My First Keeper - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

Notaro · 12-17-2002, 12:07 AM

Hey guys,
I caught a few smaller striped bass in Back River, Weymouth, but never a keeper. I caught my first keeper at Rockport, MA. I'm not going to tell you guys my favorite spot. So you guys have to try to force me to tell all of youses. Here we go;

It was on 7/29/02. The weather was as hot as hell. I carried a senior citizen red grocery cart rigged with strings and rod holders and some tools in it. I walked around the Gloucester trying to find the Granite Pier. I stopped by Winchester's Tackle Store. They helped me out. The CATA was kind enough to drop me off at the Granite Pier. There wasn't any fish there. I saw a snobby and yuppy redneck catching flounders and took the whole space. He gave me some attitudes because I casted my line next to him. Then I left the place and walked 30 minutes to the Bearskin Neck. It was a beautiful town. A man refered me to Roy's Lobster Shack for more baits. He catches live herrings and keeps fresh herrings. So I fished behind his restaurant. Many boats were parked. I waited three hours for a sight of striped bass. I caught a glimpse of it. There were many stripers are above 28 inches! I used no weight, but a O' Shauganessy hook 4/0. I finally caught it. It was hooked under the mouth. The sea constable helped me out by netting it up to the top. He also gutted it for me.
Then I brought it to home. I arrived at the North Station and my dad yelled at me for being late as usual. Then I took the picture of it. It weight 10 lbs and measured 28 inches.

*** I tried to edit link but the link is bad - JR ***

If you guys happen to experience some problems, let me and give me your email address and I will send it to you.

JohnR · 12-17-2002, 08:31 AM

Good way to break the keeper ice.

If you can't fix the link, e-mail me the pic....

Notaro · 12-19-2002, 12:25 PM

Jphn, I just sent u an email. Hey, do you fish in winter time?

Duke41 · 12-19-2002, 02:29 PM

If that schoolie is a keeper I will eat my $#@$ hat. Send this picture to the DEM.

mrmacey · 12-19-2002, 03:41 PM

oh! oh!

Christian · 12-19-2002, 03:52 PM

that aint no keeper

JohnR · 12-19-2002, 04:00 PM

Yes - it does look small but sometimes Internet photos, especially copies of Polaroids do that. So, while the smallest LEGAL keeper I've seen in recent years was a 28.5 inch 3.5 pound bass (caught by my dear friend, the birthday boy), it was a legal fish. It also looked really small. But it was legal, even though it looked like a striper trapped in a herring's body

- so it can happen.

I'm not saying either way if it is or not (I thinks it's small) - but all I'm saying is that it could be.

(course, it's legal in Jersey

)

Jimbo · 12-19-2002, 04:17 PM

Hey! I resemble that remark about Jersey!

Brooksie · 12-19-2002, 04:18 PM

Ya, when looking at the picture I was thinking short myself.

fishsmith · 12-19-2002, 04:32 PM

I'd guess this is a legal fish, but it does point out the importance of holding the fish out to the camera, instead of away from it.
I was just working on my kitchen, so I'll apply some of what I've learned. If your counter top is 36", I'd guess your about 68" (5'8"), if I'm right the top half of you = 34" and the fish seems to be shy of that #, but not too much. Now if your 5ft and have low counters, shame on you.
Anyhow, good fish and what is a "yuppy redneck"? I picture a convertable BMW with Yosemiti Sam "BACK OFF" mud flaps.

mrmacey · 12-19-2002, 04:49 PM

i measure the thumb 2in mark the fish comes out to 20in imo!!!

gilligan · 12-19-2002, 06:12 PM

looks like a short to me. and i dont think its even close to 10 pounds

Goose · 12-19-2002, 06:43 PM

Maybe he measured it with his feet

Notaro · 12-19-2002, 07:36 PM

very funny, goose

Notaro · 12-19-2002, 07:37 PM

gillian, the picture is ugly. if u were there, then you would probably believe me. i weight it by using my fish scale.

Notaro · 12-19-2002, 07:38 PM

mrmacy, it was 28 inches. if u come over my house and take a look of my frozen striper, then u will believe me.

