This was inspired when a friend sent me a clip of old video for the NJ shore. I thought there had to be a lot of cool older clips and pics out there from LI as well.
Let's see what ya got, shake those cobwebs out!
This was inspired when a friend sent me a clip of old video for the NJ shore. I thought there had to be a lot of cool older clips and pics out there from LI as well.
Let's see what ya got, shake those cobwebs out!
This was done by the talented fishing video maker (much more talented than me, at least ) Shark Hart.
Pics are from a lot of different places, but quite a few are from LI and areas close to that. I thought I would post it up here.
Great compilation, btw, Shark.
So let's hear some remembrances or stories, or see some pics of what LI shore areas used to be like.
Nice work on the video, Sharkhart. Here's a Montauk old time video.
Dilberts Big Ben in Brentwood?
The 1960 Dilbert's Big Ben Super Market. The first super market to fully implement the Raymond Loewy design theories.
Location - Brentwood, New York
Date opened - 8/17/1960
Size - 21,000 sq. ft.
Parking capacity - 200 cars
Grocery shelving - 450 linear feet
Number of checkouts - 8
Full-time employees - 54
Part-time employees - 62
Weekly volume - $60,000.00
coney, I wonder if they had sideshow on the beach back then.
I decided to add another dimension to this thread. During the last few days I've met so many old timers and got to listen to them reminiscing how things used to be. In many instances what they are relating is new to me. I soak it up like a sponge, I really enjoy it.
So I'll periodically be putting up snapshots of some old time fishermen in this thread along with some cool fishing stories.
Some of them will be well-known, others maybe you never heard of them. I can promise you I will try to get the funniest or most unusual stories from them, in my usual folksy style.
I hope you people enjoy it. If you have any older fishing friends or relatives you feel should be featured here in this thread, feel free to PM me or e-mail me and I'll see what I can do.
I met some family members of this guy on Saturday in NJ. Joe and his son.
Heard some great stories about Danny Auriemma, and I wanted to share them with you people. He was an avid Montauk fisherman, and I was honored to hear about some of the old fishin ways.
Making your surf gear: some memories...
"Back then they didn't have korkers. You had to make your own rock climbing shoes if you wanted to fish the rocks at Montauk. Danny would take old sneakers or golf shoes and modify them. He and his buddies would take the rubber from studded tires and glue these tough strips to the bottom of sneakers or old sturdy shoes.
They would then swim out to the rocks, and fish from them. They were "skishing"before the term was even invented!
They would use bucktails a lot at Montauk. The other popular presentation would be needlefish. Nothing but needlefish! They didn't need fancy paint and design back then. A sealed plug with a coat of paint, white or black, was all they needed, and they caught tons of fish on them!"
Montauk fishing is always a thrill. I have heard that years ago it was always an amazing place to go. I don't get out there too often now. I would be great to hear the stories Dark. Thanks for taking the time to put them up.
I do, and the guy that had his whole head tattooed, ears, lips, and everything with all the piercings. Freaky. They used to have a tattoo contest every year around Labor Day.
Here are some pics I found, one isn't old but it's Jones on a sneaker, pretty cool. The other one looks like it could fit in this thread.
Looks like you have a good start here Dark for some positive stories. I have been waiting for you to fill them in, what's the holdup?
You're right, BB, I've fallen behind. Trying to piece together some more stories. In some of them I've contacted people for more info and am still waiting for people to get back to me. If you or anyone else has someone you think I should interview, let me know via PM or e-mail.
I'll be hitting some of the LI fishing shows and flea markets this winter, so I'll be around up there. You got my #. Get in touch even if ya just want to grab a coffee.
I have known Mike for awhile now. We used to swap fishin stories when he came to visit his daughter in NJ.
I was really interested in a lot of his stories because he was fishin before and after the Striped bass Moratorium, and remembers how things were. That's a unique perspective a lot of younger anglers don't have, and I appreciate being able to listen to Mike, and his recollections.
Mike Flannery....Story and background
Mike moved to Babylon, LI in his early 30's. He married his wife Selma prior to that, when he was 22, and they have been married for 45 years.
They had 2 daughters, one of whom was a Valedictorian at Babylon High school. Mike has worked at hard physical labor his whole life. Around the time he got married, he got a job with the Suffolk County water authority. He dug holes for water mains and hydrants, a physically demanding job.
I believe he did some fresh water fishin when he was a kid. He started fishing the salt when he was around 30, and has been saltwater fishing for about 36 years. He's 67 now.
Mike spent a lot of time fishing the Fire Island beach areas, bridges, and inlet.
He remembers one time catching a few fat winter flounder in the beginnning of winter (back when you were allowed to fish for them). He had 4 fat flounder up to 1 1/2 lbs on bloodworms.
Along comes Fred Gardineer, reporter for the now defunct Babylon Leader. After he shows Fred the catch, he writes a story for the paper about it.
Fluke...Mike liked to fish for flounder, fluke, as well as striped bass.
*Charles Nappi holds the current LI record for fluke: Fluke*22-7Charles Nappi, Hicksville, NY09/15/75
Mike remembers before that, the record was held by someone who caught it at Oak Beach, LI, sometime in the 1950's or 1960's.
Bluefish/Striped Bass...
He used to catch a lot of shorts, and released them. Keepers were few and far between. His favorite place to fish was the back of the inlet, and the inlet, after crossing under the Robert Moses bridge.
Biggest Bass:
32# caught in the late spring surf at Gilgo at 5:30AM one year.
Memories fishing under the Robert Moses bridge:
He used to fish under there with clam bellies, and remembers that was another place where bass were abundant, by the Coast Guard Station, but they were mostly shorts. After he retired, he and his fishin buddy went out a lot on the buddy's 33' Grady White, I/O Mercruiser motor, and fished that inlet every chance they got.
Mike liked simple gear. Back then things were uncomplicated. You threw either bait, tins, or bucktails and pork rind.
He remembers they used teasers with the tins, but they weren't as ornate as the ones the guys use today. He caught plenty of fish on a tin with a white bucktail on a hook 18" above the tin.
Favorite setups:
He used either a Luxor or 302 Mitchell reel on a 9' stick. He could throw a mile with that. He took the bail off, and left the roller on.
Biggest bluefish story:
He had a water main digging job at Northport by Lilco. There was a cove there that had bait all summer. He thinks it was the Faulton housing development. A Sand & Gravel Co owned the area he was working in. His story:
"We saw guys fishing in the canal/cove after work. The water was boiling! I saw 2 guys in a boat catching jumbo blues, 15-18lbs!
I went there the next day after work with my rod, reel, and some tins. Bunker up to 2 pounds were jumping out of the water, it was crazy! I threw my metal into the mix and ended up with a 15 1/2# bluefish, along with a lot of smaller ones.
It was a great afternoon of fishing. We caught bluefish until our arms were tired.
Other than that, I mostly fished the SS spots, Babylon and Fire Island. "
The Moratorium:
"It was very annoying because it was ridiculous. When the minimum went to 36", almost no one caught a keeper"
What are the biggest changes you have noticed in fishing?
"The fact that they are always making the limits more restrictive"