My brother in-law, Ray, was raised in New Jersey with years of saltwater fishing expertise, however surprisingly, he by no means fished for striped bass. Ray served within the Military in Vietnam and noticed horrific entrance line fight obligation. I served a couple of years later, additionally through the Vietnam period, however within the Air Drive as a fight nuclear missile launch officer and coach. After the struggle, Ray ended up a part-time constitution boat captain out of Charleston, SC. Now, nearing his eightieth birthday, Ray is retired and lives on the Gulf facet of Florida, the place he enjoys fishing for grouper, king mackerel, snapper, and tarpon—simply to call a couple of. I, then again, nearing my 74th birthday, dwell in Pennsylvania. I purchased a 28-foot cabin cruiser in 2006 and at present maintain it moored in Barnegat Gentle. Quickly after shopping for the boat, I started to find out about and began my journey of striped bass fishing. I used to be “hooked”.
After not seeing Ray for a few years between his hip alternative, shoulder accidents for each of us, and my prognosis with an incurable leukemia that was in remission with medication, I figured time was operating out to provide Ray an opportunity to expertise the enjoyment of catching a striped bass. He had seen many an image of mine, and my private finest at that time was 46 inches and weighed in at 36 kilos. As a captain, my boat’s finest was caught in 2021—a 48-inch bass that pegged the dimensions at over 50 kilos.
So, Ray made the two-day driving journey up north from Florida through the fall of 2023 for per week of fishing. Our journey would, sadly, be minimize quick by climate. Nevertheless, we did catch, throughout three days of fishing, numerous stripers, together with a couple of keepers between 28 and 31 inches and his private finest at 42 inches. We received to expertise completely different striper fishing strategies which included throwing topwater plugs, fishing dwell bunker amid giant faculties, and trolling bunker spoons or mojos. Like me, Ray was “hooked” on stripers, and to him, an over-slot bass (of which there have been many) had been thought of a trophy fish. It was a terrific introduction to those fish for Ray.
Nicely, spring of 2024 was approaching and the spring migration of stripers can be beginning on the New Jersey coast all in good time. Studying from years of life expertise, you make the most of alternatives after they arrive. I despatched an e mail to Ray asking if he can be considering becoming a member of me for a spring striper run journey. He jumped on the invite enthusiastically. I informed him we normally see the stripers arrive in some affordable numbers when the ocean water begins to achieve about 51 levels, so we picked the week earlier than Memorial Day in Might, hoping the goal water temperature can be achieved.
The primary day of fishing for these two previous vets introduced sunny climate with morning temperatures at 55 levels, which was cool, particularly for the Floridian. However as we left Barnegat Inlet, we noticed no different boats outdoors the bay, which I discovered superb. We turned left and began to go north, looking ahead to indicators of bunker faculties, birds, and/or different baitfish. As we travelled parallel to Island Seaside State Park, all I noticed on the sonar had been small faculties of baitfish, however no bunker, and no birds. Extra worrisome, I wasn’t marking any stripers. I used to be nervous I had Ray drive two days all the way in which from Florida solely to be skunked. We stopped twice over small bait faculties and dropped jigs, hoping to find stripers that had been invisible on sonar. Finally, we had been unsuccessful, so we set out lures to troll, realizing from previous expertise which you can hook up with out marking fish within the rapid space. We put out a bunker spoon and a mojo, however Ray is used to utilizing deep-diving plugs for grouper, so he pulled out of his arsenal a gold-colored, deep-diving plug that he marked up with spots to resemble a bunker. We started exploring varied depths, however the majority of what we noticed had been baitfish within the 25- to 30-foot depth vary. And not using a single boat in sight or any radio site visitors all morning, it simply added to the futile feeling.
We trolled up simply above the north finish of IBSP, once more, with solely indicators of small baitfish. The plan would have been to proceed to go as much as Seaside and presumably additional to Ortley Seaside, however we figured if fish are migrating from the south and we hadn’t seen any alongside the 10-plus-mile journey, we might head again south and hope for a greater day tomorrow. We knew experiences mentioned the stripers had already begun to depart Chesapeake Bay for his or her northward migration.
By early afternoon, we rotated and started heading again south, following a path that continued to solely present these smaller baitfish. It wasn’t lengthy when, instantly, Ray known as out, “fish on!” It was on the rod with the deep-diving bunker plug. It took slightly longer than ordinary to usher in what we assumed should be a big striper. As we received the fish close by, we confirmed it was certainly an enormous bass. Netting the fish was a problem. There was no method the 2 of us may even carry the fish up into the boat. I used to be lucky to have a swim deck and transom door on the boat, so we had been in a position to carry the fish onto the swim deck after which finally onto the deck. We rapidly unhooked the fish, took a measurement and an image, after which returned this magnificent striper again to the ocean. The adrenaline movement in that second was at an all time excessive. What adopted was exhaustion. This trophy bass was 51 inches lengthy and by the charts, would have weighed nearly 60 kilos! There was no method we may have safely weighed this fish after the exertion it took to land and return her to the water. These two previous vets couldn’t consider what simply occurred—we had landed a fish of a lifetime!
