Hi again all my friends,

     The fishing update word of this edition.......is............ICE.  Lots of it.  Reports from Conn and mass are showing great success everywhere.  It is such a different form of fishing....rugged...like surfcasting.  Maybe that's why I always liked it.  From huge pike to pan fish, I have always enjoyed the raw winter menthol air and all the peripherals that go with the sport.  The flag going off is such a visual....its like noticing some striper nibbles on a staked out rod.  It raises your heart beat as fast as getting scared to death. Oh yes,  and did I mention that ice fishing in itself can scare you death?????..................and so..........

The Swimmer's

     I have no idea why we always decided to have greasy sausage  on the Coleman, but we did!!!  The house stunk the night before from precooking that stuff at 1030 pm.  It was all part of the preliminary preparation that ice anglers go through before they hit the ice.....The peripherals! Unfortunately back in those very early angling years, one of the perks was brandy.  Who was the idiot that began associating ice fishing with brandy...or even drinking in general???.  Mocking the idea is my prerogative right now, but in those days...brandy it was...during the day, when....ICE FISHING.

     Lets see now....got the grill and the fuel?...yup ...got the sausages and rolls and condiments and snacks and candy (candy is different than snacks, its special!)?.....yup....got all the tip ups and the gear?....yup....how about the auger...new blades for the new year?...My brothers reply was "affirmative"  We agreed that he would meet me at some ungodly early hour.  In the total dark of course.  Why??  Who Knows, it was just part of my fanaticism.  Besides we got permission to fish a private farm pond and the thought of being the first and only anglers at this place, gave us the right tingles as we ended the night.

     Farm Ponds are a privilege to fish and even visit.  They are Gods perfect eco-system.  It seems they have the best frogs and pollywogs and turtles and crayfish and hellgrammites and ducks and herons and otters and muskrats and fresh water clams   and on and on.........Oh yes, they also have huge bass that have lived a life of no pressure from eager anglers.  Farm ponds are so pristine.  When I was younger I used to float on top of this farm pond in town and stare down with a mask while breathing with my snorkel.  Never wanted to tread the bottom....you know about those snapping turtles...Yikes!!  Striper mikes loves all of nature equally.........The insect intrigues me as much as the otter does.  Life's interaction and limited time span makes me feel the yearn to stare at all living things and observe their walk down life's lane. Don't kill things...Release fish when you can...shake hands with life, don't put yourself above it, respect the mission of all of Gods creatures.  We all have a purpose and a farm pond is one of the finest places to watch the circle of life in all its glory.  

     I wonder if I really sleep when I am going fishing the next day.  Sometimes it seems like an intolerable task that I must submit to in order to go the following day.  Sleep has always bored me....this night was no different and I sort of...almost slept....till it was arrival time for Patrick.  When he came...I had the car packed with the gear and he had a bag full of coffees and the bait.  Its Time To Cut The Ice.....!!!!

     The exhaust left a long tail in back of the funky Chrysler I had as we disappeared into the cold dark night.  Inside the car , it was a different scene...We were all hyped up and just got ourselves going even more by saying that there must be giant bass in this pond if it is never fished.....you know the HOPE bit....Most anglers are more hopeful than they should be!!! But as mentioned,we REALLY made each other  more excited by the minute.  The coffees were followed by two big gulps of blackberry brandy as an almost symbolic gesture towards the rites of passage into a day of ice fishing.  Sometimes guys can be so odd...I know....I'm a guy!

     When we got to the pond, it was completely snow covered except for the few indications of springs as the dampness made by the motion of the spring assured that no snow would stick here. There was not a foot print on the entire body of water.  We re-psyched ourselves with another morning gulp  of "Bad Boy Juice" and took out THE SLED!  

