Favorite Fishing Books??? - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

BigFish · 11-04-2003, 10:56 AM

Just bought a copy of David DiBenedetto's book "On The Run"...looks like a great read, I have not started to read it yet but I thought I would start a thread about great reads in the world of fishing! I have read just about everything there is to read related to Striped Bass...all Frank D's books are high on my list, his best in my opinion was "20 Years On The Cape-My Time As A Surfcaster". The book I most enjoyed though of all my books was "Surfcasters Quest" by Roy Bowan. If you are an avid, nut job of a surf fisherman, this is a must read!

Five smilies reading rating out of five....I have probably re-read it three times, simply a great read. If you have not had the opportunity, pick it up and you won't put it down!

Who else has a favorite fishing related book???

fishweewee · 11-04-2003, 11:02 AM

I just finished reading that book. Nicely done. Description of a Rhody "fling" was a bit of a stretch... though.

I think I recognize one of the guys on the cover ...

...is the guy on the far right Tattoo?

-WW

BigFish · 11-04-2003, 02:31 PM

Fishweewee...we must be the only people on this site that read!!!! Everyone else must be out fishin' all the time.

Clogston29 · 11-04-2003, 02:59 PM

I've read all of Frank D.'s books and enjoyed every one. I just bought "The Fisherman's Ocean" by David Ross today and I'm going to read it over the next few days. I'll let you know what I think when I'm done

BigFish · 11-04-2003, 03:04 PM

Thanks Clogston29...I think I saw that book at the bookstore, is it about the ocean and how the tides and weather and stuff effect fishing or something like that???? If so, I had that book in my hand and almost bought it. Let me know how you like it.

redlite · 11-04-2003, 03:56 PM

It is amazing how much one can learn from reading about hobbies and such from other peoples mistrials and fortunes. I have never really read a fishing book. I am kind of against reading them in a weird way because a few years ago my buddy and I were down in S. County fishing when this knucklehead with him is toting around one of Frank D's books preaching like it was the holy bible. It was driving me nuts. He kept trying to convince us that we HAD to go to this spot he had read about in the book that was in Old Saybrook Conn where there were GAURANTEED big fish. Neither of us had ever fished in Conn. before and I was hell bent on not heading to new turf way off at 2 in the morning, but since I didn't drive, I was kidnapped. We followed this clown down there, drove around in circles for 2 hours and never even took the rods off the truck. Seems the book had been written several years before and in that time private communities had all been built in these areas.
But I think I may still read Frank D's books to hear what it was like to catch 50's like they were schoolies, since I will never get that experience.
And I may learn something too, cause you never know enough.
If someone is ever willing to lend some of them to me, I'd be much obliged. My dad said our local library actually has some of them, but libraries are another paranoia of mine.............

BigFish · 11-04-2003, 04:21 PM

Redlite...read "Surfcasters Quest". I know you would enjoy the hell out of it. It is not so much about "spots" and "fishing 40 years ago", it is about the pure and simple bliss that can be found with your feet in the sand and a rod in your hand, just you, the striped bass and Mother Nature. Read this book and tell me you didn't enjoy it!

Mike P · 11-04-2003, 05:12 PM

My favorite book has always been Bob Post's "Reading the Water". The fact that the Vineyard is my favorite place to fish helps, I guess

Katie · 11-04-2003, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mike P
My favorite book has always been Bob Post's "Reading the Water". The fact that the Vineyard is my favorite place to fish helps, I guess

that's my favorite fishing book too... i had to read it because everyone at the get together in febuary said it was really good after i won it outta the raffle. its a good book

rizzo · 11-04-2003, 06:58 PM

I learned a lot from reading Stripermoon by Ken Abrames, and Streamers for Stripers (something like that for a title) by Ray Bonderow. Even though they are both about fly fishing everything can be applied to surfcasting.

Stewie · 11-04-2003, 08:29 PM

Striped Bass Fishing by Frank Woolner and Henry Lyman. Cool pictures and words too!

beachwalker · 11-05-2003, 06:21 AM

Inshore Fly fishing by Lou Tabory.

No Bull sh$#te. Info on fishing both spin and fly.

InshoreAngler · 11-05-2003, 06:48 AM

Frank D's Striper Surf was awesome - then again the only one I read.....

fishweewee · 11-05-2003, 07:02 AM

fishsmith · 11-05-2003, 07:34 AM

Don't laugh wee wee, Fly Fishing for Dummies (I think they wrote it for me) is great, no bs, no advertisement for specific brands, just good info. They're knots section is great "tying the fatline to the skinny line" has a rabbit ear on that page.

fishweewee · 11-05-2003, 07:36 AM

Oh, I'm not poo-pooing these books at all. Knowledge is knowledge, regardless of how it is packaged. I'm just surprised that nobody ever mentioned these books ...

