The Fin - Fishing Pictures Shared

@TheFin #FF Follow Friday: @fbrglssmnfsto

I thought for a long time about who to feature this week and with spring in the air I have also been thinking about the start of my fishing season which in turn got me thinking about when I started fishing as a kid, which guided me to my decision..... drum roll please...... This week's Fin Follow Friday goes to: The Fiberglass Manifesto (aka Cameron Mortenson) @fbrglssmnfsto Why? Most of us started fishing with glass rods, so I think it's fair to say that we all have a special place in our hearts for glass. I have a few old fiberglass surf fishing rods from when I was a kid and while I don't fish with them, just looking at them brings back memories of every fish I caught with them.  I can picture myself standing on the very tip of Great Point in Nantucket flinging 3 oz. Rangers into the rip for HUGE Nantucket blues.  My very first fly rod, was glass and while it's as soft as a piece of spaghetti, I love catching trout on it.

Cameron was one of the very first people that I connected with on Twitter and I've really enjoyed his posts there and on his blog and Facebook page.  His love of fiberglass is infectious and so niche that you can't help but to appreciate his passion.  I don't know Cameron personally but am pretty sure he'd be a blast to fish with too. 

@fbrglssmnfsto is a good follow because of the solid content he puts out there and he's also very interactive and follows you back.  Cameron has done an amazing job building his band via the Twitterverse.  If you are looking to build yours, take notes, knows what he's doing.

Follow The Fiberglass Manifesto here: https://twitter.com/fbrglssmnfsto

Previous Fin Follow Friday Mentions:

@FishTheBaja

@Wired2Fish

@TheFin #FF Follow Friday: @Wired2Fish

This week's Fin Follow Firday recomendation is @Wired2Fish:

I grew up on largemouth bass fishing (watching bass fishing, not actually doing it) and spent several years working on the FLW TV series, so in one way or another, I have it in my blood and still like to keep up to date with what's going on.  The folks at Wired2Fish, consistently put out quality information about what's happening in the sport of bass fishing and since they cover all the big players you can get all your bass fishing info in one place.  The second (and third) reason I like @wired2fish as a Follow Friday rec is that they follow back (look at they're follow/follower split) and they are VERY interactive.  Some companies I suppose can get away with just putting info out there but it's called social networking for a reason and these guys are social. 

Here's what they have to say......
Wired2Fish believes in reporting on the anglers, techniques, products and the professional leagues in a positive light. It is our goal to educate, entertain and give Wired2Fish readers the opportunity to buy the best products. We will not be advertorial but rather give readers pro’s perspectives on winning techniques and products that aid them in catching fish. It is our philosophy to be honest, show integrity in our reporting and give an independent and unbiased perspective on the pro’s and their techniques. We also see the pro anglers as the drivers and heroes in our sport and we believe that we should do everything we can to highlight them, their families and their experiences. Wired2Fish will do everything it can to bring the sport together with our reporting and elevate the educational process to cut down the time between the cast and the catch.

I have had the pleasure of meeting two people from their team over the years, Jason Sealock, I first met while he was at FLW and i've met Todd Hammill in the field while covering FLW tournaments.  They are very passionate anglers and stand up guys.

Follow them at: https://twitter.com/Wired2Fish

Previous Fin Follow Friday Mentions:

@FishTheBaja

My iPhone just got a little bit cooler than yours...

I picked up the Fisheye, Macro, Wide Angle and Telephoto Phone Lens kit from my new favorite online store Photojojo.com and while I have not tested the lenses out on the water yet, I think I'm going to like them.  My favorite is the macro which surprises me as I'm usually a sucker for the fisheye lens.  The lenses stick on to your iphone with a little magnetic ring..which is much stronger than it looks but if bumped will move the lens a bit.  It should be noted that the fisheye effect goes away in video mode because of the focal length adjustment that happens when you switch.   Here are a few sample shots.

Macro (duh):

Fisheye:

16 tips on photgraphing your fish (and respecting the resource)!

So, when I asked on my Facebook page for a few tips on how to photograph your fish while fishing solo, I did not expect to get such great info and all from one person.  Rick Bannerot who studied film/photography at Yale and who also happens to be a passionate fisherman and member of the Anglers Club sent me all one needs to know on the subject!  I have fished with Rick a few times in Montauk and I can certainly confirm that he is excellent at both.  What's more, it's obvious that Rick has clear love and respect for the fish he catches. Here is what he had to say (click on the photos to see full size!):

1. First and foremost, it starts with being gentle and quick with the fish...
2. Before it starts, it starts with preparation and planning.  Don't go digging for the camera after you have hooked a fish, it is too late and you run the real risk of losing the fish, breaking your rod, dropping the camera, or keeping the fish too long out of the water, etc...
3.  Have a net, it gives you a measure of control and reduces the handling of the fish.
4. If your camera has a wrist/neck strap, use it, (especially if it your wife's camera...been there, done that, twice! Slow learner!)
5. Use the fill flash setting.
6. Get a Gorilla Grip tripod.
7. Pre-set your camera to the self timer mode so you don't have to fumble with the settings.

8. Lift fish out of net only when you are ready to shoot your shot. Return fish to net in water ASAP if you want to try a second shot, check the first pic for framing/lighting.
9. Try shooting the fish in the water with the fly/lure still in the fishe's mouth. Don't worry about getting the whole fish in the shot, go for a head/shoulders shot.
10. Most fish do not do well when released if they have been held by the lower lip with a Boga Grip or by your hand without supporting their weight with your other hand back towards the anal fins.  Too much "hanging" weight/pressure tears the soft tissues between the fishe's mouth/gill connection area and their esophagus.
11. Spend extra time and care in the resuscitation phase if you have been trying to take the fish's pic, it is the least you can do.

12.  If you have a fairly docile species when you take them out of the water like a bonefish, permit or stripped bass, you can and should lay them on a wet towel to protect their slime from being rubbed off by the rocks/sand/boat non-skid deck surface.  (Trout, fresh albies, bonito, blues, tarpon don't tend to be docile when you lay them down.)
13. For  context and art, have an open fly box or lures laid out around the towel with these items being nearer the head for visual interest.
14. If you have a favorite hat with a rod/reel lure logo on it, or the marina/destination you are fishing, you can position that next to the fish to give the fish a "location/context".
15. Resist the urge to put a cigar, cigarette or beer bottle in the mouth of the fish unless you are keeping the fish for the fry pan. (Screwing around with props is usually fatal to the fish.)
16. Position yourself and/or the fish away from direct sunlight.  You will either have an over-exposed shot, a squint, or under exposure due to harsh shadows.  Sunlight should come from 30 degrees behind/over the right or left "shoulder" of the camera for indirect lighting, which is supplemented by the camera's fill flash.

Time for a test drive! Join The Fin APP Beta Team

Ok, iPhone users, it's almost time to start testing The Fin APP:   We're opening it up to a small group of users, and we'd love for you to take it for a test drive and let us know what you think (what works, what doesn't, what you like, and what you don't). 

Yeah, but what is it? In its simplest form, its a way for you to share your fishing pics with your friends and the world with the click of a button.  But, we see it as more that just photsharing, The Fin APP at it's heart is a tool for people who fish.  Whether you are a fishing guide looking to promote your business or you are looking for an up to the second fishing report in your area (with pictures to prove it) or you are researching your next trip...it's in the APP.  It's different things for different people but regardless, its a way for people who fish to connect around their passion and have easy access to great content!

If you would like to join The Fin beta team and get your hands on our APP before anyone else, here's what you do:

Send an email to me at jason @ thefin.com with the following info:
1. Your name
2. email address
3. iPhone model and iOS your are currently running
4. Number of days that you fished in 2011
5. Brief fishing bio (where you fish, what you fish for, are you a guide or captain, work in fishing industry (no, you don't have to it's open to all), do you fish tournaments, member of fishing club, etc)
6. Shirt size and mailing address if you would like a Fin T

When the beta test officially begins, in a few weeks, you will receive an email with a special code with instructions to redeem the free APP 

 

Looking into the blitz - Montauk fall migration photo explored

I love bolwing up photos like this:

and seeing things like this:

Click the photos to see them BIG!