     Ice fishing and image are actually connected.  Believe it or not.  How you carry out your stuff and how easy it is for you to find all your gear  and food and warmth are all keenly compared by other ice cutters.  We had a cool sled.  Room for the Coleman stove...and fuel ...and food...and a funky old basket that had all our tip ups etc.  The auger fit right on the side and there was still room for our radio and beverage.....We scanned the area, moved away from the springs and mentally laid out our pattern for getting that bass of a life time.  We always shook hands before any fishing event....and still do....and we would say  "Good Luck".  Sometimes those two words can come in handy....very handy.Nice three pounder.

     Brothers seem to always have this ruff and tumble kind of relationship.  That is magnified when you have a lot of brothers....and multiply that by 10 when they are all Irish!!!  Patrick is ten years younger than me....and always has been!  (that's a joke). He looked up to me in many ways but there was always this half wrestling scenario that was part of our relationship.  Like two bucks always testing each other. or two male dogs.  Today was no different.  Right from the night before we were jostling each other. . As we talked, the rough housing continued.

     Those deep groaning ice cracks always let out a little adrenaline.  This pond had plenty of them.  The snow was all powder and barely four inches thick and the pristine ice underneath it was very appealing.  I knew we would get a beauty at this virgin spot.  It was going to be a sunny morning as the orange started to steal the darkness from last nights evening. 

    I began the drilling and Pat started with the Coleman stuff.....more coffee. those dried sausages...etc.  The ice seemed soft or my brandy muscles were strong......but I had six holes dug in no time and the perky shiners were dancing below the surface.  Patrick was going to drill his six holes and I walked with him as he began his augering  His style was also quick and powerful as only seconds passed before I saw the auger reach the water.  How thick is this mike?..........seems around 4-5 inches Pat..PLENTY!  Maybe there are some nice pickerel in this pond.....I am going to put one in this cove.  There were no indicators of springs in the cove, so to pass the time  I went with him as we chattered.

    Six am is always cold in the dead of winter. and this was no exception.  We both were ready.  Full thermals...Huge boots, tested to -40 degrees.......Korkers attached to them for grip on the ice.......and the traditional full outer overall suit. fully insulated.  And don't forget the array of hats and gloves etc.  We were warm, but our face and nose told us. COLD!!

     This was over twenty years ago, but I remember it like yesterday.  You learn lessons from all great adventures.....and ice fishing on a desolate pond is an adventure.  What was the lesson you may ask??.............Keep reading.

     While walking to Patrick's supposed pickerel cove, we suddenly, in unison , both felt the ice shift a little.  Our loud chuckling and bantering  became hushed and rosy cheeks were replaced by shock gray.  WOW, ..did you feel that??......I sure did......there are no spring holes visible here......but it seems thinner.  Patrick decided his pickerel cove was best left alone and we began to walk out of there in a slightly more brisk fashion.  Brisk lead to quicker and then the traditional pushing began.  "Move away from me , the combined weights will plunge us into this artic water."  "Well that goes for you to" he said and gave me that little brother push.  It caused him to lose his balance and it is at this point that you will realize why I chose a similar name to another angling lore saga......The Swimmer...that story was slightly mythical...this one was not!!!....The impish shove shifted our weight and before I could comment on his routy brandy nature......WE PLUNGED THROUGH THE ICE!

      Ah yes, the lesson learned???...Not all springs are forceful enough to evidence themselves on the snows surface by melted spots.  Some springs keep the ice thin......below the snows surface......like this one!

     Falling through the ice must be like getting shot.  You know it is extreme and do not feel the numbing cold instantly. The body saves the agony for later and puts you into survival mode.  I did not want to drown. Our weight and the weight of our heavy winter gear dragged us to the bottom in a second.  Although over my head and his..it was not by much, because when I felt my feet hit the bottom, I pushed up with all my might and air was again available to me.  Patrick did the same and his head was gasping like mine.  No laughs now.  Patrick got back on to the surface of the ice before me and then assisted me out.  We were alive.  It was then that we started the nervous laughing that can come from a near death experience.  The outside of our soaked clothing was icing over and hypothermia was knocking at our door.  As mentioned ICE FISHING CAN SCARE YOU TO DEATH.  These two SWIMMERS can attest to that.

     But , alas, this saga is not over.  Even in those day...Striper Mike always pushed the envelope.  As we stood and shivered we realized that our special sled...all the tipups...and gear...and stove...and auger...were still on the pond!  I must have weighed 50 lbs more than normal with this soaked clothing...Patrick likewise.  Should we leave that stuff????....My response. after just crawling out from a pond plunge was...NO.  I stripped off all my cloths except for my wet thermals and started to walk back out!!  I told pat to stay there and plan the NEXT saving endeavor.  While gathering up the gear, my heart beat was thunderous.  I get off on fear....and right that second....I was very afraid.  My steps were soft and small and my motions were smooth and purposeful.  The effect of the brandy was long washed away and I was stone cold sober.  

    Yes I got all the gear back...yes we made it home ok...yes we learned a lesson ....and No we did not catch anything except some following day sniffles......Monumental moments mold magnificent memories!!...make more..........Mike

...........THE BOYS...THE POND

Well all you readers..as you can see , Angling Lore is approaching 120,000 hits  ....Thank you so much.  I am sure you realize that there are no economic benefits to my site, so just knowing that you read it is reinforcing enough for me.  "Ask Striper Mike" will consist of reader photos and the letter that accompanies the photos.  So , for all of you with eyes pinned to these very words...Meet some of the people that do the same  thing.  Enjoy!

Hi Mike, I am the newsletter editor for the Plum Island Surfcasters. I also

do some of the work on the www.surfcaster.com website. Our fishing club is

always looking for new people to come and show slides and tell us about

catching those big stripers. After checking out your website, you sound

like a guy that would have some great stories to tell. Do you have a show

that you do for local clubs? Maybe you are even a member, I did not see a

last name so I wasn't sure. Anyway, let me know what you think. Love

your website. Thanks Bonnie

What a wonderful email Bonnie......I am sure we can work something out and it would be a pleasure meeting another pack of surf casting enthusiasts....Sincerely. Striper Mike

I wonder if they will let me do the talk on the beach????

CHECK OUT THIS COOL GUY FROM DOWN UNDER!!!!!

Hello Mike,

Thank you for your reply, the tip about cheese cloth sounds                             

good idea.

The area we fish in is a small place called Iluka ,it is a hard place to

get at, the walk in from the car park to the water is about 1/2 an hour

but worth it. It has a lot of small beaches between headlands and a lot of

reef close to the beach. Also the continental shelf comes very close to the

land .

This is the home of the Stud Tailor on the east coast of Australia. If we

start to put down burley on these beaches because of the reef, the area

will fill up with reef sharks and if that happens say good bye to the

Tailor.

You said in your email that you have caught tailor 18-20 lbs well I would

love to mix it with a tailor that size. The main run of tailor starts at

Easter and goes to September ,when the big schools of fish come they are

what we call chopper size tailor 1 to 2 kilo. The bigger fish are mainly

caught as loners . A Tailor of 4kilo is considered a big fish here .How

ever with the right technique and a bit of luck you can really catch some

big fish. The best bait here would be cut Bonito ,fresher the better. We cut

it into small triangles about 2inch by wide 3 inch long a 6/0 hook wire

lead and glow bead on the trace. with a sinker big enough to hold out. We

will look at the water on the beach find the opening to the sea then fish

100 meters or so inside the opening .Cast bait to the back bank and hang

on .If the beach has mullet on it at the time the Tailor will be there, if

we have not caught a fish by an hour after a tide change you can go home.

Also a good chance of a Jew (see attachment) most fishing done at night. If

you guys have not tried cut Bonito then give it a go, you will be

surprised but remember fresh .I know your main bait is bunker ,we don't

have this bait fish here. Our Tailor feed mainly on pilchard ,and small

slimie mackerel, what we have found is that if you want the bigger fish

offer them a different bait to the norm.

The use of circle hooks is new here ,that is why I asked if they are any

good for Tailor on the beach. What would be your preferred size? We have

some big competitions here in the Tailor season , I have been all over the

net looking for any little tips get an edge on the rest.

