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August 23, 2007 - Fishing for snappers 10114A • The Suffolk Times • August 23, 2007 '•` A Left: There is no one happier on the day he catches his first snappers than a 10- year -old who proudly displays his catch. Top right: Give • seine net to • group of kids and they'll be busy all morning long reaping the harvest of our creeks and bays. Bottom right: Every time the seine net comes in there are anx- ious hands wait- ing to show off the latest catch. r u- a 4. Suffolk Times photos by Paul Stoutenburgh Fishing for snappers 101 It's snapper time for young and old, which, put another way, means the baby blues are running. It's a time for learning about the ancient art of fishing. When I first was introduced to this never- to-be -for- gotten sport, my parents presented us with the most important items of this newfound activity that would keep us busy for hours — the Focus long, slender bamboo poles that got known as "That's mine," ON "Here's yours," and "That one's no good." NATURE We'd prize those skinny 16- ��� foot bamboo poles and always by Stoutenbu made sure at the end of the season they'd be properly hung in the garage out of harm's way. Just so my sister and her friend wouldn't get our snapper poles mixed up, I'd always wrap a piece of black electrical tape around the butt end of mine, which meant, "Hands off!" About the first of August the baby blues that had found our creeks and bays a perfect feeding ground were just starting to get a decent size for catching. Then the long bamboo poles would come down from their resting places in the garage and get dusted off Their shape had changed from the straight, thin poles that were new the year before to a drooping stage they developed from hanging in the garage. The old, worn fine line had to be replaced and new, special long -shank snapper hooks attached. Now all that was needed was a "dauber," or float. This was not always used. Its usefulness depended on where we would be fishing. Now that our snapper poles were rigged, the next piece of equipment was a seine net. We always had one rolled up somewhere in the garage and if the mice hadn't cut too big a hole in it to build their nest, it might just do for this season. We'd soon find out. For those who are not acquainted with a seine net, let me introduce you to one of the East End's great- est educating tools It's made of open cloth mesh tied to wooden handles on each end. Size is about 4 x 10 feet or more, the "or more" is always better — 15 I -- - - - - - -- ,'d - -- t511111111111111F7 - I The best bait for snappers is spearing, or, as some call them, silversides. feet or 16 feet are great. We call seine nets educating tools, for when used properly they pick up all kinds of interesting little fish, crabs, snails — all of which will fascinate the most bored kid. With our seine net rolled up, the only other thing needed is a bucket of some sort to put your bait in, to hold those spectral creatures you hope to pick up. With these pieces of equipment you are ready for many hours of snapper fishing. A more perfect picture would be hard to find — two or three kids walking down the street with an old plastic bucket in one hand, the seine net and bamboo pole in the other. They are ready to catch fish. Our kids always went down to the "Point," where the tide is the swiftest and the water the deepest. There would be the usual decision as to who would go out in the water with the seine net to get bait while the other stood only knee deep watching the other guy get soaked up to his middle. When the seine net had made the loop out around and back in again the net would be brought up on the beach, making sure the bottom of it stayed down so the bait wouldn't slip out beneath. If you were lucky, you'd have a netful of spearing, or, as sonic call them, silversides It was here the adventure took place, as one type of killifish after another was picked out of the net and examined. Occasionally we'd get baby blowfish in our nets, and how the kids would scream with joy as they scratched their bellies to make them swell up like ping -pong balls, or perhaps one of the kids would spot a pipe fish and hold his prize up for all to see. Each time the net was pulled in other new creatures would be found and identified. When enough bait was gathered, the net was spread out on some seaside goldenrod that was just starting to think about blos- soming. Now let's try sonic fishing. Hands would go into the bucket and come out with squirming silversides Then the special snapper hook went into the mouth and out the gills, exiting in the back. One of the boys would fish first. He'd run to the water's edge calling, "Make way, for here I come, you lucky snappers!" Making sure no one was in back of him, the long pole was whipped out with the hook, line and dauber sailing through the air to just lie at the edge of the deep water. Nothing doing, so the routine of casting was tried again. This time a tug on the line brought a silver snapper up and out of the water only to land back on the beach; the first snapper of the season. There would be many more visits to the "Point" and many more snappers would be caught and many a lesson