Reading Jim White’s manuscript for Monster Shallow-Water Stripers was enjoyable and educational. White has an unconventional way of fishing, pulling trophy fish from places other anglers pass by. His descriptions of unusual rigs were fascinating.

When he gave me a copy of the printed book at the Providence Boat Show last week, I found an entirely different book than I had read in manuscript form. The photos and illustrations, and the single-sentence tips sprinkled through the book, add new dimensions to the already terrific book. The illustrations are especially helpful in the chapters on rigging soft-plastic lures and live baits.

White’s rigs for snagging menhaden and catching squid will produce twice the catch in half the time. Neither of the rigs is new — hot shots have been using them for a long time –– but White’s book is the first to illustrate them.

His reverse Slug-Go rig makes the soft bait act like a hard Zara Spook, and his way of adding a peacock-herl head to a 3-inch pink Slug-Go will out-fish a fly during the cinder-worm emergence, particularly when it is fished behind a gurgling foam popper (Roger Lema style).

 Because his previous book focused on soft-plastic baits, many fishermen assume that they are White’s favorite lures. Perhaps, but the man fishes whatever, wherever and whenever it takes to catch stripers, including flies. His chapter on fly fishing is excellent.

 A lot of Rhode Islanders regard White as a Bay boat fisherman, but he has also earned his chops as a surf caster and a flats wader, and the book has pictures to prove it –– along with solid advice on how to fish the suds and the flats.

 As Lefty Kreh says in a cover blurb, "Capt. Jim White really knows his stuff. Read, study and absorb the information in this book and you will catch bigger bass."

Monster Shallow-Water Stripers is published by HeadWater Books. It is available at some tackle shops, many bookstores and online at www.shallowwaterstripers.com.

Author’s seminars

White is also offering a series of winter seminars on rigging, fishing popping corks and other subjects at Ocean State Tackle in Coventry and Wood Boat and Motor in Warwick. Here’s a schedule of the remaining seminars:

 Feb. 21 from 1 to 3 p.m. at Wood Boat and Motor: In-depth coverage of using and fishing with popping corks and hollow shad bodies. Both work for freshwater and saltwater species.

 March 10 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Ocean State Tackle: Tying striped-bass rigs for live bait, bottom fishing and trolling.

 March 24 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Ocean State Tackle: Successful tactics for catching fluke, scup and sea bass.

 March 28 from 1 to 3 p.m. at Wood Boat and Motor: Live bait tactics, tanks, pumps, catching and using live bait for stripers and bluefish.

 The fee for each seminar is $15, and everyone who attends qualifies for a drawing for a fishing trip with White aboard White Ghost 2. To reserve a spot, e-mail whiteghos1@aol.com or call David Henault of Ocean State Tackle at (401) 226-6626, or Debbie Wood at Wood Boat and Motor at (401) 739-4040.

Ice Fishing Tourney

 The 21st annual Ice Fishing Tourney on Wilson’s Reservoir in Pascoag is scheduled for Feb. 15 from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

"This is the Super Bowl of ice tourneys for our state," says Wayne Barber, organizer of the event to benefit community food pantries in the northern part of the state.

 Prizes will be awarded for the largest bass, pickerel and perch.

 Register at the boat ramp during the event or at Wayne’s Place, 168 Main St., in Pascoag.

Got bait?

 A new online bait-shop locator from BoatU.S. Angler may help you plan a fishing trip far from home. Online at http://www.BoatUSAngler.com/bait, the locator allows anglers to search by state, zip code, regions, bodies of water or the type of tackle used (salt or freshwater). More than 8,000 bait-and-tackle shops are listed in 50 states, as well as the Canadian provinces.

 Once you’ve found a bait shop, the locator will also let you know the availability of services such as guides, charters and weigh stations, and supplies such as ice, fuel, fishing licenses, groceries, as well as any discounts offered to BoatU.S. Angler members.