Season on the Edge - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

JohnR · 03-13-2008, 06:25 AM

Season on the Edge. Finished reading this last week. Pretty good book by John Skinner (surf guy out of Long Island).

I'm going to deviate from the "The author takes you through the twists and turns..." blah, blah, blah, but I have to say that I liked how it progressed through the experiences and stories of several seasons compressed into one. Makes me want to spend more time bucktailing. Good read with good stories with lots of good fishing info scattered all over and just below the surface.

The thing that really left me wondering - what kind of job does he have to get all that time to drop work and fish, and where can I get one of those?

Again, good book, worth getting for the season psych-up library and the winter doldrums library. (not spam but some S-B sponsors carry this if you are interested http://www.striped-bass.com/Stripert...earchid=408645)

BigFish · 03-13-2008, 07:33 AM

I will be picking that up soon....was looking for it at the MSBA Show but no luck! Thanks for the review......John is it based on surf fishing?

Raven · 03-13-2008, 07:51 AM

maybe he is self employed

Flaptail · 03-13-2008, 09:16 AM

I borrowed a copy from Numbskull. Though I will admit he does catch some nice fish and may be a bit jealous that in NY they seem to have a abundance of larger (20-40 lb) fish, I got bored with it half way through and struggled

to finish it.

I guess I was hoping for something different more like Dibennidetos (spelling?) book which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Guess it's just me.

Pt.JudeJoe · 03-13-2008, 09:22 AM

Season on the Edge Dang , now Peter G has to come up with another title for his book.

Joe · 03-13-2008, 09:23 AM

I liked it - there's been a good clutch of books lately.

numbskull · 03-13-2008, 05:34 PM

I enjoyed it very much and found it very informative without trying to be directly a how-to manuel.

JohnR · 03-13-2008, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flaptail

I borrowed a copy from Numbskull. Though I will admit he does catch some nice fish and may be a bit jealous that in NY they seem to have a abundance of larger (20-40 lb) fish, I got bored with it half way through and struggled

to finish it.

I guess I was hoping for something different more like Dibennidetos (spelling?) book which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Guess it's just me.

Of the "About" fishing as opposed to "How To" fish, I liked Dibennedettos was OK but I liked this one more. Really liked Leo Orsi's Striper Chronicles - among my favorites in the "about fishing" category...

BigFish · 03-13-2008, 06:22 PM

Orsi's book also one of my favs....Surfcasters Quest by Roy Rowan remains my favorite book yet!

Mike P · 03-13-2008, 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigFish

I will be picking that up soon....was looking for it at the MSBA Show but no luck! Thanks for the review......John is it based on surf fishing?

John Skinner is the surf fishing editor of Noreast Saltwater. I haven't seen the book yet but I would be fairly certain that it's based on surfcasting. John's a good fisherman and a heck of a nice guy.

jskinner · 03-13-2008, 06:44 PM

Thanks for the book feedback. It's greatly appreciated. I'll be covering a booth on the Saturday of the New England Saltwater show (Rhode Island) and will have books with me. A couple of the vendors should have them there too.

BigFish · 03-13-2008, 07:05 PM

Looking forward to reading it J!

NIB · 03-14-2008, 05:47 AM

I thought it was a great read.And I bore from reading books very easily.Maybe because I am familiar with the area he fishes(LI).I really enjoyed it.

Flaptail · 03-14-2008, 07:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NIB

I thought it was a great read.And I bore from reading books very easily.Maybe because I am familiar with the area he fishes(LI).I really enjoyed it.

That may be one reason why I had trouble with it but I did get out my road atlas and actually look for landmarks he mentioned and google earth as well.

The first and last chapters about the spring fishing and fall run at the season finale were really good but, as Tony says, if you know the area I am sure you would be very happy with the work.

( Though as I writer I am sure he has taken a bit of flak from others in his area who wished no locations were named even how careful he was to keep location names to a minimum, you just cannot write an article or book without someone getting edgy over "spots" being mentioned. Thats a tough one to successfully navigate and keep things interesting and John did an admirable job with that concept)

Some of the names were familiar to me from John Cole's "Striper" like Ditch Plains. A book I have worn thin reading so many times.

BigFish · 03-14-2008, 07:28 AM

I picked that one up at an antique store in Maine a couple years ago Flap.....great book!

MakoMike · 03-14-2008, 03:42 PM

John is a real nice guy and a really avid surf fisherman. I really don't know what he does for a living, I'll have to ask next time I see him.

JohnR · 03-14-2008, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MakoMike

John is a real nice guy and a really avid surf fisherman. I really don't know what he does for a living, I'll have to ask next time I see him.

That was more of a joke - I really don't need to know what he does for a living

redfin · 03-14-2008, 06:35 PM

John has pulled some big fish during some of the leaner years in recent history. The book was well written with very little name dropping and no posturing, I definately enjoyed it far more than any of the others released recently.

MakoMike · 03-17-2008, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnR

That was more of a joke - I really don't need to know what he does for a living

That's O.K. Now I'm curious!

Haus · 03-18-2008, 04:09 PM

Just finished it last night. I thought it was a good book. I ordered it online from somewhere and ended up getting autographed copy. Pretty cool.

Zeno · 03-18-2008, 06:48 PM

I thought it was a great read.Then again I've been reading John stuff and listening to his lectures for years.
For my money I would put him in top 5 ,maybe 10 surfcasters on the entire coats.And I don't get impressed easily.(I put myself in top 3000

)
Regardless ,I think his way with words are so above my ability that I just grind my teeth and curse for not taking some English as a second language classes

Adam_777 · 03-18-2008, 06:57 PM

Haven't read it yet but will most likely grab it @ the risaa show.Having a hard time getting thru my 3rd book of the off season.I need to get out and fish !