for me, Eben, it IS all THAT and MORE!!!
excellent thread, oh wise and Nebullous One.
being linked to the generations before us, as surfcasters,
and those that will follow is the quintessential NE experience.
truly, it is the last bastion of hunting and gathering for REEL Men.
i CRAVE the challenge of solving the Striper Puzzle in all its facets!!
the pelagics are sexy; but for fibreglass jocks ONLY, same for trophy tarpon.
the whole addictive behavior and obsessiveness thang is HUGE,
once you start landing sum LAHHGE with any regularity.
then, for me, there is the competition factor~~~~
aren't we ALL in this for the glory of the IGFA 80#'er,
our personal bests, and restoring The Cup to its rightful perch???
i also LOVE the danger/adrenaline factor, or pitting my strengths and weaknesses against rocks, weather, and surf; mastering the fear of the DARK; taming the beasts within; and pushing myself as hard as is possible~~~leaving it all out there in the pursuit of the Striper of a Lifetime~~~guess i've always been an adrenaline junkie!!! nevermind that each and every fish over 40#'s has its own unique and individual way of fighting(runners, hunkerers, jumpers, immoveables, rock-wrapper-arounders and reef-wrapper-unders, linerubberers, spoolers, feet-zoomers, etc......)
it keeps me humble. whether skunking or catching~~ being able to commune with God, nature, and beast on such high levels is what keeps me SANE and grounded within this CRAZINESS we call Life. or, is that the other way around? either way, without this surfcraziness i WOULD GO insane. and thanks be to God for the Blessing of His Glorious Bounty and the ability to appreciate and partake of His Creation as it is manifest before us.
our backyards are some of the MOST BEAUTIFUL shorelines in the world, they are loaded with a quarry that keeps you guessin', and a prey that ARE as majestic as they ARE prolific. when we put ALL THAT together with the colors, smells, and sounds of a Striper Dawn~~~it just doan get ANY BETTER than that for my recreational investments of time, energy, and monies. and the rewards/benefits of our endeavors are priceless
