Decent fish this morning - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

spinncognito · 10-07-2007, 05:56 PM

Well, it had to happen. Given all the time I put in, a bigger fish had to eventually make a mistake and run into my offering. I have been hitting a very rocky North Shore location every morning and coming up with dinks and rat schoolies. It was more of the same this morning with a few fish slurping up the black sluggo. All I brought down to the rocks was that sluggo, a small wooden popper (with bent hooks) and a small yellow gibbs pencil. I had two rods, a sturdy 9 footer and my flimsy mackerel rod with an old penn on it.
After fishing the living bejesus outta the sluggo I caught a couple on the bent-hook plug before switching to the yellow gibbs. I attached it to the flimsy rod and cast it out about a mile and a half and started the whole rod-tip-whipping motion and a steady retrieve. About halfway back to me- It happened- She came outta the water like a freight train with a HUGE SPLASH. She was hooked and almost immediately decided that it was worth her effort to surface again and thrash her wide tail on top for a split second before heading deep! At this point it became a showdown, sort of a game of tug-o-war. She did not head out to sea with big bursts of power but she basically just held her ground. My flimsy pole was completely bent over (TV Style) but I knew this was no schoolie pulling a loosened drag. This all happened just as the first light was showing and it was in a heavy drizzle and gusty wind. Slowly but surely I started to gain a little at a time on her without muscling her too much and risking snapping the 12 pound test. I was not using a leader! My only obstacle was a big boulder that stood between my slippery perch (yes, I had my korkers on) and this still unknown sized striper. I was gonna let her decide which way she wanted to go and she decided to go right so I jumped down into the water and I carefully guided her into a big crevice but when I reached down for her- she got spooked by my ugly mug and despite being exhausted, turned around and swam toward the boulder. I remained calm (somehow) and managed to get her back to said crevice where I slid my hand under her gills and hoisted her up onto my perch! Victory!

So... here are her stats:
She measured out at exactly 41 inches and according to the scale at work- 21 1/2 pounds. So, she was not an absolute slob-of-a-fish like someguys on this board regularly catch but she was still my biggest of the year and made it worth all the skunky mornings and all the dinks and schoolies I had to go through to make it to her. The best part? I fooled her with a top water plug instead of feeding her a chunk of salty old herring!

I have had my share of keepers this year but nothing over 40 inches so this was sweet.

spin

jim sylvester · 10-07-2007, 06:26 PM

great story and congrats on the catch

Slingah · 10-07-2007, 06:32 PM

I liked the way you told the story..
congrats...
my wife would kill me if I brought a fish in the house...

The Dad Fisherman · 10-07-2007, 09:44 PM

Awesome fish and story......

I'm sure our paths will cross this week.

EricM · 10-08-2007, 05:39 AM

Nice fish and good story!

striperjerk1 · 10-08-2007, 06:11 AM

Nice going.

Keep on plugging.

numbskull · 10-08-2007, 06:35 AM

Well done, and well told. Congratulations.

afterhours · 10-08-2007, 06:39 AM

EarnedStripes44 · 10-08-2007, 08:48 AM

sweet catch, well deserved....now for that grill

RNC · 10-08-2007, 09:00 AM

Cool story and nice fish!!

fishbones · 10-08-2007, 09:25 AM

Great story and fish! Congrats on the catch. I'm guessing you are either married or living with a woman based on the fact that there are wine glasses and fancy tea cups in the picture. How the heck are you able to bring that fish inside the house without getting yourself either kicked out or severely injured? I have to filet my fish and bag them up before I can enter the house.

spinncognito · 10-08-2007, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishbones

Great story and fish! Congrats on the catch. I'm guessing you are either married or living with a woman based on the fact that there are wine glasses and fancy tea cups in the picture. How the heck are you able to bring that fish inside the house without getting yourself either kicked out or severely injured? I have to filet my fish and bag them up before I can enter the house.

My very understanding and toerant girlfiend and i had a good laugh

at your reply. She is very cool and knows I am an excitable guy when I catch something picture-worthy (which has not been often this season). Not only is she understanding, she will sometimes even come along with me and occasionally outfish me!

junkmansj · 10-08-2007, 08:54 PM

Great story and a very nice fish. Nothing like fishing with your Lady!