My earliest fishing experiences were with my dad and uncles fishing the shore of Sheepshead Bay for flounder and the local docks of Nassau County for blueclaw crabs and eels. In 1970 my dad moved our family to North Babylon and we began fishing the Great South Bay from the yet-to-be developed shores of the Babylon Town beaches catching flounder, blowfish, fluke and bluefish. I rode my bike rigged to carry my rods and gear to the town docks and beaches whenever I could. Soon I began fishing the party boats out of Captree and organized trips for both family and friends. After graduating high school my dad finally bought a boat and I was hooked for life as we explored the Fire Island Inlet area and Great South Bay, catching the cornacopia of finfish and shellfish that make Long Island one of the greatest marine environments in the world.

My friends and relatives think I am obsessed and have "fish on the brain". I have an insatiable appetite for fishing knowlege and equipment and find great pleasure in sharing the fishing experience. I have had the privelege of fishing with, and learning from, two record holding and world-class Striped Bass fisherman, Captain Bob Rochetta out of Orient Point and Captain Al Lorenzetti from Babylon. I prefer to fish for Stripers on my 23' ProLine,"Piscivorous", but will fish for anything, anytime, anywhere - boat, dock, surf or shoreline. I always bring a rod & reel with me whenever I travel (be it either for work or vacation) and theres always a setup in my 4x4. I am listed in IGFA World Record book as In-shore Grand Slam Club member (for striper, weakfish, bluefish) and I am a PADI certified Advanced Diver with an Equipment Specialist rating. I am a member in the RFA and the Long Island based White Water Anglers. I have been a volunteer at the Bob Sweeney Sportfishing Education Center at Cedar Beach and for NYFTTA at trade shows.

I have been maintaining,repairing and upgrading my own equipment since my first reel- a Penn 155, which I still have, is still fished and is in great condition. Over time I began servicing and upgrading the reels of friends and relatives. Then about 6 years ago it became a "reel" business as I was approached by a friend-of-a-friend who owned a B&T shop on L.I. and needed a service tech for his customers. Soon after I was handling the overflow from a handful of other B&T shops on the island and began doing repair/refurb on the reels from partyboats from NJ to LI. I am excited to be a moderator in the forums and sharing knowledge, experience and insight with all members in the Fishing United community.