And the 2009 title goes to Doug Levian for his stellar weekend success of back to back keeper stripers from the surf
NOVEMEBER 6-9, 2009
Meet Mr. November, 2009: Doug Levian. Dougie won that distinction with back-to-back keeper bass caught on the weekend prior to Veteran’s Day. Big brother Frank earned cred for putting Dougie into the fish. But make no mistake: Dougie came into his own for fishing his signature diamond jig lures as good as can be fished during the never-ending sand eel barrage that besieged the East End beaches nearly the entire surfcasting season.
Mr. November: Doug Levian (center) was deadly with his signature diamond jig lure, nailing back to back keeper bass (photo by Jack Yee)
I have stated often that Dougie is near magical when fishing around the time of the Marine Corps Annivesary (for those who are counting, the Corps celebrated its 234th “birthday” on November 10). In fact, this veteran Leatherneck is one sharp angler virtually anytime of the surfcasting season–whether chasing blues in his bathing suit along the sandy ocean beaches in September, or sheathed in waders while rock hopping at Montauk Point in a post-Halloween nor’easter. I’ve fished with Dougie in all conditions and I bear witness to his deadly prowess with his lure of choice: a shiny but otherwise unadorned diamond jig. He may get snagged now and then on the underwater obstacles of Mecca, but his consistent success hooking up to big blues and quality stripers more than makes up for the casualty of a lost lure or two or three. Considering the onslaught of sand eel bait that has been the meal du jour of our quarry nearly the entire surfcasting season, it was little wonder that Dougie the diamond jig king scored more keepers in one weekend than anyone else I have fished with (including me) has had all season.
Dougie’s weekend to remember began with ridiculously warm and mild weather as he and Frank hit the East End beaches while I remained “up Island” for a Dinner Club feast on Saturday, a real estate open house on Sunday, and a lightening round of antique shopping in New Hope, PA. Don’t ask…..
Dueling Stripers: One was a gift and the other was Dougie's second keeper of the weekend
Along with Frank’s daughter Gina, who reported that she caught the surfcasting “bug”, the boys once again found blitzing bluefish on the sandy beaches from Hither Hills to Montauk town beach. This was a fairly consistent story since the last storm moved through on Halloween weekend. Late Saturday afternoon, Dougie pulled up keeper number one in front of the White Sands Motel beach entrance with nary a sign of life to guide him. No bait or fish showing, no birds working. Just sharp shooting on a tip gleaned at Harvey Bennett’s Tackle Shop from a fellow angler who Frank identified only as “Mr. Peepers”.
The bluefish onslaught continued on Sunday morning. And following a mid-day beach picnic of striped bass in black bean sauce prepared by one of the local Chinese take-out kitchens, the fishing got better and the blues got bigger. This time the best action was west of the Surfside Inn overlook to the Glass House near Gurney’s Inn. At day’s end, however, Dougie pulled the aquatic equivalant of a rabbit out of a hat by landing a teen-sized schoolie bass that he jigged up on the Montauk town beach near Paulie’s Tackle Shop.
Big brother Frank landed this 30-inch gangster bluefish on the beach in front of the Glass House near Gurney's Inn
On Monday morning, Frank and Gina picked up the action, sans Dougie. Rumors were circulating of fish everywhere along the ocean beach, including in front of our own beloved Treasure Island Drive. In the afternoon, the father-daughter duo returned to the scene of earlier crimes in Montauk where Frank nailed the gawd-awfullest gangster bluefish of the season: a snarly 30-incher that must have weighed 12 pounds. The head on this fish was equal to that of a small dog. Excellent fish, Frank. But not good enough to unseat the new Mr. November. Congrats to Dougie!
Wow, what a tale!! Love the great pictures too. Great fishy action and congratulations to Doug.