See if Numbskull will loan you a potato.

Flap ....

my vote goes to Veracka...every time I've ran into him I've seen fish in his coooler others only dream off...

Steve Shiraka.

Meet also. Mikey was on fire the last TWO years and no one fishes harder than he does. I loved Steve but I think he would have wanted this award to honor the living.
I still think we should name a Tournament this year, in Steve's honor, for S-Bers.

Veracka aka redlite. Consistency but it is consistently large fish.

Flaptail. A great fisherman and a last time candidtae for S-B AOTY.

all of the above ,,,, Flap

One thing I’ve always looked for when I've met another avid striped bass angler is their motivation/s. Maybe it’s just me but I try to “gauge” and categorize them. They can fall into one of two categories.

1.Those that love the act of striped bass fishing.
2.Those that love striped bass and EVERYTHING about them.

No disrespect to any of the other nominees but there are not many great striped bass fishermen that I’ve met over the years that fell into category number two. Steve Shiraka is one that does.

DZ

Just a thought.

What if the award was named after Flaptail (or Steve Shiraka)? Sort of like how the NFL championship trophy is the Lombardi trophy etc.

The award is named in memory of John Haberek. I have asked and received the OK from Jess.

I would have to vote for Steve Shiraka for this award.

I first met Steve back in Worcester in 1976 when #^&#^&#^&#^& Pleska opened his first tackle shop on Grafton Street. A group of the younger guys became friends and usually fished together. Steve and I fished together many times not just for stripers, but also trout, bass, pickerel and perch through the ice, whatever. Steve was to put it mildly, always a little more passionate , a little more inquisitive and a little more experimental than just about anyone I ever met. He had the fever which never subsided and his favorite species was the striped bass which brought him to relocate to the Cape full time in 1983.

But one guy being nuts about fishing does not qualify him to be worthy of much more than a nutty fisherman award. What set Steve apart was his willingness to share his time and knowledge with others with his seminars, advice and writings on fishing websites and also On-The-Water. He had a respect and a reverence for the history of the sport and the people who came before him. To the local striped bass fisherman, he gave some of the best writings on plug history, the people who used them, and the places they traveled. You could see his passion for the game and he shared it.

Frank Woolner was dead-on accurate on most of his assesments of striped-bass fishing. One prediction in his Saltwater Sport Fishing book in 1973 Woolner had wrong though was that wooden plugs would be a thing of the past with the introduction of injection molded plastics. Plastic was better and wood was just about dead except for a small group of fisherman who rediscovered the needlefish and some others who championed the traditional lures for special application. Steve was at the forefront of the line helping to keep the tradition alive and others used their skills to help resurrect the craft.

Heck, I have been striper fishing for thirty something years and I would never even have seen a "Flaptail" lure if it weren't for Steve. It seems like the small community we have here at S-B became his favorite place to talk stripers and we are all lucky for the knowledge he shared with us. This is a little long winded I know, but I believe Steve is worthy of the recognition.

Ed

Amen Ed! :uhuh:

That was a very intersting read Ed. Thanks for a well written look back!:uhuh:

Flap!

RoyL, if it swims, its in danger.

Fantastic Idea Paul.

I thought the award was named in honor of John Habs a few years ago when he passed ?

Steve wasn't a fan of tournaments .. nice thought ..

He said it to me more than once...hated em'!

We really should keep this a nomination thread, discussion and voting will happen at a later date.

i think that's irrelevant Now
 

whether Steve Hated Tournaments....or not...

and it doesn't have to be a competition really...

it could merely be a flaptail PARTY each year

that includes fishing... to Honor his memory :buds:

for Many have Noted that he went a step further
as DZ mentioned then anyone else ~just about~ to
know the History of Plug making and or the "OLD Guard"

So if Nothing ELSE there should be a special tribute to him
at all Plugfest's in some way .... however that might be...

LIKE bEST fLAPTAIL STYLE PLUG.... - jUST MY THOUGHTS...

Sea Dangles or Sandman...........selection based on their colorful language employed over the past year....

OK, will wrap the nomination part by tomorrow and put up the Poll for A.O.Y

Remember nomination and seconded required...

since redlights allready in i'll second cowhunter. anybody second roy l yet

I loved Steve and he would be my choice for angler of the year.Without question..

After Him I would nominate The NIB of course..
By not fishing last year I enabled thousands of striped bass to live another day..Or at least not get hooked..
Who else can say they have done as much...
Well Maybe BF Larry..But not catching and not fishing are two entirely different thngs...:rotf2:

3rd for Roy L. - contributing member, hell of a guy and the dude can fish! Between the charity work, personality, fish catching ability, he gets my vote.

Redlite - consistency, dedication and just an overall rockstar!!

Angler 229 - drive, motivation and determination. The dude is serious. Largemouth, Bass or tuna he's all business.


John P. - Senior angler of the year :fishin:

a 4th nomination for The Fish Whisperer:fishin::uhuh::btu:

perseverance....
 

my input may not count for anything, but after getting to know how passionate he is, and diligent in his quest for fish, i'd give him my nod !