Boat fish vs. Shore fish

[Hooper]

My biggest striper is a 48" , 40 lb bass taken from the beach at Monomoy Point of all places on October 31st, 1985.

I was with a school group and we had spent the night on the island at "The Shack". I awoke at sunrise and grabbed my eels and walked from the shack to the rip at Monomoy Point. By $hit luck the tide was running and running well, a flood tide. I took the fish on a live eel that I had cast and drifted into the rip. At age 13, it was the greatest moment of my life, to that point. (my next greatest moment wouldn't happen until age 18... )

I dragged that fish back to the boat we used to get out there and waited for my classmates to arrive at the boat and see my catch. I have never been so proud of a fish since that day. It was truly the highlight of my fishing career. I have had incredible days on the water since then, some that were simply unbelievable, but that fish was very, very special.

Since then, I got a decent job and have owned two boats, and I fish exclusively from my boat now. The truth be told, I catch FAR more fish from the boat than I ever caught from the beach. That was the single biggest reason for buying a boat, to catch more fish. Period.

But, that one big bass, back in 1985 when the stripers were few and far between, is still is my single best fish. And what do you know, it came from the beach at a spot I now fish from my boat all the time.