Hi-Mar Striper Fishing Club fishing flea market

[DarkSkies]

Went to the Middletown VFW today to check out the fleamarket. It was pretty crowded. I got there a little late, but still got a chance to meet some good people. I also met some members of the Hi-Mar Striper fishing club, nice guys. :thumbsup:

There was a little something for everyone. I saw more new stuff at this market than some of the other ones. Lots of reels and rods, tons of flies, teasers, spoons, jigs, plugs regular and custom, crab and fish traps, gear, hunting stuff, etc.

Most of the people I saw leaving had a bag in their hands, so it's safe to say a lot of people found deals they were happy with. Hats off to the Hi-Mar club for putting on a great show. :clapping:

[DarkSkies]

Some pics. The VFW hall is located behind Foodtown on Rt 36 S, make the first right after Dunkin Donuts.

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[DarkSkies]

more
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[DarkSkies]

Hunting, knives, etc

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[DarkSkies]

Want to join Hi-Mar? Heres how to contact them.

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Somehow I missed seeing "Albacore Al" Allen Reilly and his brother there. Hope all's well, Al. :HappyWave:

[DarkSkies]

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[DarkSkies]

need some crab traps or bunker cages?

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[DarkSkies]

Met a new plug builder today. His name is Russ, he's out of Piscataway. Somehow I always screw up the plugbuilder shots because I'm in too much of a hurry. :D

A little background on Russ: He's only been doing this awhile, but he learned from one of the best in the business! He told me Tony Spina took him under his wing, and taught him a lot of what he knows. :clapping:

Every show I go to, I meet more and more people who know or have a debt of gratitude to Tony Spina (also a Hi-Mar member) One of these days I'm gonna run into Tony himself!

In the meantime, I don't know anything about Lures4you, how they swim, or if they catch fish.

I did see a bunch of nice pics Russ had and was proudly displaying, of all the fish that were caught on his plugs. He says they go over great down South, where they are used offshore for more aggressive fish, and they are just starting to catch on here in the Northeast.

They look like decent plugs, some come dressed with bucktail, and he's selling them for a decent price, around $16, which seems very reasonable for a custom plug.

He won't be at the Asbury show, and doesn't have a website yet. He will be at some more area shows. If you want to find out more about his plugs, how they swim, if they can take a beating on the rocks, just ask him.

He seems like a pretty personable guy, and I got the sense that he takes great pride in his work. :thumbsup:

Some pics:

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fish caught on his plugs
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[DarkSkies]

used rods and reels for sale

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[DarkSkies]

trolling eels

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[DarkSkies]

Kugler's lures - met Vinnie and his son?, these guys had an avalanche of teasers, flies, tubes, sandeels, jigs, and spoons

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father and son :HappyWave:
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[DarkSkies]

50/50 was won by Joe Petrucha?, of Joe Petrucha's Rod Builders. Nice haul, man! :clapping:

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[DarkSkies]

lucky winner of some raingear

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[DarkSkies]

Feb.13
2010 Hi-Mar Striper Fishing Club
Fishing Flea Market
Feb. 13, 2010
Middletown V F W
1 Veterans Lane
off Hwy 36 East Port Monmouth NJ 07758
Time: 8:00am - 3:00pm
Contact: Capt. Jerry Beaver
Phone: 732-671-1442
E-mail: JerryBeaver@comcast.net (.%20JerryBeaver@comcast.net)
Website:
www.Hi-Mar.com (http://www.hi-mar.com/)
Venders: Are Welcome
Admission: $5.00
Additional Info:
Hi-Mar will be hosting a seminar room with different speakers throughout the day. More info to follow. See Website
***Raffles***
***Door Prizes***
***Refreshments***
***Professional Seminars***


Directions: Garden State Pkwy to exit 117. to State Hwy 36 East. Aprox five miles. Look for Dunkin Donuts just past Wilson Ave. Vetrans Lane is immed. past Dunkin Donuts, on Right.

[DarkSkies]

Just a reminder of the Hi-Mar fishing flea market for today. It's a good one with lots of used stuff and new items at reasonable prices. :thumbsup:

[DarkSkies]

I managed to make both the Hi-Mar and Freeport LI shows today. To anyone I met, if I seemed a little hyper, that's the usual me when I'm not fishin. Even with sitting in stalled traffic for 1 1/2 hours I still was able to hit both places and get a decent assessment of those shows.

First off, the Hi-Mar fishing flea market. I remembered some of the Hi-Mar club from last year, and I think Tony Spina is a lifetime member as well. He's won in some of their earlier tournaments.