RIROCKHOUND · 11-05-2003, 07:49 AM

Bryan's top 5 fishing books... in particular order, varies with mood/season...

-"In the slick of the cricket" about a Montauk shark hunter, kinda like Quint
-"Striper Surf" or "Trophy Striper"
-"Striper Moon"
-Against the Tide" The story of New England Fisherman (about commercials)
-Cod
-The Perfect Storm..

JohnR · 11-05-2003, 08:11 AM

OK - that is 6 books

and what's this with referring to yourself in the 3rd person

??

Loved Reading the Water - The Legends participated in that book

Liked Surfcasters Quest - best soulfoul read on surfcasting I've read yet (even if he was a little too purist)

Daignault books are almost required reading but don't get sucked in on the self promotion...

Nick Karas - The Striped Bass - it's the bible, not from a literary sense but from a nuts & bolts, this is what they do sorta kinda read...

Blue - by hersey

Nothing else is sticking in my head at the moment worth mentioning - I guess I need to read that new one that just came out, "Off my rock" or something

BasicPatrick · 11-05-2003, 12:04 PM

Reading the Water....I'd kill for a copy of this book

RIROCKHOUND · 11-05-2003, 12:11 PM

Yeah Bryan's top six.. thats what I meant
I neevr claimed I could count...

Third person.. Bryan doesn't know what brought that on and he wishes to not comment further on this

but says that he will limit his third person monolouges as much as possible

'hound

Joe · 11-05-2003, 12:16 PM

Striper fishermen tend to like manuals and guidebooks and that's about it.
Sadly, the truth is that any book that falls within the realm of serious writing tends to need an educated target audience or publishers become very reluctant to get behind one.
I'm seeing more people who would be interested in books with a more expansive exploration of the reasons why we fish, but I think it will be a while before the sport can float a steady stream of literary titles. Surfcasting is just now expanding its membership beyond the working class. (Not that there is anything wrong with being from the working class; it's where I'm from.)

Anyway, here are my favorites of the ones that fall within the, "shore fishing for stripers" genre.

Best how-to:
Striper Surf - Daignault (far-and-away the best)
Inshore Fly Fishing - Tabory (Tabory's fly fishing book has many cross applications for surfcasting.)

Best Where-to's
Striper Hot Spots - Daignault
The OTW Guidebooks - Bourque

Best adventure/intrinsic/combination
Striper Moon - Abrames
Reading The Water - Post (Only 2000 copies were printed. The publisher did not exactly roll the dice with this one!)
Twenty Years - Daignault

I still have a few on my shelf that I need to read that may make my list.

http://surfcasting-rhodeisland.com/books.htm
http://surfcasting-rhodeisland.com/books_by_frank.htm

BigFish · 11-05-2003, 01:20 PM

I would not include "The Perfect Storm" in with what most of us would call fishing books.....it barely scrapes the surface of fishing be it swordfish or any other kind of fish!! Good book though!!

RIROCKHOUND · 11-05-2003, 01:27 PM

Well, it delt with the fishing industry, albeit not Stripers of even rec. fishing but it was partly about fishing... along those lines but not as good was Hungry Ocean by Linda Greenlaw...
Bryan

chief10 · 11-05-2003, 01:46 PM

favorite book is "twenty years on the cape" frank d.

Anyone have any idea how much "reading the water" is going for now a days?

Krispy · 11-05-2003, 01:48 PM

Ill sell you my well worn copy for $180

chief10 · 11-05-2003, 02:05 PM

Thanks! I have one in mint condition.

I keep hearing about copies selling for a couple hundred.

Krispy · 11-05-2003, 02:49 PM

$98 for one on by an Amazon dealer. Just figured I'd check. I wouldnt buy one for $100. Maybe Ill photocopy it and sell em for $25

chris L · 11-05-2003, 03:19 PM

I cant read so I like picture books , like one fish two fish red fish blue fish .

I like to read " reading the water " but there arent many pictures .

Chumbag · 11-05-2003, 05:21 PM

There are some good books mentioned here. My two favorites are:

John Cole's Striper and Dibenedetto's On The Run which I just finished (saw some names from this board in it)

For informational purposes I like Woolner and Lyman's Striped Bass Fishing and Tabory's Inshore Fly Fishing.