The first time I ever caught a shark, was with a charter boat and its renowned captain. Mind you, I say my first shark, not my first fish. My angling skills were more aligned to fresh water in those days, but I still understood the value of observation, when it comes to learning a particular type of fishing. In this case, ... sharks. The day was a success and my old buddy and myself wrestled a number of small blue sharks to boat side. But what I remembered most about that trip, was HOW TO SHARK FISH. I showed a novice demeanor but was an astute angler. I observed the Capt. very closely and that was the foundation for some epic adventures with sharks .... up close and in person! ..... and so, Proximity of Breath      Somehow Butch had convinced a local Capt. of an exclusive boat, that he and I were GREAT shark fisherman and that he should let us use his boat to prove it.......He agreed! Cat. Rob is an eternally young, older man. The thought of giving this beautiful boat some good catches behind its name was very appealing to him. And the reason for none at this point was simply because he had no idea on how to fish. We did. WE loaded that boat with some of the finest homemade chum on the face of the earth, or should I say on the face of the oceans. Powerful gear, with self injected confidence, some know how,  bait, a nodding captain ... and we were making the run. We had gotten some numbers from some local buddies and figured if we chum the hell out an area with some structure, we were bound to hook up. Those assumptions paned out.      With the same robotic motions of the first charter Capt., I set out the balloons at the suggested depths, had everything in order ... and waited. Along time. What seemed like a real long time! No sharks ... and the doubt was mounting. So much for our first shark charter I thought ... Looking at Butch, I knew he was thinking the same thing.      Sometimes when they hit a balloon rig, it will break the silence of a drift with a gun shot pop. We had three balloons out ... two were still visible and the sound of the line peeling off the 30sw raised the hairs on my neck. The adrenaline was high from first hit jitters and Butch muscled the 150 lber to the boat with Lithuanian might. It was a shark...we were credible ... and continued to be for the next 34 sharks!!!! One of which qualified as a Conn. State record for a blue shark ... over 400 lb. and 14 ft. But all of that bicep bashing action does not clutter my mind from the memory of note ...When I Danced With The Devil, By The Pale Moon Light.      Butch is a tough guy. And so am I. Many times the strain of the ocean and its competitors..250 LB blue sharks, cause the majority of participants to go Nite Nite when some of the most spectacular fishing of the day occurs.      The dead of Night. Butch and I don't sleep ...We fish. And that moonlit night was no different. Thirty feet ... sixty feet ... ninety feet ... Those were are traditional depths, and we marked fish throughout that column. That left us comfortable and the licorice seas barely waved, causing us to struggle to stay awake. To keep active, Butch hay wired another rig and sent that sucker off the side of the boat ... and right to the bottom! We were so tired, neither of us spoke. The calming conditions and exhaustion were breaking our iron man spirits. But to repeat, Butch is a tough guy. And so am I. We made coffee and clicked mugs for a "lets go another round" agreement.       Amidst new chat one of the rods whistled, but only a very little. That is unlike a shark. Their consumption of the bait, is simply that, consumed, hook and all...He must have missed it somehow. I approached the rods in the dim but adequate lighting on the boat. I said I would check it out...Butch was to tired to do anything but watch. The time it takes you read all of this will be far longer than the whole experience, yet try to understand why this moment surpasses all else on a 3 day shark safari. The moonlight allowed me to verify the where abouts of the three balloon rigs and in the same instant I realized the bottom rig was limp....But Why??..I never got a "But why " out again!!       As I stood along side the 30sw , that had limp line, the thought occurred that the shark maybe did eat the bait and was coming up instead of away, simply because the water was so deep at the point of the take. Two feet from me, with torpedic velocity, a five foot mako shark passed by my face with his white under belly so close, that I swear to you, I was in Proximity of Breath !!. The dank rotten stench of butchered prey. Mouth to mouth...pectorals to my arms...proper posture all around, and with the symphony of a rolling ocean, I truly believed, I danced with the devil for that brief instant. In typical mako fashion, it continued to elevate....back flipped right in front of me. landed on our 80 LB mono, and cut it! Or something happened. I cant honestly tell you what it was. I was frozen in that instant. Incapable of reacting. A chest to chest slow motion dance with one of the worlds great predators.      The purple in the sky signified the beginning of a day that never ended for Butch and I. We tried to tell the sleeping members of this adventure. You really had to be there to understand a moment like that. I feel that we do not remember Days...or Years...we remember Moments. I hope this recreated some drama for you, but They are out there for all of you to grab. Go make some moments!.....Striper Mike
