I had arrived from our week with Marlin University in Guatemala only to board a plane for the Orient to visit our vendors and manufacturers. Luckily the long flight is a perfect opportunity to catch up with my reading, answer emails and write this entry for my often neglected blog. After all, this year’s trip was a memorable experience and well worth a good entry.
My yearly trip with my friends from Marlin University (www.marlinuniversity.com) has become a ritual that I look forward to. It is always a great experience and an opportunity to spend time with some of the best in our sport. The ideas and inspiration for many of our products have come from late night discussion with fellow anglers and by observing the crew and captains that call the productive Pacific coast of Central America home.
This year’s StingRay group included staffers John Tobias and Walker Holcomb (a MU staffer), my son in law Mike Kress, his brother in law Orazio Nastase, my good friend and frequent partner in crime Alan Seidel, Reel Candy’s captain and friend Marvin Steiding and one of our favorite customers, Tony Oliva.
From the outside, Casa Vieja looks just like many other walled compounds down the road; non-descript guarded gates and very little indication that this is a place where our four day long adventure will begin. After a three hour ride from Guatemala City’s airport with a stopover in the colonial city of Antigua for a typical (and awesome) lunch, we are ready for action. Although reports from down the pacific’s central American coast are all the same; a slow bite since soon after the Chilean earthquake, we are all hoping for a return to earlier this year, when the average Marina Pez Vela boat was releasing in excess of 50 billfish a day.
The security gate swings open and our first impression of Casa Vieja soon changes. We find a half a dozen smiling senoritas waiting for us with cold ‘mojitos’. A warm greeting from Antonio, casa Vieja’s general manager, assures us this is no ordinary place. Soon we are ushered to the dining room to experience an excellent dinner, consisting of local fish, excellent steaks and an assortment of fruits. Our beginning to the first fantastic meal of many in the days to come. The comfortable rooms with quiet and excellent air conditioners, a ‘must’ in this hot country, and deliver a good night rest.
Next day, with our group divided, my half is assigned to the legendary ‘Finest Kind’, a 44’ Whitaker with a long history of winning tournaments and record catches. The Kind is captained by another legend, Captain Ron Hamlin. Although I have not met Ron, I feel like I know him from the stories I heard and read, always involving big game fishing, skills and a temper of great proportions.
Lucky for our group, friend and IGFA Hall of Famer Capt. Peter Wright is our instructor for the day. Peter is undoubtedly the best in the business. A wealth of knowledge and experience he shares willingly with all. We headed out of Marina Pez Vela and set course west. After an hour’s full speed run, Ron trims back and we are trolling. Five minutes later, Ron screams ‘left outrigger’. Marvin makes a run for the rod and skillfully feeds the ballyhoo, but fails to hook the first sail of the day. As we are in the middle of telling Marvin that captains not necessarily make good fishermen, the sail makes another pass and heads to the freshly deployed left rigger. This time Marvin executes his dropback perfectly and soon is fighting a beautiful Pacific sail. The first action packed day set the pace for a perfect week with 44 sails tagged and released for the week. We had several closed encounters with good sized blues as well during the week, but unfortunately they did not stick for the count.
In subsequent days we fished aboard the Release with Capt Nico Melendez, the Rum Line with Capt. Chris Sheeder and Intensity with Capt. Mike Sheeder.These meticulously maintained boats are awesome fishing machines and deliver every day under their crew’s skillful care.
Every day we arrived back at the Lodge tired but looking forward to the next day and each new day did not disappoint us. Great fishing action, great accommodations and world class food made our Casa Vieja experience one to remember.
If you are interested in joining us at a future Marlin University trip or other fishing outings, let us know by email or signing up for our newsletter.
