Hello fellow anglers and readers. As I promised, I went out for a few tides a week or so ago. The conditions were severe and nothing of note occurred. My sense is that our beloved season may be over here. Except every now and then, a straggler may surprise you.      For the months of November, December, January, February, and March, I will be offering editions only once a month. But hope to renew a more frequent Angling Lore as the season approaches in the year 2006. If you feel that I need more in the winter, please e-mail me and that just may convince me!!
The crux of this edition will be about Kids........and Surfcasting. The concept of landing a fish from the land has always been a magnet for young people. This is especially true for the predictably portion of that population....boys, ages 10-15. As you will see in some of the photos, I have been allowing curious young men the first hand opportunity to accomplish this feat, for many years. The smiles need no explanation. It is like a rites of passage for boys. A thing that just has to happen. This is not with all boys that age, but with those kids that are totally engrossed
in its magic, I am part of a memory...that last their lifetime. And the privilege is all mine. You see, facilitating these moments gives me a legacy for my adulthood. I am giving back what I am accomplished at. My pupils are the future of the sport. I owe this passion a good graduating class. So my roster is selective. They must be young men with respect. For me, the striped bass, and the environment.
	These are recognizable in the sincerity of their curiosity and their obvious urge to just be amidst the "action." The huge rods ..And huge lures...and huge bait ....and huge sinkers .... and for the most part, at their age, a perception of huge men. The willingness to mingle with this stuff is usually a good calling card. And I let them in. Their involvement is determined by their age..strength. ....the size of the fish on the line, and so on. I want the experience to be forceful, but enjoyable. These young men are usually rugged. So be sure to give a memory to a kid when you can...if he seems glued to watching your pursuit ...he is a prime candidate to reel in that schoolie that you are used to....and so,
PHILIP      Eleven years ago I was the same. Longer hair, and a little different here and there, but for the most part the same....Intense and rugged! I fished this area with the same passion as I do now and my trips were as frequent and with the same determined approach. You have to be like that to fish the surf.
On the times that I decided to fish Humarock Beach, I would do it in the same consistent fashion. A white bucket in those days, with heavy gear and lures and on and on. Every now and then, when I would get out of the tunnel vision for stripers, I would notice, off to the side, a KID......watching me pass by. Philip was 9. He was slightly out of character from the other neighborhood, ruff and tumble rugs rats. A little taller than most but with the extra weight as part of it, put him out of the "athlete" norm of the neighborhood. He was and is
a faithful friend to his brother, who faces huge personal challenges each day. He was a good kid..........when I finally got to know him.      I believe it was in the year 1988 or 87, that Humarock was blitzed by a massive school of chopper blues. They shattered atom poppers and averaged 15-17 lb.. Arriving each day at the same part of the tide cycle, they were a compulsion to a fishaholic like myself ..... and I was there waiting for them each day. After the first day of incredible action and fury, there was someone else waiting for them the next day
	"I have this fishing pole, mister" "Let me take a look at that, son. What's your name?" "Philip, and I like to fish," " Do you know how to fish well enough to catch one of these?".......he eyed a big blue on the beach, a fearsome fish. "I would like to try."      On the spot, I gave him his own atom popper and told him to start casting it as far as he could.....He did, over and over and over again. Each cast far short of the raging school that were crashing our plugs on every cast. He kept casting and that brought out a tough part of him, that I am sure the local toughies had not seen.
The waves knocked him down on many occasions. He would rise again, with the only change in him being the blushing face of embarrassment for being tossed around like that. Keep in mind he is 9. I began to feel for his futility. I had him practice with one of my hookups and gave him some assistance with my 10ft rod...He loved it. The fish gave him a beating and strained his undeveloped biceps. Immediately after the bluefish was beached, he returned to his casting. It was then I realized I had influenced his life and future. This was in his blood and just had not been tapped. The casting continued.
Suddenly he said he had something. The rod was bent, but the huge blue was not pounding him. His short cast had convinced a 26" striper to bite his plug and the more passive fish ended up being a personal success for him.....no help. After convincing him about the need for releasing it, the day came to a close and a prouder young man, I have never seen. "Are you going tomorrow Mike?" with a glancing nod of approval from his mother, "Yes Philip, I will be here a 5 am" To a nine year old boy, .. 5AM does not
even exist. We will see just how engrossed the young man really is.      Two coffees and both hands loaded , I headed down even earlier than 5 to get a rod holder set up for Philip and a few other incidentals.....He was standing in the dawn light on his porch, waiting! He silently descended the stairs and fell in to the speechless march to the beach. He seemed to know how to immerse himself into the moment. He seemed to be a surf-fisherman. The rod and bait and bucket was far to heavy for him. I never offered help,.... he never asked for any.
