Tight Lines
SLAM SEASON
There's a bunch of you people out there, and you know who you are. You're a bunch of nay-sayers, you are. You're out there calling yours truly negative, bitter and unhappy. Young Matt Liddle still bandies about that whole unfortunate "curmudgeon" thing from time to time, but we'll forgive him due to his youthful naivete. But for the rest of you clinging to the belief that I'm somehow not a daily ray of sunshine, stand informed of the following:

I'm in a good mood right now, thank you very much.

It's true, kids. I couldn't be happier at this very point in time if I tried really hard. And believe me, I have tried. You know why I'm so happy, folks? It's college football season again. I know, I know. It's a bunch of college kids trying to kill each other, all for the benefit of the alumni. But I'm from Texas, people, and this is what we Texans live for. Seriously. A littleknown fact about life in Texas is that there are actually only two seasons in the state, football season and the off-season. The off-season is a lengthy period of reading recruiting reports, followed by National Signing Day and then spring practices interspersed with requests from your alma mater for money. All of that is kind of boring, though, when you get right down to it, so I'm ecstatic that we're back in fullswing with the real football season. The University didn't have the stellar showing on opening day that we Orangebloods were anticipating, but we're still hanging our hats on the fact that we're not Notre Dame (sorry, Irish fans…some days it's too hard to resist).

At U.T., it's all pigskin all the time.

One of the great things about the college football season is the stories that come out of it. Case in point, Appalachian State recently beat the University of Michigan in what can only be called an upset for the ages. It was truly one of those "any given Sunday" things, except for the fact that it happened on a Saturday. And that was just in Week One. The anticipation of what is still to come for the rest of the season is better than anything Carly Simon could dream up. So for yours truly, there's lots of entertainment on the tube these days. Weekends around the Spencer house these days are segmented into very strict time slots that revolve first and foremost around Longhorns games, then everybody else's games. It's sort of a smorgasboard of pigskin, and old Andrew is having himself a pretty good time wallowing in it.

In a way, it reminds me a lot of the fishing scene on Nantucket right now.

And it's Spencer with a beautiful segue to secure the victory.

Friends and neighbors, in case you've been out of touch from the whole fishing scene for a while, now is the absolute perfect time to get yourself back into the middle of the action. Great Point has heated up in a big way, with bluefish all over the place and false albacore not far behind them. I've gotten a few reports of stripers, too, with a few keepers thrown in. And just in case you're wondering, yeah, the bonito are even putting in a few cameo

appearances up there, as are the Spanish

mackerel. If you're out on the west end, the backside of Tuckernuck and the bonito bar have been producing scads of both bonito and false albacore, with the ubiquitous bluefish making themselves known, too, along with small stripers.

So what all of this boils down to is the fact that we're looking at the real possibility of anybody out there going out on an average day and hooking up with the coveted Nantucket Slam: a bluefish, a bonito, a striped bass and a false albacore. Just like Appalachian State sticking it to the boys in blue in the Big House, any rank amateur out there can hit the fishing jackpot. There are a few keys, though, so pay close attention.

Bluefish will eat anything at any time. They eat first and ask questions second, so throw whatever you've got at 'em. Ballistic Missiles are easy and relatively cheap. Just keep the plug moving fast. Stripers are going to be a tad bit pickier. Bombers are the plug of choice, with black at night and pearl during the daylight, and go a little easier on the retrieve. Bonito are almost as picky as the bass, and Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnows are where it's at for them. No leaders for the bass or bonito; just tie directly to the plug. And false albacore are big fans of the Deadly Dick, with green being the color of choice this year.

So now you've got the know-how and you've got all the tackle you'll ever need. So how about thinking about fishing for a good cause? The Nantucket Anglers' Club is sponsoring the 2nd Annual Nantucket Inshore Classic, a tournament targeting all four species of the Nantucket Slam. The tournament runs from September 15- October 13, and registration includes a free T-shirt, a whole bunch of social invitations and Anglers' Club privileges for the duration of the tournament. Most important of all, your entry fee helps support the Anglers' Club scholarship fund, which awards over $20,000 annually to Nantucket High School graduates in their collegiate pursuits. For more information, stop by any island tackle shop or the Anglers' Club. There are categories for both adults and juniors, fly and spin, beach or boat, so everybody's got a spot that fits their style.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to the VCR. There's no game on Wednesdays, so lucky for me I've got the 2006 Rose Bowl on tape. Anybody remember how that one ended?

Tight lines. And Hook 'em Horns. I