Totals for our four days of fishing Guatemala: 92 raised, 76 bites, 44 sails released and 9 blues raised, 5 bites
www.casaviejalodge.com
www.marlinuniversity.com
below from left to right: 1: an early tag and release, 2: the boys and the crew of the 'Finest kind'. 3: release No.2, 4: The StingRay boys and MU's staff, 5: Mike sporting a 'cuban' and StingRay's fashionable cap, 6: Orazio showing off his unusual catch, a Mexican needlefish, 7: Peter doing what he does best..sharing his vast expertise.
[gallery link="file"]
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
StingRay Fishing Outfitters Radio Advertisement
This week marked the beginning of our first local radio advertising campaign. WIRK, the area’s top country station and the BUZZ, its sister station is now broadcasting our 60-second commercial spot throughout the day. We are also sponsoring the hourly traffic report and Captain Marvin’s fishing report (Reel Candy Fishing). Marvin is reporting on action from Palm Beach to Saint Lucie every Friday and Saturday.
To hear Marvin’s Fishing Report, click here
To hear Marvin’s Fishing Report, click here
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Our Pro Staff
We are fortunate to have some of the best in the business working with us.
WALKER HOLCOLM
I never met a person with such a diverse fishing background and experience. Professional tournament fishing has taken Walker all over the world and has crewed with the best in the business. As a result, he has accumulated an incredible amount of knowledge. Walker is consistently ranked in the top 10 of his profession.
In addition to being our resident expert, Walker is a regular Marlin magazine contributor, Marlin University instructor and a Rolex IGFA World Championship winner.
WILLIAM FERNANDEZ
Our fly-fishing and inshore guru, William honed his fishing skills as a pro in Yellowstone. Escaping the cold weather, he moved to Florida to work for ‘In The Bite’. An expert on local fishing at all levels, We share William’s time and expertise with the magazine.
For questions on fly fishing, inshore or our local waters, William is the person to call.
CAPT. CHARLES PERRY
Hailed as the best leaderman in the world today, Charles is our consultant and advisor. Charler’s experience is worthy of a best seller biography. His name is usually associated with the stars of our sports like World of Famers Capt. Peter Wright and Stuart Campbel. Charles is also an accomplished photographer.
Check out Charles new professional big game rod collection at our store and shows.
WALKER HOLCOLM
I never met a person with such a diverse fishing background and experience. Professional tournament fishing has taken Walker all over the world and has crewed with the best in the business. As a result, he has accumulated an incredible amount of knowledge. Walker is consistently ranked in the top 10 of his profession.
In addition to being our resident expert, Walker is a regular Marlin magazine contributor, Marlin University instructor and a Rolex IGFA World Championship winner.
WILLIAM FERNANDEZ
Our fly-fishing and inshore guru, William honed his fishing skills as a pro in Yellowstone. Escaping the cold weather, he moved to Florida to work for ‘In The Bite’. An expert on local fishing at all levels, We share William’s time and expertise with the magazine.
For questions on fly fishing, inshore or our local waters, William is the person to call.
CAPT. CHARLES PERRY
Hailed as the best leaderman in the world today, Charles is our consultant and advisor. Charler’s experience is worthy of a best seller biography. His name is usually associated with the stars of our sports like World of Famers Capt. Peter Wright and Stuart Campbel. Charles is also an accomplished photographer.
Check out Charles new professional big game rod collection at our store and shows.
Monday, January 4, 2010
NEW YEAR, NEW STORE
2009 was an exciting year. Continuing growth during hard economic times, expansion and finally a move to our new offices left little time for fishing, something we will rectify in 2010.
Our Outfitter Store in Jupiter Florida represents our first step in our plans to expand our internet sales to include multi-store retailing. After many months of planning and construction, the store opened its doors November 1st and rapidly became a hit. Another confirmation that our mix of exciting products, quality and value sells well even during this down economy.
We learned a lot in the last few months. We learned that selling our products to a 'live' audience is less difficult than retailing over the internet. At our store the customer can 'touch and feel' the products and instantly recognize their value. In contrast, purchases over the internet requires a certain degree of faith that makes the process more difficult.
