I dusted off the scanner just for you Rich! Also just wanted to mention in the same years album was a pic I took of the first seal I even saw out there (because at the time it was a novelty :rollem:)

P.S. when will you be open until? Through at least Sept. I hope?

As a kid, I used to read SWS from cover-to-cover; as all of you must remember, at that time back in the 60's it was still a fishing magazine that actually covered beach fishing as much as the boat stuff. It definitely wasn't a shill for the boat companies!
I was especially into the articles about the Race, Nauset, and the rest of the backside; I was an upper Cape kid, hanging around Popponesset and with no fishermen in my family and driving aways off in the future, all I could do was dream about that "place" and all the magic it created in my mind's eye.
Eventually, when I was involved with OTW as associate editor whose main job was coming up with story ideas and getting writers, and in some cases convincing folks that writing didn't hurt, I got the chance to see the mecca for myself. Sure, it had changed, but that first issue featured Tony Stetzko, both on the cover and in words, and eventually I met up with Emilio and he introduced me to George Carlezon. George took me out on the beach, introduced me to the "sand people" (I'm borrowing this term from Capt. Brian Horsley down in North Carolina!), and I was in heaven. I was like a dog hanging out the window - in fact, if I had a tail, I would have wagged it off.
Since I spend far more time on a boat than on the beach, I see the mecca more from the water and I guess that's better. It still looks special and I can always see it as open for business as opposed to being closed for birds and badges, which should never have happen to legendary spots like Nelson's.

Ha ha! I think I was the first person to bring you out there (You did stoke the fire back up at Bass Hole though a few years prior)

You are welcome. It was a special place at a special time. I am privileged and happy to have been a part of the history of The Back.

All the best of success to you in your charter business.

I have a picture somewhere of the eagle eating my striper. It stood right next to me and shredded the thing. The funny thing was, I saw this and covered the bass with some blues that I was going to give to the chef. The eagle wouldn't tough my bluefish! It was a huge bird and definitely not afraid of me. Mikey, I think I may have been the first one out there. I'm not a 100% sure. It was the year we started calling Bass Hole "Bassless Hole" I am pretty sure I was driving the Suburban, so my guess is that it was in 2001 or 2002. I can't remember what year you bought the black Jeep.
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one of the things i miss most,is the predawn walks out to the Hump/anthill.was never a fan of mass of people when the beach was open,but the long walk with Mikey, Tuna,Bruce,jim and a cast of others was always fun and rewarding.it was sort of a private club of die hard fishers.

Just horribly sad.

Starting in 1994 I made a least two 4-5 day trips out there every year, one in the spring and one in the fall, with a big group of my fishing buddies. Frequently several trips during the summer as well. Fishing steadily improved for about the first ten years, peaking around 2003 or 2004. Somewhere right after 2000 we saw the first seal or two. That same year I got my biggest bass ever from the surf. One of our guys had thier fish taken off the line by a seal in those years somewhere, and man did we laugh. Shared that story everywhere and no one beleived us. Were told flat out by several guys that we were lying. A seal taking a fish right off your line....no way!!!!!

Well we all know how that story ended over the last ten years. We still did ok in the spring many years but the fall has been a total loss the last 5+ seasons due to seals. The last couple of years we were nearly the only ones out there in the fall. Totally empty during what had always been "prime time". After such awful fall fishing the last 2-3 years, we finally bit the bullet and planned our fall trip in Nantucket this year. First time in 20 years we won't be on the outer beaches. I'm not the best fisherman in the world, but me and my friends are dedicated and persistent. If the 15-20 of us in my group aren't going to be there this fall, I don't know how a shop can stay open as we're probably the last one's to give in.

I appreciate what Rich, and Emilio before him, did in running that shop. It was an important part of a great period that I will always remember. It was part of the culture, part of what made it a mecca for me. Say what you will about the birds...I hate the closures as much as anyone...but I firmly believe that the seals changed everything. Plovers effect access but not fishing quality. The fish are still there, they are just not in the surf where they are vulnerable to the seals. No different than deer....once humans mess with populations you can't just "let it go back to normal" or they proliferate to the point of nuisance. The mismanagement of the seals destroyed the surf fishing culture of the outer beaches, IMHO.

Maybe I'll be back out sometime over the next few years to give it one more shot. But I know it'll never be the same there. Its been several years now since I had one of those amazing days that we used to take for granted. End of an era indeed.

personally i think if sandeels were still buring in the sand fishing would still be pretty good up here.i would really like to know why there is no place up here that you can find sandeels in the bottomfor any peroid of time. even places that didn't have seals till the last few years have been void of eels in the bottom.honestly i think seals are a nuisance,but i don't think they deter the fish from coming on the beach .have had many many nights bailing fish with seals just watching.i have had numerous mornings catching fish for hours,with seals having a feast on hooked up fish,but the fishh stayed and were back for many mornings later. well i will miss many of the peoplethat i have met thru the shopand regardless of fish or no fish i will walk these beachs as long as my legs carry me.