Al Hadfield
10-21-2004, 09:10 AM
Below is a quote from the Sports Afield (1971) column written by Arthur Sullivan of, if I remember correctly, in the Boston Globe. The photo is of myself with that 62-pound bass. We also caught two other bass in the 45-pound class that day. We were live-lining menhaden. This fish came in second in the R.J. Schaefer contest that year, again if I remember correctly. For those young Whippersnappers out there, the Schaefer contest was run by the beer company. Is the beer still around? How about the contest? The bass are still around thanks to some good conservation efforts. And I’m still around and relearning this great sport of Stripper fishing.
I fished bass for perhaps another 10 plus years, caught a few more large fish but never another like the one shown in the photo. The words of Arthur Sullivan proved to be prophetic, as you will see:
Start Quote:
Boston Globe, October 1971
Sports Afield by Arthur Sullivan…
“Concern for Striped Bass Increases” …
“Most experienced saltwater anglers agree it was an odd year on striped bass. Some have taken hundreds of pounds of the linesiders, others have had poor luck. Some caught huge fish, others medium-sized. But reports of solid concentrations of schoolies have been few and far between.”
“Now that the final splurge is on and the smart boys are taking tons of big “bull” bass of Monomoy, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket and Rhode Island, there is an undercurrent of opposition to this type of fishing.”
“This is the time of the year the so-called “market fisherman” gets out to the rips. They use heavy equipment and anything that the big bass will hit, from wire line and jigs to live menhaden in Narragansett Bay. The New York market has been paying a good price, and the sport fisherman is willing to sell.”
"We heard one angler, in angry tones, say:” These guys are killing striped bass fishing. They are taking every bull, which in reality are mostly cows, and so are cutting off a huge supply of bass for the future”.”
“His remarks may be exaggerated, for we have heard biologists say that rod and reel fishing will never destroy striped bass fishing. Pollution, netting and seines might be too much, but not the rod-and-reel fisherman.”
“However, there has been an increase in concern of so much selling of striped bass and bluefish by sportsman, and it may be that some group might even suggest limits and no sales. Imagine the outcry!”
“Rhode Island has been bringing up some big stripers, as is usual for this time of the year. Two of the more successful anglers out of Earl Steere’s Warwick Cove Marina have been Pat DeLuca and Al Morin. Both are familiar on the Bay and have clobbered giant bass with live menhaden.”
"Another, this time a Massachusetts angler, is Alton Hadfield of Swansea, who says: “I just took the largest fish I ever caught, a 62-pound bass on 20-pound test.” He was gleeful, but added: “This live bate fishing is new to me. Usually, we take 10 0r 15-pound fish on plugs, but if you want a big one you have to use bait.” ”
"The menhaden are taken by jigging methods; and. since they are deeper and bigger than most, bait anglers in Rhody feel they are taking big fish” End quote.
So, here is my “fish of a lifetime" … Try this link, with a little luck it may work - http://home.att.net/~aquietplace/62SB.jpg You may have to copy/past. I'll learn this stuff eventually. Al
I fished bass for perhaps another 10 plus years, caught a few more large fish but never another like the one shown in the photo. The words of Arthur Sullivan proved to be prophetic, as you will see:
Start Quote:
Boston Globe, October 1971
Sports Afield by Arthur Sullivan…
“Concern for Striped Bass Increases” …
“Most experienced saltwater anglers agree it was an odd year on striped bass. Some have taken hundreds of pounds of the linesiders, others have had poor luck. Some caught huge fish, others medium-sized. But reports of solid concentrations of schoolies have been few and far between.”
“Now that the final splurge is on and the smart boys are taking tons of big “bull” bass of Monomoy, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket and Rhode Island, there is an undercurrent of opposition to this type of fishing.”
“This is the time of the year the so-called “market fisherman” gets out to the rips. They use heavy equipment and anything that the big bass will hit, from wire line and jigs to live menhaden in Narragansett Bay. The New York market has been paying a good price, and the sport fisherman is willing to sell.”
"We heard one angler, in angry tones, say:” These guys are killing striped bass fishing. They are taking every bull, which in reality are mostly cows, and so are cutting off a huge supply of bass for the future”.”
“His remarks may be exaggerated, for we have heard biologists say that rod and reel fishing will never destroy striped bass fishing. Pollution, netting and seines might be too much, but not the rod-and-reel fisherman.”
“However, there has been an increase in concern of so much selling of striped bass and bluefish by sportsman, and it may be that some group might even suggest limits and no sales. Imagine the outcry!”
“Rhode Island has been bringing up some big stripers, as is usual for this time of the year. Two of the more successful anglers out of Earl Steere’s Warwick Cove Marina have been Pat DeLuca and Al Morin. Both are familiar on the Bay and have clobbered giant bass with live menhaden.”
"Another, this time a Massachusetts angler, is Alton Hadfield of Swansea, who says: “I just took the largest fish I ever caught, a 62-pound bass on 20-pound test.” He was gleeful, but added: “This live bate fishing is new to me. Usually, we take 10 0r 15-pound fish on plugs, but if you want a big one you have to use bait.” ”
"The menhaden are taken by jigging methods; and. since they are deeper and bigger than most, bait anglers in Rhody feel they are taking big fish” End quote.
So, here is my “fish of a lifetime" … Try this link, with a little luck it may work - http://home.att.net/~aquietplace/62SB.jpg You may have to copy/past. I'll learn this stuff eventually. Al