I was introduced to Joe, and Steve Machalaba (current President). The guys and girls of Hi-Mar all did a nice job putting this together, but it seemed they wanted to give a lot of the credit to Jerry Beaver. So we'll say that with Jerry Beaver in charge of the show and all the help he had, it once again turned out to be a worthwhile show to break out of the winter doldrums and get some good deals as well. :thumbsup:

Nice meeting all you people. :HappyWave:

The facts and figures:
Been running for at least 7 years.
Every year the attendance gets better and better.
This year I believe all 109 vendor tables were filled.

In the early afternoon, I was told about 725 people had walked through the door. It could be they reached 800 by the time they closed, or close to that. That's an impressive turnout for a fishing flea market no matter how you look at it.

Admision was cheap, only $5, and there were deals to be had, and people willing to make them. Got a very positive vibe being there.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who lives in NJ. There were some vendors there from NY as well because they said the table fees were reasonable. That's a big plus in today's economy.

In all a good job was done by everyone, they all deserve a round of applause. :clapping::clapping:

[DarkSkies]

Great group of guys and girls of all ages who primarily fish Raritan Bay and the ocean in the Monmouth county area.

Where does the flea market money go?

"We use the money for club functions, and fishing trips for kids and veterans." :thumbsup:

Sounds like a great plan to me. Hi-Mar is very well-regarded in the area, and today seemed things went off without a hitch.

Link to their site, check it out if you have more questions:

www.Hi-Mar.com (http://www.hi-mar.com/)

[DarkSkies]

Met George and his lovely wife. They only go to that show once a year, and today George had some great :bigeyes: deals on plugs, tins, reels, rods, assorted offshore lures.

George still had some reels left at the end of the show. I'll post up some of George's reels under the "Fishing items new and used" forum,

http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/forumdisplay.php?f=85
along with his e-mail in case anyone has any questions.

It was nice meeting you and your wife George. :HappyWave:

[DarkSkies]

Just a little video to give people an idea of the inside.

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[DarkSkies]

The Kuglers are local vendors out of the Morganville NJ area. I usually see Mr. Kugler and one or both of his sons at the Asbury show in March.

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They always have some great deals on bucktails, teasers, etc.
www.freewebs.com/kuglerslures (http://www.freewebs.com/kuglerslures)

Next stop:
Asbury show
Stop by and check out some of their stuff, great prices. :thumbsup:

[DarkSkies]

Bruce is a guy who finds and fixes some rods, reels and gear, goes to the flea markets, and sells for a reasonable price. Bruce is a local NJ guy out of the Neptune area.

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Next stop:

Feb 20 show in Hightstown
Feb 21 show in Point pleasant, Ocean Fire Co.

Nice to meet ya, Bruce. :HappyWave:

[DarkSkies]

Some pics

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[DarkSkies]

Met Mike & Mike from source direct bunker spoons.

They have been doing this about 5 years, local guys from the Middletown area.

Nice to meet ya's, guys. :HappyWave:

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[DarkSkies]

More pics

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[DarkSkies]

Met Joe and Sharon, nice people.

Joe has been doing this for 20 years.

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He said:
" I build rods that are designed for the local area, from Raritan bay to the ocean"

He has rods for sale from $50- 500.

Nice meeting you two. :HappyWave:

[DarkSkies]

I checked out the Hi-Mar market today. I thought it would be open to 3 as it said. Somehow, there was a mis-communication, it ended at 2. I still managed to get in there before everyone left, and talked to some of the vendors and members of Hi-Mar again.

[DarkSkies]

I spoke with Capt Jerry Beaver, current Pres of the Hi-Mar club.
He and his fellow club members put on a good show every year. It's one I always look forward to. There are some great deals to be had. The admission, at $5, is reasonable in today's busted economy, and people came out in droves today to take advantage of it.

I reported on this last year, I think the attendance was between 7-800.

This year, the attendance was over 900, more than any year since Hi-Mar started these flea markets. :thumbsup:

Great job, guys, and nice meeting ya's all. :HappyWave:

[DarkSkies]

Some pics:


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Billy B, Brian R, and Billy R from Hi-Mar.
Nice meetin ya's. :HappyWave:
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[DarkSkies]

More pics:


Hot newer product - the wave worm 5" tiki snake, bubble gum for weakfish.
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These were either given or sold at low cost to the Hi Mar club by Steve, the owner of the company.
Capt Bob Kamienski and the members were giving them out at the door to everyone who came in. Special attention was made for the kids, and they made sure every child that came through the door got at least 1. Nice work, guys.