...... that even though you let the fish go, it may not survive without some special care! For many species of fish, the exhausting battle for freedom can cause serious and sometimes fatal reactions. Lactic acid builds up in the muscles during exercise periods and then naturally dissipates during rest when the blood rinses the muscles. In the case of stripers, for example, their lactic acid begins to accumulate in the bloodstream immediately after heavy exercise ... But builds up to a peak for the next few hours!!!A fish can be killed outright by a high amount of lactic acid in the blood. I feel it is probably because the build up literally stops their heart after extreme battle, or because it labors the gills so severely as they attempt to reoxgenate. The point hat I am making is simply this .... to land a huge striper from the beach requires patience and skill etc. These wars can be very demanding on the striper. So we must not only practice catch and release but practice PROPER catch and release. If the fight is grueling. Give the fish a true chance at survival ... Help it oxygenate by assisting it back and forth In the water. And do this for a long long period...not a minute or two .... give this creature the respect it is due ....... interact with it physically until full recovery or at least so it can survive the pounding surf back out and the predators that may await it, in a vulnerable state. When it is photo time..handle the fish briefly and with care ..... DO NOT PLUNGE YOUR HAND INTO ITS GILLS. Try to lip the fish no matter what the size ... if you must, only use the gill plate and NOT THE RED GILLS. As ED NORTON says ... its like someone grabbing one of your lungs .... and squeezing! Using this extra effort is all we can do as sportsman...if the battle was to much and the fish will not recover in your opinion, DO NOT HURL IT TO THE SHARKS, share in the bounty with your family. This sport is far more taxing on the striper, than catching them from a boat where the confrontation is minimal ... and the risk of break off is none. Remember, If we keep all the BIG ONES .... how many more will there be?... So "putting her back," does not assure her survival, but "releasing her" properly increases her odds enormously!!!.
Hello Striper Mike, my name is Ron. I was wondering if you ever did any fresh water fishing? I only fish in fresh water and have the same love for fishing as you have. If you haven't done any in a while, may I suggest a nice night out on a good bass lake. Tight Lines, Ron Boise, Pittsfield Mass. Hi Ron....as a matter of fact I have a long history of fresh water fishing, and with similar success as I have fishing the shore. Ironically I have been a caretaker at Upper Goose Pond, which is right near you, for almost 20 years. Needless to say, I took some beautiful catches from that water. In my January or February editions I will focus on fresh water and share some tingly times!!! Without giving up to much info.....I like to keep you guys wondering,....I will tell you, that I have qualified for the following State Awarded Trophy Pins....and they look great on my blue jean jacket. The Trophy pins include...4.8lb rainbow trout.....16lb northern pike.....4.9 lb Smallmouth bass....7lb largemouth bass..9lb Brown Trout.....and like I said....I will keep it at that , for now!!!.....Stay tuned.....Keep in touch Ron Striper Mike-Please Practice Catch and Release.
Tips: .....This edition I would like to dwell on how we should deal with our equipment. My advice is that you learn HOW TO USE IT properly, the drag system, etc....and that you do not spend time trying to repair it. This is the time of year when your should gather your reels and rods for a thorough work over. It is very important that we patronize local Tackle shops. Do yourself a favor..take your reels in and have them tuned up and serviced by professionals at your tackle shop. My suggested pros are at North River Bait and Tackle in Pembroke....ask for Billy Bois for reel repairs and Belsans in North Scituate...Pete can help you there. Your patronage will assure that your reel is as good as can be and you will be grateful for that when the drag screams next season. Remember, spend your time becoming adept at USING your reel...not repairing it. .....This also goes for your favorite rods. If you use generic rods....ugly sticks, etc.,.then consider them nearly disposable. If, however, you have and use a rod of value, and it needs repairs that you are willing to pay for, May I suggest Ed Norton for those personalized rod repairs. If you think you need the professionalism that Ed offers, please email me with the details of needed repairs, and I will connect you with Ed.I also have a "Home" tackle shop in my Conn. town. The same advice goes for fresh water equipment. Let the trained technicians repair your stuff.......and please purchase new equipment from these shops......Ask yourself, are the couple dollars you saved at Walmart, going to help you when you need bait at 6AM????...The fresh water tackle shop of choice for Striper Mike is, Newtown Bait and Tackle, in Newtown, Conn. ..203-270-9924.....It is owned By Gary Pepe, who is faithfully on hand with advice...a multitude of varied equipment and stories about a long line of "GOOD CATCHES", by Gary himself....you will also see a number of photos with Striper Mikes Mug on them...and off course, they are also "GOOD CATCHES".....Please give the small time tackle shops, your business.....Catalogs and super markets are an option......but not to Striper Mike....if you want to "BE LIKE MIKE"...then shop like him!....Thank you.
Moments: Beach Seasons No fall tree colors....... No spring rose blooms..... No summer warm breezes.... ....Simply the magnificence of any day on Humarock's Shore! -Striper Mike, Thanksgiving, 1995
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