There are two bait and tackle shops in Montauk: Paulie’s Tackle of Montauk and the other place. When I walked into Paulie’s, I could not help but to stare at all the plugs decorating the walls. I felt like a child in a candy store!!! 😉

Super Strike and Northbar are two innovative companies that manufacture field tested lures that catch fish, tide in and tide out. Paulie’s has a comprehensive selection of their lures. I could not pass up the opportunity to buy some striper candy.

Paulie’s is the hub of the fishing scene on Montauk. I met some local and regular surfcasters. We shared fishing stories and learned from each other. I was glad to learn that like MBBA, LIBBA is also fighting for fishing access. I discovered that while my “guide” and I were fishing The Point, anglers were into fish at Caswell’s. 🙁

While at Paulie’s, I also had a chance to meet Paul Melnyk, the founder of skishing. He shared his skishing knowledge and told some incredible fish stories; including the one about a the biggest striped bass he has ever landed via skishing (a fish well over 50 lbs, which he released).

When in Montauk, shop Paulies Tackle of Montauk. You will walk away with more than great gear! 😉

Montuak, the Surfcasting Capital of the wold, is full of fishy spots.   Too many spots to fish properly in a single tide.   With limited time and access, I focused my energy on The Point and it’s North and South sides.

I drove to Montauk Point, 6.2 miles from Harborside, to get an overnight parking permit.  The parking attendant with her proper New York accent eventually understood my improper Massachusetts accent and informed me that I could only buy an overnight parking permit for Camp Hero and the Montauk Point parking lots from January 1 to April 30 and from the Tuesday after Labor Day to December 31.  I gave her the OMG! face.  She then told me that I could get a seven day overnight parking permit for the Montauk Point parking lot at Montauk Downs.

I paid the proper New York speaking parking attendant to park for the day and trekked to The Point and Camp Hero with my cameras.

After capturing pictures and video of The Point and the areas adjacent to Camp Hero, I drove 6 miles to Montauk Downs to get an overnight parking permit.

With my newly acquired overnight parking permit from Montauk Downs, I arrived back at the Montuak Point parking lot before sunset.  With daylight burning, I quickly took plugs from my AquaSkinz Cargo Bag and filled myAquaSkinz Cobra Bag.  I selected an array of plugs based on the locations I scouted during the day and the incoming tide.

While gearing up, I connected with a local angler who has fished Montauk for more years than he would admit.   We exchanged information and formed a new plan.  We accessed the trecherous rocks below the Montauk light house by way of an un-marked trail.  He traversed the rocks with ease.  Thanks to myKorkers, I kept up…barely!

We passed two anglers in wetsuits who were fishing bucktails.   The only thing they caught was a rock on the ocean bottom.  Not a good sign. We also passed anglers fishing chunks of Manhaden (a.k.a. “bunker”) on the bottom.   Nothing. Not a good sign.

We fished named and un-names rocks together for the entire incoming tide. Rocks that have been fished by thousands of anglers before me and that have supported the weight of large predatory striped bass.  I fished the best tide I have ever fished.  My CTS S8 was out casting other anglers 2 to 1. I fished my plugs through the incoming tide to the rock below my feet under the blanket of darkness formed by the new moon.  Not even a bump! 🙁

At the end of the tide, my “guide” said: “If you are fishing a spot on Montauk and there is no one around, then everyone is into fish somewhere else”.   Although the bass in the Atlantic Ocean did not cooperate, the bass in Fort Pond did! 😉

Fishing Montuak has been on my bucket list since On The Run was published.   Based on my fishing journal, June and the new moon is an optimal time of year and moon phase for targeting striped bass in the Atlantic ocean.  My friends on striped-bass.com suggested some hotels and local guides.  Nearly all of the hotels were booked or required a King’s ransom.  The Harborside Motel had one room left at a fair rate.   🙂  I contacted several surf guides.  All were booked.  :-(.   Montauk Confidential by Paul Melnyk and Long Island’s Best Freshwater Fishing by Tom Schlichter were indispensable in forming a plan.  I got my New York state fishing licenses online.  I made and list.  Checked it twice.  Loaded up my Suburban: Montuak or bust!

You can reach the Montauk (The Surfcasting Capital of the World) via car, train, plane, or ferry.  Traveling to Montauk on a Friday with my fully loaded Suburban was enlightening!  Traffic on a Friday in New York?   After eight hours on the road, I finally arrived at The Harborside Motel.

I unloaded my gear.  Grabbed my iPhone, Fuji water proof camera and Go Pro. And started my on-the-ground recognizance at The Point.

We fished the 5th Annual Jack Traps Youth Ice Fishing Derby. The tournament was held on Cochnewagon Lake in Monmouth, ME.  This was our first time fishing this tournament.

The tournament was very well run.  Each Junior angler got a skimmer and a live bait bucket.  Live shiners were provided to each Junior angler.  If you did not have a power auger.  No problem.  There were volunteers eager to drill holes.  Everyone was focused on getting the Junior anglers on the water and experiencing ice fishing.

The conditions were challenging.  The action below the surface was sluggish. But, this was an adventure worth having.  My daughters learned a lot.  We are looking forward to the 6th Annual Jack Traps Youth Ice Fishing Derby!  Fish beware!! 😉

This past weekend I had the opportunity to fish the Rhode Island leg of the Tri-State Tournament. This was my first Tri-State.  But it shall not be me last! 😉

I met with my team at 9:15 PM on Friday night in room 5 of the Sand Dollar Inn. We were at the water’s edge by 4:30 AM on Saturday.  The atmospheric temperature was “wicked” cold for this time of year. My new AquaSkinz Rampage top performed exceptionally well.  I was warm through the whole tide. 😉

My team leader was focused on getting us in front of fish.  He found bait.  We matched the bait in size and profile. Fish on!