I don't know how effective these are. I'll be trying them for the first time this spring in the back bays and inlets before the bluefish get here.
Check them out at
http://www.wavefishing.com/

[rip316]

It looks like West Wind Walleys offspring.

[DarkSkies]

Hey folks, just wanted to give a head's up about the Hi-Mar ffm this Sat, listed above. I regret I can't make it as I have other obligations....

But sitemember Madcaster :HappyWave:will be,...and this is your first chance to see some of the plugs he has been making,. and catching fish on....and none of them will cost anywhere near the $20-25 level that some guys are now charging....and remember, just because a guy charges that much for a plug, doesn't mean he swam each one of em before he sent it to you....

Finchaser proved that to Xtreme Visions the other day when Fin test swam some popular maker plugs that Xtreme just scored.... and 1 out of 3 didn't swim right....






The Hi-Mar show is one of the better ones around...
In past years I scored a box loaded with old-school hand-made tins for $20....

Lots of old bombers and used redfins in box lots, bought for around $2 apiece...

And a $200 box of used tuna lures that I scored for pennies on the dollar,,,Fin was happy with that one...:HappyWave:



**Stop by his booth and say Hi! Free gift to the first person who mentions this site!
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?8252-Madcaster-will-have-a-booth-at-the-Hi-Mar-Striper-Fishing-Club-Flea-Market-2-11

[DarkSkies]

Just a reminder for the Hi-Mar FFM this Saturday. These flea markets are still some of the best places around to get gear and tackle at very low prices.

The Spring shows are great as well, but nowhere else will you find the deals that are to be had in these flea markets......Bombers for $2, the occasional old wood plug for $10, old rebels and redfins.....tuna gear at fire sale prices from guys who just want it out of their basement....rods, reels, terminal tackle........all at discounted prices.......:drool:

If you have the time and patience these are the best places to spend a Saturday morning when you are going stir-crazy from not being able to fish.......:fishing:

[surferman]

Just a reminder for the Hi-Mar FFM this Saturday. These flea markets are still some of the best places around to get gear and tackle at very low prices.

The Spring shows are great as well, but nowhere else will you find the deals that are to be had in these flea markets......Bombers for $2, the occasional old wood plug for $10, old rebels and redfins.....

Amen!

[ledhead36]

Info and directions
he Hi-Mar Striper Club conducts one of the largest Fishing Flea Markets & Seminar Series in New Jersey.

When & Where – This year’s Hi-Mar Flea Market will be held on Saturday February 16th, 2013 (02/16/2013) from 8 A.M. to 3 P.M. at the Middletown VFW Post 2179 in Port Monmouth, New Jersey.
Cost – The Cost is $5 per person. Admission also includes free entry to the seminars and a ticket for a chance to win door prizes contributed by all of the vendors.
Questions – All Inquiries should be addressed to Robbie Barradale and Len Fantasia at fleamarket@hi-mar.com
Seminar Schedule -



Time
Topic
Speaker(s)


9am
Striped Bass Trolling Techniques
Capt Bob Kamienski- Kingfisher III



10am
Inshore Mixed Bag Fishing
Capt Derek Bielitz- Fisher Price IV



11am
Blackfishing for Success
Joe Tomaszewski- Tuna Tales

Tim Behany- Mary B



12pm
False Albacore Tactics
Frank Zadina






Directions to Hi-Mar Flea Market - The Middletown VFW Post 2179 is located in Port Monmouth at 1 Veterans Lane directly off State Hwy 36 eastbound.
From the Garden State Parkway (northbound & southbound) / Hwy 36 East:
Take GSP exit 117, get on State hwy 36 east for about 5.5 miles. At Wilson Ave you will see a Gulf Station, then a Food Town Shopping Center, and a Dunkin Donuts, Veterans Lane is immediately behind the Dunkin Donuts. TURN RIGHT.
From Hwy 36 West / Highlands Bridge:
You will see the Dunkin Donuts and Food Town shopping Center on the left just after Church Street. Continue to the Main Street jughandle (past Wilson Avenue) and come back east on Hwy 36. You can also park in the commuter lot on the westbound side, cross the Highway and walk to the VFW.

http://hi-mar.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/VFW2179MapNew2a1.jpg (http://hi-mar.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/VFW2179MapNew2a1.jpg)

[hookset]

Thanks ledhead get there early the best deals are usually gone by 10am.

[cowherder]

Going there now. Hope to see some of the stripers and anglers guys out and about!