in the good life would be learned. The Suffolk Times • August 23, 2007 1 ing for snappers 101 It's snapper time for young and old, wmcn, put another way, means the baby blues are running. It's a time for learning about the ancient art of fishing. When I first was introduced to this never-to-be-for - gotten sport, my parents presented us with the most important items of this newfound activity that would keep us busy for hours — the FOCUS long, slender bamboo poles that got known as "That's mine," O N "Here's yours," and "That one's no good." NATURE We'd prize those skinny 16- by Paul foot bamboo poles and always made sure at the end of the Stoutenburgh season they'd be properly hung in the garage out of harm's. way. Just so my sister and her friend wouldn't get our snapper poles mixed up, I'd always wrap a piece of black electrical tape around the butt end of mine, which meant, "Hands off!" About the first of August the baby blues that had found our creeks and bays a perfect feeding ground were just starting to get a decent size for catching. Then the long bamboo poles would comedown from their resting places in the garage and get dusted off. Their shape had changed from thestraight, thin poles that were new the year before to a drooping stage they developed from.hanging in the garage. The old, worn fine line had to be replaced and new, special long -shank snapper hooks attached. Now all that was needed was a "dauber," or float. This was not always used. Its usefulness depended on where we would be fishing. Now that our snapper poles were rigged, the next piece of equipment was a seine net. We always had one rolled up somewhere in the garage and if the mice hadn't cut too big a hole in it to build their nest it might just do for this season. We'd soon find out. For those who are not acquainted with a seine net, let me introduce you to one of the East End's great- est educating tools. It's made of open cloth mesh tied to wooden handles on each end. Size is about 4 x 10 feet or more, the "or more" is always better — 15 feet or 6 feet are great. We ca seme nets educating tools, for when used properly they pick up all kinds of interesting little fish, crabs, snails — all of which will fascinate the most bored kid. With our seine net roller up, the only other thing needed is a bucket of some sort to put your bait in, to hold those special creatures you hope to pick up. With these pieces of equipment you are ready for many hours of snapper fishing: A ore perfect picture would be hard to find — two or ,.m H�41ry rriw�d��NNII�rb���ti *% ,, r Left: There is no one happier on the day he catches his first snappers than a 10- year -old who proudly displays his catch. r three ds walking down the street with an old plastic bucket in one hand, the seine net and bamboo pole in the'other. They are ready to catch fish. Our kids always went down to the "Point," where the tide is the swiftest and the water the deepest. There would be the usual decision as to who would go out in the water with the seine net to get bait while the other stood only knee deep watching the other guy,get soaked up to his middle. i When the seine net had made the loop out around and back in again the net would be brought up on the " beach; making sure the bottom of it stayed,down so the bait wouldn't slip out beneath. If you were lucky,,w you'd have a netful of spearing, or, as some call them, It was here the adventure took place, as one type Bottom right: of killifish after another was picked out of the net '' r and examined. Occasionally we'd get baby blowfish %r in our nets, and how the kids would scream with joy in there are anx- as they scratched their bellies to make them swell up °r like ping -pong balls, or perhaps one of the kids would ing to show off spot a pipe fish and hold his prize up for all to see. the latest catch. Each time the net was pulled in other new creatures would be found and identified. When enough bait was gathered, the net was spread out on some seaside goldenrod that was just starting to think about blos- soming. Now let's try some fishing. °uµ Hands would go into the bucket and come out with squirming silversides. Then the special snapper hook went into the mouth and out the gills, exiting in the back. One of the boys would fish first. He'd run to th water's edge calling, "Make way, for here I come, you „ ",W" u lucky snappers!” Making sure no one was in back of i him, the long pole was whipped out with the hook, line and dauber sailing through the air to just lie at /x the edge of the deep water. N e best bait for snappers is spearing, or, as some 11 them, silversides. Times photos by Paul Top right: Give • seine net to Bottom right: • group of kids Every time the and they'll be seine net comes busy all morning in there are anx- long reaping the ious hands wait - harvest of our ing to show off creeks and bays. the latest catch. Nothing doing, so the routine of casting was tries again. This time a tug on the line brought a silver snapper up and out of the water only to land back on the beach; the first snapper of the season. There FTt1h,o0P. uld be many more visits to the "Point" and many re snappers would be caught and many a lesson anod life would be learned.