This fish was the meanest, badest, bluefish terrorizing 18″ striped bass in the state of Rhode Island! 😉  I could not thank my team mate enough for lending me a 3″ white Zoom fluke on a 1/4 oz jig head!

I know now why the Tri-State is the longest running catch and release team tournament on the East Coast for surfcasters.  The tournament is well managed.  Surfcasters with various skill levels come from near and far to compete and refine their skills. Plug builders leave their lathes to field test their new creations. The result is an escape from the noises of life and total submersion in a friendly (but reel!) competition for striped bass and bluefish from terra firma.

I had the opportunity to fly fish for striped bass with a friend at a fishy location (which shall remain nameless!).  We started wading pre-sunrise and casting by sunrise.  My chartreuse/white Lefty Deceiver got bumps, but no hook ups.  I waded towards the mouth of a creek and switch over to a chartreuse/whiteClouser Minnow.  Fish on!

The interesting thing about this catch is not the fish, but the pattern.

A dropping tide at the mouth of a inlet, river, or creek at sunrise or sunset is a classic pattern.  But, what really made the difference on this trip was depth.  I was using a line with a rapid sinking tip, which helps get the fly down into the water column.  But, it was the additional weight of the Clouser Minnow that made the difference between a skunk and a catch.  Good thing I keep a detailed fishing journal! 😉

I have always been fascinated with the Cape Cod Canal fishery.  The depth, current, and submerged structures of this seven mile “inlet” represent a system full of fishy patterns.  On my last last fishing trip to the Cape Cod Canal, I landed a keeper striped bass.  The size of the fish is not worthy writing about; but, the pattern is! 😉

This season I have fished location “X” three times: at the same time of day and during the same moon phase.  The first two times, the tide was flowing “right”.  The third time, the tide was flowing “left”.  I fished the same plugs all three times, with the addition of the Northbar bottle darter (7.25″, 2.5 oz, blurple) on the third fishing trip.  I know this because I keep a detailed fishing journal! 😉

On my fourth fishing trip to location “X”, I will make sure that the tide is flowing in the correct direction and that I have plenty of Northbar bottle darters. 😉

Fishing patterns are cyclical in nature.  The best way to identify fishing patterns is to keep a fishing journal.  On a recent kayak fishing trip for largemouth bass, I identified a pattern from my fishing journal that was not obvious during my fishing trip.  During my fishing trip I was focused on casting to as many fishy structures with a variety of baits to quickly identify what bait the fish fancied that day. The bait that got the first fish was the Gary Yamamoto 5” D-Shad in Blue Pearl.

The bait that got the last fish was the Gary Yamamoto 5″ D-Shad in Green Pumpkin.

Clearly the Gary Yamamoto 5” D-Shad was the top performer on my fishing trip.  But, this is not the fishing pattern that emerged from my fishing journal.  The first and last fish were caught at the same cut in the river bank, which provided the fish a break from the current and the ability to ambush passing bait.  I caught the first fish at the start of my fishing trip as I paddled up the river.  I caught the last fish at the end of my fishing trip as I paddled down the river.

Hence forth I will cast my fish seducing Gary Yamamoto D-Shad baits into fishy structures at different times during my fishing trips.  Fish swim in and out of structures as the day progresses.

I went Skishing for the first time today. As I was walking backwards into the water, an angler in waders approached me. With a look of astonishment on his face he asked: “Are you going to swim out there and fish?” I was puzzled by the question. What else am I going to do with a Neosport X-Span 5 mm wetsuit, dive knife, AquaSkinz E.H.P.S. gear (Cobra bag, belt, plyers sheath, and gloves), Hansom pliers, Dragon Tails Lanyards, compass, pealess whistle. rod lease, Rapala Lock ‘N Load IGFA certified scale/griper, Tusa X-Pert Zoom Z3 Split Fins, and a 10 foot surf rod mated to a ZeeBass reel? After a 60 second silence, I responded: “Yes” and continued to negotiated my way through the boulder field behind me. He kept talking, but the sound of the surf was deafening. He shouted his final words: “You are BRAVE!”

There is a fine line between bravery and stupidity. Skishing without the proper gear is stupid. A great resource on skishing gear is Jacob Freeman’s Skishing Gear & Safety article.

Casting a surf rod while bobbing around in the ocean was more challenging than I thought. My “best” casts were when I was “sitting” in an invisible chair as I bobbed around. My 10 foot surf rod propelled my lure a respectable distance. But, the length of the rod butt is more optimal for Surfcasting than Skishing. Time for a custom Skishing rod! 😉

Proper gear and determination got me beyond the surf zone and into my first skish. But, a knowledge of the area and it’s surrounding currents got me back safely. ;-).

Skishing is a fishing method. But, the experience of Skishing is unlike any other method. First, Skishing is the most physically and mentally challenging fishing method. Second, it’s an experience all its own. Having personally experienced Skishing, I should now be able to describe it. But, alas the English language fails me! The words that do come to mind are: excitement, adrenaline, fear, and OMG!. I think Paul Melnyk, the founder of Skishing, said it best: Invigorating! Bottom line, to know Skishing is to experience your first skish. It’s the experience that has the tide washing in an increasing number of skishers each season.