[DarkSkies]

^^ Thanks to our members who kept this updated.


It was another successful year for Hi-Mar. Got to meet a lot of people I hadn't seen in awhile. Some site members as well. :HappyWave:
The traffic in and out of there was pretty steady while I was there.
I usually try not to spend too much time inside as it is very addictive. There were some incredible deals to be had...I went $20 over my strict $20 budget. That bought me a bag of plugs worth about $150 retail. Another hour in there and it would have been worse. :rolleyes:

The thing is, some of the younger surf guys are focused on high end Custom wood plugs, and the new Daiwa SPs...if they don't see them they aren't interested....

last year, looking over my log, less than 50% of my bigger fish have come from big wood or the Daiwa SP......

Realizing that, I descend on the flea markets to buy the plugs no one else wants.......because I tend to lose about one a week during the height of the season.













Some great prices today....
Not New:
* Never used yozuri plugs for $2....
* Smaller metal lips and gibbs wood bottle plugs for $5...and these were the good metal lips, real pre-drilled eyes, quality split rings and heavy duty hooks, some with bucktail siwash.....the siwash alone on those plugs is worth $2
* A bag of rubber shads for 30c each..........


New and Misc:
Although I didn't even attempt to buy or negotiate some of the new stuff., the deals were there.....

1. Rods, reels, tackle, foul weather gear, everything a salt water fisherman could want or need, much at a discount....

2.There was a whole table of Sebile plugs....about 30% off of list price....
3. Tins, tins and more tins.....average prices $2-3

4. For the guys who fish bait, Tropics :HappyWave: was selling rigs, pre-tied, with 40lb mono, quality tackle attached, striped bass rigs with circle hooks, and many varieties of bottomfish rigs, for $2 or less....

5. There were a few dozen used rods at great prices.....and many new ones as well....

6. Deals on sinkers, tins, and jigs, many vendors giving deals if you bought more than 1......

7. Lots of terminal tackle at discount prices, bulk bags of VMC 2x and 4X hooks......

[DarkSkies]

Good food, good people......if you know how to work a crowd, there were a lot of old-timers with decades of fishing experience, willing to swap some tales and info.........

Beyond the good seminars, which I didn't attend, it seemed like one out of every 5 people there was an old salt who had a library of fishing knowledge stored:fishing: in their brains..:learn:...and was only too happy to share if engaged in polite conversation.....

Attendance was in line with last year, and the vendors seemed happy. I think there were around 100-110 tables.

:clapping: :clapping: to all in Hi-Mar, and the wives and girlfriends, who manned the ticket area, sold the raffles, and cooked the food.
Nice to meet all the new folks I met........:HappyWave:

Always enjoy the Hi-Mar show......:thumbsup:



Pics to follow.....

[DarkSkies]

Some of the old timers....

David Siegel, he's 80, saw combat in the Korean war.....
Even though he's 80, his friends at the table were busting balls big time....lots of good fishing stories.....
Thanks for your service to our country, David. :clapping: :thumbsup:


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My Dad was a Korean war vet as well.

[DarkSkies]

The folks behind the scenes.......

This group pic of some of the Hi-Mar guys........




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Pictured L to R in the Pic directly above.....

Robby Barradale, Flea Market Director
Steve Machalaba, Current Hi-Mar President
Bob Kamienski, Past President
Ryan Taffett, Treasurer

[DarkSkies]

Some great prices today....
Not New:
* Never used yozuri plugs for $2....
* Smaller metal lips and gibbs wood bottle plugs for $5...and these were the good metal lips, real pre-drilled eyes, quality split rings and heavy duty hooks, some with bucktail siwash.....the siwash alone on those plugs is worth $2
* A bag of rubber shads for 30c each..........




Some of the stuff I scored for about 1/3 retail value.....

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^ Metal lip swimmers for $5, pristine yozuris for $2


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^ This is a giant 10" hard plastic deep diver bunker plug. Last year I scored a 25# bass the first week of April trolling that type plug in the yak. Kevin K, the internet famous plug hoarder :HappyWave: sold me that plug because it's not perfect....I promised to e-mail him the pics when the next 25# bass gets caught with that plug.....
Just as a comparison RTW had a booth with their trolling lures for $30.....this same plug, although not as pretty.... will get the job done..,,has heavy duty hooks and swivels..and only cost $3.......:fishing:


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^ In this pic in the middle you can see a Maverick, one of Finchaser's favorites...no longer made....bought for around $5



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Guides Choice Bunka Boy.... and some rubber shads for 30c each.