After gathering ourselves, nonetheless in awe of the reminiscence we simply created, we started the journey again to port. We had achieved and exceeded the mission we got down to accomplish: catching a once-in-a-lifetime fish. A fish that made Ray’s journey north to New Jersey greater than worthwhile.
With time, the adrenaline rush waned as we continued again to port. Finally, we put out a bunker spoon and the identical plug, with expectations being that we couldn’t high at present’s already outstanding expertise. It was about 20 minutes into the gradual troll residence, when Ray as soon as once more yelled out, “fish on!” This time, I took the rod that had the bunker spoon on and engaged the fish. I may inform that this, too, was a large striper.
As we introduced the fish to the boat, we struggled simply as we did with Ray’s striper, to get it into the online and onto the deck. What astonished us much more was the measurement of this fish—precisely 51 inches! This was the inconceivable dream; what had been the percentages? We took a second measurement out of pure disbelief. It was clearly 51 inches. Being blessed to have caught two magnificent creatures on a day that we had been about to surrender on, we rapidly and safely returned this fish again to the ocean. Having landed this second fish, Ray and I had been completely spent. We pulled our traces and known as it a day after top-of-the-line experiences striped bass fishermen can have.
The following day, my buddy Howard from PA joined Ray and me for an additional outing. Previous to yesterday’s journey, Howard held my boat’s finest catch—a 48-inch striper that weighed over 50 kilos and maxed out my scale.
This time, we began fishing slightly later within the morning. We left Barnegat Inlet, once more, with out one other boat in sight and radio silence. The climate was sunny and funky with calm seas. We figured the most effective plan of action can be to make use of the identical tactic that labored for us the day earlier than. Once more, we didn’t see any bunker faculties on the floor or on sonar, solely small bait faculties in the identical 20- to 30-foot depth vary, and no giant fish. So we began a gradual troll north out of the inlet, various the depth to see if something was hanging out deep. There wasn’t, so we simply continued trolling to the north finish of Island Seaside State Park, with no indicators of any stripers. It was early afternoon, and by that point, we figured yesterday’s catches had been a random stroke of luck.
Solely moments after we started the return to port, Howard yelled out, “fish on!” Because the day’s visitor, it was his flip to reel within the fish that hit the deep-diving plug—the identical lure Ray caught his fish on the day earlier than. As soon as once more, because the fish approached the boat, we may inform it was a large striper. We netted and introduced the fish on board, and rejoiced within the outstanding luck we had over these two days. The fish was a hefty 48 inches, however we didn’t attempt to weigh it; our want was to get this fish again into the water as rapidly and safely as doable. We additionally knew the dimensions would most definitely max out at 50 kilos, like Howard’s prior striper. With this fish, he tied his private finest as soon as once more. We fished a superb a part of the afternoon, persevering with the troll again to port. Finally, we had one other “fish on!” and Ray took this one since, once more, it was on his deep-diving bunker plug. Sadly, as he was bringing it in, the fish received off. We are able to solely think about what dimension that one would have been. Irrespective of. The second day of fishing ended with yet one more personal-best striped bass.
Days three and 4 had been simply Ray and I, and we had been gifted two days of fine climate as soon as once more. On day 3 we determined to comply with our recreation plan from the earlier two days. This time, a industrial boat out of Barnegat Gentle was fishing for bunker, nevertheless it was the one different boat in sight.
Day 4 was slightly completely different. We nonetheless had good climate and comparatively calm seas, however shortly after we left the inlet and started heading north, we noticed some indicators of hen life. Close by, we may see bunker pods flippantly breaking the floor. We stopped and did some snag and swap, switching our snagged bunker to circle hooks per the laws. However, after fishing with no success, the bunker college finally moved on. We had been unsuccessful in connecting with a striper on this final day of fishing, however we had been under no circumstances dissatisfied with our 4-day journey.
There are a couple of classes discovered throughout these journeys that I’ve mirrored on and can share with different fishermen.
1. When you’ve got the prospect to go fishing – DO IT! You shouldn’t await fishing experiences to inform you what occurred – go make the experiences. The shortage of boats fishing on very fishable days after the migration had began, was shocking. I want the identical success we had for each striper fisherman.
2. You’re by no means “too previous” to fish. It might be tougher to do with age, so, in the event you can: assist an elder, somebody with a handicap, or a veteran (as a thanks for his or her service). You simply might assist them make a lifetime reminiscence.
3. Since these journeys, I’ve added deep-diving, bunker-patterned plugs to my arsenal. I despatched Ray residence to Florida with a couple of bunker spoons—which he had not seen earlier than this journey— to strive for grouper. They didn’t reply positively, however no less than he tried. The lesson right here: don’t be afraid to strive one thing new.
4. Whereas the restrictions on stripers has severely restricted the taking of fish for the dinner desk, it’s nonetheless a outstanding and revered trophy fish that can hopefully, by way of conservation efforts, rebound because it did after the 80’s.
Certainly one of my favourite quotes, as I look again by way of nearly a lifetime of fishing, is: “The appeal of fishing is that it’s the pursuit of what’s elusive however attainable, a perpetual collection of events for hope.” – John Buchan
