SoCo Independant- First-time surfcaster nets huge bass

[RIJIMMY]

sometimes its all luck....

First-time surfcaster nets huge bass

By Mark N. Schieldrop/Independent Staff Writer



NARRAGANSETT — Maybe it’s beginner’s luck, but on Saturday, Meagan Griffin, who recently moved to Bonnet Shores, landed a huge, 48-inch long striped bass during her first attempt at surfcasting.

“I recently moved to Bonnet, right by the beach, and I wanted to go surfcasting,” Griffin said. “My boyfriend brought over a couple of poles and we caught about a dozen bluefish. Just at about sunset, we decided to give it one more go and then head in and that’s when I landed the big one.”

The fish didn’t put up much of a struggle. Compared to the bluefish she had been landing all day, the striper gave no indication of its size as she reeled it in. But once it was pulled into the waves, Griffin’s boyfriend, Tommy Thompson, yelped with glee, dove into the waves and dragged the fish out.

“He was like, ‘oh my God, oh my God’ and when he pulled it out he was shaking, he was so excited,” Griffin said. “He said it was the biggest fish he’s seen.”

They didn’t have a scale nearby, but fishermen and biologists pegged the fish’s weight at about 50 pounds.

A recent graduate of the University of Rhode Island, Griffin, 23, is now employed with the state Department of Environmental Management’s Division of Fish and Wildlife. She normally works with deer and waterfowl, so working with fish “is a little new to me,” Griffin said.

Her colleagues with Fish and Wildlife were amazed to see the photos of Griffin lugging the big striper, and, Griffin suspects, fairly jealous. Many surfcasters fish for years before landing such a large striper.

“Maybe I should retire now,” Griffin joked. “I might not see a fish like this again.”

Somehow, even with just a 20-pound test line and a lure that ended up being snapped, Griffin managed to catch the fish.

“She should have snapped the line, but she didn’t,” Griffin said.

She used a nine-foot Penn surfcaster pole and a knucklehead topper to make the catch from the shore. The fish was remarkably close to the shore and when Griffin and Thompson arrived, they saw schools of baitfish nearby and some baitfish dead on the beach - an indication that the bluefish were chasing them in and that the fishing might be good.

For now, the striper will remain in Griffin’s freezer, providing some cheap eats during the winter. Already, they’ve cooked up two meals and Griffin said the meat is “delicious.”

“I was just saying that I wanted to catch food for the winter and then I go out and caught this massive fish. It’s amazing,” Griffin said.

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[The Iceman 6]

How's that saying go "I'd rather be lucky then good."

[RIJIMMY]

on a popper too!

[STREETFIGHT]

all the hours i've logged in that area

[Rockport24]

a 48 inch fish at about 50 pounds? does that sound wrong to anyone?
either way, nice fish and a good story

[Clogston29]

definately wrong, more like forty.

understandable though, she's cute, if she had asked me I probably would have told her 60

[Kierran]

Good for her. She's hooked for life.

Any pics available?

[RIJIMMY]

I dont know, the fish have been gorging on all the bait, it could have been a fatty.

[The Iceman 6]

Any pictures?

[Redsoxticket]

Given that the bass is 48 in. and if the girth is 28 in. (possible fatty) then it would be 50 lbs.

[DZ]

Gotta get me some of them Knuckleheads. Actually saw a bunch of them(knuckleheads) off a popular breachway this weekend.
Nice catch - sometimes its better to be lucky than good.
DZ

[Slipknot]

Ya, when I read that I thought a 48" fish would be closer to 40 pounds but since it didn't fight, maybe it was so full from being stuffed with bait that it might very well have been 50 or close to it. My longest bass I've caught was 48" also but it was just 40 pounds even, not a racer but not a pig either.

[Nebe]

she is cute. I read the article when it came out.

fish looks 50 and fat. girl looks 28 and hot

[Rockport24]

problem with catching a fish like that your first time out, or even you first year out is that it spoils you... she may never catch another one like it!!! I wonder if she's going around saying that surfcasting is easy....

[HESH2]

somewhat like my son in law who goes out on charters and does'nt understand why surfcaster do alot of work and get the skunk.great story i never have got a 48'' now she's hooked for life.

[Clogston29]

there's a pic on the swe board

[justplugit]

Just shows to go ya, keep your line in the water.

[EricM]

Would be willing to bet that she was retrieving that popper in a way that that fat old bass had never seen before either...v.nice catch indeed!

[tattoobob]

If I were her I would go play the lottery, very nice catch
I would bet it was 44 pounds maybe 46 at most

[numbskull]

Note to self............."fish more poppers!" Inexperienced fishermen catching massive daytime bass on poppers happens too consistently year after year for it just to be chance.

[Rockport24]

maybe we're all thinking too much and we just have to "get back to basics"

[Finaddict]

You can spend all day doing what she did and not catch anything ... I think it's pure luck and good for her for being lucky.

Also, don't be so quick to pass up a school of bluefish with bait on the beach, as her luck can attest to.

[Parker650]

anyone read last week's independent? I was in it ...not for catching a fish though...

[The Iceman 6]

Numbskull that was pretty freakin' funny....

Ice

[Gobi]

Originally Posted by Rockport24

problem with catching a fish like that your first time out, or even you first year out is that it spoils you... she may never catch another one like it!!! I wonder if she's going around saying that surfcasting is easy....

Problem?? If only I had to overcome a problem like that!!!!! Nice fish. Congrats to her!