For boaters, Coop suggested the Rapala X-Rap 20 in pink for trolling for blues, as well as the Yo-Zuri crystal minnow deep diver in bone. For hardtails, he selected the Yo-Zuri 3 1/2-inch mackerel deep diver. —Lisa Belcastro 
Isla Katz was all smiles at the MV Surfcasters used tackle sale on Saturday. She is ready for the Derby. -Lisa Belcastro 
Doug Asselin of Dick’s Bait and Tackle recommends everyone have a pair of pliers as two of our three Derby fish have sharp teeth. —Lisa Belcastro 
Peter Sliwkowski of Larry’s Tackle Shop got a special delivery of Fish Inc Flankers and Sprata. I bought a few. Who knows, they might be the winning Derby lure. —Lisa Belcastro 
Doug Asselin measures a striper on the “must-have” NLBN Measuring Board. —Doug Asselin
Four days, fifteen hours, 43 minutes.
I can’t believe how much there is to do in the next four-plus days (as of time of writing this) before the 81st Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby begins at 12:01 am on Sunday.
Harvest most of the basil, make batches of pesto, and freeze them. Harvest tomatoes for salsa and also to slow-roast and freeze to have tastes of summer throughout the winter. Harvest some of the apples, make applesauce, and put into a dozen or so travel containers for Derby snacks.
And very important, harvest a bunch of eggplant to make lots of eggplant parmesan to freeze for easy Derby dinners whatever time one gets home from fishing.
I should have “clean the house” on the list, but I don’t. I did, however, wash my truck and put some elbow grease into her shine on Monday afternoon. Priorities!
How are you doing on your Derby preparation? Have you stocked the fridge and purchased all your Derby snacks? I’ve got to have protein bars, nuts, and dried fruit stashed in the truck for long days in remote locations. Do you have all your gear? I bought a few more things over the holiday weekend.
I have two lure bags loaded and ready to go when the Derby officially starts. I’ll greet Sunday morning with a pink and a green Deadly Dick, a Lime Time Exo, a white Exo, a green Charlie Cinto from my friend Janet Messineo, and a couple of new lures in my bag. I will also have my Chappy surf bag ready to go with some heavier top-water plugs and jigs.
When I picked up my number at Larry’s, I asked owner Peter Sliwkowski if he had any new lures I should buy. He immediately showed me a Fish Inc. pink Flanker and their Sprata 100. I bought the pink Flanker and the Sprata in both pearl and Mayhem. Larry’s also has the Island’s largest selection of Monomoy Tackle peanut jigs, which cast great and catch fish.
I left Larry’s with my new lures and headed to Coop’s to pick up Dave Balon’s number and to register our shore and boat teams. I always ask Coop for advice, and I do mean always. When I wanted a new shark rod that was lighter and stronger, Coop not only showed me the best rod, but he also took me outside, watched me cast, and then improved my stance and my cast, relieving the stress on my shoulder and giving me more distance to boot.
Coop is generous with everyone, so I asked him what was selling and catching the best. He pointed out the Hogy jigs in pink, Electric Chicken, and Bone White for surfcasting, and then picked out the Rapala X-Rap 20 in pink for trolling for blues, as well as the Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow Deep Diver in bone. For hardtails from the boat, he selected the Yo-Zuri 3.5-inch mackerel Deep Diver. I own the three epoxy jigs Coop recommended. Dave and I will be going back for the boat lures next week.
On Monday, I made a trip to Dick’s Bait and Tackle Shop to purchase the NLBN measuring board that Doug Asselin has raved about this year. I promised myself one of those portable, 12-inch wide and 55-inch long measuring tapes for Derby. They are easier than a standard thin tape measure since you lay the fish on top and get an exact measurement from the tip of the snout to the tip of the tail.
Doug pointed out four things that everyone should get organized this week and have throughout the 35 days of the Derby: a cooler bag or cooler with ice or frozen water bottles to keep your catch cold, snacks, a phone charger and charged phone, and pliers.
“You gotta have a pair of pliers with these bonito and their little teeth and the blues and their teeth,” said Doug. Dick’s, Coop’s, and Larry’s all have a variety of pliers, from the bare-bones pair that will cost less than $25 to the Danco Premio that sell for hundreds of dollars. My pliers attach to my belt in their sheath and have a lanyard so I won’t drop them into the water off a jetty or boat.
I doubt I’ll put a line in the water this week. I’ll drive by the beach and watch the water, and I’ll walk the beach and watch the water at different tides, but who wants to catch a Derby winner before the Derby? Not me!
I hope to see you on the beach or at Derby Headquarters at 8 am on Sunday morning when Cooper Gilkes rings the opening Derby bell.
