It's All About the Pink!

[Tattoo]

With the squid run now in full swing and our striped friends beginning the night time feeding ritual, what better time to have a history lesson about pink?

Log on and check it out here http://www.tattoostackle.com/thestoryofpink.php

Hope you enjoy the reading.

Tattoo’s Tackle

[stiff tip]

i was part of the pink plug craze and a worc warrier too ...we fished pink plugs , and caught big fish ,,pink was the hot color. . i fished w/ #^&#^&#^&#^& and the gang ... from the beaches and monomoy i. was the prosmiss land of the 40 and 50s lbs .. ... thanks for the memories ..big ed .i still got my share of pinkies ..didnt relize how much they mean to me.. . capt.cc.

[basswipe]

Had a great evening lastnight throwing a 1.75oz Hab's needle white and pink.No large but some serious quantity.

[Flaptail]

Mike, being part of that group and working winters for #^&#^&#^&#^& and helping him deliver tackle on weekends to shops up and down the Cape, this story brings back a flood of memories, some good some not so good. Ed perfectly captured the essence of the man. Hard living, hard partying and twice as hard fishing.

Worcester was the Striper capital of New England for a long time. Not for the fish itself but the fishermen it produced. Most are gone and those few of us left that still search the sands nightly for a fleeting prize fish with a lot of ghosts.

#^&#^&#^&#^& was the drving force behind the prominence of pink in the repetoire of stripers favorite flavors. After myself and #^&#^&#^&#^&'s son Wayne, now sadly passed also way before his time, dunked old beat up Rebels in flat white ceiling paint in my Mother's basement, with which we outfished the whole group a few nights later, he got Pradco to send us two dozen Bone ( simply unpainted Windcheater Rebels) and the Bone color craze was born.

I got misty eyed reading it the first time when you sent it to me and I am now. Those were our golden days, thanks for posting this on your fine site! Steve S.

[Karl F]

Good, no, Great Read!..

Thanks Ed for writing it, and Mike for putting it on your site.


Pink, Don't leave home without it.

[tynan19]

Pink worked well for myself the other day when no one else was catching. Pink Sluggos and a pencil. Nantucket Sound. Great read thanks Mike.

[keeperreaper]

One of the most consistent fish catching colors during this time of the year. Great read.

[RIROCKHOUND]

Great read Ed...
who knew an engineer could write such flowing prose

[DZ]

Tattoo,
Great story – one I’ve heard Ed B recall a few times during our casting excursions together. Ed has many, many, more stories that are just as entertaining. Whenever anything comes up about the cape I always ask Ed for the “real story”. He’s a great friend and well liked by everyone on the cape. Through him I’ve been able to share nights on the beach (and “chewing the fat” sessions in our rental cottage) with some great cape personalities. It can’t get any better than casting a beach with a good friend, catching a bass or two, and talking old times.
Big Ed , thanks again.
DZ

[vineyardblues]

Tatt, good reading and Thanks! Nice plugs too

Like Flap said #^&#^&#^&#^& was a great guy. I also grew up spending my money at the local shop's on lake Quinsig . and Spags!

Stiff Tip: I bet you have a pair of pink

VB

[Skitterpop]

Nice article Mike.



I guts me pink arsenal as well from a wicked dark pink/red danny to an older Habs all pink needle, then big bomber styles, canal pencil, poppers, even a giant Bernzy 9" 4 oz Howdy with a light pink undertone to pearl white....

Plus they`re purty

[TheSpecialist]

Great story, you could just picture him pulling up to the shop in the wee hours, and everyone mugging him to get the scoop. You know he was all giddy inside..

[gone fishin]

I remember pinks also - two that were always productive - now retitred

[Flaptail]

Further research has led to the origins of the pink craze. If anyone fished the Cpae in the late 70's and early 80's one would have known of a tackle shop in Eastham called "Bass Run". The shop was started and owned by Tony Chiarapo, aka Tony C. A New York bass fisherman extrodinaire. Tony as you may know tied the teaser that took Tony Stezko's 73 pound monster which was lashed ahead of a live eel as I understand it.

