The first show of the winter season is ready to tee off this Sunday, January 19, at Ward Melville High School, 380 Old Town Road in East Setauket. Striper Day, hosted by Surfcasters Journal, will feature more than 80 surf fishing related vendors, including manufacturer representatives, well known authors, guides, tackle shops, local plug builders and more. If you are into surf fishing, this is a “must attend” event.
A wide range of ongoing seminars by some of the region’s best known surf fishing experts will help you sharpen your skills for the upcoming season. Al Albano will clue you in on the secrets of hunting down stripers in the back bays. Veteran surf guide Bill Wetzel will share his decades of experience fishing the Long Island and Montauk surf. Vic Lucia will open your eyes to some of the urban opportunities available in the Metro New York area, and surf sharpie Matt Broderick will clue you in on how to keep your rod bent catching good eating species like fluke, triggerfish, porgies and blackfish between your forays for stripers and blues. Jerry Audet will break down the challenges and rewards of fishing boulder fields such as those found in places like Montauk and Block Island. Those who have been frustrated by false albacore would be wise to sit in on Peter Jenkins (owner of the Salt Water Edge in Rhode Island) presentation covering everything you need to know to score on albies this coming fall. Finally, the crew from Comanche Surfcasting will show you how to use your home methods for striped bass fishing to target fish in other areas.
If you are into custom plugs, whether you are fishing them or collecting them, there will be an impressive collection of plug builders to choose from. You will also find many tackle shops and local tackle manufacturers that cater to the surf fishing community, making this show a great opportunity to replenish and stock up with tackle for the upcoming season. And be sure to purchase tickets for the giant raffle featuring lots of great prizes. More important, proceeds from the raffle go to support the student members of the Ward Melville High School Fishing Club, led by their advisor, Bob Wilson.
Show hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the first 400 attendees will receive a goody bag from the show’s sponsors. For more info, go to the show website at www.striperday.com. Tickets are $15 and only available in person on the day of the show.