As we face this new year, you can expect us to continue our quest for great tackle at great prices. In 2009 we added over 300 new products and we plan on doubling our inventory in 2010. Look for new Omoto reels, Invicta premium fishing line, inshore lures and much more.
Our Outfitter Store in Jupiter Florida represents our first step in our plans to expand our internet sales to include multi-store retailing. After many months of planning and construction, the store opened its doors November 1st and rapidly became a hit. Another confirmation that our mix of exciting products, quality and value sells well even during this down economy.
We learned a lot in the last few months. We learned that selling our products to a 'live' audience is less difficult than retailing over the internet. At our store the customer can 'touch and feel' the products and instantly recognize their value. In contrast, purchases over the internet requires a certain degree of faith that makes the process more difficult.
As we face this new year, you can expect us to continue our quest for great tackle at great prices. In 2009 we added over 300 new products and we plan on doubling our inventory in 2010. Look for new Omoto reels, Invicta premium fishing line, inshore lures and much more.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Fishing the '09 WMO
Instead of offering my version of our week in Maryland, I will let our Captain Dave Ferrell do it for me. What follows is his recent posting in the Marlin Magazine's blog (http://www.marlinmag.com/blog.jsp).
Author Dave Ferrell (Marlin Magazine's editor)
[/caption]
Well, I just got back from my first "captain's" job at the White Marlin Open up in Ocean City, Maryland, and I didn't win a dime. I did, however, have a blast fishing with the boys from StingRay Tackle, Ray Lorenzo and John Tobias, as well as mates Charles Perry and Walker Holcomb, Orazio Nastaze and Alan Seidel. We fished the brand-spanking-new 34-foot Jarrett Bay center console, and I really put her in some tough situations.
On the first day, after loading what seemed like a literal "ton" of gear onto the boat, I tried to keep up with the crew on Big Oh since they had caught five whites a couple of days before the tournament started. Once we cleared the inlet, however, we hit some pretty thick fog and I had to start navigating by the boat's radar, a first for this Florida boy. As a bonus, the seas were a confused two to three foot with virtually no period in between. But since I had to keep up with Big Oh, I had to make 25 miles per hour in that slop or risk losing them. Unfortunately, I forgot that the trim tabs had a switch on the main panel and I couldn't get them to work, so the boys in the back took a bit of a beating.
Big Oh didn't get a bite that first day and neither did we, so I decided to trust Mitch Roffer at Roffer's Ocean Fishing Forecasts and fish the next day since the weather looked like it was going to be perfect.
We headed out from the inlet at 6:30 a.m., did about 40 mph in glass-calm seas (Charles Perry said, "I can't believe this," about 50 times) and wound up on the wall of the Wilmington Canyon, 72 miles later, at 8:15. It was a pretty ride and a gorgeous day all around.
After about two hours of trolling up and down the canyon wall, I got fed up with Walker's ballyhoo and decided to rig a couple of swimmers like the ones used in Costa Rica with the X of floss on the head and a small chin weight. After rigging three or four, I started to put one out on the left flat when Charles Perry yelled down that there was a white marlin trying to eat our mackerel on the right flat. As Walker slowly teased the white in on the mackerel, I slid over and put the swimming ballyhoo in the lane and called Tobias over to take the reel. Walker pulled the mackerel out of the water, and the marlin spun around and pounced on the ballyhoo. Tobias fed the fish for about three seconds, locked up the drag and came tight. We had our first fish on! I climbed the ladder and put the boat into a slight turn as the little white started jumping all over the place in the flat-calm water. Less than five minutes later, Walker got the leader and gently eased the fish up to the surface for a quick cutoff. The guys got to see that our circle-hooked Spanish mackerel did work as teasers for the whites and that the fish would make the switch from the swimming mackerel to a swimming ballyhoo.
It sure is great when a plan comes together. (See more in an upcoming issue.)
