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Originally Posted by #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&
Are we who have 20 years in the surf or more slipping? is a new breed of hero emerging? Is Eben the new master? Maybe the drive is gone, maybe we cant keep up with these young bucks? does it matter if you fish 7 nights a week? Hmmmmmmmm
Is it possible that stripers now have a preference to plugs over eels?
Is the 9 to 5 every 3 day fisherman onto something?
I say hail to Master Eben, king of the August surf !! 
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Getting back to the original question, I'd definitely say a lot of younger guys are hitting their stride and thankfully more are getting into surf fishing. I see a lot of younger guys coming into the shop, buying the right things, and asking the right questions. While it's not so much the old guard losing it, it's just the natural evolution of the younger crowd.
For example, just take a look at the shop's staff; Earl, Arden, and Rob who are all under 25 years old (definitely still young by most standards) and all already have fish over 30#'s from shore this year including Earl's Newport County Fishing Club leading 37# fish. They all fish hard and primarily at night. Arden also had a 43# fish in the Newport surf last year and others taken from shore in Montauk. That said, they all avoid the Internet and have learned some of what they know from the Ironman and even more so the old fashioned way, time on the water in the dead of night.
As for keeping surf fishing alive in the future, that's up to us and especially fishing shops. The best way I've found to get kids into fishing (once the idea is their heads) is to actually have them catch something so pointing them in the right direction and teaching them the basics is key. Out of all customers that come into the shop, almost none get as much free gear and attention as kids interested in fishing. I'd have to say that's another negative in regards to losing more and more tackle shops to e-business. Hanging around a hardcore fishing shop when I was a kid definitely got me going in fishing.
Since there is some access discussion in this thread, I'll also add that Castle Hill in Newport has been lost due to trash...