Montauk Pioneer - June 26, 2009 - The Word At Paulie's

"What's happenin'?" Paul yawned, late last Sunday afternoon, as he relaxed outside his tackle shop after his three-day extraordinary 2nd Annual Bass Tournament. "What's with the shorts, Paulie?" laughed one of the gang. "Thought I'd practice lookin' like everyone else in Montauk - on vacation you know. What is it with guys who wear shorts and flip flops with white legs?" "How about some man-tan?" "Man-tan; what the hell is that?" Paul asked. "A bronzer for your legs, pal."

Never mind, Paulie's tournament was fantastic with double the amount of entries this year. Take a look at the sampling of photos.

Now with the fluke season on a forced hiatus from June 15th to July 3rd, Father's Day weekend just wasn't the same. However, snowbird Ray Clifford who fishes year round, and is a regular at Paulie's, contributed this easy, tasty fluke recipe to look forward to when fluking resumes on July 3rd through August 17th. "In a frying pan, heat some clarified butter with chopped shallots, add some light Madiera wine, add fluke fillets, simmer until fluke is flaky. Remove it carefully, lay on a bed of rice and pour the sauce over all. Enjoy."

To all the surfcasting Dads who were grilling the barbecue last Sunday instead of fishing, your families and friends sure appreciated it. Father's Day is a reminder of the amazing bond between a father and a son or daughter who fish together. Of all the sports, there is none that compares to the connection between a father and his child fishing and their relationship with the natural environment.

The 1997 classic story Joe and Me written by James Prosek, tells of the friendship between a teenage boy and the older man, a warden who, instead of busting him for fishing without a permit, takes him under his wing and teaches him everything from surfcasting for blues to catching big mouth bass. An amazing story of bonding, of the spirit of nature and the way one looks at the world. A unique book for all ages.

Paul, a prime example of a dedicated father who has experienced fishing with his son, feels that "my greatest experience with my son Nick is that he loves what I love and wanted to learn. And now he knows as much as I do."

There's a whole lot of mentoring going on at Paulie's. Age difference in fishing is not a detraction but instead expands the world of fishing and its surroundings. Mahopac Nick, another teenager and avid fisherman and listener is learning a lifetime of knowledge hanging out at Paulie's and fishing with the best.

This past weekend, the "Crown Jewel" of shark tournaments known throughout the USA, The Star Island Yacht Club 23rd Shark Tournament, took place under mixed sun, clouds and rain. A poor weather forecast resulted in 75 fewer boats entering, with a total count of 140.

First prize of $25,000 went to Costas Viahakis on the Runaway for his 369 lb. thresher and $2,500 for the heaviest fish on Day 2, and another $3,500 for the other category. Bill Reed's 289 lb. thresher was second, and Pete Greenhalth landed his 287 lb. thresher for third prize. For the shark hunters, the tournament was a heart-pounding, blood-tingling, grueling challenge. For the spectators, a thrilling, fascinating event.

In the world of fishing there are always new and surprising discoveries. Montauk's innovative and talented Walter Halucha has invented, produced and manufactured an extraordinary product: Quick Release, a life-extension for metal. A specially formulated lubricant, Quick Release is designed to bond to metals on the molecular level and provides a nearly friction-free surface for parts to run upon. It is a fisherman's dream come true. Get your Quick Release at Paulie's Tackle Shop; it is the best metal lubricant on the planet.

Plenty of blues and bass out there but again Mike Coppola likes the big bass and reeled in and released a 44 lb. beauty this Sunday.

If you have any comments or questions please email me at: genia631@yahoo.com.