POSTED BY MarlinEdit AT 01:11
Author Dave Ferrell (Marlin Magazine's editor)
[/caption]
Well, I just got back from my first "captain's" job at the White Marlin Open up in Ocean City, Maryland, and I didn't win a dime. I did, however, have a blast fishing with the boys from StingRay Tackle, Ray Lorenzo and John Tobias, as well as mates Charles Perry and Walker Holcomb, Orazio Nastaze and Alan Seidel. We fished the brand-spanking-new 34-foot Jarrett Bay center console, and I really put her in some tough situations.
On the first day, after loading what seemed like a literal "ton" of gear onto the boat, I tried to keep up with the crew on Big Oh since they had caught five whites a couple of days before the tournament started. Once we cleared the inlet, however, we hit some pretty thick fog and I had to start navigating by the boat's radar, a first for this Florida boy. As a bonus, the seas were a confused two to three foot with virtually no period in between. But since I had to keep up with Big Oh, I had to make 25 miles per hour in that slop or risk losing them. Unfortunately, I forgot that the trim tabs had a switch on the main panel and I couldn't get them to work, so the boys in the back took a bit of a beating.
Big Oh didn't get a bite that first day and neither did we, so I decided to trust Mitch Roffer at Roffer's Ocean Fishing Forecasts and fish the next day since the weather looked like it was going to be perfect.
We headed out from the inlet at 6:30 a.m., did about 40 mph in glass-calm seas (Charles Perry said, "I can't believe this," about 50 times) and wound up on the wall of the Wilmington Canyon, 72 miles later, at 8:15. It was a pretty ride and a gorgeous day all around.
After about two hours of trolling up and down the canyon wall, I got fed up with Walker's ballyhoo and decided to rig a couple of swimmers like the ones used in Costa Rica with the X of floss on the head and a small chin weight. After rigging three or four, I started to put one out on the left flat when Charles Perry yelled down that there was a white marlin trying to eat our mackerel on the right flat. As Walker slowly teased the white in on the mackerel, I slid over and put the swimming ballyhoo in the lane and called Tobias over to take the reel. Walker pulled the mackerel out of the water, and the marlin spun around and pounced on the ballyhoo. Tobias fed the fish for about three seconds, locked up the drag and came tight. We had our first fish on! I climbed the ladder and put the boat into a slight turn as the little white started jumping all over the place in the flat-calm water. Less than five minutes later, Walker got the leader and gently eased the fish up to the surface for a quick cutoff. The guys got to see that our circle-hooked Spanish mackerel did work as teasers for the whites and that the fish would make the switch from the swimming mackerel to a swimming ballyhoo.
It sure is great when a plan comes together. (See more in an upcoming issue.)
POSTED BY MarlinEdit AT 01:11
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
100 POUNDS DOLPHIN?
Received this email and pictures from Charles Perry:
The story on this fish is that it was caught off of Jacksonville, NC by a Canaveral based tug traveling to South Carolina last week and trolling a line @ 9 kts.. These guys estimated it to be in the 100# range and didn't have the ice/capacity to keep it cold till they got to S.C., so they had to cut it up!!!! Little did they know that it was potentially the WORLD RECORD!!! It's nice to know that there's fish this size roaming our waters.
I LOVE THIS BUSINESS!
I love this business! Not only do I get to play with new toys all the time, but I also get to meet awesome people. And yes, occasionally we sell a few things to help keep us going.
Early on when I was planning what is today StingRay Tackle, I asked for feedback and advice from many people, some of them long time professionals like IGFA’s hall of famer Cpt. Peter Wright (a wealth of unselfish knowledge), wireman Cpt. Charles Perry and Master Rod Builder Neil Drumheller. These people contributed greatly to the creation of our company by sharing their years of experience in their respective areas of professional expertise. In addition to that professional advice, I also sought (and continue to do so) the feedback from the weekend warriors.
A great way of getting feedback from the everyday anglers is to read the fishing blogs. I constantly check these blogs for comments on subjects of interest and that is how I met Roddy Brodie better known as Heavy-Hooksetter (HH) in the blogging community.
