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

OUR FRIENDS' MEMORABLE CATCHES

[caption id="attachment_115" align="alignleft" width="275" caption="North Platte trout"][/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.

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.

Winter Fishing 08/09 Part 4 March

COSTA RICA DAYDREAMIN'

 

Guanamar is an unpresumptuous hotel nested on a hill overlooking the beautiful Playa Carrillo bay. Not the type of place you would go for a luxurious get away and a far cry from the Four Seasons at Los Sueños not too far away, but for the second year in a row I am here to join our friends from Marlin University for four full days of bill fishing and how-to seminars.

 

Marlin University offers a unique opportunity to learn from some of the world’s best captains and legends of our sport. Instructors for this session included IGFA’s Hall of Famer Capt. Peter B. Wright, Marlin Magazine’s editor Dave Ferrell, well-known mate Walker Holcomb, Spirit of Pilar’s Captain Scott Jones and my friend Capt. Charles Perry, the undisputed king of the wire. This group is the equivalent of a ‘Dream Team’ in any professional sport.

 

You rest little during the four days of classes and the wear and tear shows after the second day. This is not a relaxing vacation by any mean and the days are packed full of fishing and hands-on training. A typical day starts at 6 AM and after a hearty breakfast, the attendees head down to the boats. Divided in teams of four, each group is assigned a different instructor each day. Emphasis on the use of circle hooks and the unharmed release of the fish is the order of the day. The teams return to port around 5 PM and after a quick shower, they meet for incredible dinners followed by seminars in all aspects of the sport, from rigging bait, to selection of terminal tackle, and how to handle a 500+ lbs marlin.

 

Costa Rica offers many opportunities to encounter billfish and it is common to hookup quadruples on a regular basis. This time we encountered unusually turbid waters three of our four fishing days but we managed to find a few fish in the pea soup. Enough to hone our skills and re-learn some of the techniques we had forgotten.

 

On the fourth day, the teams participate in a mini-tournament. Our team was lucky enough to team up with Capt. Peter Wright for tournament day. On this day, the water cleared considerably and the fish showed up. Under Peter’s guidance, we went on to win the mini-tournament to the delight of our two mates, which shared the $ 500 purse.

 

I cannot praise enough the folks at Marlin University. They do an outstanding job and they constantly deliver way past the attendants’ expectations. The format of the University affords the opportunity to make friends with fellow anglers from across the country and from all walks of life. Your fishing skills will greatly improve and your confidence in being able to handle larger fish will definitely take a boost. It is truly a ‘once in a lifetime’ experience.
Here are some pictures from our time in Costa Rica:

 

AERIAL DISPLAY

 

Billfish always brings a smile to my face	Dave Ferrell watching the action

John watching the lines

 

Photo op before release

 

Tournament in the bag, Peter relaxes

 

By the way, if you want to know more about Marlin University, visit www.marlinuniversity.com  or call Barbara at 407.571.4606 (or email
Barbara.Lehner@bonniercorp.com). Tell her Ray sent you.

Winter Fishing 08/09, Part 3 February

SAVED BY OUR FRIENDS

 

Our fishing has been somewhat hampered by the unpredictable winter weather and our trip to Beijing to attend China Fish ’09. Fortunately, our friends and customers picked up our slack and sent in great pictures of their winter fishing together with some from last summer.

Our first contributor is Miguel Navarte from Miami. Miguel braved rough seas to cross over to Bimini recently. His adventure was rewarded by a great catch of Yellow Eye snappers. You can find these tasty fish in 400+ feet of water throughout the Caribbean and the Bahamas. Unfortunately, Miguel is not releasing the coordinates to his hot spot. You can see our Cockpit Chaos rod in use.

 

Vince Vinson from Atlanta sent us a picture of a 658 lbs. blue marlin caught off the coast of Guam last August. Vince was fishing for yellow fin when he ran into this beautiful blue. Her bill broke as she was wrestled into the 23’ center console boat.

Our push the envelope submission goes to Steven Edgar from Sulphur, OK. I have seen pictures of Alligator Gars before but never realized how big these beasts can be. Steven definitely pushed the envelope by landing several of these monsters with our Ming CL-60 and CZH-60 reels. I am certain these reels are not designed for 100+ fish, but we are glad to see people pushing our products to the limit.

Miguel received a $ 20 gift certificate for featuring the Cockpit Chaos and a special $ 50 gift certificate to Steven for pushing the envelope. Please keep sending us your photos and make sure we can see our products to receive a gift certificate.

