i always looked up to gary corsetti.....but arthur marshal is a heavy hitter as well !

Best is pretty subjective. If you mean tonnage, some of the comm guys out here are spectacular. Then there are the artists, many of whom visit this site. I watch and learn from both groups.. I won't name names it causes too much bickering and finger pointing.

I like my dad and bro. #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&, bassmaster, ptmike, Manning, redlite, luds and Clogston, slip, tagger, vic, and that's all I have for now.

my hero Al Bentsen passed away few days ago. Fred Schwab is enjoying retirement somewhere on North Fork. These two are alone on top of my list, but everyone's list will be different. Lots of guys on the second tier

Too many good fishermen out there.Long list when i think about it three guys that i know from here that are above average Flap,Numby,and Saurkraut only reason i mention these guys is cause they remind me of these guys.

Or was it thses guys?

Best is pretty subjective. If you mean tonnage, some of the comm guys out here are spectacular. Then there are the artists, many of whom visit this site. I watch and learn from both groups.. I won't name names it causes too much bickering and finger pointing.

yeah that, and amen brother... but.. best one i know?... well if you mean know, like I know him, at least 3 come right to the front of my tounge, and one elder statesmen comes to the front :wave:.....but.... yeah, your correct Fred....I have been blessed in who I know... can't fish my way out of a paper bag myself, but, I know, and have met, some of the very best.

Too many good fishermen out there.Long list when i think about it three guys that i know from here that are above average Flap,Numby,and Saurkraut only reason i mention these guys is cause they remind me of these guys.

Lu, thanks but, although we aren't that good, we like to be called the "F-Mob".:uhuh:

Gag me with a spoon, Lu. Experienced sea robin fishermen such as myself don't want to be associated with these losers.

Mike Wolfenden.

this thread :is like trying to win a political / religious debate >>>>>>>>>:fury::fury::gh::gh::wall::jump1::confused::fishin :

This is a tough question.......I will answer it 2 ways.......since I started striper fishing over 10 years ago there are 2 people I have learned quite a bit from (whether they know it or not). When I first started fishing stripers......believe me when I tell you I was a complete boob! (Now just a partial boob:rotf2:) I could not catch a striper to save my life....fished a whole season before I got even 1, and the next season I got my first keeper! I bought and read everything I could find and was a ravenous reader for all things striper fishing...all books and magazines I could get! I fished the backside of the Cape quite a bit and one of the people I read quite a bit of at the time was a guy who used to write the "Insiders Report" for the Cape Outer Beaches. His name is Steve Shiraka (We all know him as Flaptail:)). I used to go crazy waiting for each months new issue to come out so I could learn more. Not too long afterwards I was fortunate enough to come here to S-B and was even more fortunate to actually meet Steve and get to know him a bit....well enough to call him a friend! Steve has always been very forthcoming with information, never afraid to share his knowledge, and I still catch him speaking when I can....I never fail to learn something new from Flaptail! I have also been fortunate enough to fish with Steve a few times......the guy can flat-out fish!:uhuh:

The other guy was Steve Papows.......I know Steve well enough......I first met him at an MSBA show at Cordage Park back in the day! He was doing a seminar on plug fishing and being that I could do nothing more with a plug than disturb the water....I thought I would see his seminar! He changed the way I fished, made me curious about different plugs and taught me about retrieve speeds, reading the water and structure.....all factors which at the time.....I was overlooking! :smash: I enjoyed Steve's first seminar so much that I booked him again for an MSBA meeting when I became the entertainment chair! A few years ago I met him at RISSA, introduced myself and told him this story, and blamed him for making me the fishing addicted, plug building mess I am today! He bought some of my lures and he loved them.......now thats full circle I guess?

These 2 guys are guys I respect and thank for any success I may have fishing! They took the time to help and I will never forget that!

The Senior Angler ,Tony Ceeeee would get my vote ,but there are several others I have met over the years that have the "right stuff" as well.

Many many of the men from my family both sides dads and moms... bit to many generations... so...

Best dead or alive?

