Flaptail We Miss You! - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

BigFish · 10-08-2010, 08:05 AM

Our dear friend Flaptail aka Steve Shiraka would have turned 55 years of age today. In remembrance of Steve I would ask all who could to post a photo or a story about Steve here to honor his birthday. We all miss him terribly so lets celebrate Flaptails Birthday with a wonderful thread......about Steve.

Happy Birthday Flaptail!

Rockfish9 · 10-08-2010, 08:25 AM

Last years plugfest was the first one that i didnt go home with my neck stiff from looking up at him as we yaked the day away...

BigFish · 10-08-2010, 08:25 AM

Last season I was going through an absolutely pitiful fall season......(yes just like this one

) not quite as bad as this fall but close. Anyway.....I knew Steve had been getting some nice fish all September, and he had invited me to join him a couple times but I could not make it. As things grew worse for me I decided to venture out one night in October (14th I think?) to a place I knew I would find Steve! I showed up after dark right at the proper time and tide and out in the darkness I saw 2 shadows in the water casting.......one normal sized shadow....... (Mr. Striper aka Ernie).......and Steve!!

I quietly waded out close to them and just listened as they unhooked fish and cast and unhooked fish.......I made a few casts and when a moment presented itself (Steve did not know it was me there) I said, just loud enough for Steve to hear, "Boy I didn't know they piled it that high??"!!!

Well Steve turned his head slowly (I could see him even in the darness of a new moon turning) and as he did he said...."EXCUSE ME????"

I thought he was gonna beat me with his fishing rod so I said "Steve its me" and he said....."Larry how are you.....nice to see you". It was always good to see Steve. I took a spot next to Steve and Ernie and we made a couple casts and Steve said to put on a black needle if I had one. Well I didn't but I had a black scale Danny so I put it on and first cast with it I hooked up to a decent fish and that continued for about an hour......us catching fish, Ernie dropped more fish that night than I caught and we were laughing about it.......Steve hooked into a nice 30 pound plus fish and I watched him fight it and once he got it in his grasp I took the photos you see here! Steve then released it as he always did. Shortly afterwards I hooked up on a good one and Steve took my picture......"It looks 30" Steve said......and I was happy......just to be catching fish with Steve. Jimmy Fee showed up that night too but I think the bite had died by then. We chewed the fat by the trucks for awhile and I gave Steve a "Blue on Black" Danny to put in his bag and we parted. I saw Steve a week later with Slipknot at MSBA as he had a seminar that night....he showed me that Danny and said he did well with it. That was the last time I saw Steve. I wish he was here now cause' I sure could use his help right now with this drought.......maybe I will go find him tonight......I know where he would be?

Jimmy Fee · 10-08-2010, 11:27 AM

Larry,

That was late Sept. It was a good night. Just as I got out there, the 4 of us out there hooked up all within a couple minutes of each other -- all high 20's, low 30-pound fish, and that seemed to be the end of it.

When the bite slowed, and Steve wandered off to try a couple casts a little ways away, and within a couple minutes he walked back with another quality fish, telling us the fish had moved a bit.

What I found incredibly surprising about Steve was the way he was so willing to share his wealth of knowledge. I bumped into him quite a few times last fall, the last time being in early November when it was just the two of us on the beach. It was a slow pick, but he assured me as soon as the tide fell a little more, we'd see an influx of fish and that I'd want to put on a teaser. Sure enough, the tide dropped, the water set up to his liking and the fish moved in.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigFish

Last season I was going through an absolutely pitiful fall season......(yes just like this one

) not quite as bad as this fall but close. Anyway.....I knew Steve had been getting some nice fish all September, and he had invited me to join him a couple times but I could not make it. As things grew worse for me I decided to venture out one night in October (14th I think?) to a place I knew I would find Steve! I showed up after dark right at the proper time and tide and out in the darkness I saw 2 shadows in the water casting.......one normal sized shadow....... (Mr. Striper aka Ernie).......and Steve!!