[DarkSkies]

Time for some plug porn......
Although some may think I'm against buying wood plugs....not really, just can't see the value in buying plugs for $20-30 that I may only use for a week and lose to structure at night......so most of the wood I have, I have "Ho-ed" it from other builders.......:laugh:

1. There is a fine art to "plug hoing"......we have a whole thread on it.......
Buying a plug from a builder....does not always qualify in this specialized ritual of acquiring tackle......

2. However, sometimes plugs are in short supply by different builders who are not building anymore, or who have passed on........this is where Kevin K excels at plug hoing........because sometimes you need to shell out big dollars to buy when the demand is high.....

3. I was talking to Monty today...and we estimated that Kevin K....was one of the top 10 plug ho's in the US...the guy has thousands of plugs,,,,all wood, and is probably a little obsesssed with growing his collection ever bigger.........

4. So today, he brought about 200 of his plugs to "get rid of".....and make no mistake...other guys were drooling and buying....so for anyone who thinks you can't find custom wood at a fishing flea market other than Berkeley or Asbury......it just ain't true.....:)

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^ Big custom pikies, some from Calif builders.


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^ Original Habs in Package...






Here I present to you....about 1/20th of the collection of Kevin K.....one of the top 10 most obsessive plug collectors on the East Coast....
( when Kevin reads this, you know I'm only teasing ya....remember how many times I found an excuse to walk past your table....to "look" at plugs I don't need....:laugh: :kooky: :HappyWave:)


You will find plugs from every in-demand builder in America in the stash above....and these are just the cast-offs the guy and his son were selling.....

BTW, nice to finally meet ya's both.....best of luck on the vacation fishing....:fishing:

[DarkSkies]

Al and Don Marantz selling odds and ends.....plugs, reels, sinkers, etc.....
2 guys who were around when the bunker boats got legislated out to their current boundaries, in the 1980's...many don't realize without that happening bunker would not be as abundant in our surf as they are now....

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[DarkSkies]

Some fascinating deals on old plugs are to be had at these markets as well......

Just some examples.....

Barracuda Brand from Florida Fishing Tackle Manufacturing Co.

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Pieces of American Fishing History for only $10........

[DarkSkies]

The original Striper Swiper from Atom Manufacturing Co in Attleboro, MA



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The guy selling these had 2 in pristine condition, $10 each....
I told him the boxes were worth that much and not to sell them for less....and it turns out 1/2 hour later some guy eagerly forked over $20 to buy both without haggling.......:learn:

[DarkSkies]

The original Goo Goo eye plugs were created by Leo Cooper, a Stamford, Ct tool and die maker who couldn't find plugs big enough at the time to suit him, so he did his own thing until they came out the way he wanted. American fishing innovation at it's best. Goo goo eye plugs still have a fanatical following to this day.

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Goo Goo eyes in mint condition for $20.....(smaller one)

[DarkSkies]

In addition to the plugs, reels, rods, jigs, sinkers, etc, there was sitemember Tropics....who I understand has stopped making sinkers, and is now selling hand tied rigs from $1.25 to $2........nice to run into you Richie, and your lovely wife Aurea.......:HappyWave:




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^ Quality tackle, 40# test, and the striper Hi-Lo rigs come with circle hooks.


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^ Pic of a decent cod Richie got on a MA trip.

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** Richie is also a Vietnam Vet....thanks for your service to our country, Richie.....:clapping: :thumbsup: :HappyWave:

[DarkSkies]

Lo and behold....when I was in the parking lot, and ran into sitemember Madcaster.......

He showed me one of the needlefish plugs he just finished today.....making them out of acrylic with a special flash appearance in the sunlight....
Alas, I wasn't able to "Ho" it from him, my usually persuasive skills were just not up to the task......:rolleyes: :HappyWave:


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[nitestrikes]

Nice job ds. I was hoping you were going to report on the lindenhurst flea market this year.

[tropics]

Hey Rich it was good seeing you again, my wives name is Aurea.
They had a good turn out, people still looking to see if I am making sinkers, I have to much of a problem with my neighbor and getting lead was another part.I will be at the Forked River Lacey Elk on Mar 9th, and Forked River Fire Dept on the 23rd.
Stop by and say hello

[DarkSkies]

^ Fixed it Richie....http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/images/icons/icon11.png
Sorry, by 11pm last night my brain had turned onto oatmeal....:bucktooth: and I was making mistake after mistake, my apologies...
The making the lead thing can get dangerous if you live near others....









