Thanks Salty Bugger

[WoodyCT]

Salty (or is it Mr. Bugger?), 10/23/05
I pull into the lot and wait for my buddy to arrive. I chill to WBRU for 15 min., but no Jay. Oh well, he knows where I'll be.
Grab my rods, plugs and korkers and head for the water. Two guys headed the opposite direction- 'nothing going on' I think to myself as we pass without a word exchanged. No matter-this is my time to fish, so I stride on.
I'm sitting on the wall strapping on my korkers when a gentleman
approaches on his way out. "Not much happening. Guys said they had a couple rats earlier, but that's it." He heads off to his fourth stop of the young day, and I climb down onto the rip-rap and head around the point. It's 4:30 AM.
One guy fishing the SE corner. That's fine. I want the SW corner. The
surf from Saturday's ENE wind will be spilling over the rocks out in front, and the bass, as they often do here under such conditions, will be patrolling the white water by the pointed rock.
A little further into the darkness and I'm at the SW corner. Score-no
one here! Just one guy 100' to the north. Plenty of room for me to slide into
the honey hole. I clip a plug onto my Breakaway clip and fire into the strike zone. Good- no weeds. Ten or so casts later I swing my plug in, flip on my light and give it the once over. Looks good. Light off. What's this? The eyes are glowing. Cool! I heave it out again. One crank, two cranks, three cranks... a few more cranks- WHAMMO!
Some head shaking. Some strong bull dogging. A short run here. Some
more bull dogging followed by another short run. I'm really laying into the
fish with my heavy 10-6 with fresh 20 lb. Suffix mono on my Shimano. Maybe I should back the drag off a little, just in case the line's
chafed a rock? A few minutes pass, and I steer her around some rocks.
'Careful now, she's getting close' I think to myself. I switch my light on to find her-whoa-good fish. I grab the leader and lift her head-she's well hooked so I take a double wrap of the 60lb. leader around my gloved hand and hoist away. 'Good fish indeed' I'm thinking as I climb up to the wall.
My plug's been engulfed. The siwash is beneath her tongue and the forward VMC is securely lodged in her upper lip. Back hook's out (it's always easier when you can just stick your hand in there)- now for the front. Got it.
Wow! 'I should measure this thing'. I lay my rod along her dorsal side, align the butt cap with the fork of the tail. Now I check my tape marks. Way past the 30 in. mark- she's up to the second mark! I grab her by the lip and climb down to the water. A wave rolls in. I slide her in head first and she's on her way.
Forty inches! My biggest striper, shore or boat, to date, and hooked
after fishing for less than 20 minutes in a spot that had probably been hammered all night.
The secret weapon? My brand new 2.5 oz. black and purple Salty's Custom Plugs needlefish, with glowing eyes! Thanks for making my week!

Jon W.
Pawcatuck, CT