I quietly waded out close to them and just listened as they unhooked fish and cast and unhooked fish.......I made a few casts and when a moment presented itself (Steve did not know it was me there) I said, just loud enough for Steve to hear, "Boy I didn't know they piled it that high??"!!!

Well Steve turned his head slowly (I could see him even in the darness of a new moon turning) and as he did he said...."EXCUSE ME????"

I thought he was gonna beat me with his fishing rod so I said "Steve its me" and he said....."Larry how are you.....nice to see you". It was always good to see Steve. I took a spot next to Steve and Ernie and we made a couple casts and Steve said to put on a black needle if I had one. Well I didn't but I had a black scale Danny so I put it on and first cast with it I hooked up to a decent fish and that continued for about an hour......us catching fish, Ernie dropped more fish that night than I caught and we were laughing about it.......Steve hooked into a nice 30 pound plus fish and I watched him fight it and once he got it in his grasp I took the photos you see here! Steve then released it as he always did. Shortly afterwards I hooked up on a good one and Steve took my picture......"It looks 30" Steve said......and I was happy......just to be catching fish with Steve. Jimmy Fee showed up that night too but I think the bite had died by then. We chewed the fat by the trucks for awhile and I gave Steve a "Blue on Black" Danny to put in his bag and we parted. I saw Steve a week later with Slipknot at MSBA as he had a seminar that night....he showed me that Danny and said he did well with it. That was the last time I saw Steve. I wish he was here now cause' I sure could use his help right now with this drought.......maybe I will go find him tonight......I know where he would be?

JohnR · 10-08-2010, 08:36 AM

HBD Flap!

I will say hello this evening when I'm out on my rock.

agsurfr · 10-08-2010, 10:03 AM

That's a great story BF and I am willing to bet Steve will help you see your way to fish during this fall run too. I didn't know Steve, but from what I've read about him I certainly I wish I'd had the pleasure.

ab

Luthier · 10-08-2010, 11:44 AM

Happy Birthday Steve.......miss ya big guy!

Wish you were still here with us. Reading this brings back all the times from the late sixties till now of all the fishing trips from Worcester to moving down the Cape and him pushing me to head out fishing when I was tired and didn't feel like going. In between freshwater and salt, we would be there fishing and he would make you want to concentrate even harder to try and out fish him. Sometimes it worked, most of the time, he out fished you. The guy could walk into a place and you would swear there isn't anything around but he always managed to get at least one to prove you wrong. It's not the same..........

Fran

BigFish · 10-08-2010, 11:49 AM

Couple Christmas' back.....Steve had posted in a thread about what folks wanted for Christmas that he wanted a Creek Chub Surfster.....the 7400 model in Purple Eel? I guess this was a pipe dream for Steve as they are tough to come by or expensive??? One or the other.......anyway I decided to make him one! So I took one of my "Prey" bodies, and shaved the nose like a traditional Creek Chub Surfster, painted it "Purple Eel" or at least as close as I could get copying it from a picture on-line and I had it to his house for Christmas Eve!

He thought that was the coolest thing......and I had alot of fun doing it! Not sure if he ever fished it or hung it?

Raven · 10-08-2010, 12:03 PM

Happy Birthday Steve....

you are gone but not forgotten.

Slipknot · 10-08-2010, 08:45 PM

I miss Steve too. Think about him often especially this time of year.
You just could not fish with Steve and not learn something. I was always paying attention when we fished together.
He still fishes with me

hardcore from shore · 10-08-2010, 09:07 PM

Steve was my favorite seminar presenter. He always had time to share his ideas. Yet he always made you think yours were good as well when you had a chance to exchange ideas. At the last MSBA meeting he presented at we discussed how you needed to be in tune with the water flow and the lure and how it was working. At times you knew the lure was working exactly the way you wanted it and if it did not feel right maybe you just needed to change it.

Steve also was great when he talked to my dad about plugs and plug building every time we chatted at an MSBA Expo. We gave Steve one of my dad's squid imitations. I believe everyone wanted to give Steve a lure since he was so willing to give us all a bit of his vast knowledge and we wanted to do more than just take, regardless of how willing he was to give.