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DE Beachguy

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  • Interests (Hobbies, favorite activities, etc.):
    saltwater fishing (surf and boat), waterfowl and upland hunting, coastal and marine policy
  • What I do for a living:
    Planner/Analyst

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  • Gender
    Male
  • Location
    Rehoboth Beach, DE

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  1. I'm back after about a two-year hiatus on SOL...geez..too long! The northern part/half of AI/VA is a wildlife refuge (US F& W, as opposed to US NPS) with no OSV access. Jay
  2. My accumulated AI surf time over the years doesn't stack up as high as several folks on here, but I can say that my surf red drum success on AI has ALL been in the first week of October. Conditions can vary from year to year, but I'd say the first week of October is still a reasonably good bet for the surf. As for the back of AI, my fishing time there has been much more limited, so I can't really comment on that. Jay
  3. My condolences to Bob's family and all who knew him. I did not know him personally, but I thank him for all his tireless work and his dedication to DMS and the surf fishing community. Jay DMS 1019
  4. My condolences to Bill's family and friends. I knew Bill from a few of the IRI Flingettes and a few of the Fenwick breakfast gatherings with Allen, Hugh, Dave, Bobby and Tomas. I appreciated that he included me in that circle. I will always remember his smile and his fisherman's wisdom. Rest peacefully, Bill, and may warm soothing waters lap at your feet until we meet again. Jay
  5. I wrote a rather strongly worded but polite letter to Sen. Carper regarding this issue back on Feb 7th. I may have received a reply from his office already, but if so, I'm sure it was just another form letter, as is always the case anytime I write to US Senator or Representative. I don't hold back in my letters, although I write as clearly as possible and don't use profanity or anything that will make them automatically throw away or delete the letters (Ha!!). It is a constant source of frustration for me that there are people ignorant enough to actually vote for these politicians, without any understanding of their ideology, motives and who influences (or owns?) them. Of course, I realize so much of it is driven by big donors and special interest groups with clout (money), and the power of the individual seems hopelessly lost much of the time. However, I will never give up, and I hope that no one reading this that believes in the integrity of this country will give up either. This country was formed as a republic of states, with very limited powers given to the federal government and all the rest of the powers reserved to the states and the PEOPLE. Obviously, over so many decades and so many "movements," we have wandered unrecognizably far away from the original construct of this country and allowed corruption and abuses of power to take over at all levels. People talk about eventually another American Revolution happening in some form, which certainly sounds desperately necessary, but how likely is that to happen when more and more generations of people are ignorant of history, economics and the Constitution? We are graduating generations of morons from our politically correct schools, so it's becoming increasingly difficult to find people that have any insight about how this country is supposed to operate. Anyway, I know I'm wandering off the main topic, but all these factors are part of the problem that has brought us to the point where one of our US Senators feels free to relentlessly push for this national park, presumably to get his name mentioned somewhere to preserve his legacy. I keep hearing that he's a "nice and decent man" and all, but as a politician and Senator, what is the deal with the relentless push for this? Is it narcissism or a desperate need to be recognized and leave a legacy? I thought people were supposed to serve a brief time representing their home state then return home to private life and not make a lifetime career in politics. Oh...sorry, I guess my thinking is at least 100 years late. I should note that I understand and support the concept of national parks, according to their original intended purpose to preserve and interpret important history, monuments, etc. However, the will of the people - by petition, organization, local representation, communication with Senators and Reps, etc - is supposed to be the driving force that runs this country, and if people of one area or state clearly do not want the federal government to do some activity, short of actual police power or national defense, that should be the end of it. Since the states are supposed to have most of the power in this country, it should be left to them to determine how to memorialize their history and significant places, etc, not a money-hungry and power-hungry centralized government in Washington, DC. I can post a copy of my letter or send a copy of it to anyone by PM if anyone wants. Whether I get a bit political or not when I write to our reps, when it comes to issues like this one, my points generally always go back to the Constitution, local control and