***********

Quick story...
I had a friend a few years ago who made lead in his apt.....his wife was real worried about the fumes and possible brain damage to him.....most of the people I'm good friends with are a little different than normal..:rolleyes:...it was hard for me to explain to her that I thought he already had some brain damage because of his obsession to fish...;)...

How many other guys do you know who will go out tuna fishing and bring a 30 gallon container of fuel strapped to the boat just to get some extra distance?....:kooky:...he was so obsessive about tuna fishing with his smaller boat that we really pushed it to the limit more than a few times...

Looking back on those times spent with him I'm amazed at the chances we took. We could have been killed out there. One time we went out on another (bigger) boat with a Commercial Capt who had a drug and alcohol problem.......The attraction was the cheap trip, as the Capt had a commercial license and we basically paid the cost of the fuel to go tuna fishing with this guy who had a rep for finding big tuna......the Capt was passed out sleeping 80 miles offshore and one of the engines blew....we had to come back the whole distance with one motor, with my friend and I taking control of the boat for half the way. As if that wasn't bad enough, another passenger who was was a little unstable was freaking out and put a worse vibe on the whole trip until we had to set him straight......:don't know why:...Aaaaaah the fishing stories and the people I've met over the decades could fill several books....:kooky:...good times,...bad times...crazy times.....and lots of fish in between......:fishing:

That was almost 2 decades ago....at least we had the EPIRB...which he bought because I nagged him about the possibility of us dying out there.....I have since lost touch with him as he moved away...but I know if he's still fishing he's still crazy as ever....:laugh: (the polite term for that is obsessed) :laugh:...I have learned from that not to put my safety in the hands of others unless they have a proven record of stability.

[DarkSkies]

Nice job ds. I was hoping you were going to report on the lindenhurst flea market this year.

Nitestrikes, thanks for the kind words. .....I realized how much time reporting on these was taking up so I can't do that anymore.. It may seem I'm only doing a few each year from now on....
The ones I continue to report on will be done for a variety of reasons and I don't want it to seem like I am slighting anyone....:HappyWave:

As each flea market comes up feel free to post and bring it up to the top...there are dozens of shows in several states I have been to and reported on....and some good video I shot at each.....







I will be at the Forked River Lacey Elk on Mar 9th, and Forked River Fire Dept on the 23rd.
Stop by and say hello


It was great to see ya again Richie, and your lovely wife Aurea...:HappyWave:..I can see that you're a lucky guy, you two are still together and she helps you at all the shows. :cool:
Best of luck this season.
Maybe I'll see ya at Forked River....that's usually a pretty decent flea market with some good deals...


Thanks for sharing your perspective on the cod stocks.
Thanks for your service to our country....:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[cowherder]

This reads like a magazine article with all the sweet plugs and pictures. I don't know how you found those deals dark you must be a real shrewd bargainer. There were some guys with tackle boxes of stuff on the ground but I didn't look through them all. Lesson learned for next time I guess. Thanks for the report and good to bump into you.:HappyWave:

[cowherder]

Time for some plug porn......
Although some may think I'm against buying wood plugs....not really, just can't see the value in buying plugs for $20-30 that I may only use for a week and lose to structure at night......so most of the wood I have, I have "Ho-ed" it from other builders.......:laugh:

1. There is a fine art to "plug hoing"......we have a whole thread on it.......
Buying a plug from a builder....does not always qualify in this specialized ritual of acquiring tackle......

2. However, sometimes plugs are in short supply by different builders who are not building anymore, or who have passed on........this is where Kevin C excels at plug hoing........because sometimes you need to shell out big dollars to buy when the demand is high.....

3. I was talking to Monty today...and we estimated that Kevin C....was one of the top 10 plug ho's in the US...the guy has thousands of plugs,,,,all wood, and is probably a little obsesssed with growing his collection ever bigger.........

4. So today, he brought about 200 of his plugs to "get rid of".....and make no mistake...other guys were drooling and buying....so for anyone who thinks you can't find custom wood at a fishing flea market other than Berkeley or Asbury......it just ain't true.....:)

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Here I present to you....about 1/20th of the collection of Kevin C.....one of the top 10 most obsessive plug collectors on the East Coast....
( when Kevin reads this, you know I'm only teasing ya....remember how many times I found an excuse to walk past your table....to "look" at plugs I don't need....:laugh: :kooky: :HappyWave:)


You will find plugs from every in-demand builder in America in the stash above....and these are just the cast-offs the guy and his son were selling.....

