I made a pilgrimage to one of my favorite striper islands earlier this month. One day after a hurricane didn't give us friendly seas or clear water, however, as always I enjoyed my visit to a magical place. Here are a few photos from that day.

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One of those pics is either; one hell of a zoom (think angle is wrong anyway), one long free dive drift away from where you started (the photo equivalent of skishing), or you made a boat trip to another island have a ton more images.

Great photos.

As an aside, you got an absolute textbook shot of why rods break while casting when you load them late.

Great photos but from the sounds of it there is no good weeks for Cutty these days. Way too crowded. I'll pass on that whether the fish are there or not. For me the whole draw of going out there was the multitude of fishing opportunities/structure and the relative isolation. I don't like the idea of sharing them with a ton of other guys. Going out with the S-B group has been perfect. There have been a couple other guys on the island the last few years but that's been pretty much it. It's been a role of the of the dice since we go early. Sometimes we beat the fish. Sometimes we get there before them. The company is always good so it's worth the risk. Too many followers trying to chase the guy who catches big fish out there. Find your own. :devil2:

I'm sore from walking but not from catching. I fished alone and saw few other fisherman in the surf, but I did not go past Bass Bend.
Last year I had fish from the surf and my brother had none from the boat, this year I had one blue from the surf and he had fish from the boat.
Had fun as always.
Hopefully the fish will show up soon, you never know.

Just returned from 3 nights on the island. The fishing was very slow for our group and everyone else we talked to. Very bright out there with the full moon and we didn’t get much for cloud cover. As far as crowds go I saw only a few other people fishing and we hit just about everywhere on the island.

luds, In the past the logistics of getting to the island limited the number of surf rats you would find hitting the shoreline. I and others have sung the virtues of the island, but no more than every salt water fishing magazine to come down the pike since the fifties. If getting to the island isn't a limiting factor than the fact that you have to be in pretty good shape to walk the rocks and get from spot to spot certainly keeps a lot of other anglers away.

In the dozen or so years I've been fishing/diving Cutty, it's always been a hit or miss affair (my Stripers Gone Wild DVD bares that out) but when it's great, it can be phenomenal...the kind of fishing you dream about. Regardless, the one thing the island ALWAYS provides is spectacular beauty and a historic significance that is unparalleled. The eggs Benedict at the Fishing Club are almost reason enough for going.

Finally, the people who live and work on Cuttyhunk are a special breed. They are not only resourceful, hearty and connected to the land and sea, but they are wonderful folks that are easy going and make you feel right at home. I love the place. My wife loves the island. It's even my dog’s favorite place to visit.

Now if you can time it when the Cutty cows come calling you'll get a taste of striper heaven.

John, you like my telescopic shots of Aquinnah  Wait till you see the shots of Nomans. These were a couple of the other striper islands we couldn’t help but visit while in the area…I was trying to get some additional footage for the upcoming release of my Striper Islands DVD.

JLH, Sorry you boys didn't do better. In the past I've always found the second week of October to be special. The weather is often terrible but if you time it so you either fish the front side and especially the back side of the line storms you'll do just fine.

Numbskull, not many people would pick up on that. I think casting into the wind brings it out more in anglers that try to power their way through the wind and sacrifice proper form and timing. The angler is a relative newcomer to the sport and I’m sure that knowing that I was filming him didn’t help any.

I sure hope this fall run provides some great fishing opportunities for everyone; after having suffered through the terrible weather of 2009 and 2010, and having had to tolerate the decline in both bunker and bass over the past couple of seasons it would be nice to cap off this year with a few glimpses of the old days.

Great photos.

As an aside, you got an absolute textbook shot of why rods break while casting when you load them late.

I don't see anything wrong with his casting????
I don't understand by what you say????
I have looked at the pics and don't see hwat you mean.
Please educate.

I think you'd bow your head in shame if you witnessed my half side-arm javelin-jump eel casting technique???
I think I need to take proper casting form lessons.......

I don't see anything wrong with his casting????
I don't understand by what you say????
I have looked at the pics and don't see hwat you mean.
Please educate.

I think you'd bow your head in shame if you witnessed my half side-arm javelin-jump eel casting technique???
I think I need to take proper casting form lessons.......

I think he's talking about #5

I'm no expert and make lots of lousy casts. Maybe Big Dave or Reelin' Rod can chip in, here. I'm likely to get beyond what I know here, but maybe people will think about it some.

In #4 I think the rod has unloaded early (probably because of his long drop, limited footing, and partially obstructed back cast) and the cast will lack power. Likely he (like the rest of us) senses this and adds some oomph and push to correct it, but that means the tip reloads with the plug low to the blank, resulting in # 5 where all the load is on the tip. Look at how short a section of the rod is bent so severely. Imagine if that plug was even a foot or two lower and you can see it is equivalent to high-sticking a fish. POP.

Compare picture 4 to someone like Arra casting and you will see that good casters fully load the rod before their top hand passes their shoulder. Obviously they add punch to the end of their cast as well, but do it a time the tip is already pulled fully down and back towards the plug and their power is delivered to the mid shaft of the rod (which is likely why when they get it wrong the midshaft explodes).

Mostly this is a mental thing. We think of putting power towards where we want the plug to go as a way to get distance, when actually we are supposed to be putting power upwards away from the plug to fully load the midshaft of the rod and capture the power of the cast. More arc, less thrust is the key.

