Long Island Fishing Seminar

February 22, 2025 9:00 am - 4:30 pm Hilton Long Island/Huntington598 Broad Hollow Rd, Melville NY

If you are having trouble purchasing your ticket, please contact us at 866.347.4836.

SPEAKERS

Captain Bryce Poyer (White Water Outfitters Owner)

Long Island native Bryce Poyer has earned his reputation today as one of the most knowledgeable tackle professionals in the world. Bryce began fishing the Great South Bay at five years old under the guidance of his grandfather, and by the age of seven, he began fishing offshore routinely. Since high school, he has called the waters of Shinnecock Bay his home.

Captain John Paduano (Fishemlite Charters)

The originator and inventor of the Snap Jigging technique, John Paduano is a light tackle specialist who runs a charter business out of Montauk, taking clients fishing for a variety of species and almost all of the fishing is done on light tackle using a specialized technique he created many years ago. He is also the owner of Premium Bucktails, which offers some of the most innovative bucktails patterns on the market today.

Alberto Knie (Tactical Anglers)

Originally making his name on the waters around Long Island, Alberto Knie was known for going to extreme limits to find the windows of opportunity that would present the biggest possible fish for him to catch. These days, Alberto can be found fishing all parts of Florida for a number of salt and freshwater species, but when the opportunity presents itself, he makes his way back to Northeast waters to target his beloved northern species.

Captain Tom Cusimano (Sea Wife IV)

Operating and owning the 51-foot custom Sport Fisherman out of Montauk Tom Cusimano has been fishing the inshore and offshore waters of Montauk for decades and his experience shows it through consistently putting his clients on all species of Northeast fish during all seasons of the year. His knowledge of the waters at the end of Long Island is in a class of its own.

Captain Ken Higgins (Captree Pride)

Kenny Higgins has been an avid fisherman his entire life, working the inshore and offshore waters around Long Island. For years now, he has specialized in fishing and captaining out of the South Shore area of Captree on various party boats. These days, he is at the helm of the Captree Pride.

Captain Doug Tobak (Corazon Fishing)

With over 30 years of fishing expertise in Long Island waters, Captain Doug Toback brings his local knowledge and experience to every Freeport fishing charter on the Corazon. Capt. Doug has been running and working on both charter and commercial boats across Long Island from a young age. What sets Capt. Doug’s dedication to making every Freeport Fishing Charter a personal best for you. He obsesses over keeping you in the best ‘Strike Zone’ throughout the day, ensuring an exceptional fishing experience.

Captain Joe Paradiso (Eastern LI Sportfishing Charters, North Fork Captains Association)

With over 25 years of experience on the North Fork and Peconic waters of Long Island, Joe Paradiso has a talent for putting his clients on a number of species, depending on the time of the year. Joe is also a member of the North Fork Captains Association and sits on the Marine Resource Advisory Council.

Hawaiian Dan

If you fish the central North Shore of Long Island, chances are you may have spotted Hawaiian Dan fishing out of his Sea Eagle inflatable either in the harbors or the open Sound for several different species of fish. Dan has mastered the craft of navigating and very successfully fishing this area of the island with his small craft. Dan is also a Fisherman Magazine video contributor.

Captain Pat Barret Jr. (Shamrock Charterboat)

The Shamrock is operated and maintained by Capt. Pat Barrett Jr. who has been actively fishing Long Island Sound for the past 35 years. His knowledge and experience of the local waters of the western Sound is unsurpassed. Capt. Pat puts 100% effort into each trip to ensure all who come aboard have a great fishing experience.

Bill “Doc” Muller (Author, Former Fisherman Editor, Professor)

William “Doc” Muller is as well-rounded as them come in fishing. From the surf to the boat he has had major success in many forms of fishing around the Island. He is also the one of the former Editors of the LI edition of the Fisherman Magazine and the author of many knowledgeable fishing books including Fishing With Bucktails.

Al Steiger (Steiger Craft Owner)

Now known as one of the biggest boat manufactures in the Northeast, Al Steiger got his start in the industry by constructing clam boats for himself and the clammers of the Great South Bay. He moved into inshore and offshore fishing soon afterwards. These days Al still oversees operations at the factory and frequently fishes the waters out of Montauk for numerous species of fish.

Stan Hentschel (Former owner of Rocky Point Fishing Stop)

Former Owner of the Rocky Point Fishing Stop, Stan Hentschel, is a guru when it comes to fishing central North Shore waters. His knowledge extended from surf to boat fishing. He was also a talented rod builder whose “Rocky Point Custom Rods” can still be seen on the water being used today.

Captain John Raguso (MarCeeJay Sport Fishing, Fisherman Magazine Electronics Editor)

Captain John N. Raguso, the owner/operator of MarCeeJay Sport Fishing, is a nationally known outdoor writer and charter fishing captain with over four decades of saltwater big game sport fishing experience. He has a wealth of Long Island fishing knowledge that includes back bay, open bay, inlet, beach, wreck, reef, near offshore, and blue water canyon fishing.

Captain Joe McBride (Montauk Captains Association Member)

Captain Joe McBride is a distinguished figure in Montauk’s fishing community, renowned for his extensive contributions to local maritime activities. He served as president of the Montauk Boatmen & Captains Association (MBCA) for three decades, advocating for the rights and interests of local captains and fishermen.

Captain Bob Rocchetta (Rainbow Charters, North Fork Captains Association)

Captain Bob Rocchetta has spent much of his lifetime on the water. Captain Bob turned his fishing hobby into a commercial fishing business in the 70s. In 1981, he broke the long-standing IGFA All-Tackle World Record for striped bass with a 76-pound bass caught off Montauk. Currently, he is the IGFA line class and New York State record holder. Over the years, he has served as a public relations representative and pro-staffer for a number of fishing-related companies and continues to conduct fishing seminars in the off-season. Captain Bob has been Vice President of The North Fork Captains Association since 2004.