Thanks to everyone who came to the Saltwater Fishing Expo in Edison NJ and made our debut there a successful one. And thanks to all of the great tackle manufacturers we had the pleasure of working with. We are already brainstorming ways to make our showing next year even bigger.
Some of you have started fishing and may have noticed the lures you put away the end of last season may need some attention. Or, you may have decided that you want to be kinder to the striped bass that are generally found in the back bays in the early spring. We have added a new item to the website for you. The BKK LONEDIABLO BUCKTAIL TEASER HOOK, which is tied on the popular BKK LONEDIABLO INLINE HOOK. These will make a great tail hook replacement for swimming plugs and poppers, and also a good hook replacement on metal jigs.
The fishing locally remains a worm bite. We have been bringing in bloodworms at a furious pace, both regulars and jumbos, but the demand we are seeing has us occasionally running out. At the time of this writing we have them in stock. At the time you are reading this, who knows. You will want to call to make sure we have them (732-830-1900).
We have been hearing more and more reports about winter flounder. One angler fishing for striped bass came in for winter flounder rigs. He had something nibbling off his bait and couldn’t figure out what it was until he finally had one get the tip of the circle hook in it’s mouth. That something was a winter flounder, and he was going back out with more worms and the right rig to catch them.
Some recent notable catches:
On Friday Joe took this 29.5 inch, 10.5 pound bass on bloodworms from the bay.
Another 29 inch bass taken on bloodworms in the bay,
Our booth at the saltwater fishing expo was primarily manned by Scott, Bob and Connor, with Frankie Z and Steve pitching in during the busier days of the weekend. It was exhausting work, and after arriving back at the shop Sunday evening, you could see it on Scott and Bob’s faces. Ray spent the weekend covering in the shop. So, if you pulled up outside the shop on Monday afternoon, whose trucks would you expect to see? Not Bob’s, Scott’s, and maybe not even Frank’s, right? But all three were there. Ray, however, was exhausted by all this work he was hearing about. He needed a day…
Ok, seriously, Ray was a little “under the weather”. He may have eaten a bad dumpling the night before.
For those of you who receive our e-mail newsletters, the above text is going to be familiar to you. However, there is one change for the show. Scott and Bob were up in Edison today setting up the booth, and Scott decided they had a little bit of extra room, so now we will have reels. Some of your favorites from Van Staal, Shimano, Daiwa and Penn.
The fishing in the back bay is heating up. The bass have been on the move, and while they can still be found on the west side of the bay and the rivers and creeks that feed it, they are also now showing up on the east side of the bay. Some keeper sized fish too. Bloodworms are still the ticket. We have the rigs you will need.
We have also heard of a few striped bass in the surf. Worms are the ticket here too, but clams may also work.
We have also heard the winter flounder are starting to bite. Bloodworms or small pieces of clam for these. We have the chum pots and rigs for them.
Here are a couple of notable recent catches:
@Highiron60 got this nice bass on bloodworms in the bay
Bob with a 28.5 inch bass taken on bloodworms from the local docks.
With all the changes of what was and was not going to be brought to Edison, Scott was, well, you can see….
]]>How many of you watch fishing videos on YouTube? Admit it, many of you do. How many know about Kepti Fishing on Youtube? If you don’t, check him out. Pedro is a great young man who makes videos on our local fishing. Pedro has been showing up to the shop on the past couple of Sundays and worked with Blackcloud Bob learning how to make his first custom rod. This is all being recorded for posterity, and we are looking forward to Pedro’s video on Youtube of his experience.
It was a terrible weekend weather wise for fishing. Lots of heavy rains, and when that stopped, winds up into the mid 40 knot range with coastal flooding. That kept a lot of anglers off the water. We did have some anglers go out and find a spot out of the wind. They soaked some bloodworms and scored some striped bass.
The weather for the upcoming week looks OK. Not great, as we will have some wind (though nothing like Sunday and Monday) and some showers here and there, but it is March and the weather is never perfect. We expect to get some good reports in the coming days. We have bloodworms coming in regularly, so we will have the hot bait when you are ready to go.
We haven’t heard much on winter flounder yet. If you want to give them a shot, we have the chum logs, chum pots, blood worms, and rigs you will need.
Last report we mentioned Scott was “a little under the weather.” Well, some of you may already know, but for those that don’t, Scott is one of the most generous people on the planet. He will freely share fishing tips, seafood recipes, and even fishing spots. However, we recently all learned he is willing to share everything. He shared what was putting him under the weather with Blackcloud Bob. Now, you may remember Ray suffers from Mysophobia. Having two people in the shop that are not feeling 100% is really wearing on Ray’s sanity. You may come into the shop and see Ray doing some weird things he thinks are remedies, like internally applying bleach, shining a UV light where UV light isn’t supposed to be shined, and drinking hand sanitizer. It’s tough to be a germophobe in a germy world.
]]>The New Jersey Marine Fisheries Council had their meeting for Summer Flounder and Scup earlier today. It was well attended with a lot of people voicing their opinion on what the future of fluke fishing should look like. In the end, option 32 prevailed. What was option 32? It was 3 fish at 18 inches or over, with a season that runs from May 4th to September 25th. For Scup (Porgy), it’s a 30 fish limit at 10” or over, with a split season that runs from January 1st to June 30th, and then from September 1st to December 31st. Thank you to everyone who spent their time attending this meeting either in person or online.
As for shop news, we have some stuff coming up, but nothing I can reveal just yet. So on to the fishing report.
The fishing report hasn’t changed much from last week. The weather, particularly the torrential downpours, kept a lot of anglers off the water. Those that went got into striped bass in the bay. Bloodworms were the best option for them. Anglers fishing small swim shads and small X-raps got them too.
We haven’t heard much about winter flounder yet. We believe most anglers are still working on getting their boats ready for the season.
Here is a little inside info. I was walking my dog last night at one of the more popular early season bass fishing spots. I was the only one there, so I stopped to watch the water and see if there was any activity in the lights. There was. Small bass were popping on the surface on what looked to be grass shrimp. The perfect baits for this scenario are Vudu shrimp or Tsunami shrimp.
Those of you coming to the shop looking for Scott on Thursday were disappointed to find out he was not there. He was “a little under the weather”, so he stayed away (which our illustrious germaphobe leader Raymond was happy about). But also, we hear, Scott is a little dramatic when he is sick.
]]>We have had a lot of anglers asking if we carry the Shimano Spheros SW reels and we unfortunately would have to say we did not. Well, Ray heard you and we can now proudly say that we do. We got a limited sized shipment in. Get one of these reels and you will find yourself using it for everything. It will become your favorite reel, especially for the price. Check them out.
For the rod builders, we have something special for you. The American Tackle G2 Tsuka Carbon Handle System for casting rods. What is that? It’s a integrated system of handle components that allows you to quickly and easily build a professional, modern looking reel handle for your inshore casting (conventional) rods.
The striped bass season in the New Jersey backwaters is OPEN! And the striped bass are cooperating. They are cooperating a little more if you are fishing bloodworms, but the anglers fishing lures are getting them too. Most of the fish are small, but we have had reports of fish up to 34 inches, which is a good size for this time of year. Where? Mostly on the west side of the bay and the rivers and creeks that feed into it. But, we have had a few fish on the east side of the bay, which usually doesn’t happen on most years until closer to the end of March. Things seem to be happening early this year.
Here are some notable recent catches:
Our cover shot is @dominick_longo with a very nice bass caught close to the shop using bloodworms.
@mikey_vaccarino with a bunch of fish that fell for artificial lures.
@areyouthomas with a nice healthy striper that fell for a bloodworm
It seems some of you are surprised Ray only wears black. He has considered wearing other colors. But this is what happens in his brain when those thoughts occur…
]]>We have added a few new products to the online store. First are two new Plug & Play Handles from Gomexus. The plug and play handles are a nice option when you want a different handle knob but don’t want to go with potentially drilling your stock handle. We have added the Gomexus Plug & Play Handle for the 6000 Shimano Saragosa and the Gomexus Plug & Play handles for the Penn Spinfisher & Slammer lines. A few of these also fit the Battle III reels.
For those prepping for the next tuna season, or rigging some heavy duty leaders for trolling, we added the Tsunami Hand Crimping tool. A well done crimp is strong than a knot, which is why they have been a staple for offshore fishing for ages. This tool makes crimping easy.
This report is being written about 6 hours before the opening of the season, so we don’t have any reports yet. But we are predicting a good opening at midnight tonight. For those who want to fish bait, we have some very nice bloodworms in the shop. We also have the striped bass rigs you will need for bait fishing. Remember, if you are using natural bait you need to use an inline circle hook.
Striped bass are not the only fishery that is opening March 1st. Winter flounder also opens that day. We have the blood worms, rigs, clam chum logs and chum pots you will need to target them.
So, every once in a while we let everyone in on the inner workings of the shop. Here is one of those times. We are adding a new vendor soon. I am not at liberty to say who it is yet, but among other things, they make clothing such as sweatshirts and hats. We were discussing what to bring in first, and someone said “Don’t let Ray pick, everything will be black.” Most people probably don’t know, but Ray is a dedicated “goth kid”. That is why you always see him in black. Here he is in full goth glory.
Also, Ray and Scott have been friends prior to Grumpys, as they met long ago at a goth festival. Here is a picture from that meeting…
The New Jersey Marine Fisheries Council is working on coming up with the fluke (summer flounder) regulations for 2024. There needs to be a cut of 28% to the summer flounder and there are 6 proposals on the table to achieve that goal. Those proposals are outlined in the table below.
This will affect your fishing this year. If you have any opinion on what you prefer for the summer flounder regulations, you need to make your opinion known. There are three ways:
Please let the NJMFC know how you feel in whichever way works for you.
So, if you are here to see what the fishing is like, just read yesterday’s report here, as nothing has changed in 24 hours.
And for a serious matter like this, we are going to give Ray a break. (We will make up for it on Thursday, however…)
]]>We have added the new line of Tsunami SaltX Inshore Spinning Rods to the store. With a proprietary 30 ton tensile strength halo carbon blank, Fuji titanium framed guides, with Slim SiC guide rings, and a no-glare coating makes these premium Tsunami rods worth a look. For a fraction of the price these compete with other premium inshore fishing rods. These would make a great rod to fish opening day of backwater striped bass fishing. Pair with a Shimano Vanford, a Daiwa Ballistic MQ, or a Daiwa Fuego LT for a lightweight combo, just sayin’…
We have added another tool from Gamakatsu, the 9 Inch 45 degree Stainless Steel Fishing Pliers. Like the 6 inch and 7 inch straight pliers, these have a Nano Smooth Coating for saltwater protection, a non slip grip, side cutters, and come with a sheath & lanyard.
3 Days and counting from the writing of this report, but who’s counting?
As for the current fishing, we hear the perch fishermen are getting some white perch when they can get their bloodworms past the striped bass. This gives us some high hopes for opening day on Friday.
Ray in particular is excited for opening day. He’s bouncing with excitement. Or, he may need the restroom...
]]>In case you haven’t heard, we are having a seminar on Saturday at 3:00 pm at the shop. The subject is Early Spring Backwater Striped Bass Fishing. We'll be having our seminar next door at Yakkity Yaks Kayaks. Seminar will start at 3 pm and end when all questions are finished. Seating will be limited. Bring a chair if you want to ensure you have a place to rest your butt. If you're unable to make it, or if you suffer from claustrophobia, agoraphobia or ochlophobia, we will be streaming it live on Facebook. You can watch here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1333909837281200/. Coffee and snacks will be provided (in person only, but we can throw some in front of the camera if you want to see what you are missing.). We look forward to seeing everyone. We'll have an extensive Q&A afterwards for any questions you may have. (“Serious questions only” 😊). Oh, and did we mention, it is free? Yup, just show up…
We received a shipment of hand-tied rigs from Backlash Sportfishing. These are some of the nicest hand-tied rigs available. We got in the Surfcaster Specials Fish Finder Rigs, the Surfcaster Special Dropper Loop Rigs, the Surfcaster Special Teaser Rigs and the Surfcaster Special Big Game Fish Finder Rigs (for those going after something truly impressive).
As of the time of this writing, we have 7 days until the New Jersey backwaters open for striped bass, but who’s counting? For now, we have been hearing the white perch bite has been good. We have the rigs and blood worms for those who want to give it a shot.
So as far as we can tell, Saturday will be Scott’s first “professional” seminar. Contrary to popular belief, he is not a public speaker (or so he claims). We suspect the start will go like this…
Or it will just go swimmingly. There is only one way to find out...
]]>Our next event will be our in-house seminar series this Saturday, March 24th. It will be a talk on Targeting Backwater Striped Bass with our very own Scott. It starts at 3:00 at the shop. We have had a lot of interest so seating will be first come, first served.
We received a small shipment of Tsunami’s hot new surf rods, the Salt X II surf rods. These are sweet. Built with all high quality components (Fuji reel seat, Fuji titanium guides) on a quality Halo Carbon blank, the Salt X II rods were designed to cast braided lines. In 4 sizes, from 7’7” to 10’7”, there is a model for any of your lure casting needs.
The fishing in the surf is slow, but we do have some good news to report. The white perch bite has picked up in the estuaries that connect to Barnegat Bay. There are also small stripers there so keep in mind that the season is still closed, and any striped bass need to be returned to the water as quickly as possible. We have perch rigs available and blood worms stocked in the shop.
Ray is tired. He had a tough weekend. Surf Day took a lot out of him (even though he wasn’t even there…)
]]>We will be at Surfday this Saturday at Brookedale Community College. We are bringing tons of stuff, Including ODM Evolution Spec-Built rods, the new RH Customs Airstrike Surf Rods, the full lineup of Grumpy Sandstorm rods, Lakewood Tackle Bags, tons of lures, a bunch of reels including Van Staal, and so much more. This is an event you won’t want to miss. We’ll see you there.
The fishing in the surf is, as far as we can tell, non-existent. Are there some striped bass roaming around in the surf? Maybe. They are likely small ones if there are. But there is no one out there trying to catch them.
The back bays are closed for striped bass and winter flounder right now. 13 days and counting until they open (March 1st). The only species you can target back there now is white perch. We have been getting a bunch of requests for bloodworms from perch fishermen in the past week. Ray has heard you and he will have bloodworms in the shop for next weekend.
Ray and most of the rest of the crew have been looking tired lately. Ray will probably say it is because of all the stress preparing for Surf Day. Scott will likely say it is because of all of the winter projects he is working on. Frank will say it is because of the pile of reels he is trying to work his way out from under. Bob will say it is because he has to deal with Connor regularly. And Sean, well, he recovers quickly so he probably isn’t tired. Don’t believe any of them. None of that is why they are tired. They were all at the Superbowl on Sunday. Here is your photo proof.
]]>Here are the details. The annual Southern Regional High School Fishing Flea Market will take place on Saturday, February 10, 2024 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Southern Regional’s annual fishing show is one of the largest fishing shows in Southern Ocean County. The event will be held in the Southern Regional Middle School cafeteria. There will be a free informational seminar with Bayside Dave presented at 10 a.m. The seminar will be about fishing for striped bass throughout the year - Spring, Summer, and Fall. There will be grab and go pre-packaged food available for purchase. New and used fishing gear and services will be available from vendor tables. There will also be hourly door prizes provided by Captain Seagulls Nautical Charts, gift certificates from local charter boats and items donated by show vendors. All proceeds benefit the Southern Regional High School Fishing Club. Admission is $4. Children under 12 are free when accompanied by an adult.
We will also be at JSS Surf Day on Saturday, February 17 at Brookdale Community College in Lincroft, New Jersey. More details on that later.
We are going to be doing another seminar. Scott will be telling you everything he knows about fishing the backwaters once the season opens. The seminar is scheduled for Saturday, February 24th at 3:00 pm at Grumpys Tackle. The seminar is free, but please sign up at our Facebook event page so we have an idea how many people will show up.
Speaking of fishing the back waters, we have heard from a very reliable source that conservation officers have already been handing out tickets to anglers fishing for striped bass during the closed season. The season opens in less than a month. Please be patient and save yourself the fine.
As far as the fishing goes, we haven’t received any reports from the surf and the backwaters remain closed. We also haven’t heard much on blackfish either.
When you go to the Southern Regional Fishing Flea market, the easiest way to find our table is to look for these two.
]]>It’s one month until the backwaters of NJ reopen for striped bass fishing and winter flounder. Until then, shop news…
We just came off a big event here at Grumpys and Ray is already thinking of having another. More info to follow…
(Ok, ok, I am probably not supposed to say this, but the event will be in early to mid April and will involve something very new and exciting with a new friend of the shop. I can’t say any more. Prepare to come hungry. Don’t tell Ray that I told you, he will get so mad he'll turn as red as a lobster)
Our S&S Bucktails Buy One Get One Free sale is still going in the online store. No checkout code needed either. Just put two qualifying S&S Bucktails items in your cart and the site will automatically discount one of them. You can mix and match too. Put a Big Eye Rattle jig and a pack of Bullet jig Heads and one of them is gonna be free. Come get some cheap jigs and help us make room in the online store shelves for something new.
We still have Penn Spinfisher VI spinning reels on sale. Both the standard and live liner models are 25% off, while supplies last.
We had a few deliveries this week. We have restocked Van Staal reels and sweatshirts, Tsunami Tidal Pro Twitch Baits, and Z-Belts.
We also got some new stuff in. We have Got-cha shad bodies available online now. These classic lures catch everything from striped bass and bluefish to redfish and snook. They are a staple that should be in everyone’s bag.
This is the time of year to prep for the upcoming season. Tying rigs while watching football or hockey is a good use of time. We added Sea Striker Braid Friendly Sinker Slides & Calcutta Rigging Beads for those tying their own stuff.
One of the most convenient ways to carry a small standard style flashlight in the surf is a neck lanyard. Many anglers make their own with a loop of heavy mono, or repurpose those cheap lanyards you get for carrying an ID at work. But the mono is uncomfortable and repurposed lanyards break easily. The solution is Evil Neck Lanyards from Evilstevel. Made with a strong, thick bungee and stainless hardware, this is the best way to carry a flashlight or small line clipper.
Did you miss out on getting an IBSP pass this year? Wondering how you are going to go fishing with all the gear you need if you cannot drive on the beach? While we can’t get you a pass, we do have something to help. The Sea Striker Balloon Beach Wheel Deluxe Pier & Surf Cart will help you get your stuff to the beach. The balloon tires glide over the sand, and there are plenty of rod holders and room for most 55 quart coolers. It’s almost as good as having a beach buggy.
We are coming up on the opening of the back bays here in NJ, and that means some night fishing. We have the LUXPRO Tricolor735 Waterproof LED Headlamp. With max lumens of 355, plus three additional colors (red, blue and green) which will not destroy your night vision, this is the headlamp to have for your night fishing trips. And, it is IPX7 certified waterproof, so don’t worry of it gets wet.
We haven’t had any reports for over a week now. We are assuming it is finally over. Now is the time to start preparing your tackle for next season. Sharpen or replace hooks on lures, tie rigs and leaders, get your reel serviced with Frankie, etc. The next season will be here before you know it. And if you want a primer for the opening of the season, we have an article about it right here: Get Ready For Opening Day Striped Bass in the NJ Backwaters.
And something else you will need to know about fishing this spring. Let this be a warning to you all. The Yennifer, or Yenni for short, is a mythical creature found around the beaches and back bays of NJ. She enjoys fishing and is very good at it. She stalks around spying on other anglers, waiting from them to leave their spots so she can fish in peace. So, if you are out fishing in the dark this spring, and start getting that weird feeling that something is watching you, DON’T turn around. You may find this peering at you from the nearby bushes…
]]>Also, we are extending our Buy One, Get One Free offer on all S&S Bucktails products until Monday, February 5th. Online Only and while supplies last.
Frankie has been really burning the midnight oil, though he is doing it mid-day. That being said, we are running out of room for finished reels. If you received a call from Frank that your reel is done, please come pick it up.
We have added a lot of new items to Grumpys in the past week. Too many to list in one blog post. Here are a few…
First we have the MirrOlure She-Dog. This is a great spook for early season bass and bluefish. They are also going to be a hit next mullet season. Get them now in case Ray forgets to order them again…
Do you hate cutting your line and retying when you need to add a sinker slide to your rig? We have the solution. The Sea Striker Quik-Slide® Quick Change Sinker Slides. The twist & lock release on the slide allows you to add it to your line quickly with no cutting and retying.
We have added the Energizer Vision Headlamp lineup to the online store. All three models are IPX4 rated, so they can take some splashes. Each comes with a comfortable headband and three AAA batteries so they are ready to go right out of the package. The HD+ model comes with a red light to help preserve your night vision.
Wanna know how big your catch is? But you want to know both length and weight? We got you. Get the South Bend 50lb Scale & Tape Measure. It is a scale rated to 50lbs with a built in 40 inch tape measure, so you can know for sure how big your trophy is.
This next one was designed for the kayak anglers, though there are uses for every angler. The Invincible Paddlesports Fish Measuring Stick On Tape measure is meant to be applied to a kayak paddle handle for quick fish measurements. You can also apply it to the gunnel of a boat, the tailgate of a truck, the handle of a net or, assuming the rod is big enough, a surf rod.
How is the fishing? We have received no reports. It doesn’t mean there are no fish out there, but weather and football has pretty much kept everyone home. If we were to go out and try this week, we would probably give white perch a try in the bay, sticking to the west side and the creeks, rivers and lagoons that connect to it. We would bait up with clam, grass shrimp (if you can find them) or fish bites on a perch rig. If you want to fish lures, small jigs with curly tails or the smallest Vudu Shrimp would be our go-to. A little Pro-Cure wouldn’t hurt either.
We had an excellent weekend with our annual winter sale. This, however, always takes its toll on Ray. With all the preparation, the setup, and then all the work the days of really get to him. Plus having not one but two championship football games on Sunday and the poor guy is melting. Literally melting. Like a cheap candle...
]]>Just a reminder our annual winter sale is this weekend, Saturday January 27th and Sunday January 28th. We will have Scabelly at the shop Saturday morning with a batch of plugs. Doors open at 7:00. Line forms at our 2nd (northern door) and runs to the north towards Seaside Park Service Center. Speaking of the line, we will not be actively managing the line. If we have any disputes regarding the line as we have had previously, we will be following these guidelines. A beach chair, tent, sign, or any other object does not hold your place in line. The only thing that holds your place in line is your butt being in line. Please be courteous to your other anglers. Ray is going to post a video with more specifics Friday 26th on our Facebook and Instagram accounts.
The sale will also be occurring in our online store. It starts 12:01 am on Saturday and runs to 11:59 PM on Sunday. Details for both sales above.
We got a cool new item in this week. The Jigbox Jig Storage case. How many times have you gone for a jig in a regular tackle storage box and found your jigs all hooked together like that old barrel of monkeys game? Of how about when they have sat in the tray for a while and the bucktail is all bent like a bad case of bed head? These elegantly solve those issues. Check them out.
How’s the fishing? We haven’t heard about anyone giving it a shot, so the striped bass may still be in the surf, or it might be over.
The shop is ready for the sale. The shop workers, well, we will see. Ray claims he is ready for the Scabelly rush, but I think he is overestimating his readiness or underestimating the rush.
]]>We are having our annual Winter sale this upcoming weekend, January 27th and 28th. We will be having the sale both in-store and online, and you can see what is included in the sale in the graphic above. We are also having some unadvertised in-store only sales. For the online sales, the discounts will be applied automatically in your cart. No need to enter a discount code for this one.
We also have two big events going on this weekend. Scabelly will be in the shop with a big batch of plugs. They never last long, so get there early if you want a shot at one. Previous years the line started in the wee hours of the morning. Actually, so early you can likely consider it the night before. We will be posting some “line rules” later this week.
We are also running our seminar series Saturday. We will have Shel E Caris speaking about surf & jetty fishing. Shel E has forgotten more about surf fishing than most guys know, so bring your questions. Following Shel E is Dave Rooney, who will explain all you need to know about fishing for blackfish in New Jersey. After Dave is Jenni Ackerman presenting everything she knows about catching doormat fluke. Well, maybe not everything, she’s gotta keep a couple secrets….
We have fully restocked on Shimano Stradic Reels, including the ultra light 1000 size. If you are looking for a Stradic, now is the time to pull that trigger.
How is the fishing? It’s tough to say because there are two things that really keep anglers off the beach: bad weather and playoff football. And we had both this weekend. So, it may finally be over, or the angler might have just been too distracted by other things, but either way, we don’t have much to tell you.
The bad weather got Ray to close the shop a couple hours early the other day. He said he was froze his tookus off on the way home. Yes, he said “tookus”…
]]>Don’t forget about our big winter sale & “Scabelly in the House” event on January 27th. We will be releasing more details on this later this upcoming week. Stay tuned.
We got in a big shipment from one of our bigger suppliers on Thursday. We have restocked on many items, including most of the stuff from Tsunami, Vudu, Bomber, Cotton Cordell, FJ Neil, Tactical Anglers, and more.
We also got in some new stuff.
First up, we have some new slow pitch rods from Tsunami. The Trophy Series Slow Pitch Jigging Casting rods are a nice way to get into slow pitch jigging without breaking the bank. Pair it up with a nice, lightweight conventional reel and you will have a setup that won’t break your back (or shoulders) either. While we were at it, we added a new model to the Tsunami Trophy Series Slow Pitch Jigging Spinning rods we have available.
While on the subject of rods, we now have wire line rods available in the online store. Before you all groan about wire line trolling, remember, some of the biggest fish are caught on wire line. And there is really no way to get a bunker spoon to swim properly without wire. We have two models available in the Tsunami Trophy Series wire line rods. The 6’6 rod will be perfect for mojos or umbrella rigs (both shad and tube), while the 7’6” version has the action to drag spoons or swimming plugs.
For those trying your own rigs this winter, we added two items of terminal tackle. Tsunami SS Round Bend Snaps for those making their own leaders, and Tsunami Beaded Rolling T Swivels for those tying their own bottom fishing rigs.
Not everything new was from Tsunami. For the surf angler who put a lot of steps on their Fitbit, we added the Tactical Angler Assault Pouch. This great little pouch attaches to your surf belt and will hold jigs, rigged rubber baits or terminal tackle. Whatever you can think of. Its great for when you want to travel light and know what you need to bring, or as a complementary pouch to your normal surf bag.
If you have a reel in for repair with us, and received a call recently that it is done, please come pick it up. Frankie is really moving through the reel backlog he has and is running out of room for finished reels. If you want or need to have it shipped, contact us here.
For those who haven’t seen it through The Fisherman Magazine, Jenni does a weekly V-Log. This past week she did it with Raymond about jigging for Blackfish. There is some very good info in this video. Check it out here: https://youtu.be/CXWSLFcT8DY?si=pr4J5mU6hF1DHraa
How is the fishing? The recent winter storms has pretty much kept all anglers off the beach, including Scott who will fish in almost any weather. A couple really hardcore anglers got out and picked a few small bass, so there are fish still around. Maybe if the weather gets a little milder.
We do have a picture of Ray we want to share. Not that we ever retouch any pictures of Ray here in the Grumpys fishing report, but we would like to highlight that this picture has not been photoshopped in any way. So we have a question, which one of these is Ray?
]]>Grumpys will be closing early on Tuesday, January 16th, at 5:00 pm. Sorry for any inconvenience. Why are we closing early? It’s time for Grumpy Hisself to give us our yearly beatings. It’s a morale booster because, as Grumpy always says “beatings will continue until morale increases.” It’s not so bad. After he is done, he makes us eat bait, so we have that going for us (which is nice).
Our yearly winter sale for the weekend of January 27th is shaping up nicely. We did have a not-so-small hiccup, however. Big Rock will not make it because one of the recent rain events flooded his basement (where his woodshop is) and put him well behind schedule. Big Rock will be back for our next event, however and Scabelly will be here. We are still finalizing the sale, but we have the seminar schedule ready, as you can see above. Don’t miss these, as a plethora of good information is shared FOR FREE. Seating is first come, first seated…
We have added Van Staal VR Power Grip Handle Knobs to the website. Now you can upgrade the handle on your Van Staal VR reel from the OEM plastic handle to a nice machined aluminum handle. We have also restocked all sizes and colors of the Van Staal VS/VSX Power Grip Handle Knobs.
How is the fishing? Well, the weather hasn’t been great and as far as we can tell, very few, if any, anglers have been out, so if there are fish there we don’t know about them. It may be over, or there might still be small striped bass in the surf eating sand eel imitation lures. We have snow predicted the next couple of days so we don’t expect any updates for the reports, but if we hear anything, we’ll announce it on Facebook and Instagram.
Ray is very enthusiastic about eating bait after the yearly beatings. However, since he likes fishing for green fish, he tends to prefer the bait used for them. Look how happy he looks. (Don’t tell Grumpy…)
]]>Yo-zuri has come out with a new lure in their “Mag” line. It is a fast sinking lure that stays at the desired depth for the full length of the retrieve. As with all the other Yo-Zuri mag lures, it has a state-of-the-art magnet weight transfer system for superior casting. It has a slow swimming action. These are going to be great lures for those fishing around structure in the back bays, or around jetties and inlets. Check out the new Yo-Zuri Mag Speed lures. Available in 3 sizes.
How is the fishing? Well, when the wind is not blowing 1000 mph, anglers who hit the beach are finding striped bass willing to bite. Ava jigs & teasers, small swimbaits and sand eel imitations are working for those throwing lures, while a few anglers fishing frozen bait have caught also. We still haven’t had a big chill, and until that happens, if there is a nice day, you may want to go fish the surf.
Or, on a nice day, jump on a boat and go for blackfish. We have been hearing the bite has been good. We have the jigs and rigs you need.
Another option, if you don’t want to try the two former but still want to wet a line is to try for white perch. They can be found in the rivers, creeks, and lagoon systems connected to Barnegat Bay. You will need very small jigs, with small curly tails or 4” swimming mullet Gulp!, or a bait rig with a boodworm or grass shrimp. You can also try a small Vudu Shrimp or Tsunami Shrimp under a bobber or popping cork, fished slow. Keep in mind while you are fishing for perch you might (ie likely will) get small striped bass as bycatch. The back bay is closed for striped bass until March 1st, so all striped bass need to be returned to the water immediately.
Some notable recent catches:
About or cover picture: Barney just came in for a bag of ice for his dinner tonight. A chunky 29” Bass that hit a mullet in the surf.
For today’s section on Ray, we won’t be using a photoshopped picture of Ray (not hat we EVER do that, we would never stoop that low. All pictures of Ray are unretouched…). This is Scott setting up new shelves in the shop. Not in the picture is he had the assistance of Connor and was supervised by Frankie. We are having a contest. We are placing our bets on when those shelves will lose out to gravity and fall to the floor. Starting Friday, come into the shop and see Ray to pick your date and time of the inevitable crash. Whoever is the closest without going past the time will win. Ray will tell you about the “prize” when you enter.
]]>Not new to the shop, but new to the online store, we have added Berkley® Fusion19™ Bucktail Jigs to the site. These are the OG multi tie fluke jigs, the one that influenced the other designs. Made by the folks that bring you Gulp!, these are designed to work perfectly with Berkley Gulp!. While it might be the middle of winter, fluke season will be here before you know it…
So how is the fishing? Well, the recent storm kept everyone off the water. Since things have settled down, we have heard that the striped bass are still in the surf. They are small, so you are going to want to scale down your gear (think 7’10” Sandstorm or 7’6” ODM DNA Back Bay for the rod) and your presentations. Small Ava jigs with teasers, Bill Hurley sand eels, Tsunami Holographic Sand Eels, small swim shads, or small swimming plugs.
The blackfishing was good before the blow. We unfortunately haven’t heard anything about how it is now.
Ray is currently out sick. Here is the story on how that happened:
On Sunday, as his beloved Washington Commanders showed they were in the league for a good draft pick next draft, Ray decided to embark on a quest to create the world's silliest sandwich.
Ray started by heading to the local grocery store armed with a shopping list that read like a comedy script. He picked up marshmallow-flavored pickles, anchovy-infused chocolate spread, and bubblegum-flavored cheese. As he navigated the aisles, he couldn't resist tossing a few rubber chickens and whoopee cushions into his cart for good measure.
Back home, Ray meticulously assembled his masterpiece. He layered the marshmallow pickles with the chocolate spread and topped it off with slices of the bubblegum cheese. The result was a colorful, lopsided tower of culinary chaos.
With a mischievous grin, Ray took a massive, theatrical bite of his creation. The crunch echoed through the kitchen as the absurd flavors collided in his mouth. Ray's eyes widened, and he erupted into laughter. Little did he know that his digestive system was about to stage a rebellion of its own.
As the day went on, Ray's stomach began to grumble in protest. Strange sounds emanated from his belly, resembling a symphony of cartoonish squelches and squeaks. Ray, ever the optimist, assumed his digestive symphony was just another layer of the absurdity he had created.
However, by evening, Ray's laughter turned into groans as he clutched his stomach. It seemed his culinary experiment had triggered a gastronomic revolution within him. His friends, who were accustomed to his antics, did nothing to help him, beyond laughing.
We’ll see how this ends when Ray is back in the shop. It is also possible this story is fabricated and Ray really only ate a salad…
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We have added what is going to be a hot new lure this spring. Tsunami did their homework with this one and word on the streets (or beaches) is that it is the best twitch bait to come out. We got them Wednesday and they are selling like crazy. Check out the new 5 inch Tsunami Tidal Pro Twitch Bait.
We have also added two new colorways to the Grumpys Vintage Logo Hat, Light Blue and Tan.
This next part may sound familiar to regular readers of the report since the reports we have been getting haven't changed…
So how is the fishing? Better than you think (and better than current participation is showing). There are striped bass in the surf, and they are eating sand eels. The anglers having the best luck with them are using ava jigs with a teaser in front of them. Bill Hurleys and Tsunami Holographic Sand Eels should be in your bag too.
The blackfish are being cooperative for most anglers going out. It seems you have to run a little deeper lately to be successful. Both rigs and jigs are working, but rigs tend to shine more when fishing the deeper wrecks.
The other day we were having one of our usual discussions in the shop. The subject matter isn’t important, but Ray had a catachresis that derailed the conversation. He said “…and that really angried me.” Yes, that is exactly how he used that word. Of course, that inspired todays lampoon of Raymond. With that, we present “Raymond, the angried drunken dwarf.”
]]>Shop news:
Thanks to everyone’s generosity, we were able to raise a donation of $4,361.32 for St Jude Children's Research Hospital. Thank you all who donated, and a special thanks to Jenni who really went the extra mile to make this successful. And if you missed our fund drive but still want to donate to our best weapon against childhood cancer, please visit StJude.org to make a donation.
We just restocked a number of items in the online store. In no particular order:
Just a reminder, we are now running on our winter hours because, well, it is the season. We are open 7:00 am to 7:00 pm every day of the week (and since it is that time of the year, I will add “weather permitting”).
So how is the fishing? Better than you think (and better than current participation is showing). There are striped bass in the surf, and they are eating sand eels. The anglers having the best luck with them are using ava jigs with a teaser in front of them. Bill Hurleys and Tsunami Holographic Sand Eels should be in your bag too.
The blackfish are being cooperative for most anglers going out. It seems you have to run a little deeper lately to be successful. Both rigs and jigs are working, but rigs tend to shine more when fishing the deeper wrecks.
Here is a recent notable catch:
@smcgauley17 got bass on vacuum packed frozen bunker! We’ve heard of a fair amount of fish caught on both sand eel imitations and bait.
So what’s the best way to celebrate the New Year? Well, with Ray looking like Baby New Year (from the Rankin/Bass Rudolph’s Shiny New Year special…)
And why not portray Grumpy Hisself as father time…
]]>Now, shop news.
We have had these reels in the shop for a while, and have finally gotten around to putting them online, albeit in a limited capacity at the moment. Check out the Penn Warfare™ Star Drag Level Wind Conventional Reel. It’s a nice solid budget level wind reel, great for fishing deeper wrecks with rigs for blackfish, or for dragging mojos on braided line.
The fishing is slower than it was before the holidays, but its not dead yet. We heard reports of small striped bass being taken from the surf on sand eel imitations, like ava jigs, Bill Hurleys and Tsunami Sand eels.
The blackfishing is good if you can get on a boat. Green crabs on rigs or jigs are taking them.
Ray and Scott had a banner day blackfishing on Saturday, putting together a limit of keepers while throwing back the large breeder females to help the population stay solid. Here is an artist rendition of them walking off the boat.
]]>Just a reminder for this weekend, we are currently operating under our winter hours, which are 7:00 am to 7:00 pm. For Christmas Eve (Sunday) we will be closing at 12:00 pm (i.e. Noon). For Christmas Day (Monday) we will be closed.
The fishing still has not recovered from the heavy swell on Monday. The ocean water is still turbid within a mile of the beach (and further) and the water temps are in the low 40’s. Does this mean it’s over? Maybe not. One of our employees, Online Store John, was out Thursday looking for striped bass. He and his brother marked bait and fish steadily from Manasquan Inlet to Barnegat Inlet between 30 and 60 feet of water. They tried jigging Bill Hurleys, NLBNs and Joe Baggs but the fish had lockjaw. Not sure if it was the water color, water temperature or remaining heavy groundswell. They did manage to get one fish on the troll on a white mojo. So hopefully as the water cleans up the bite will start back up.
Last report I mentioned Ray might have been visited by three ghosts. Here are the three ghosts…
]]>We have switched over to winter hours. We will now be open from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm every day. The only exceptions are Christmas Eve, where we will be closing at noon, and Christmas Day, where we will be closed. Why? Maybe Raymond was visited by three ghosts recently.
Love Super Strike lures? Have you been looking for more of their gear? We have the hats! There are two available, an all cotton baseball cap, and a cotton & polyester mesh trucker hat. Both have the Super Strike logo with a Zig Zag Darter on them.
As far as the fishing goes, the weather system that moved in Sunday afternoon and caused all kinds of coastal flooding for Monday has essentially killed the good bite we had up to Saturday and Sunday morning. Now, the fish may still be around, but no one is out in that weather to check. After things calms down, this water recedes (should be gone by Tuesday hopefully), and the ocean cleans up, we expect the bite to pick up again.
As for our cover picture, the road leading up to the bay near the shop was covered with water pretty much up to Central Ave. Scott decided to make a few casts. Any guesses as to what he caught?
With the end of the year approaching, Ray has been planning some big stuff for Grumpys Tackle. There is nothing we can reveal yet, but he has been HACKing through next year’s plans. Yup. HACKing away…
]]>In Shop news, we now have the new RH Custom Rods Airstrike Surf Rods available online. We are already on our second order of these and they are flying out the door. Check them out.
Do you own a pickup truck? Do you like to fish offshore for pelagics like tuna and wahoo? Having trouble getting those large rods in your Portarod Inshore rod holder? We have your solution. We now have the Portarod Offshore Rod Holder. A heavy duty version of the inshore, it will handle those heavy rods with the 50 wides on them. We also have the add on rod holders for them.
It seems like the fishing has slowed down, but it is more likely just the participation has dropped off. The weather has turned colder, the size of the fish has dropped off a bit, and anglers have had, in many cases, the best fall run of their lives, so we can understand not being as motivated to go now. But, if you want to bend a rod, the fish are still there. They are smaller, and sand eel imitations are doing the job. Lures like Ava jigs, Bill Hurley Lures, Tsunami holographic sand eels, and needlefish plugs are working. And don’t forget a teaser.
Also, almost all of the reports we have received say the time to fish is first light until they stop biting, which has been sometime mid-morning.
The blackfishing is heating up. Green crabs or white leggers on rigs or jigs have been taking plenty of nice fish.
Speaking of blackfishing, Ray went out Tuesday. How did he do? Well, the picture speaks for itself.
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In shop news, it’s getting close to Christmas. If you are not sure what to get the angler in your life, may we suggest a Grumpys Gift Basket by MaiTai. We have two varieties, one catering to the angler who likes to fish for bass and bluefish, and one who caters to the bottom fishing angler (fluke and blackfish). A Gift Card and/or a piece of Grumpys apparel (like a hat or our new T-shirt design) would go great with them.
We have restocked on a few items in-store and online: waders, Kettle Creek Shads, Ava Jigs, and Bill Hurley Sand Eel jigs.
The fishing was very good before the weather moved in on Sunday. The average size of the striped bass has shrunk a bit, but they were plentiful and on the feed. With the right sized tackle (like an ODM D.N.A. 7'6" Back Bay or a Grumpy 7’10” Sandstorm) the bass we have now make a good showing of themselves. They have been on sand eels, so Ava Jigs, teasers, Tsunami holographic sand eels, and Bill Hurley Sand Eel jigs have been the hot lures.
Some notable catches:
Our very own Sean was on the beach Saturday morning using Tsunami holographic sand eels, Ava Jigs and teasers to put together a nice pick of bass.
Our very own John was out in the boat Saturday morning and used Bill Hurley Sand Eel jigs and Z-Man DieZel Minnowz to put together a nice catch of striped bass. He also said they found three whales working over bunker schools off northern ocean county. They put on a good show.
We got this report from Sunday morning before the heavy rains moved in: “Off the charts pre storm metal lip bite this morning.” @surfcasters_inc
Ray won’t be in the shop Tuesday. He is taking a day off. He is not going camping this time, for a change. He is going fishing. Specifically, togging. Now fishing for tog requires you to fish in some nasty structure, and when you do, you get snagged a lot. You would think Ray loses a lot of tackle this way, but remember, he is a professional…
]]>So what does that mean for our event this weekend? We are breaking it up into two weekends. This weekend we will be having our sale of 20% off all Grumpys Apparel and 20% off the new Grumpys Tumblers. This sale will be running both in-store and online. We will also still be running the raffle for the Big Rock and Scabelly lures, plus other great items donated by Daiwa, Tsunami, and more. You need to be present in the store to enter this. And Jenni has been baking all week. If you don’t already know, Jenni is an excellent baker, and you won’t want to miss what she brings in. And the most important item, and reason we are doing all of this, is we will be collecting money to donate to St Judes Childrens Research Hospital. Come on down, have some cookies, get into the raffle, donate to a great cause, and pick up some Grumpys gear at a discount.
We will be having Grumpys Santa Hisself at a later date, which will be announced in the following days. We will have Grumpys Santa in all his glory with the disgusting…I mean delicious …. candy canes and will still be collecting for St Judes at that time.
In other shop news, we have added a bunch of new items to the shop, both in-store and online.
We have a new short sleeve Grumpys exclusive t-shirt available. The screen print is a striped bass surrounded by local Island Beach State Park icons. We had these printed on high quality Gildan Ultra Cotton t-shirts in 4 different colors. And yes, these will be included in the sale this weekend.
We also have another new Grumpys branded item: RTIC 20 oz tumblers engraved with the Grumpys logo. If you are tired of your coffee getting cold in those paper Dunkin, Wawa, 7-11 or Starbucks cups, this is your answer. These keep warm liquids warm for hours? Don’t drink hot coffee? No problem, they keep cold drinks cold for hours too. And the spill resistant tops are great for when you are driving down the beach. Available in Ray’s favorite color, black.
We have been a Bottom Sweeper Jigs® dealer for a little while now, but new this week is we have added them to our online shop. Don’t feel like showing up? You can still get your Bottom Sweeper Jigs® sent to your house. These have proven deadly for blackfish, porgy, sheepshead, black sea bass, and even Redfish and Black Drum.
Its’ sand eel season, and this is the time where teasers not only shine, sometimes they are the only thing that generates a bite. We have added Run Off Teasers to the online store.
The reports we have been seeing have been slowing down slightly. We are not sure if the fishing has slowed a little or if the cold weather has kept people home. Or maybe no one wants to take pictures of the smaller fish we seem to be seeing now? Regardless, the fish are still around and the reports we did get indicate they are mostly on sand eels, though we did get good reports of a hot bite on peanut bunker north of the shop Thursday morning. We expect to have fish through the holidays.
Some notable recent catches. (Well, one….)
Wednesday morning Report by the only Grumpys Employee who wears nail polish (we assume): “Good chilly chew on sand eels at sun up with slots mixed in. Gearing up to be a good day. It certainly isn’t over.“ December is the new November.
Jenni is making for the Grumpys Santa for St Judes event. Ray is not exactly sure how he feels about these cookies…
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This upcoming weekend is our Grumpy Santa event. More details on that later, but don’t miss it. Seriously, if you have plans, change them. The two pictures above are sneak peaks of what Scabelly and Big Rock are bringing to this year’s event. They are unique plugs. Want to know how to get them? Jenni tells you here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0aCgr3rH5r/?hl=en
We had a shipment come in from JoeBaggs, so all JoeBaggs items have been restocked (except resin jigs, because Ray says its past that season). We have also added some new stuff to the online shop.
Perfect for the current bite, and good timing, we now have JoeBaggs Mini Sandeels in the online store.
And we have also added one of the JoeBaggs originals, the Patriot Fish.
Fishing remains good, though the bass seem to be shifting their focus from peanut bunker to sand eels. We have received a lot of reports on ava jigs and teasers or sand eel imitations such as Bill Hurleys or Tsunami Sand Eels. if you are not sure what bait they might be on where you are, the 5 inch Z-Man Diezel Minnow is a swimbait that works as a decent compromise.
The blackfish bite remains good on the local rockpiles and wrecks. Green crabs on jigs or rigs are taking some nice fish.
We were so busy this weekend we didn’t get to post any of the pictures sent to us, except one, from Scott. He would be sad if I didn’t share his fish, and quite frankly, I don’t wanna see the boy cry…
So we are not sure what is going on with Ray in this picture. It’s one of three things. 1) He cannot contain his excitement for the upcoming Grumpy Santa Event 2) He needs to go potty (to put it in a nice way) or 3) Jenni snuck into the shop another ghost pepper flavored snack disguised as something more benign and Ray is trying not to admit he ate one.
]]>After a great Black Friday to Cyber Monday sales, Ray was feeling particularly generous (dare we say Christmasy?) and decided to extend the sale on S&S Bucktails products. So, we did, but made a slight difference. From now until the end of the year or as long as supplies last, S&S Bucktails products are Buy One get One Free. Just put multiple S&S Bucktails items in your cart and when you go to check out the discount will be applied automatically. Two things to note, this does not apply to S&S Jigs items, and this is for the online store only.
The fishing has been fantastic lately. The worst reports we have been hearing are people getting into a slow pick of fish. The best reports are lights out blitzes where the fish are hitting literally any lure you threw at them.
Now, we have had the occasional person come into the shop saying they got skunked. All of those people had one thing in common (besides their fish count). They picked a spot to fish and stayed there. The successful anglers are moving around and finding the fish. And spots that have worked one day have been barren the next, so chasing reports isn’t going to work either. Just go fish and be mobile and you will be successful.
We had so many notable catches we had to combine the pictures.
Anglers and Birds.
Monday’s Catches.
The fishing was so good anglers fishing teasers were catching doubles.
Jenni was out Tuesday morning and had a great trip.
Wednesday catches.
More Wednesday catches
We have a Christmas Story about Ray. He told us this himself.…
Once upon a time in the whimsical town of Jinglebellington, there lived a fellow named Ray. Now, Ray was a peculiar character who had an unusual dream—he longed to be an elf. Not just any elf, mind you, but a jolly, sprightly, peppermint-sugarplum-enchanted elf. He was convinced that a life of toy-making, sugar-cookie-baking, and carol-singing would bring him unparalleled joy.
One frosty morning, with snowflakes dancing in the air, Ray decided to take matters into his own hands. He donned a pointy hat, green tights, and even painted his ears pointy with a bit too much enthusiasm. With a twinkle in his eye, he declared himself an honorary elf and marched straight into Santa's Workshop.
The head elf, a stout fellow named Jingle Jangle, looked Ray up and down with a bemused expression. "What brings you here, my friend?" inquired Jingle Jangle, a twinkle of curiosity in his eye.
Ray, trying his best to channel holiday cheer, exclaimed, "I want to be an elf, spreading joy and happiness throughout the land! Fa-la-la-la-la!"
Jingle Jangle chuckled heartily, his belly shaking like a bowl full of jelly. "Well, we're always in need of extra hands during the holiday season. But remember, it's not just about the hat and tights. You've got to be positively brimming with joy!"
Undeterred, Ray threw himself into elf duties. He painted wooden trains, stitched up teddy bear seams, and sprinkled extra sugar on the gingerbread cookies. Yet, no matter how hard he tried, Ray couldn't quite muster the boundless cheerfulness that seemed to come effortlessly to the other elves.
One day, as Ray was assembling a battalion of nutcrackers, he overheard a conversation between two elves, Twinkletoes and Jolly Holly. They were discussing the secrets of being truly, authentically happy.
"Twinkletoes," said Jolly Holly, "the real magic comes from within. It's not just the bells and whistles; it's the warmth in your heart, like hot cocoa on a winter's night."
Determined to unlock the secret of elfin happiness, Ray embarked on a quest. He ventured deep into the Candy Cane Forest, danced with snowflakes in the Peppermint Meadow, and even shared giggles with the mischievous Gingerbread Gang. Yet, the more he searched, the more he felt like a snowman in a heatwave—melting away without finding the answer.
One snowy night, as Ray gazed at the twinkling stars, he realized something profound. Perhaps his quest for constant happiness was missing the point. Maybe being an elf wasn't about being happy all the time but about spreading joy, even in the ordinary moments.
With this newfound wisdom, Ray returned to Santa's Workshop, ready to embrace his imperfect, occasionally grumpy, but genuinely spirited self. As he painted toys, his laughter echoed through the workshop, and his joy, though not constant, was infectious.
Jingle Jangle noticed the change and smiled. "Ray," he said, "you might not be the cheeriest elf in town, but you've got a heart as big as a present under the tree. That's what makes a real elf."
And so, in the enchanting town of Jinglebellington, Ray discovered that being an elf wasn't about having a perpetual twinkle in your eye; it was about sharing your unique light with the world, even if it flickered from time to time. And as the snow fell gently outside, Ray found contentment in being the elf he was meant to be—imperfect, genuine, and wonderfully, magically himself.
We think Ray may have been hitting the eggnog early…
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