the will of the people in having access to our public lands for traditional and recreational uses. In this case, the will of the people is obviously being ignored in favor of catering to politically-connected special interest groups. We have also become subjects to a prevailing condescending attitude in government that they know better than we do how to manage and conserve our natural resources, and it's pretty insidious. Speaking of conserving, I hope everyone recognizes the big difference between "conservation" and "preservation." (That makes me wish the OBPA was the OBCA instead, but whatever.) Anyway, all I can add is that I wish everyone would be vocal about their opinions to our elected representation, who actually work FOR US, as hard as that is to believe anymore. The louder and more numerous the voices they hear from us, the more likely they are to listen, at least in theory. Sorry to ramble and digress in such a long post, but PLEASE use the rights and voice you have to educate others and SPEAK OUT loudly to your elected representatives! My $0.02+. Jay
  6. I wrote to our US Rep John Carney early this morning and got a form response back. Hopefully the fact that Delaware has been so hopelessly one-party at both the state and federal level for some time won't get in the way of common sense, citizens' rights, economic recovery and jobs. They have already demonstrated plenty of disregard for all those things for long enough, so maybe they can save a little face and actually do some good with this issue. My fingers are crossed big time. Jay
  7. I've been to San Diego a few times for conferences and have done the Midway tour. It's very cool and a great piece of history. When we did the tour, two Japanese Navy ships were docked at the "visitors" pier next door, and Japanese sailors were everywhere. Imagine the irony, considering the Midway's history. I'd like to think we've come a long way since those days. If you're a Navy fan, San Diego is hard to beat...SEALs, Pacific Fleet base, Naval Air Station... Great pics, Allen, and Ilook forward to any more you post! Congratulations to your future son-in-law! Hoo-yah!! Jay
  8. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family, Rick. We all hope for your speedy recovery. Jay
  9. So, not only are they manipulating the ESA by coaxing the birds to move closer to the shoreline, but they are basically manipulating - and interfering with - the wildlife itself. It takes some kind of misguided and do-good, beaurocratic-type arrogance to interfere with and manipulate the natural behavior of wildlife, all the while ignoring their own science, as was noted above. Shameful!! As many have said about CHNSRA and other places, it (ESA and related agency actions) is apparently as much if not more about controlling people as it is about helping wildlife. The timing couldn't be more coincidental, either....right before a weekend when many SOLers have indicated on here that they were coming down this weekend, some for the first time this season. Just saying....
  10. A couple friends and I switched to conventional for the surf as post-college dudes in the late '80s. We had checked it out and thought it would be cool and "hardcore" to get into the "old school" of surf fishing that way. Conventional set ups didn't seem to have a real resurgence until the last 10 years or so, and there weren't nearly as many reel choices in 1989 as there are today. I think it's very cool that so many younger folks are getting into that style. Of course, each style has its advantages, and different people have their preferences. I just find that my big spinning rods with big reels and heavier payloads are much clunkier and awkward to cast well than conventionals for the same task. I still use spinners for lure throwing and some lighter bait fishing. I have been affected by the conventional addiction to some degree. After my first conv reel in '89 - Penn Mag 980 (still in use) - I soon acquired the classic "old school" reel, the Squidder (also still in use on classic Hatt. Heavers), which I think everyone should experience to get a feel for the basics of conventional casting. From there, I've wandered into the Penn 535, 525 Mag, Mag 970, International 975, older Diawa Mag 170, newer Diawa SHV20 and 30....and then the Abus....6500CT Blue Yonder and 7500CT. I enjoy interchanging reels and rods to see which work best overall, but I can't claim to be an expert reviewer of reels, per se. However, I can attest to some good distance accomplishments with several of these, especially the Abu BY and 7500s. All of these are either good or great reels, IMO. For the surf, I typically go with 17, 20 or 25 lb mono/copolymer line with 40, 50 and 60 lb mono shock leaders respectively, depending on the application...and I use the leather thumbguards. That system has worked well for me for a long time. Having said all that, getting into conventional takes some patience and practice, but lots of people become converts if they make the effort to get it down. Good luck, and enjoy! Jay
  11. Mine's renewed. Thanks for your tireless efforts, Morty! Jay DMS #1019
  12. ...and more belated, but nonetheless, Happy B-day, Erik, and a Happy New Year! Jay
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