 

By the way, please consider buying a raffle ticket benefiting Relay For Life, The ticket is for a chance to win a custom rod by our master rodcrafter Neil Drumheller. The money goes in its entirety to a great cause and if you win, you will be amazed with the rod. Neil is without question one of the best custom rodbuilders around and his rods are works of art.

You can order your ticket by clicking here

 

Tight Lines

Ray

New Caliente Inshore and Freshwater Pink Fishing Poles

We now have the new Caliente inshore fishing poles in stock. The original Caliente offshore fishing poles continue to be extremely successful and with this addition of four new inshore/freshwater models, we complete the product line of affordable, high quality and beautiful ladies’ hot pink fishing poles. Check them out by clicking here

Winter Fishing 08/09, Part 2 January

AND THE BITE CONTINUES, WITH A VERY PLEASANT SURPRISE!

(January 10^th)

Great action and awesome weather once again here in Palm Beach. Yes, the sails are still here and the action is hot, but today we had a pleasant surprise:

 

John’s 14 y.o. nephew David joined us this weekend and caught his first billfish. Not the expected sail, but an awesome white marlin. He fought the fish a little longer than we like due to the light tackle he was using and being David’s first, we did not want to take a chance; but it was a good release and the white swam away no worse for the wear. David was using a 20lbs rated Azul spinner rod and a prototype of our new Aqua saltwater spinner reel.

 

 

Awesome job David. You are the ‘MAN’. And yes, I owe you fifty bucks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Debbie was in charge of hooking dinner. A beautiful African Pompano fell for the bottom bouncing goggle eye trick. Two nice sized Amberjacks dropped in as well. She was fishing with a StingRay Cockpit Chaos rod and the prototype Tolimar 30 reel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was a full featured day with a lot of action. Back at the dock by 2 PM.

 

Until next time.

Ray

 

THE BITE IS ON (January 3rd)

The sailfish action out of Lake Worth Inlet is outstanding this season and the weather is cooperating with nice cool and calm days. Here are some pictures from Saturday. All caught on our Cockpit Chaos series and prototypes of our new Tigre high retrieve reels (coming this February)

John’s careful release

 

 

Monica patiently waits. She had three hook ups within two hours

Mike’s first sail.

Mike’s smile after his first sail

Michelle landed this nice grouper bouncing a goggle eye off the bottom as we drifted . She was using a Caliente Pink stand-up rod and a prototype Tolimar reel

And a 'plug' for Marlin University

And this picture of Matt, StingRay Tackle's youngest fan in Gloucester, VA sent in by our master rod builder Neil Drumheller of Severn Wharf Rods.

Matt caught this striper all by himself. You stilll can't wipe the smile off this nine year old's face

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.

Fish do not read magazines nor visit tackle shops ..... an old fisherman

 

Incredible Day

 

It was an incredible day, for sure. One of those days when you do all the right things and find the life. It was an 85 mile run for us, and with $4-$5 a gallon gas we had to make it count. We ran out the night before at about midnight and started fishing at dawn about 70 miles out. By 3:00, we had limited out on dolphin and Wahoo, saw two white marlins, had a big blue eat one of our hooked Wahoo, and started passing up huge dolphin because we had caught so many. What a day!

The dolphin were not responding to trolled baits that day, so we used lived bait with light tackle and had a blast. Definitely my favorite way to catch Dolphin. Later in the morning we found some really good debris and limited out on Wahoo trolling by it with only three passes. After that, we caught a bunch of Wahoo on spinning tackle with jigs and poppers. The dolphin were so hot we took the hooks off our poppers and it did not matter how fast you reeled, you just couldn’t keep it away from them.

 

  

• 19 dolphins, 9 of which were bulls in the 30-40lb. range. One with a hole in its' head from a possible earlier encounter with a Marlin or Sword Fish


• 6 Wahoo in the box with an additional 10 or so caught and released.


• Triple tail


• 98 miles from the pass


• 19 Hours on the water


• 42 Hours with no sleep

Reggie Lawrence

Atlanta GA

New Community Website

Stripers and Anglers is a new online community site that we like. The site is not limited to the dedicated striper crowd as the name would imply. There are forums from cooking, political, sports, regional subjects and Bunker Joe’s Trading Hut, which as the name implies, is an online classified for garage flotsam and jetsam. Check it out. It is worth your visit and support.
www.stripersandanglers.com

Winter Fishing 08/09

This great shot of an Atlantic sailfish attacking a trolling lure was sent in by my friend Joe Yeni of MarineMax in Stuart. Joe took this picture on his birthday last December 10th. Joe, it was that beautiful new Cabo 52 Express and those quiet MAN engines that did it. The boat is a sailfish (and chick) magnet without a doubt!

