Within the first 20 minutes of opening, 70 rods were purchased at the annual Martha’s Vineyard Surfcasters Association’s used tackle sale on Saturday.
Ronald H. McKee, also known as the Striper Maine-iac, was volunteering on Saturday at the annual Martha’s Vineyard Surfcasters Association’s used tackle sale.
Mr. McKee earned his nickname as a 15-year-old fishing fanatic, prowling the coast of Maine where he grew up.
“It’s getting closer to migration,” Mr. McKee said on Saturday morning. “A lot of species of fish are going up and down the coast. You even get a better chance of running into what we call blitzes — a lot of [big] fish.”
Pam Miller and Ron McKee (aka the Striper Maine-iac.
Pam Miller and Ron McKee (aka the Striper Maine-iac.
The surfcasters sale is an annual benefit, with the money going this year to student scholarships and housing for veterans. Within the first 20 minutes of the opening bell at the regional high school parking lot over 70 rods were purchased.
While looking through a bin full of used lures, Mr. McKee found a plug he made many years ago, called a Chubby Needle Fish. He said the model is his holy grail, and he’s caught fish on it from 40 to 50 pounds.
He examined the chipped green paint and scraped wood, then decided to buy it to take it home and mount on his wall.
“That’s what they’re supposed to look like...” he said. “Somebody probably lost it [and] it got washed up in the rocks [where] somebody else found it.”
Luke Stobie helping out by the fishing rod spot.
Luke Stobie helping out by the fishing rod spot.
Donald Scarpone, president of the surfcasters association, was helping people purchase rods and directing them to the table where they could get their lures fixed up.
He said the sale brings new life to the fishing gear and makes the sport more accessible. But his favorite part is watching young anglers get hooked on the sport.
“It’s all good seeing the little kids being brought up buying their first rods,” he said.
Morgan Moreno, 9, and her sister Madelyn Moreno, 7, were running around wearing rainbow printed sun shirts. They purchased a bug-be-gone bracelet for $1.
The sisters said they have been fishing for a couple of years from both boat and shore. Prior to the sale that morning, they caught a striped bass.
Don Scarpone, Lisa Belcastro and Phil Horton.
Don Scarpone, Lisa Belcastro and Phil Horton.
“I like the mystery of pulling the line out and seeing if it’s a fish or just seaweed,” Madelyn said.
The sale comes ahead of the Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass & Bluefish Derby, which kicks-off its 80th year on Sept. 14.
Nine-year-old Luke Stobie is already an old hand at the derby, first competing in the event in 2020. On Saturday, he was giving back, volunteering with the surfcasters association and helping anglers sort through a pile of poppers and jigs.
Luke won the kid’s division in 2023 for a bluefish he caught from shore. He wants competitors to know that as long as they try, they too can be a winner.
“It’s really fun when you catch a fish,” he said. “You battle the fish until you reel it in and [once] you get it, it feels like you won a prize.”
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