TheFin.com

Why Do Kids Love Fishing So Much?

    It seems universal that kids love to fish (OK maybe not universal but pretty close).  My 3 year old son is obsessed, which I guess is not too surprising since he's surrounded by it.  When he's on a "hot" snapper or porgy bite he can go forever, unless of course he opts to just toss the bait in the water to watch the feeding frenzy.  If you fish, and you have kids, I'm willing to bet that they love it too.  So what am I getting at?  A new(ish) website called Fishy Kid, (http://fishykid.org/)inspired by two fathers who enjoy the sport of fly fishing and wanted to do their part in passing along the virtues of the outdoors to our children. It's a fresh Idea and worth sharing, so check it out.  You can download a fishing coloring book!

No dead fish please

Did you know?

Anglers fishing in FLW tournaments receive an 8oz deduction for weighing in a dead fish.  This is huge because 8oz could be the difference between winning one million dollars at the Forrest Wood cup or getting 2nd place.

The Dongan What? A long Island Fisherman's Battle.

From today's WSJ. The Dongan Patent, a 313-year-old colonial-era document. Read the article here

Would you ever spend $314 for a pair of pliers?

Would you ever spend $314 for a pair of pliers? I thought it was crazy too but you know what?  It's definitely worth it.  If you fish in the salt, especially if you fish from the surf, you need a pair of pliers that are going to last.  I finally got tired of having to soak my cheap needle nose pliers in WD40 just to get them to open so I bought a pair of Van Staal 6" titanium pliers.  They claim "No Rust. No Wear. Corrosion-free in the worst saltwater conditions. " Like all VS products that I've used, they live up to their promise.  Expensive? Yes.  Worth it? Yes.  

Again...If you are going to release them, do so with care

It's that time of the month again.  Here's your reminder: 

Decisions, Decisons, Decisions

Whether you are a pro bass fisherman or a casual angler, the decisions you make about where to fish can make your day or win you  a million dollars.  Most pros have an arsenal of baits and lures that they are comfortable with and for the moat part can or should be able to catch fish in any given situation.  The key is knowing where to fish and why.  Here are a few things I consider before going out:

-Where's the bait?
-What direction and how strong is the wind?
-Is the water clean or dirty?
-What's the tide doing?
-Any reliable reports or anyone out now that I can contact?

I'm confident enough that I can catch fish under most conditions in my home waters because I have years of experience there.  If I'm on the road I'll do a ton of research online via thefin.com, facebook, and forums that are local to a particular area.  Am I missing anything? What do you do to help ensure you catch fish?

I was killing 'em but so was this other guy. Why?

I was fishing a popular Montauk spot the other day and was catching a bass on ever cast.  I know why I was catching them but I have no idea why one other guy was too. 

Get yours

Email me at jasonp@thefin.com

No pictures yet...

But hopefully the pictures taken by Tosh Brown and Pete McDonald will make it into the book they are working on.  I was part of a little photo shoot today in Montauk.  I told the two guys listed above to meet me at 3:00 in the parking lot of the East Deck Motel in Montauk as the fish would be there at 3:10.  Weather conditions were perfect!

Cloudy with areas of drizzle. Windy with lows in the upper 40s. Northeast winds 20 to 30 mph

When I got to the lot Tosh and Pete were putting their waders on but had not even looked at  the water.  I drove right by them to the beach and saw a hundred bird picking bait out of the whitewater.  I yelled "ya better hurry they are here now" It was 3:10.

I hopped out to the end of the short jetty and began taking fish on just about every cast.  Nothing huge but still fun.  The rain and the wind picked up and so did the waves. 3 hours later I was still into fish.  Fall in Montauk!  I love it. 

Fishing bloggers unite!

The one and only Pete McDonald (AKA: FishingJones)has done it again:

Do you have a fishing blog that has been in existence for at least a year?  If so this link is for you! Pete is giving away the mother of all ditch fishing setups! 

Note: artsy picture is Pete's: