The sweet smell of honeysuckle filled the warm June evening air as Bill Dyer, Bob Lane, and I hiked down the bluffs toward the water on the north shore of Martha's Vineyard. I was glad to be heading out to the beach again with these two gentlemen; both are fine anglers and good friends. Bill is my father-in-law and Bob Lane is the president of the Martha's Vineyard Surfcasters Association.

Martha's Vineyard is an island off the coast of Massachusetts, and this island is renowned for its shore fishing. The North Shore of the island is well known as prime striped bass water in the late spring and summer months, and we had received a hot tip about this particular spot from a very reliable source. As the evening glow faded from the sky, small stripers began to work along the sandy beach of a small bowl that we found where we walked onto the beach. The bowl was bordered on both sides by a shoreline dominated by rock piles and boulders, but the fish seemed to like the sandy bowl, and Bill and I had each caught and released several fish by the time it got dark.

While Bill and I cast flies, Bob was busy slinging eels, hoping for one of the big fish that we had heard were in the area. After fifteen minutes without a strike, Bob decided to take a walk out to the next point, about a quarter mile west of the bowl where we started fishing.

"I'm going to follow Bob", I said to Bill. "I want to try and find some bigger fish.

"Okay. I think I'll stay here and see what happens" Bill replied.

"Let's turn on our radios" I said, referring to small two-way radios that I like to use for keeping in touch at night on the beach. As Bill switched on his radio, I did the same.

"I left mine in the truck", said Bob, then he strolled down the beach towards the rocks. I took a few more casts, then headed off in the same direction that Bob had gone a few minutes earlier.

A while later I caught up to Bob at a rocky point overlooking Vineyard Sound. All of the casts that I had made along the way had been fruitless, and Bob's report was the same - no fish. I decided to give Bill a call on the two-way to find out what was happening back at the bowl.

"Bill! Chris here. What's going on?" I spoke into the microphone.

"Hey. I've got fish here. They're getting bigger, too. What's happening where you are?

"Nothing. We're on our way back."

"Okay. Better get down here fast!", said Bill. "Over and out!"

Bob Lane and I shouldered our rods and headed back down the rocky shoreline towards the bowl. When we arrived, we saw Bill Dyer fast to a nice fish. As Bill beached his fish, Bob and I began to cast on either side of him. Within moments, I got a strike. After landing several nice fish, I hooked a real monster. After playing the big fish for fifteen minutes, I finally lost him to a straightened hook. While I sat down on a rock to calm my nerves and tie on a new fly, I watched Bob Lane land a nice keeper bass on an eel. We each landed several good fish before the action tapered off and we decided to head home. Checking in with Bill Dyer on the radio had really paid off.

The next night Bob Lane was guiding a couple of guys at the same spot. Bill and his son Gregg and I joined Bob and his guests on the beach at sunset. Bill and I had our radios, but Bob had left his in the truck again.

"We're going to walk up to the right", said Bob.

"Not me; I'm staying right here" I said, "I want another chance at that big fish I lost!"

We split up, Bob taking his clients eastward up the beach while Bill, Gregg, and I stayed in the little sandy bowl that had produced so well for us the night before.

An hour later I still hadn't had a strike. Gregg had landed one striped bass of about five pounds, but the action was very slow. I wondered to myself how Bob was doing with his trip, but since he had left his two-way radio in the truck, we had no way of knowing. Exhausted from two weeks straight of late night striper fishing, we decided to call it a night and head home.

I ran into Bob the next day at Larry's Tackle Shop in Edgartown. "How'd you guys do last night?" I asked. " It was pretty slow down in the bowl. "Nothing like the night before."

"Oh, Man!" said Bob. "We slayed 'em! It was one honker after another all night long!"

I thought Bob was kidding me, but when I realized that he was telling the truth, I got a sinking feeling in my stomach thinking of Bob and his sports and all those big fish, all less than half a mile away from where Bill, Gregg, and I had fished.

"You've got to remember that damn radio next time." I said to Bob. He smiled apologetically, but I left the tackle shop feeling rather dejected.

Every mariner knows the value of communication at sea. A marine radio is standard equipment on most vessels, even small sportfishing boats, and boats of sixteen feet or more are required by law to have a bell or whistle on board in case of emergencies. Commercial fishermen and sport-fishing boats in many areas use their radios for communicating with other boats, in order to find fish, and to receive updated reports on the weather and water conditions in the areas that they frequent. After many years of experience, I have found that some means of sending and receiving information can be just as useful to the angler who fishes the tidelines.

Owners of beach buggies have long equipped their trucks with CB radios, especially on the long sand beaches of Cape Cod, New Jersey, and the Outer Banks of North Carolina. When one angler driving on the beach finds fish, he can radio his friends to come join in the action. Most of these guys will have some code words to use, so as not to attract a crowd. The lingo might go something like this:

"What's happening where you are Joe? Any action?"

"Not a lot, Jim. I'm going to sit back and take a little catnap." This may mean that there is nothing going on, but the words "little catnap" might mean that a nice bluefish blitz has just erupted on the beach in front of Joe. Charter boat captains do the same thing all the time, and it's fun to try and figure out who's up to what. If you're into this sort of thing, you'll want to devise codes of your own to communicate with other anglers without giving too much away.

An excellent tool for the wading angler is the "family two-way radio", recently approved for public use by the Federal Communications Commission. These small walkie-talkie style handheld units are perfect for keeping in touch with your buddies on the beach at night. They have a range of about a mile, are small enough to fit into a chest pack or tackle bag, and are even available in water-resistant models. The price is right too; most units cost about $50.00-$75.00 each. This is a small price to pay when it means the difference between getting skunked, and getting "one honker after another all night long". They're also quite handy if you should happen to get into trouble and require assistance. Some of these types of radios are even available as headset units, allowing anglers to communicate hands free. Anglers who fish at night may use a flashlight to signal their friends and fishing partners, but by using two-way radios anglers can send and receive specific messages, as well as communicate effectively in the daytime when a flashlight would be useless.

Another good item to have in the car for a saltwater fishing trip is a portable weather radio. With this you can get up-to-the-minute reports on wind speed and direction, as well as any storm warnings which may be posted. Knowing the weather forecast for the evening can be critical to success, especially for fly fishermen. Weather radios and small two way radios are readily available at electronics stores such as Radio Shack, and some big chain stores like Wal-Mart.

A very useful and inexpensive piece of equipment that may come in handy while wading or canoeing is a small sports whistle, such as those used at sporting events like football games, etc. The shrill sound from this whistle carries a long way. Tucked away in my pack, I rarely even remember that I have it, but it's nice to have in case of emergency. We've all heard the story about the unfortunate angler who gets trapped in the rocks during a rising tide. True or not, I'd like to have a little insurance in case of trouble. I had to use the whistle once while canoeing, to warn passing boats of my location when a sudden fog came up in the area that I was fishing. Fortunately the fog didn't last long, but it sure made me feel better to give warning to boats that otherwise may not have seen me until too late. A whistle like this can help to communicate a distress signal to other anglers and passerby who may not be carrying portable two-way radios.

The next night Bill Dyer and I fished a familiar beach, one of our favorite spots. After a brief discussion, we decided to split up. As the sun dipped below the horizon, I walked to the left to a little point I liked to fish, while Bill headed off to the right. About a half an hour later the fish began to come in. A mild rip off the point I was fishing brought fish right to my feet. I gave Bill a ring on the two-way.

"What's happening up there?", I asked.

"Not much" replied Bill.

"Better get your butt down here", I said. "I've got fish all around me".

When Bill joined me a short while later, I was in the midst of striped bass, all popping and splashing in front of me. Bill grinned as he hooked a nice bass on his third cast.

"These walkie-talkies make it too easy," chuckled Bill, but I knew he wasn't feeling disappointed. There's nothing like getting a hot tip from your buddy, then showing up minutes later to hit the action just right.

Why not let Island Fly Fishing Guides guide you on a shore fishing trip on Martha's Vineyard so you can experience all the fun and excitement for yourself. One trip out to the Vineyard and you will see why so many people have become enchanted by this beautiful island.

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This article reprinted with permission from On The Water Magazine. Please check out their website:

On The Water Magazine - An Angler's Guide To Cape Cod - And All of New England