Roddy is an extraordinary angler. The pursuit of stripers using old and homemade plugs is more than a passion. It seems to be a religion. He is part of a group of people that are constantly discussing fishing tackle and are always willing to provide honest and critical feedback. More important, Roddy and most of his friends are surf anglers in the northeast coast. A fishing style and area I know very little about but that has become our second largest market after Florida. As you can imagine, their feedback is ‘golden’.
Roddy and his friends are helping us with the development of our new surf line of rods. We plan to name the rod series Heavy-Hooksetter in honor of a guy that has been instrumental in the creation and success of our company.
Heavy-Hooksetter surf rods will be available in three casting and three spinning models late this year. The prototypes look great and we believe that the product will be one that Roddy and his friends will be proud of.
WHITE MARLIN OPEN, LESS THAN ONE WEEK TO GO
Tomorrow we are headed to Ocean City to participate in the White Marlin Open. We will be fishing with Dave Ferrell of Marlin Magazine and wireman extraordinaire Charles Perry. Walker Holcomb of Marlin University is a late addition to the team and will be handling cockpit duties. In all, there are seven of us that may make for a crowded boat. This year’s boat is the new Jarrett Bay 34 outfitted with three Merc 300s. (http://forum.jarrettbay.com/introducing-the-jarrett-bay-34-semi-production-express-t40.html )
The red Jarret Bay 34 will be docked at Sunset Marina. Look for us there.
I’ll try my best to post updates from OC. Stay tuned.
2009 ICAST AND NEW PRODUCTS
ICAST turned out to be a tremendous show for us. We were busy all three days of the show handling dealer inquiries, meeting with press representatives and showing off our new products.
ICAST is our industry’s yearly showcase. It is where hundreds of manufacturers and distributors meet thousands of buyers from all over the world. For those of us that love fishing and the toys that go with it, it is the world’s largest and best-stocked toyshop!
We introduced a few new items at ICAST to a great reception by all. Here is a re-cap:
1. Indigo Bay Big Game Fly Rods: Designed by Neil Drumheller, our new Fly Fishing Big Game Rods drew a crowd and excellent reviews. These rods are for those chasing big tarpons, billfish and other sea monsters with flies. We introduced five models ranging from #8 to a big #15 stick. Priced at $ 129.99 with a travel case and three butt styles, experts that have seen and tested the rods agree that the Indigo Bays are superior to rods costing many times more. The Indigo Bay Fly Rods will go on-sale by mid-August on our website and in our store. They will also be available through our dealers.
2. DeLux Fishing Lines: We will be introducing a new name in fishing line to the US market. DeLux is an old and venerable supplier of OEM/Private Label fishing lines to the US and international market. Their products include braid, mono, and fluorocarbon lines. DeLux’s products are time-tested and priced competitive. Look for the DeLux product in early 2010.
3. Aqua Saltwater Spinner: We knew we had something with our Aqua spinner but underestimated the acceptance of the product. Available in three sizes, the Aqua is rapidly becoming our best seller.
4. Rubber Chicken/Weiyu Lures: Our lure range continues to increase with the introduction of the jigging series and over 40 new models and colors. Watch for these new products soon.
Our company continues to grow thanks to our customers and dealers. Our record of repeat customers is enviable and the feedback we received on our products and service is inspiring. Thank you for your support and encouragement.
ICAST is our industry’s yearly showcase. It is where hundreds of manufacturers and distributors meet thousands of buyers from all over the world. For those of us that love fishing and the toys that go with it, it is the world’s largest and best-stocked toyshop!
We introduced a few new items at ICAST to a great reception by all. Here is a re-cap:
1. Indigo Bay Big Game Fly Rods: Designed by Neil Drumheller, our new Fly Fishing Big Game Rods drew a crowd and excellent reviews. These rods are for those chasing big tarpons, billfish and other sea monsters with flies. We introduced five models ranging from #8 to a big #15 stick. Priced at $ 129.99 with a travel case and three butt styles, experts that have seen and tested the rods agree that the Indigo Bays are superior to rods costing many times more. The Indigo Bay Fly Rods will go on-sale by mid-August on our website and in our store. They will also be available through our dealers.