SOUTH FLORIDA SAILFISH ALLEY

The waters off Palm Beach north to the Treasure Coast are some

of the most productive Atlantic sailfish grounds at this time of the

year. The strip, not too far from shore and between 90 and 250 ft of

water is frequently called Sailfish Alley. For the looks of it, this

promises to be a banner season for sailfish in the region and I am

sure we will be posting many more sailfish shots this winter.

 

These beautiful fish can be finicky and unpredictable. The style of

choice for seasoned locals is to live bait with circle hooks on a free

line where there is a confirmed sailfish presence. When specifically

targeting sailfish, we prefer the local method as circle hooks dramatically

reduce fish mortality. Sailfishing is strictly a catch and release activity.

As Joe’s photograph proves, a motivated sailfish will go for a plastic

trolling lure just as well. Such by-catch is common when trolling for other

species that visit our sunny South Florida at this time of the year.

 

BTW. If you need a boat, Joe at MarineMax Stuart is the man!

 

LATE FALL STRIPERS

Jimmy Z from Rhode Island and one of those
big stripers the area is known for.  This one caught

on an Ming reel.

 

PHOTOS

Send us your photos for posting and bragging rights. 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 trasnfer site below.

 

    

 

 

 

Fall Fishing

Well, it has been a busy and rather short fall season. We missed most of the early fall traveling in China and although we are still a couple of weeks from officially welcoming winter, I do not think we will have time to do much fishing between now and the first days of winter. So I decided to post some of these photos. The girls were able to meet us for the weekend and we headed out of Oregon Inlet aboard the SeaNote (www.seanotecharters.com) with our friends Capt Benjie Stansky and William for some offshore fishing on a very cold November day. Things were slow so we decided to try our luck at bottom fishing. It was a great success and the girls had a lot of fun landing 17 good size tilefish. It is always great to spend time with Benjie and William, so the fish were just an added but welcomed bonus. Melissa and a double header Michelle and Will and a nice tilefish Melissa, Michelle, Debbie and Ray with the day's catch Our next trip was out of our winter home in Palm Beach. The nice late season Dorado found us and Debbie had the honor of bringing it home for dinner. Colette bagged the nice opportunistic cobia after it cleaned a couple of hooked snappers on the way up. It turned out to be a perfect South Florida day and not a bad fishing weekend. Debbie and a nice dorado (Cockpit Chaos) John manning the downrigger (Cockpit Chaos) Colette and a Cobia (Azul) A nice cow West End (Cockpit Chaos) Last weekend we crossed over to the West End hoping to find some of those wahoos that make their way from up north. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate and it turned ugly from the get go making our weekend trip an overnighter. We stayed Friday night at Ginn’s Old Bahama Bay (www.oldbahamabay.com), a first class resort in every way. Our friend Janice Thompson went out of her way to welcome us with her characteristic Bahamian charm. Our short stay was memorable and I can assure you we will be back,Janice. David Onesty and a very decent striper (Azul) Here is a picture sent in by our great friend Neil Drumheller of Severn Wharf Rods in Gloucester Point, VA. Neil emailed me this nice shot of a Chesapeake Bay striper this afternoon. It was caught on a StingRay Azul rod by Neil's fishing buddy David Onesty. Neil, I am looking forward to joining you in late December for some serious striper fishing. (http://www.thenakedchickenflyshop.com). HAVE TROPHY SHOTS? STINGRAY EQUIPMENT IN ACTION? We encourage you to share your fishing pictures and stories with us. There are gift certificates and free tackle waiting for your contribution Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyways. – Anonymous

LOOKING FOR CONTRIBUTORS

WRITERS

 

If you have some good fish stories, techniques, experiences etc that you want to share with our visitors, please send your articles and pictures to
ray@stingraytackle.com.
We need your help making this blog a diverse and informative (entertaining?) destination. Contribute your article and pictures and we will send you gift certificates for StingRay products. How much? Well, it depends on how good your story or article is.

 

PHOTOS

 

Send us your fishing photos and we will post them in the new photo section of the blog. Show us a StingRay rod and you will get a gift certificate. Send photos to ray@stingraytackle.com or use our file transfer site below: