’s built-to-last stitching.  You will not be disappointed!

When I first started slinging plugs into the surf, I field tested every clip on the market.  All the clips failed my tests.  Without an acceptable clip on the market, I fished plugs with a loop knot at the end of my leader.  I used this effective (but time consuming!) method until the Tactical Anglers clip came on the market.

The Tactical Anglers clip is the only clip that passed all my tests.  In short:

1. They allow for quick lure changes.
2. They do not “open” during a cast.
3. They do not interfere with a lure’s action.

The Tactical Anglers clips come in three sizes: 175 lb, 125 lb, and 50 lb.  In addition to allowing quick lure changes, the Tactical Anglers clips also have other uses.  For example, I use a clip on my tube-and-worm rig to quickly replace the hook.  I use laser sharp and chemically shared hooks with bleeding sharp points.  When the they get dull, I replace them quickly.  No exception.

At the end of all my line, you will always find one thing: a Tactical Anglers clip.

How do you safely open the split rings on you lures?  I have been using a small screw driver to pry the the split ring open and needle-nose pliers to move the split. This method works.  But, it’s terribly inefficient and dangerous.  While visiting M&D’s Bait and Tackle Shop recently, I found a new solution.

The Texas Tackle split ring pryers have a patented design that efficiently and safely open and move split rings on or off your lure.  During my field tests, I was able to replace split rings and hooks in 1/3 of the time!

The Texas Tackle split ring pryers now have a permanent resting place in myAquaSkinz Cargo Bag! 😉

Anglers who sling chunks of bait from the surf have no lack of hooks to choose from.  Circle hooks and J-hooks the two most widely exploited hooks for propelling chunks into the surf.

Both hook styles will hook and land fish.  But, for chunking, I find that in-line circle hooks outperform J-hooks.  The wider gap in a circle hook “hangs” a chuck better.  My go-to circle hook is the Owner SSW in-line circle hook (8/0 or 9/0 depending on the size of the chunk).

After I dress my Owner SSW in-line circle hook with a tasty chunk, I use a small elastic to secure the chunk.  I use red elastics for mahaden and herring, blue elastics for mackerel chunks, and tan elastics for clam chunks (or the entire clam!)

The key thing to keep in mind when chunking with a circle hook, is not to set the hook!  When you feel the fish on you bait, lower your rod tip.  As the fish swims away with the bait in its mouth, the slack line will go away proportionalitly.  When the line will become tight, crank the reel slowly: this will set the in-line circle hook in the corner of the fish’s mouth.

Off-set point circle hooks work equally well to in-line point circle hooks. However, they tend to cause more gut hooks because as the hook travels from the fish’s gullet up to the corner of it’s mouth, the off-set point tends to snag the fish’s internal organs.

I use in-line circle hooks for chucking because they perform better than J-hooks.  The fact that they conserve fish is a welcomed bonus.