2. DeLux Fishing Lines: We will be introducing a new name in fishing line to the US market. DeLux is an old and venerable supplier of OEM/Private Label fishing lines to the US and international market. Their products include braid, mono, and fluorocarbon lines. DeLux’s products are time-tested and priced competitive. Look for the DeLux product in early 2010.
3. Aqua Saltwater Spinner: We knew we had something with our Aqua spinner but underestimated the acceptance of the product. Available in three sizes, the Aqua is rapidly becoming our best seller.
4. Rubber Chicken/Weiyu Lures: Our lure range continues to increase with the introduction of the jigging series and over 40 new models and colors. Watch for these new products soon.
Our company continues to grow thanks to our customers and dealers. Our record of repeat customers is enviable and the feedback we received on our products and service is inspiring. Thank you for your support and encouragement.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Early Summer '09
“I blew out My flip-flop
Stepped on a pop-top
Cut my heel had to cruise on back home”
Stepped on a pop-top
Cut my heel had to cruise on back home”
Fishing has been steady but predictable. In South Florida , we have seen our usual dolphins in the 14-25 lbs range, occasional kings, bonitos, etc. but not much to get excited about. Our recent trip to Spanish Cay turned out to be an adventure due to the perennial problems with our boat’s computers and the Suzuki triplets acting up. Add four days of bad weather and monsoon storm and it was one of those trips we could have skipped. But we did manage to catch a few fish.
Luckily, our friends in La Gomera (Canary Islands) are having a good season. Although a grander continues to evade them, CP sent us a couple of pictures of some good size blues from earlier in May. Richard and Tim had a couple of big fish on their first week there. They will be back in July for more action and CP will continue to fish the area with Jose Luis until August when he will join us at the WMO. By the way, Richard and Tim are fishing with all StingRay equipment and CP will be testing an all-new StingRay rod series later on this season.
 Big Blue exploding out of water |
 One of Richard's blues |
 Cockpit Chaos and Tolimar 80 in action |
 Charles (CP) Handling a big blue |
There is a lot of excitement here as we prepare to open our retail store and continue to increase our product line with some great items. We are looking at an exciting summer with the upcoming ICAST show, our WMO participation and then the grand opening in September. Make sure to stay in touch with us by subscribing to our newsletter.
Keep those pictures coming.......
Our friend and neighbor Chris from Palm Beach Gardens sent us a couple of very nice pictures of
kingfish caught on live bait. His crew caught these while ‘tuning up’ for the upcoming tournament season.
kingfish caught on live bait. His crew caught these while ‘tuning up’ for the upcoming tournament season.
.
 Chris and the Southeastern Freight Team |
 Chris holding another of his blues |
Friday, May 8, 2009
SPRING-SUMMER FISHING 2009 part 1
[caption id="attachment_131" align="alignleft" width="380" caption="Dolphin Aerobatics"]
[/caption]
MAHI WEEKEND!
Saturday was a perfect Chamber of Commerce day. Cool and calm, the water was clear and visibility endless. Alan Seidel flew in from New York for the occasion and Doug and Richard also joined us.
The day started rather slow and we did not see action for the first part. We started our trolling pattern at the wrecks off the Lake Worth inlet but gave up rather quickly as traffic was quite heavy with tournament participants. Staying within the 3-mile range, we tried the always reliable Breakers area but we found ourselves in the middle of a boat show. Not that we are anti-social but we would rather have some elbow room while fishing. Finally we headed straight offshore.
[caption id="attachment_132" align="alignleft" width="380" caption="Alan and Richard"]
[/caption]
Mid day and after a missed strike, I asked Alan if he did not mind putting his ‘lucky rod’ out. He brought a lightweight four section caster with a 30 wt. barrel reel that he claims works all the time. John and Alan put it out with a 7” feather and we trolled at around 7 knots. Lucky indeed, within 10 minutes, a nice 23 lbs acrobatic cow hit the lure and put on a magnificent show. We could not have written the script better than how it turned out.