BTW, nice to finally meet ya's both.....best of luck on the vacation fishing....:fishing:


This guy was there with his son. They had the sweetest plugs I have ever seen also some higher prices but as you said if they are that rare someone will buy them. He had a tier of plugs to the left discounted deeply mostly used. I guess you went through every single one of those like a bloodhound. good job and thanks for taking those pics that wood is killer! I wish I could afford to own it all but I would definitely fish it. And then if you lose one to a bluefish it gets you mad.

[buckethead]

Well done report Dark. Enjoyed it. The cool thing about a flea market is you never know when you might uncover a hidden gem for a low price.

[ledhead36]

:HappyWave:Nice reporting as usual rich. Tropics I didn't realize you were a member here, Bought about 5 of those striped bass rigs from you and also sent a few of my buddies over. We will be using them on March 1 in the bay. Don't know if we will catch fish but we will be out there even if it is cold. I will let you know how they do when we start catching.

[madcaster]

Don't worry DS I got you covered ...I didn't think you would like a shinny sparkly one. I have some "dark" ones for you

[DarkSkies]

^ Thank you madcaster. You would have guessed that flashy or shiny doesn't much matter to me. :laugh:
I am so used to fishing the dark it will be hard this Spring for me to adjust my eyes when the bluefish come in the bay and it's a day bite...my eyes actually hurt at times as I have no interest in fishing the bright sun anymore. You should come out there one time at night, it may change your whole outlook.

The elbow room you may experience is definitely part of the equation for me.....

For the rest of ya's, thanks for the kind words. :HappyWave:
I know I haven't been reporting like this for a while. It really does take a lot out of me. I don't know how to ramp it down and feel compelled to teach as well as report....glad you all enjoyed it. :thumbsup:

For me, every fishing flea market is like another adventure and a place where great values can be bought. Many of the sellers are regular folks getting rid of excess tackle or selling things they found at house cleanouts and estate sales. At the end of the day they don't want to bring these items home. As someone said in the manahawkin thread that's the key to focus on.



**Some of the best deals in the fishing world, are to be found at these flea markets. :learn:

[hookset]

**Some of the best deals in the fishing world, are to be found at these flea markets. :learn:

100% on board with that DS. The markets are primo for stocking up on stuff you know you may lose anyway. No way you will get deals like this at any of the big shows, even surf day. Those shows are all about shaking down the pent up snowbound fisherman for all he has at maximum price points. You may get Ronnie from Fishermens supply to give you a 5% club discount but no way are you ever gonna get something at 40 or 50% off at one of the bigger venues. Don't even try. I stocked up yesterday. Cowherder you were talking about those tackle boxes laying on the floor. Now that its over let me telll you what I did. There was a guy near the front who had a bunch of tackle boxes. I opened them all, cherrypicked the best, and bought 15 lures for $16 one hour before the end. Got some great deals also from the guy in the back wall who had a few tackle boxes filled with plugs, and bags of rubber. Also the guy in the middle with his kid I think dark said his name was kevin. He was selling used ml swimmers for $8 but you have to know what to look for as there is a lot of chinese junk that guys are selling too. That guy tropics had some good rigs, bought some for my little cousins when I take them fishing in the summer. You have to know what to look for and not buy the junk. Junk is junk no matter how cheap it is.

The next great places for deals will be berkeley and asbury. No where else will you be able to cut deals like you can and you will not see the variety or different price points like you can find there. If anyone out there doesn't want to miss out make sure you attend those 2 shows.

Also Hi-Mar is one of the best out there for deals. Every year you have different vendors and a lot of them are just small timers who want to sell all their extra stuff.
Thanks for the report dark your pics made me want to go out and start a collectiion - not.:laugh: I have a few stashed away like gary hulls and leftys, but the rest I fish. Thats just my opinion good read dark and good job.:HappyWave:

[ledhead36]

reminder that the himar flea market is this sat, don't miss it.





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^ This is a giant 10" hard plastic deep diver bunker plug. Last year I scored a 25# bass the first week of April trolling that type plug in the yak. Kevin K, the internet famous plug hoarder :HappyWave: sold me that plug because it's not perfect....I promised to e-mail him the pics when the next 25# bass gets caught with that plug.....
Just as a comparison RTW had a booth with their trolling lures for $30.....this same plug, although not as pretty.... will get the job done..,,has heavy duty hooks and swivels..and only cost $3.......:fishing:

Ever get that 25# or bigger bass on that plug dark? If I remember right you went kayaking a lot less last year.
I'll be there early, let me know if you're gonna be down.

