by Brotherhood Outdoors co-host Julie McQueen
Daniel Lee, Jason and Julie show off their nice catch
New York City may not sound like a mecca for an outdoorsman, but Jason Delgado of Laborers Local 79 proves it’s possible to have the best of both worlds. As the political field representative for the Mason Tenders District Council political action committee in New York, it may sound like Jason is all business, but fishing is his true passion.
And when it comes to fishing, he likes to go far off shore, which may come as a surprise considering that he simply couldn’t learn to swim as a child. Despite or perhaps to challenge his inability to swim, Jason enlisted in the Navy as a boatswain’s mate and learned everything he could about the sea and seamanship. That’s when his interest in fishing really blossomed.
Excited to share his passion for fishing, Jason invited the Brotherhood Outdoors crew to go deep sea fishing off the coast of Long Island, and we jumped at the opportunity. The cold days and windy nights of the New York’s fall fishing season make for some intimidating white caps, but that wasn’t going to stop any of us from trying.
Our initial plan was to pursue the big mako sharks of the Atlantic, but Mother Nature decided to send us in a completely different direction to chase stripers. We battled rain, wind and the occasional wet camera lens—along with big striped bass. We are accustomed to the organized chaos that occurs when lines are in the water and hooks need to be constantly baited. But what we didn’t expect was to witness how Mother Nature can bounce a bunch of guys around on a boat and then suddenly make the sun appear out of nowhere.
Throughout our fishing adventure, Jason paid attention to every detail: the water temperature, the wind direction, fishing patterns and reports from other captains.
We learned a lot from watching how coordination and communication between captains can benefit all on board and how a bond is formed over tight lines and laughter. Co-host Daniel Lee Martin put his fishing skills to the test and proved that he could set a hook consistently. Whether he’s a fast learner or it was just beginner’s luck, Jason and his buddies were pleased.
The Brotherhood Outdoors crew was proud to spend some time with one of the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance’s biggest fans. Jason is what union brotherhood is all about, and he gave us a glimpse into a world where a guy can go straight from the capital building to a fishing boat.
See what happens when the Brotherhood Outdoors crew tries to keep up with a bunch of New Yorkers in the deep waters of the Atlantic. Tune in to Brotherhood Outdoors on Sportsman Channel.