[caption id="attachment_133" align="alignleft" width="170" caption="Alan Seidel "]
[/caption]
We could see the bull hanging around the boat and we put out a number of choices ranging from bonito strips to feathers. But as by magic, a few boats showed up while we were busy with Alan’s fish and one of them hooked the bull in a trolling pass close to the boat. A little disappointing but that is how the game is played. A few minutes later, Richard landed another cow, this one weighted in at 17 lbs. Doug completed the weekend with another 17 lbs cow.
The reliable and tasty dolphins have finally arrived so summer must be around the corner. We are looking forward to another successful year of StingRay fishing.
[caption id="attachment_146" align="alignleft" width="170" caption="Doug Talbot"]
[/caption]
SEND US YOUR PHOTOS
Send us your photos for posting and bragging rights. ANY TYPE OF FISHING..If you show one of our products we will reward you with a gift certificate. Send photos to ray@stingraytackle.com or use our file transfer site below.
[caption id="attachment_135" align="alignleft" width="380" caption="Tolimar Platinun 50"]
[/caption]
WITHOUT A DOUBT, THE BEST VALUE IN FISHING TACKLE
This picture is of a Tolimar 50 and a Cockpit Chaos rod. Visit our website to learn more about our innovative fishing tackle.
WWW.STINGRAYTACKLE.COM
[/caption]MAHI WEEKEND!
Saturday was a perfect Chamber of Commerce day. Cool and calm, the water was clear and visibility endless. Alan Seidel flew in from New York for the occasion and Doug and Richard also joined us.
The day started rather slow and we did not see action for the first part. We started our trolling pattern at the wrecks off the Lake Worth inlet but gave up rather quickly as traffic was quite heavy with tournament participants. Staying within the 3-mile range, we tried the always reliable Breakers area but we found ourselves in the middle of a boat show. Not that we are anti-social but we would rather have some elbow room while fishing. Finally we headed straight offshore.
[caption id="attachment_132" align="alignleft" width="380" caption="Alan and Richard"]
[/caption]Mid day and after a missed strike, I asked Alan if he did not mind putting his ‘lucky rod’ out. He brought a lightweight four section caster with a 30 wt. barrel reel that he claims works all the time. John and Alan put it out with a 7” feather and we trolled at around 7 knots. Lucky indeed, within 10 minutes, a nice 23 lbs acrobatic cow hit the lure and put on a magnificent show. We could not have written the script better than how it turned out.
[caption id="attachment_133" align="alignleft" width="170" caption="Alan Seidel "]
[/caption]We could see the bull hanging around the boat and we put out a number of choices ranging from bonito strips to feathers. But as by magic, a few boats showed up while we were busy with Alan’s fish and one of them hooked the bull in a trolling pass close to the boat. A little disappointing but that is how the game is played. A few minutes later, Richard landed another cow, this one weighted in at 17 lbs. Doug completed the weekend with another 17 lbs cow.
The reliable and tasty dolphins have finally arrived so summer must be around the corner. We are looking forward to another successful year of StingRay fishing.
[caption id="attachment_146" align="alignleft" width="170" caption="Doug Talbot"]
[/caption]SEND US YOUR PHOTOS
Send us your photos for posting and bragging rights. ANY TYPE OF FISHING..If you show one of our products we will reward you with a gift certificate. Send photos to ray@stingraytackle.com or use our file transfer site below.
[caption id="attachment_135" align="alignleft" width="380" caption="Tolimar Platinun 50"]
[/caption]WITHOUT A DOUBT, THE BEST VALUE IN FISHING TACKLE
This picture is of a Tolimar 50 and a Cockpit Chaos rod. Visit our website to learn more about our innovative fishing tackle.