[finchaser]

you did mean 25" right

[storminsteve]

you did mean 25" right

Snap! Dark ouch he nailed you a 25incher instead of 25 lber. That must hurt lol.

[storminsteve]

Good deals today gulp for $4, good prices on bucktails and tins. Some guy Alex had a table that he was selling fishing gear for charity and some senior citizens he knows. Picked up a few plugs on the cheap. Didn't want to beat him up too much on the price because it was for a good cause. Anyone else get any deals?
Some of the bucktails I paid 50c to $1 each for
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[jigfreak]

I got a plano box of smilin bill bucktails. 1- 1 1/2 oz perfect for inlets bridges and rips. The guy wanted them gone so he sold the whole box to me for $15. Over 16 in the box cant beat that. I also saw someone selling the tsunami sandeels noticed they are now coming in 2 packs instead of 4 packs even for the little ones. What a way to boost revenue. I guess tsunami saw with the absence of vision eels in the market it would be a good time to raise prices. Not happy to see that.

[DarkSkies]

^ I was looking at plano box as well, jigfreak. Got into some extended conversations and when I got back to that table they were gone. You sniped me! :moon: :laugh:
It's all good, guess I'll have to find some at the next show or show up earlier next time. :HappyWave:

Some pics I didn't get to post yet.....

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Richie/Tropics and his wife Aurea






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[DarkSkies]

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Dan AKA the Tinman.....:HappyWave:







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Madcaster and his daughter....:HappyWave:

[captnemo]

A bump for hi-mar. Feb 14 this year.
Hi-Mar Flea Market, Saturday Feb 14, 2015– SOLD OUT/ Speakers Announced (http://hi-mar.com/2014/11/flea-market/)http://hi-mar.com/event/hi-mar-striper-club-fishing-flea-market-seminar-series-2/
8-3, admission still only $5

[ledhead36]

Don't know if you knew him but hi mar's Capt Bob Kamienski passed earlier in January. RIP Bob.
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10152961244349223&id=233155274222

[basshunter]

rip

[DarkSkies]

The folks behind the scenes.......

This group pic of some of the Hi-Mar guys........




http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=16380&stc=1







http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=16381&stc=1
Pictured L to R in the Pic directly above.....

Robby Barradale, Flea Market Director
Steve Machalaba, Current Hi-Mar President
Bob Kamienski, Past President
Ryan Taffett, Treasurer


I wasn't aware that Bob had passed, Led. He was a good guy, saw him every year. That's him in the pics.
Even though he wasn't President any more, he was full of ideas and enthusiasm. One year he mentioned to me the possibility of coming into the meetings and trying to start discussions about a surf and land contingent for Hi-Mar. To me that definitely shows a guy who thought out of the box, and was always trying to bring new anglers in to his passion and club that he loved. :thumbsup:

My deepest condolences to his family and friends. He will be missed. RIP

[seamonkey]

Rip and t&p

[ledhead36]

Himar is this saturday, see you guys there.
VFW Post 2179 1 Veterans Lane Rt 36E
Port Monmouth (Middletown), NJ 07758
Time: 8:00 am - 2:00 pm Fee: $5.00 includes all seminars

[hookedonbass]

Thanks man

[ledhead36]

Another great show by the Himar club. Got a lot of terminal tackle on the cheap. Also picked up some stuff from this guy Alex who was collecting for a few charities. Didn't see DS this year he was strangely absent. Hope you're ok bud, give us a call.:HappyWave:

[bababooey]

they had it again this past Saturday.Anyone go?

[finchaser]

From people who had tables Heard it was a waste very low attendance

[hookset]

I went later on in the morning.It didn't seem that packed when I was walking around. The one weird thing was there was a drunk vendor at one of the tables. Normally you wouldn't notice, but he was loud and obnoxious. you could hear him clear across the hall.Some people just can't hold their liquor I guess.

[plugcrazy]

I heard that guy yelling. They should have either kicked him out or cut him off from the drinks. Total low class trailer trash. Who was he?

[plugcrazy]

otherwise, I thought it was pretty decent. I would agree that the traffic didn't seem to be that busy. Maybe the snow had something to do with it.

[ledhead36]

I heard that guy yelling. They should have either kicked him out or cut him off from the drinks. Total low class trailer trash. Who was he?

I know him. trailer trash thats putting it mildly. He's a loudmouth drunk. Works for one of the most infamous meat men out there. That's all I'm going to say.

[ledhead36]

I still think it was a good show. It's not far from me to go there, and you can get some decent terminal tackle for cheap.