	The morning fog was cold and the surf was a bitchy gray and unusually high. Tough conditions for me and monumental for a pudgy 9 year old. They began breaking water right after that and I prepared for the war. He stood there. Exchanging glances between me and the roaring surf. I was hooked up before he even took a step toward the water. I noticed his facial grimace as he witnessed the strain put on my equipment by these monster bluefish. Fear is a great motivator. He walked toward the waves. Shivering, wet and scared to death about what was about to happen, was the moment in time where he showed courage, a brief step into manhood.      As you would guess the bait was forced in closer and the enviable happened. I saw the 18lber crush the atom I had given him. The steel leader assured the lockup and the fish, nearly brought him to his knees. My impulse was to help him and his watching mother lurched forward with the same knee jerk reaction. As the drag screamed, he re stabilized himself and took on the posture that he had so intently watched me do over and over before........and he began to gain line!
The fish ripped the rod down like I divining rod and he strained to reposition it, ...but did. I had taken a stance next to him at this point, just in case it became to much. The fact is the whole event was to much, but not more than his determination. When it was close enough for a valid catch, I went down to the waters edge and retrieved this 39 inch blue A true trophy in the species. He was hyperventilating, pants were half way falling off, and he still ran toward his house with the fishes tail in both his hands. He seemed to fall countless times as he faded over the wall to show his family the catch. The photo was taken and the picture was promptly put on the family refrigerator........and remained there for 11 years!
We fished together many times since and he has become more accomplished over the years. But he had the respect for me, the fish and the environment, and does to this day. Two years ago a couple of things happened to allow this saga to enter another chapter. When stumbling down to the beach one morning, I broke the crest of the dune, only to see Philip talking to and teaching a 10 yr. old how to fish. He eventually allowed the youngster to reel one in. I felt old..but I knew the time was now for the cycle to continue. He was me and the kid was him. The moment was priceless..      Later that week he came down when I was locked on to a 37" striper. His surf rod was elsewhere and he ran back down with a 6 ft freshwater outfit. We ended up with 37 inch twins....and as I watched him, tactfully, ease this big striper in with inadequate gear, I whispered to myself,	(The real Philip)
You have learned well. Philip is a college graduate now and continues to be a good young man and now, One hell of a good surfcaster. Find your own Philip, or let him find you.......... Striper Mike
That striped bass will "slap " at a bait or plug. before they actually take it? What are they doing?..Stunning the bait so the take will be easier. But did you also know that there may be a "numbing agent" in their dorsal fin that, if made contact with, can anestisize a bait for an easy dinner! If you don't believe Striper Mike, remember what I said when YOU get stuck by a dorsal from a Striper......when your hand is Numb, I hope your memory is not, and you will recall this segment. .......That Full moon is not necessarily a great time for stripers?? Full moon and striped bass fishing have always been synonymous, but the truth is that the bright sky can actually make them wary for a shore bite.....Remember our love is surfcasting...boat success and full moon stripers are another story.
Hello Striper Mike, I hope you have a second to help me with this. I am asking for a custom built surf rod for Christmas and I am not sure of the size I want. Any suggestions for just an average model? ...Lenny Wright Nice to meet you Lenny. First of all the word average does not really fit with the quality of custom rods. They are a work of art and very personalized pieces of equipment. The every day Ugly Stick is an average rod. You have chosen a wonderful Christmas present for your self. A custom rod is a lifetime treasure. My advice is to go to a MASTER ROD BUILDER. .......and in this area we are fortunate enough to have one of the best. Rod Builders Workshop.....A. Smith (Smitty)..100 Main Street.. Kingston Mass 02364 781-582-1015 After making an appointment with Smitty he will take the time to measure you for the rod and the type of fishing you intend to do. This is what customizing a rod is all about. Besides his renowned name as a rod builder, he is also an epic angler and a man of many sagas and tales. If you are immersed in this passionate sport of surf casting, do yourself a big favor, meet Smitty, fish with pride with his custom, and laugh a lot with his persona. He truly is a character and professional.
Treat your bait like Gold. When you are going to freeze your fresh bought bait, you must do it the right way. We all know how dreadful mushy bait can be. The reason some frozen bait is better than others is because of the way it is frozen. If you put the bait on a cookie sheet so that they are not touching each other, the bait will adhere to the hook like fresh bait, when thawed. If the bait is stuffed in a bag , rubbing on each other, they will freeze at a slow and uneven rate. That kind of bait, when thawed, feeds the crabs and gives us the crabbys .......... Please practice catch and release...Striper Mike
Moments: 11/11/96....... The brilliant yellow leaves of Rosa Rugosa's gone by, color the otherwise gray brown land. The sea is full of color..... Emerald green predominant. The sky allows witness to a spectacular November sunset. Streaking Stripes of magenta, cast a soft purple shadow over the marsh. .......it was a complicated loveliness. Susan....
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