Anyway, Tony convinced Donny Musso to paint up some pink plugs for him. Reluctantly, Musso did it and the result of that experiment was the birthplace of the pink plug craze.

A lot of big bass were hung outside the Bass Run shop for pictures and admiring in those days. #^&#^&#^&#^& Pleska picked up on the pink influence from his dealings with Tony as a Tackle ditributor.

Bass Run was the nerve center of the New York/New Jersey gang that had plied the outer Cape since the forties. A major influence on how we fish the beach eminated from there and still does to this day.

Tony C. was the brains behind the whole movement and I think he possibly was the major factor in a lot of other tricks of the trade as well but preferred to stay hidden behind the curtains.

Credit is due where it is due and we all owe Tony C. a thank you for this one!

[NIB]

So a New york guy tied a teaser for a nj guy who caught the largest bass from the surf in Mass.It's no wonder u cape guys dislike the southern invasion we catch all ur fish.


Nice article Mike.Ur site is a great place to visit.

[Tattoo]

I'm glad you guys enjoy the article. There are so many stories out there about the past I hope I can continue to connect the dots and share the history of the sport.

Flaptail is right on with Tony C ( a living legend ) and the BassRun Tackle shop. BassRun was the WallStreet of the surfcasting world. Some new information has been shed on the subject by Tony C himself, causing an update to the current article. Getting the story straight is always the main goal, but sometimes, as the years pass, and the old guard passes on, the dots become harder and harder to connect. Luckily there are still a few that were there and have offered to help complete the puzzle. An update to the article is coming......

[capesams]

Tony c. u old coot, I knew u couldn't let this one slip through the crack's.....I see u peeking in, come out from behind your dune and straightin out these youngin's before that 20 become's a 50 lber.

[Karl F]

capesams is right TC... come on "Senior Angler".. please feel free to join us here.

[nightfighter]

A Capesam sighting???? Been what, about six weeks since we last heard from you? That 1088 is being wrapped now. Will PM you later.
Ross

[CANAL RAT]

also try purple or red

[Skitterpop]

Originally Posted by NIB

So a New york guy tied a teaser for a nj guy who caught the largest bass from the surf in Mass.It's no wonder u cape guys dislike the southern invasion we catch all ur fish.


Nice article Mike.Ur site is a great place to visit.

Doo bee doo bee dooo

[Ed B]

Tony C and I spoke this weekend. Tony is a gold mine of information and he filled me in on a big unknown which was the origination of the first pink plugs and how #^&#^&#^&#^& Pleska as the wholesaler got involved. Since #^&#^&#^&#^& has passed on to the great beach beyond, may God rest his soul, it is difficult to connect all the dots. Having Tony as a friend and resource is a treasure, and as he was talking I was writing down some really great info.

The bottom line is that the very first pink plugs came from Tony which he had hand painted and gave to #^&#^&#^&#^&. They were Gibbs 2 oz casting swimmers (bottle plugs). The color pink was derived from some experimentation with faded red hackle droppers with which Tony had been experimenting and having some success. I have to make sure I get the relationship and timing of the Musso and Gibbs plugs correct and the involvement at Bass Run. When everything passes muster with Tony, I will send the document file to Mike "Tattoo" for an update.

Even though almost 30 years have passed, accuracy is important because this is part of our surfcasting history. As Tattoo says, getting the story straight is the goal.

Thanks Tony,
Ed

[tattoobob]

Mike, Ed, Flap, Tony, DZ (SORRY IF I MISSED YOU) You guys are a wealth of knowledge and it is like being amoung surfcastings greatests sharpies.

I enjoyed the read as always

[Slipknot]

Like Bob said, you guys are all something else
thanks all for getting it right and giving us a history lesson.
you guys are all the best