One cause of poor rod loading I suffered from was starting my forward cast when the plug was still not under or inside the tip, so that my shoulder turn would pull the plug towards me, rather than up and over (Flap would have pointed out that being weak, short, uncoordinated, and ugly were problems, too). I'm pretty sure that ideally your first motion with the rod should be more up than forward.

wow...pretty sure I suck at casting after reading this....

Cool pics Mike as always.Thanks for sharing !

wow...pretty sure I suck at casting after reading this....

YOU do.......I'm such a nitemare that no one can stand on my right side when I cast.........based upon Numbie's description I am a testament to the casting durability of an Arra 1205....

Cutty has been so dead this year with water temps warmer than I can ever remember in my 7 years going out there on a regular basis, that I fear it is just not gonna happen this year.........Was amazing how many skilled and able fishermen were over there this fall with no results......And the weather ain't helpin a whole hell of a lot.

Here are three photos taken many years ago when a 3.32 mega pixel camera ruled.

The first image shows the rod fully loaded as Ron performs an "off the beach cast." This is the perfect cast to illustrate the full loading of the rod because the friction of pulling the plug (normally a cast done with chunk bait to prevent it from ripping off the hook) across the sand pre-loads the rod. Then Ron pulls down with his left hand as he pushes out with his right (think fulcrum). Notice his legs are should width apart and he is transferring his weight from his back leg to his front.

The second shot shows Ron making a simple overhead cast. The lure is dropped to around the first collecting guide and then with the same stance as the off the beach cast, he transfers his weight while punching through the cast. I'm sure Ron can do a more detailed and step by step explanation, but the photo show exactly what numbskull was talking about when he suggested the need to fully load the cast well before you approach the 'release' phase of the cast.

Finally, this image shows the proper form when the rod releases all the pent up energy and sends your needlefish into the stratesphere...especially if you didn't use a shock leader.

Hope this helps.

redlite, I've often wanted to do a compilation video of different Googans casting. I'm sure you've seen the run towards the water and pick up speed and then stop cast...spinning reel up or down, your option. Then there are those that add the extra 'English' on the cast by transferring the rod from one hand to the next and unlike your "javelin" cast, they seem to employ a fencing "thrust and retraite" maneuver. Put it all to some classical music and you have YouTube video worth watching.

watching Ron cast is a very humbling experience. Don't forget also he is built like a brick sh(&8thouse, like a linebacker, which i think can't hurt when manhandling a fishing rod and casting into the stratosphere. Add technique to that raw power and millions of casts under your belt and you got the whole ball of wax. Me I blame my size:uhuh:, I suck.

Nice pictures thanks for sharing.

redlite, I've often wanted to do a compilation video of different Googans casting. I'm sure you've seen the run towards the water and pick up speed and then stop cast...spinning reel up or down, your option. Then there are those that add the extra 'English' on the cast by transferring the rod from one hand to the next and unlike your "javelin" cast, they seem to employ a fencing "thrust and retraite" maneuver. Put it all to some classical music and you have YouTube video worth watching.

I am an artistic fan of watching the "Statue of Liberty" one handed cast....
If you do decide to make one, be sure we make an appointment....I'd fit right into it,,,,,,,

Great shots of Ron Arra.

Casting is like golf, timing and mechanics are way more important than strength (at least until you have the timing and mechanics down first).
You think you are swinging like Jack Nickulas, but anyone watching you can see otherwise. Your brain doesn't believe it so you keep looking for new equipment and swinging harder to make the ball go further.....when what you really need is a lesson on how to do it right.

I sucked at golf, too.

Way too crowded Luds?

Compared to mainland crowds it's a joy I find. And Cutty googans, the Rod and Gun Club 'social' anglers not withstanding, are somewhat tolerable.

There is always Plum Island NEW YORK! If you want solitude!!!

But you better hurry. Feds are pulling the cows off in '018, and the place will quickly get over run with New Yawkiz.
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Way too crowded Luds?

Compared to mainland crowds it's a joy I find. And Cutty googans, the Rod and Gun Club 'social' anglers not withstanding, are somewhat tolerable.

There is always Plum Island NEW YORK! If you want solitude!!!

But you better hurry. Feds are pulling the cows off in '018, and the place will quickly get over run with New Yawkiz.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Crowded???
You should have seen it for the New in Sept. At one point there were 15 people in wetsuits swimming out to every rock you could see on the horizon in the highflyer area. and no fish. I was fishin with a 70 year old guy. we swam from one rock to another, and as we were gettin up on it, out of the darkness from 20 feet away some clown starts yellin at us that it was "his" rock, and that he was swimmin out there to fish it. I thought he was gonna stab us for cryin out loud. We told him to go pound sand. His 6 buddies were all around us. Was clostraphobia at its finest..felt like the canal....and this was about 200 yds off shore...MIDWEEK.....Its MY island.

That does sound bad!
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Crowded???
You should have seen it for the New in Sept. At one point there were 15 people in wetsuits swimming out to every rock you could see on the horizon in the highflyer area. and no fish. I was fishin with a 70 year old guy. we swam from one rock to another, and as we were gettin up on it, out of the darkness from 20 feet away some clown starts yellin at us that it was "his" rock, and that he was swimmin out there to fish it. I thought he was gonna stab us for cryin out loud. We told him to go pound sand. His 6 buddies were all around us. Was clostraphobia at its finest..felt like the canal....and this was about 200 yds off shore...MIDWEEK.....Its MY island.


3-4 years ago, you wouldnt see anybody except the guys you were out there with. Now on a Thursday night you need to get to the water an hour before dark just to get the rock you want. Sucks. :wall: