Welcome to the premiere edition of "The Fishing Smart Anywhere Handbook for Salt Water & Fresh Water." As an award-winning author, I embrace (along with my companion of over forty years, Donna) a number of water-related activities. Sixty years of experience went into writing this concise yet comprehensive guide. If I had to sum up this handbook in a single word, it is all about having Fun. Be it spin casting, bait casting or the supposed arcane art of fly casting, together we will target new tackle, examine time-tested techniques, and apply innovative approaches to these three basic methods-methods that will give the angler the added edge. Whether saltwater or freshwater fishing, clamming, crabbing, kayaking, cooking seafood or smoking fish, selecting the proper equipment is of paramount importance. The information presented will prove priceless, providing you with practical advice, serious savings, unprecedented quality and value. That's a promise, not hyperbole. Get it right the first time, and avoid unnecessary aggravation and expense. Taking fresh fish and shellfish from our seas and shores is rewarding, for there is a world of delectable fare that awaits you. Perfected over the course of many years, I present gourmet recipes that will delight you, your family and friends. Written in an informative, entertaining and often humorous fashion, this handbook is for the beginner, intermediate as well as the advanced outdoors enthusiast, serving as either a condensed treatment of a subject or a concise reference. I offer you a unique approach in that this information is superbly blended and balanced to accommodate all levels of experience-from introducing and instructing newcomers to many enjoyable and rewarding water-related activities, to presenting veteran outdoorsmen/women with creative techniques. Residing on the water, Donna and I live, sleep, breathe and share our outdoor experiences with you. Having spent sixty years plying the waters along the eastern seaboard, we have made the East End of Long Island our home and playground for the past twenty-three years. We have been praised by Angelo Peluso-outdoors author, columnist and avid fisherman-as the "Best writing and fishing tag-team on Long Island." I invite you to join Donna and me on our continual journey. Living the good life is yours for the taking.
Bob Banfelder is an award-winning novelist and outdoors writer. His articles have appeared in numerous outdoors publications; e.g., "Nor'east Saltwater", "The Fisherman", "On The Water", "Big Game Fishing Journal", "Hana Hou! The Magazine for Hawaiian Airlines", "New York Game & Fish." Banfelder presently maintains a monthly online report for "Nor'east Saltwater." He is a member of the Long Island Outdoor Communicators Network and the New York State Outdoor Writer's Association. Bob also co-hosts (with Donna Derasmo) Cablevision TV's "Special Interests with Bob & Donna." They have interviewed a number of outdoors enthusiasts, artists and writers such as Bob Bourguignon, Eileen Gerle, Pat Mundus, Christopher Paparo, and Tony Salerno. In addition to his writing for the great outdoors, Bob has written five psychological thrillers: "No Stranger Than I", "The Author", "The Teacher", "Knots" and "Trace Evidence." "The Author" and "The Teacher", the first and second books in the Justin Barnes series, both received "Best Suspense Book" accolades from NewBookReviews. "Knots" is the third thriller in the Justin Barnes series. "The Good Samaritans", the final in the series, is scheduled for publication in 2014. Banfelder weaves his knowledge and love of the outdoors through his novels.