 

Introducing @TheFin #FF Follow Friday: @FishTheBaja

Instead of your typical Follow Friday routine on Twitter, which I think is useless,  I have to decided to single out one Tweeter per week to highlight on my blog and for you to follow if you don't already.  So to kick off week one, my Fin Follow Friday is Dave Maynard AKA @FishTheBaja

Here's why:
I don't know Dave personally nor have I even seen his show but I can tell  you this, he's extremely passionate and knowledgeable about fishing of all types and is an incredibly engaging follow on Twitter.  He created #fishchat on Twitter which happens each Tuesday night from 7-8 Mountain Time.  Just look for the #fishchat tag and you will find him and a group of like minded fisherman shooting the breeze about a preselected topic by Dave.

I generally don't watch fishing shows which is ironic since I produced the Guide House series on ESPN and Produced the FLW Tour on Versus for the last few years...that said, I did watch this clip of Dave's show on Youtube last night which made me want to watch more.  Check it out here http://www.youtube.com/tellyawards?x=2mwEYnbU1c8 and give him a thumbs up vote for his Telly Award bid!

Based on his follow/follower ratio, it looks like Dave generally follows you back which is always good.  He's a relentless promoter but not in a bad way at all....I'm surprised he only has 2211 followers.... Come on, ya gotta follow @FishTheBaja !

Happy Follow Friday to all.  See ya on the water!

Don't come home empty handed - Solo Fishing Photography

Just because you didn't catch any fish doesn't mean you have to come home empty handed!  Take advantage of the beautiful scenery and set up a self portrait that you can share with others later.  When you fish from the surf at night like I do, it's hard to get good shots of your fish, but often when it's time to come home you can get some great shots.  Put yourself in picture as photos with people (or fish ;) are much more interesting.  Here are a few self portraits (above and below).  I don't carry a tripod but simply set my camera up on a rock and set the timer.

Simple Photoshop trick for your Fishing pics

When I'm not uploading photos directly from my iphone I will often tweak my photos a tiny bit in photoshop (BTW, there is free photoshop APP for the iPhone which I highly recommend).  Recently, one of my favorite tricks is to play with the Exposure setting (Exposure, Offset, Gamma Correction).  Check out this pic I took last year while bonefishing in Andros at the Andros Island Bonefish Club.
Here is the untouched photo:

And here it is after a few simple corrections:
The exact parameters are shown here:
To get to the Exposure settings, go to Image>Adjustments>Exposure - Playing with these settings works particularly well on bad photos as it helps give them a look.  I'll post an example.

Solo Fishing Photography iPhone tip #1

"If you catch a fish in the middle of a sandy flat and no one is around to see it, did it really happen?"

I do 90% of my fishing by myself, which is probably normal for people who fish a lot (if my wife is reading this, no I don't fish a lot).  Like most people who fish, I like to share my successes or failures with my fishing buddies and what better way than with a camera?  I consider myself an above average photographer who is more concerned with subject matter and composition than with owning the latest gear.  My high end camera which I don't consider high end, only that it is the most expensive one I own, is a Nikon d90 paired with either a 20mm lens or a 35-105mm zoom.  The camera I use most often is the one on my iPhone 4s.  I'm a firm believer in the quote " The best camera is the one that's with you" but to each his own. 

Taking pictures of your catch can be a challenge when you fish alone so I asked on my Facebook page for some suggestions and those along with my own two cents will hopefully help you out on your next fishing trip.  What follows is just one in a series of solo fish photography tips.

How you photograph your fish depends on where and how you are fishing.  For example, a few weeks ago, I was bonefishing in Turks and Caicos, where I was wading huge flats by myself and was carrying minimal gear...so for taking pictures I went with my iPhone 4s in a LifeProof Case (you can see my review of the LifeProof Case here).  I knew that when I landed a fish I was going to want to release it quickly, so a quick shot was all I was looking for in this situation.  As you can see above, not the best shot but at least I was able to document the catch. 

OK, here's the tip:  One thing I learned on this trip, is that while taking pics with your iPhone, make sure you turn the brightness all the way up in advance of getting out on the water.   As iPhone users know, one of the keys to battery management is to keep the brightness down, but when fishing in very bright situations like a white sand flat in full sun it's almost impossible to see an image on the iPhone unless the brightness is turned all the way up.  Trust me, when you have a fish in hand and you're looking for the brightness slider you are guaranteed a bad picture, and you will be unnecessarily stressing the fish out. 

Thanks for all the great submissions (especially Rick Bannerot who sent tons of info which i'll share soon!) many more fish photography posts to come.