On July 05, 2007, I experienced a fishing trip that I will never forget. It was a moment of coordination and synergy in the animal world that led to the catch of a lifetime.
I have lived in central New Jersey for most of my life. When I was young, my father introduced me to fishing, and I was hooked. Fishing has been a passion of mine ever since. I prefer saltwater fishing from the numerous jetties and beaches along the Jersey shore. Fishing is both fun and therapeutic to me. But throughout the years, one prize has always intrigued me: the striped bass. I have caught a few stripers throughout the years, but none have met the legal size limit.
The striped bass is an elusive fish. They are hard to find and difficult to catch. I remember being on vacation at Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts several years ago. My son and I were fishing on a bridge between Edgartown and Oak Bluffs. I glanced down into the water and spotted a school of large striped bass stationary at the bottom. They were probably 15 to 20 feet from us. I tried my best to catch one, using every item in my tackle box. But the stripers remained uninterested. That’s when I realized that there was more to this fish than I originally thought.
Years later, I started to believe that I may never catch a striped bass worth keeping. Throughout my life, I had spent countless fishing trips to the beaches and returned with nothing. But any fisherman will tell you that a bad day of fishing beats a good day of work. So I continued to fish but lowered my expectations.
On July 05, 2007, I asked my brother to come fishing with me that afternoon. My brother is my fishing mentor. He has taught me how and when to fish for stripers. He lends me fishing gear when I go. He has basically put me in position to be successful. I just need to find the fish at the right time.
My brother decided to pass on that afternoon trip (a decision he would later regret). I went anyway. I drove 30 minutes to my favorite jetty and arrived at the parking area around 4:00 pm. I slipped on my Korkers and walked to the jetty. Korkers are a must because the rocks can get slippery. There was one other fisherman on the rocks with me. It was pretty calm. Not much was going on. Then everything changed.
I looked out toward the ocean and noticed a commotion in the distance. This usually meant that there were baitfish in the area and bigger fish chasing them. I have seen these displays before, but the action was usually far and out of reach. However, this time was different. The fish were moving right towards me. But this was no ordinary feeding frenzy. There was a coordinated effort going on. When I realized what was happening, I was astounded.
There were dolphins swimming to the east of the trapped baitfish. They were keeping them close to shore. Coming from the north were a school of big striped bass. They forced the baitfish to swim south. They worked together to keep the baitfish concentrated in one area. Then, the stripers and dolphins took turns feeding on them. I continued to watch the spectacle and noticed that this natural dragnet was forcing the action closer and closer to the jetty. They were coming within range.
By this time, several fishermen had congregated on the jetty. Then I heard “FISH ON!” A fisherman next to me was fighting a huge fish. His pole was bending so much I thought it was going to break. After several minutes of fighting, he walked the fish to the beach and landed it. It was a monstrous striped bass.
I thought maybe that fisherman was the lucky one. I thought my opportunity to finally catch the big one was gone, like so many times in the past. But the stripers got closer, and the action intensified. I continued to work my pencil popper rigorously on the water. Then it happened. A large white swirl engulfed my 10-inch lure. Seconds later, the lure reappeared on the surface. Then it hit again. This time I set the hook and the fight was on. The weight of the fish was unlike anything I had experienced as a fisherman. I fought the fish for several minutes, letting it take line at times. I remember my brother telling me to never land a green fish. In other words, let the fish tire before trying to land it. The fish finally came close enough to land. I gasped as I saw it in the water. The fisherman next to me offered to hold my fishing rod, so I could go down and get the fish. I grabbed it by the mouth and hauled it onto the jetty. Finally, there it was! It was a beautiful striped bass, my first keeper.
That was only the beginning. The striper blitz would continue for another 30 minutes. Almost every fisherman on the jetty caught a keeper that afternoon. Just as the stripers and dolphins cooperated in the ocean, the fisherman on the jetty worked together to land these monsters. There were no snags and few lost fish. As the most surefooted person on the jetty, I probably landed 10 stripers myself.
I took home two large striped bass that evening. The largest was 40″ long and 30 lbs. You can see it in the picture above. This was the most incredible fishing trip I have ever been on. I will probably never experience a moment like that again. I finally caught the elusive striper. I also experienced one of the most fascinating displays of nature that I have ever seen.
I hope you can one day experience a fishing moment like this. Just keep trying. Even if you don’t catch one right away, you’ll at least enjoy the ride.