To catch tailor here is easy but to get the big fish is a different

thing. You have to try different ideas.

We have 1 competition here Called the" Greenback" it is the TOP COMP.

The big gun fishermen come from all over the country for this one. This is

the one I want to crack ,it carry's a lot of prestige to win this one .You

are only aloud to put in 5 Tailor to be weighed. Last year I put in a 4.2

kilo fish and was very confident. But still not in the money ,this fish

would have won 9 out of the 14 comps held. Wining fish went 6.4

kilo(14lbs)good fish

So Mike can offer any thing to give the edge ? Looking forward to your

reply

Jim

Well Jim....we will talk in my return letter...would not want the whole world to see my tips for you.....do we???........Striper Mike

.........NOW THAT IS A HUGE BLUE FISH!!!!

..

Allison Pikiell is my friend.  She can cook chicken on the grill and occasionally boil water successfully.  None the less , she approached me  with her typical twinkling eyes and said." Striper Mike...I have a great fish recipe for your site".  Needless to say I was...and am....cautious.  But faith is a joyful character trait...so I try to use it when the opportunity presents itself.  I have faith you will enjoy this.......and so...

Tangy Tuna-by Allison

Get tuna or swordfish steaks.....spread Dijon mustard with horseradish on them.....add even more horseradish to the marinade......add Dill , to taste.....allow to sit for some time prior to the grill.  Get grill very hot and do not over cook.  Done when the fish flakes.

P.S.  she never drinks tea with this dish.....for fear of burning the boiling water.

                        

PLEASE NOTE THE AGE OF THE BIG ONES, THEY ARE THE PROVEN BREEDERS, LET THEM GO.

Hey Striper Mike,

I've read just about every one of your stories on your website, and love each

and every one of em' Everything you write about, I've experienced, and it

makes me feel good knowing I'm not the only one that fishes in the dead of

the night for the greatest game fish world....the Striped Bass! So now, on

these cold winter fishless nights, I read them over, again and again! Will

you be entering any more fishing stories to the site any time soon? I give

you an "A++" for your enthusiasm and willingness to help those new comer

fisherpeople with all your "Right-On" knowledge of the sport of Surf

Fishing!

Tight Lines, Bill Graf AKA NORTHFORK WILLY

Hey Willy........I think you and I will be wetting a line this season...what do you say?....Striper Mike

Hey there Striper Mike....I caught this one outside of your house.  Do you want me to release it or keep it for you?????......Ray Fredan

Hand carved 36" Keeper Striper.

ITS A KEEPER RAY......that is a masterpiece of carving by Ray Fredan  A renowned wood carver that lives near me.  It is a privilege to have one of his works and I will treasure it forever.  He is a unique man with a blessed connection to nature and the artistic ability to portray it in his almost living carvings.  If you want more information on Mr. Fredan....contact me.   Striper Mike

........that the blue fish is found all over the world..I have had letters from Morocco=Tiskit...South Africa=Shad or Elf....Arabia.=Tasargalt....Indonesia...and Australia = Tailor.  All with  those different nicknames for this great fighter and the same universal respect..Arnt bluefish the coolest???. Can you imagine if they were 50 lbs??  I look forward to seeing them again this year  Come to me you big Choppers!!.

..could it be any more beautiful??

..........you want a tip on how to catch big stripers this season??????......BE READY! To many surfcasters go into the season without EVERYTHING being perfect.  That being the case. You may still get some stripers.....But you will be leaving the BIG STRIPERS for me and anglers of equal ability.  New line..lubed reels...honed hooks.....bait prep (where are you going to get it and what will it be)...tide charts to plan time , moon charts for the same.  Its like handicapping a horse....put all you knowledge into your  BET. So ask your self..are you ready?....Really ready????  I will be and so will the big cows...........I repeat..Are you ready?......Striper Mike

I was ready this early June day

SHE WAS RELEASED

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and colored the marshes in foreign hues.

The territory was shared with twin seals, basking in Februarys Sun....

and Winters glory.

Susan 2/01