Notaro · 12-19-2002, 07:41 PM

fishsmith, low counter? shame on me? what are you talking about. i was 5'9 at that time. they yuppy redneck was a stupid 40 yr old dude who wore sunglasses and dumb swimming trunk and a tank top. it's a lokg story. it means a snobby, conservative, and bragging redneck.

Notaro · 12-19-2002, 07:44 PM

yes, it is a keeper, my dear christain boy.

Goose · 12-19-2002, 08:00 PM

You mind if I use your tape for the leg tourney.

I often see fish pics in the fisherman magazine claiming big #'s. At first I said no freakin way, but then again what do I know. How many times have you had new-b fisherman approach you and claim alot higher #'s. I know cause its easy ta do. Looks can be deceiving.

Notaro · 12-19-2002, 08:03 PM

sure, goose, you can use it. as long as you mention my name, ok?

Bernzy · 12-19-2002, 08:05 PM

Next time do an "Al Lindner"
Hold the fish out in front of you towards the camera at arms length. It will look 1.5 times as big as it really is.

Bernzy

Moron_Saxatilis · 12-19-2002, 08:30 PM

Are you 7' tall?

JohnR · 12-19-2002, 11:11 PM

Guys, guys, guys. Let's ease up on the kid a little. It certainly is right on the border with being a legal fish and we all know that they can shrink a tad, a lousy pic, and yada yada yada. We all also remember strugling to get that first keeper fish, right? I remember trying to get my first real keeper when I started shore fishing again and I kept missing by an inch or less. What happened next? They raised the miniums to 36 inches - it was frustrating. What I am trying to say is that the fish "could" have been 28 inches with the tail squeezed when it was still flopping around. Maybe. There is enough element of doubt that we should hold back a bit as a group.

Notaro - all that being said, that fish really looks like it could be short. There are extremely few fisherman that will tolerate ANYONE taking undersized fish. It's a major NoNo. And it is seriously frowned on. That fish also is doubtful 10 pounds.

I have a couple recommendations here that I hope others will agree on:

First - don't keep a 28" fish as a lot of people think they shrink as they dry up and get smaller. You also will never know if a DEM officer doesn't measure as liberally as you did - you'll get fined.

Second - be damn certain that a fish is of sufficient length that there is no question to being a legal fish or not.

I'm offering this as advice and I sincerley hope you take it. That fish is real borderline by that picture to be taken for a legal fish/ If it was not, or you fudged your numbers a little, you really will have disapointed a lot of anglers that are serious about the state of the fishery. In fact, the vast majority of anglers that keep a fish wouldn't keep one that small, legal or not... Just keep this in mind please...

Thanks,

John

shore manic · 12-20-2002, 12:06 AM

40 year old dude with sunglasses and swimming trunks? now if ya said a soft six pack cooler filled with tackle on his back,i'd a sworn that was me! what do you think steve in mass?

STEVE IN MASS · 12-20-2002, 07:57 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by shore manic
40 year old dude with sunglasses and swimming trunks? now if ya said a soft six pack cooler filled with tackle on his back,i'd a sworn that was me! what do you think steve in mass?

I'd think you were fibbing about the "40 year old" part.....

fishsmith · 12-20-2002, 09:14 AM

Notaro,
You asked "fishsmith, low counter? shame on me? what are you talking about. i was 5'9 at that time"
If you were 5 feet tall and the counter would be about 30" high, so your top half would be 30" and the fish would not make the magic 28", it was just an observation from your photo. You don't know Rick Canton do you? just kidding.
Thanks for adding your photo, you started an interesting thread.

fishsmith · 12-20-2002, 09:29 AM

oops hit the ' back' button twice and resubmitted the above post.

MountainBreeze · 12-20-2002, 09:40 AM

Ummm... Not to add fuel to the fire

but... I agree w/ fishsmith!

I was making the same observations and just don't see how that fish is a keeper.

But... to each his own (risk!)

Rob

fishsmith · 12-20-2002, 10:09 AM

Mtn,
I think it is legal.

MountainBreeze · 12-20-2002, 10:19 AM

DOH'! Mi Bad!

I guess I was thrown off by the comment:
"If you were 5 feet tall and the counter would be about 30" high, so your top half would be 30" and the fish would not make the magic 28""

In any event, it looks a bit small to me - given other things in the pic.

But... as I say... "Not to add fuel to the fire"