It seems that technology is giving young surfcasters an edge...maybe us
"old salts" can learn some new tricks !

by Bob Misak

A New Age...

In the world of surfcasting, typically we as anglers, often have questions we need answered pertaining to the "zoning and honing" of our beach walking skills, and more often than not we look to a 50 or 60 year old, seasoned "old salt" to give us the right advice. But things are changing rapidly, and the younger crowd is coming in, and they're bringing with them the technology and skill that a good many of us seasoned older gents wish we had in years past.

Dante Soriente is a serious sand stomper who at only 30 years of age, has done just that. His different approach to the old ways of surfcasting is getting plenty of attention. Dante honed his skills on the sands of Long Beach Island, but certainly isn't afraid to get in his truck and travel, and he has. Like many other dedicated surfsters, Dante has spent many cold dark nights on the roads and structures of the northeastern states chasing striped bass. His past strategies of buying into six or seven local tournaments and timing it so that he can win all with one fish are a sign of great planning. Not only does it help with our current catch and release efforts, but it also helps to line his pockets quite nicely as well!

Dante Soriente holds a 48 lb. striper caught in the Jersey surf. The owner and operator of The Magic Man Guide Service, Soriente has honed his skills with the use of technology and many years spent fishing since he was just a youngster.

How does Dante do this? He has learned bass, and knows that getting distance on the sands not only allows him to break the barriers of snagging bunker off the beaches, but throw plugs into the deeper, structural areas where bigger bass roam, especially during daylight hours. As a kid, I can remember listening intently to John Bushell Sr. of Betty and Nick's Bait and Tackle as well as Bill Clinton (No...not that Bill Clinton!) of the New Dolphin, talk of distance. They very wisely said, "Island Beach State Park is one of the nicest, hardest places one can fish." They spoke of not one, but two sand bars that sharp anglers needed to breach in order to get to big bass. The guys that were practicing their distances back then were catching bigger fish, and this strategy has been perfected in recent years by anglers like Dante and his posse.

Using a 13 foot RH Custom Rod, Dante gets tremendous distance on his casts. Many young anglers are using the new technology in rod composition to get out beyond the farthest bars, where they believe the bigger bass will be feeding.

You Can't Fight City Hall!

With the new age of technology bearing down on us, Dante's interest in the world of super casting is CTS Custom Designed Rod Blanks, manufactured in New Zealand and owned by RH Custom Rods, who certainly have provided us as of late with some real cutting edge equipment. Their rods are the latest in bait, plug and metal or snag throwing prowess. Unlike regular rods, these rods are started on a spiral helix with a higher modulus carbon, meaning that the rods are much lighter, perfectly round, and power-packed. The rods also come in thirty different colors...you can even order a pink one for that lady sharpie!

Rich Hedenberg and Dante are the brains of RH Custom Rods and on a recent test run, Dante demonstrated by breaching the 200 yard mark with a sinker in each of three attempts, going well over 220 yards. These are the distances that we as surfcasters can't help but to feel comfortable with, as far as big bass go. These rod styles are getting a ton of attention, and other than the personally built customs that a lot of sharpsters have in their arsenal, they are now replacing some of more popular brands of production surf rods of old. Yes, there is an old adage that big bass love white water and many old timers believe that most of the younger boys are tossing their stuff right over the fish; but again, that's an old adage, and the reality is, distance gives you an edge, even at night when bass are in close or not.

Every sharp plug guy, even if he can get 120 yards or more out of a three ounce wooden plug, would certainly be confident that he or she could find bigger fish. So, with the younger crowd like Dante catching big bass every year and throwing distances that even I and some of my counter-parts never even dreamed of, it just makes sense to buy a "ticket on the bus." R.H. Rods not only offers a complete line of surf shooters, but a great line of strong, stout tog rods for both jetty and boat, and the new technology has already grabbed the approval of great surfcasters including the serious, dedicated, traveling, successful bass guys.

The Magic Man...

Along with Dante's interest in CTS Rods and his ability to seek out those bigger spring and fall liners, and he has his Magicmann Guide Service. These new age anglers, which includes seasoned surf and jetty master Alex Field, will take you out and show you what you can do with a little help from a good rod company equipped with a personally designed reel, whether you prefer commercial or spin casters, and a few tips from a distance pro. As I mentioned earlier, anglers like Dante can enter three or four, or even more bass tournaments at once and pick and choose which cow they will keep for the year. This is a new way of thinking. Younger anglers (and with the advent of social media) now seem quite informed when it comes to bass mortality and conservation. This thinking is in stark contrast to the old dark days of the "catch it, weigh it, and kill it" strategies of old. For with each younger angler like Dante comes along with it a new respect for the future of the striped bass; these anglers are the future, and they, just like myself and the older anglers before me, have the respect and the foresight to know what it takes to secure the future of bass fishing. And at the same time...they have the power to master it.

Fall is coming, and if you want to go fishing with a guide that will do his absolute best to put you on a giant surf-caught bass...Dante and his boys are the ones. Many kudos to Dante Soriente and his crew at Magicmann Guide Service. You can also contact Dante at RH Custom Rods (Exclusive US Distributor of CTS Custom Designed Rod Blanks) go to http://www.rhcustomrods.com. It is young anglers like Soriente and many others who have the knowledge it takes to teach even the "old salts" a thing or two...good equipment, insight for the future, and most important of all, heart. We can only praise that heart, return that respect and welcome their methods. Good luck and great fishing.