by Captain Ryan Collins on 2012/01/28
There is a whole bunch of high quality fishing gear on the market today. Knowing what to buy, and at what price to buy it, can be challenging for the newbie striped bass fishermen. Being able to keep fishing gear purchases within reason and as simple as humanly possible is important. It'll definitely help out in the long run.
Keeping all of this in mind, this article will focus on only the fishing gear that I like to use when trolling the tube and worm for big striped bass. It's very easy to dive into a full explanation of every kind of fishing gear imaginable, so for simplicity sake we will stick to the Penn 113HSP.
Fishing Reels
Penn 113
My go to fishing reel for trolling tubes is the Penn 113 Special Senator High Speed Reel (Penn 113HSP for short). I like this reel for several reasons aside from the reasonable price tag:
* Durability throughout many seasons
My father bought me a Penn 113 more than a decade ago, when I first started trolling tubes from my family's 19 foot Carolina Skiff.
That reel has lasted for over 10 years and it continues to work well today. Many big bass have fallen victim to that reel under a variety of conditions. I would not be surprised if that specific reel lasts a life time.
2) Easy to Maintain
One of the reasons why the Penn 113 is so durable is that it is so simple to maintain. I am certainly no expert when it comes to cleaning and fixing reels. But after a little online research, I can now overhaul the Penn 113 in under an hour.
For the visual learner, Penn 113 diagrams are available on the internet.
The reel has saved me quite a bit of money over the long haul. There are some fantastic tutorials by Alan Tani on how to rebuild the Penn 113. Tani is a pro and makes cleaning reels look easy. Hopefully someday we can all be this proficient!
Captain Ryan Collins fishes for striped bass and Bluefin tuna off Cape Cod, MA. Visit his blog, myfishingcapecod.com for insider tips about Cape Cod Canal fishing and giant bluefin tuna.
by Rachel Gracie on 2012/01/28
Over 360 species of birds have been spotted across the Bay of Fundy region, including such endangered species as the peregrine falcon and the piping plover. The Bay of Fundy is a popular destination for many birdwatchers, particularly during migration season, due to its prime location along the Atlantic Flyway. It is estimated that between two and three million birds travel along the Atlantic Flyway each year; three-quarters of which stop in the Fundy region, making it the most significant stopping point along the Eastern seaboard.
Mary's Point Bird Sanctuary - situated along the Fundy shores in Albert County, New Brunswick between Fundy National Park and the famous Hopewell Rocks - is one of the prime places along the Bay for viewing shorebirds, particularly the semipalmated sandpiper.
Many thousands of semipalmated sandpipers land in Fundy each and every summer as part of their migration from their Arctic breeding zones to their winter home of South America. Why do they stop here specifically? Well, they come here to become fat. The birds follow the tide line as it advances and recedes. During high tide the sandpipers roost but when the Fundy tide start to recede, these tiny birds race from one hole to the next. Using sight and their relatively long bills, each sandpiper will eat between 9600-23000 mud shrimp every tide cycle. During their stay in the Bay of Fundy region, the sandpipers will double their weight of roughly 20 grams in order to build up their fat reserves to finish the remaining 4000km of their migration, non-stop!
In addition to Mary's Point, these sandpipers have shown a stong liking for Grande-Anse, Starrs Point and Evangeline Beach. The first semipalmated sandpipers often will not arrive in Fundy until mid-July.
Another favorite bird sighting in Fundy area is the Atlantic Puffin. Spotted nearer the mouth of the Bay, Machias Seal Island is the seasonal home to not only nesting puffins but also nesting arctic and common terns and razorbills. Access to this small island is limited and landing is done at one's own risk as the terrain can be quite slippery and uneven. The refuge is guarded by the Canadian Wildlife Service.
Now you know why the Bay of Fundy is a good location for bird watchers. And while you are there, you may as well check out the world famous Bay of Fundy tides!