Best dead: Lanny Grazinni, Al B.

Best alive:
On the cape: Tony Chirappo

On the mainland: Bill Nolan

to me there is no ''best fisherman''.i know quite a few guys that are very good at this game.but 2 people who are good freinds of mine stand out in there dedication to the pursuit of striped bass.their names have already been mentioned here.one a former charter captain the other a surffisher

Larry, You couldn't have timed this better.....:(


This is a tough question.......I will answer it 2 ways.......since I started striper fishing over 10 years ago there are 2 people I have learned quite a bit from (whether they know it or not). When I first started fishing stripers......believe me when I tell you I was a complete boob! (Now just a partial boob:rotf2:) I could not catch a striper to save my life....fished a whole season before I got even 1, and the next season I got my first keeper! I bought and read everything I could find and was a ravenous reader for all things striper fishing...all books and magazines I could get! I fished the backside of the Cape quite a bit and one of the people I read quite a bit of at the time was a guy who used to write the "Insiders Report" for the Cape Outer Beaches. His name is Steve Shiraka (We all know him as Flaptail:)). I used to go crazy waiting for each months new issue to come out so I could learn more. Not too long afterwards I was fortunate enough to come here to S-B and was even more fortunate to actually meet Steve and get to know him a bit....well enough to call him a friend! Steve has always been very forthcoming with information, never afraid to share his knowledge, and I still catch him speaking when I can....I never fail to learn something new from Flaptail! I have also been fortunate enough to fish with Steve a few times......the guy can flat-out fish!:uhuh:

The other guy was Steve Papows.......I know Steve well enough......I first met him at an MSBA show at Cordage Park back in the day! He was doing a seminar on plug fishing and being that I could do nothing more with a plug than disturb the water....I thought I would see his seminar! He changed the way I fished, made me curious about different plugs and taught me about retrieve speeds, reading the water and structure.....all factors which at the time.....I was overlooking! :smash: I enjoyed Steve's first seminar so much that I booked him again for an MSBA meeting when I became the entertainment chair! A few years ago I met him at RISSA, introduced myself and told him this story, and blamed him for making me the fishing addicted, plug building mess I am today! He bought some of my lures and he loved them.......now thats full circle I guess?

These 2 guys are guys I respect and thank for any success I may have fishing! They took the time to help and I will never forget that!

I just wish Steve could have read it Kevin. He was the best......fishing with him was funny.....I joked with him the last time we were out that he had a horse shoe up his butt. I miss him already.

i really don't "know" anybody who i consider a great fisherman. i don't have a mentor so to speak. when i started getting more serious about surfcasting after college i pretty much read and listened to anybody who had anything to write or say and used the BS metor to decide who to listen to and who's ideas to take and try. so this is more of a list of the guys who have had a big influence on how i approach fishing:

al benton (rigged eels via "Secrets of Surfcasting at Night", always wanted to hear him do a seminar, but never got the chance)
dave manzi (plugs via this site)
bill nolan (live eels via this site)
steve mckenna (sluggos and eels via this site and articles)
zeno hromin (misc. via both of his books which are great)

Clogston, no offense and i appreciate the compliment but my name should not be on the same website as these other guys never mind a same thread. Glad you like the books but I am in no way in the same league as some of the guys you mention, especially Mr. Bentsen

:angel::angel:
"BigFish" is the best just because. He caught more fish than me this season and he has a bike and I don't. Hang in there brother. Honk,Honk Prayers are with everyone on this sad day.

Z, maybe not, but the books have been a significant influence on me - especially with darters and bucktails. and hell, if someone actually put my name down :huh:, why not you :hihi:

I suppose I'd have to give another nod to Tony C and also mention Tony S , both great bassmen.

RickBomba, your credibilty will be questioned mentioning me :hs: but I am flattered, I'm sure you can think of many others better than I.

I bet Flaptail knows how you feel Bigfish even though he may never had the chance to read that. :(

I mentioned the artists of the surf, we lost one of them early this AM. He approached the whole surf experience as art.