WWW.STINGRAYTACKLE.COM
Monday, April 27, 2009
OUR FRIENDS' MEMORABLE CATCHES
[caption id="attachment_115" align="alignleft" width="275" caption="North Platte trout"]
[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_118" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="This is one big striper"]
[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_120" align="alignleft" width="275" caption="Nice Jack Crevalle"]
[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_122" align="alignleft" width="250" caption="A keepr tuna from a recent trip to Cabo"]
[/caption]
We are now entering the prime spring fishing season and as you start bringing in your catch, remember to send us pictures featuring your StingRay product. We will send you gift certificates and other neat stuff but only if we can clearly see our product.
[/caption]We have some new pictures to post. The first one from Trent Schemerhorn, our official Rod and Reel Pajama tester. The picture is of a 42” brown trout from the North Platte in Casper Wyoming. Trent tells me that the real big one got away, so this smaller trout had to do for the picture.
Alan Seidel obtained his first StingRay rod and reel by winning an auction at the recent Wall Street Cares golf tournament. Alan is one of those guys that dream about leaving the big city and heading down to a tropical island to run his own fishing camp (sort of a fishing Norman Paperman). Here are some of his trophy catches:
[caption id="attachment_118" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="This is one big striper"]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_120" align="alignleft" width="275" caption="Nice Jack Crevalle"]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_122" align="alignleft" width="250" caption="A keepr tuna from a recent trip to Cabo"]
[/caption]We are now entering the prime spring fishing season and as you start bringing in your catch, remember to send us pictures featuring your StingRay product. We will send you gift certificates and other neat stuff but only if we can clearly see our product.
TAG A GIANT
There use to be a time when the giant blue fin could be found in abundance and catches of 1,000 lbs + monsters were common. Today these great animals are in trouble. Overfished for its coveted flesh, experts warn that if the declining trend continues, the blue fin will never recover.
My friend Charles Perry called me from Hatteras last month to tell me about the spring blue fin run. Charles, who spends most of the year chasing granders off the Great Barrier and the Azores, was home between trips when the call came in from the Tag A Giant foundation. The blue fins were showing up in good numbers and it was time to go ‘tagging’.
Tagging consists of surgically implanting an electronic tag for tracking and recording the migratory patterns of these great fish. These tags are mini computers that can remain active for extended period. Each tag carries a $ 500- 1,000 reward for the finder.
The Tag a Giant Foundation is a non-profit, donation funded organization that focuses on scientific research necessary for the formulation of effective policies for conservation and management of the blue fin tuna... I encourage you to visit their website at www.tagagiant.com .
WMO UPDATE No. 2
THE CAPTAIN
Our leader this year is Dave Ferrell, Editor in Chief of Marlin Magazine. In addition to his duties at the magazine, Dave also spends his days running Marlin University. A born angler, Dave is credited with catching the first IGFA record Avon bathtub plastic fish on 2 lbs mono when he was a mere three years old. The rest is history.
THE BOAT
Jarrett Bay 34 Walk Around Express
This year we are downsizing but picking up some speed. Dave arranged for our use of a new Jarrett Bay Walk around Express 34. I was supposed to go with Charles to see the boat earlier this month but unfortunately I ran out of time and the unpredictable weather did not cooperate during my two weeks up in Virginia.
Friends that have seen the boat are impressed. From the website information, the boat looks great and it clearly shows the unmistakable North Carolina bloodline with its deep entry hull and flair. We are looking forward to fishing this great looking boat.
If you want to know more about the JB 34, click here
Well, that is all for this update. I will keep you posted and if you plan to fish the WMO, please let us know. We may have certain incentives for displaying our banner and company decal.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
WMO '09 Countdown
Soon we will begin our countdown to the 2009 White Marlin Open. This year we are assembling a fantastic team that will include Marlin Magazine’s Dave Ferrell and Capt. Charles Perry. We are currently working on the details of what promises to be a memorable WMO. Check this blog often to follow our progress.
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