One side benefit of writing The Big One: Readers offering to take me fishing.
Derby fan and early reader Lisa Doricchi put me in the middle of a school of big-bellied 15- to 30-pound stripers (with a key assist from her good friend Mark) one late April day on the Chesapeake flats.
Pennsylvania father-and-son anglers Graham and Stephen Stiles invited me to fish their spring hot spot on the Delaware River after they got their hands on the book. While we only caught a single catfish the night I was there, they showed me photographic evidence of the nice stripers they pulled out of the Big D this spring.
Last but not least, I hit the surf on Long Beach Island with Mickey Melchiondo, Jr., better known as Ween guitarist Dean Ween. I sent him a copy of The Big One because he’s also a hardcore fisherman. He documents his angling exploints on the truly excellent Brownie Troop Fishing Show. Do yourself a favor and check out some of the videos: It might be the most realistic fishing show on the planet. Episode V with the Butthole Surfers is a classic.
Mickey and I put the hurt on some dogfish. The early season stripers put the hurt on us. They ignored our clams and chunks and instead threw themselves at the feet of the anglers 50 yards south. Adding to the beatdown: One of the bass we saw turned up at Jingles Bait and Tackle while we were rehashing our skunking.
UPDATE: Mickey redeems himself. Pretty nice fish.
{ 0 comments… add one now }