For some reason, the striper fishing went from great to terrible. The reasons might have been many. Extremely high and low tides, off-shore storms, wind … Well whatever the cause was, it seems that the fishing is back to normal. . After several nights of not so good fishing, everyone’s spirits were down. Maybe the slump was a good thing. Maybe it forced us all to realize how great it is when the fishing is good. Maybe it will help us all to appreciate the stripers that we catch and not be in such a rush to haul them in – just to get another one on the line. Maybe we will not be so critical of the little guys we catch. Maybe we will take our time landing each fish and take a moment to appreciate the tension on the line. Then again, maybe we won’t do any of these things. Maybe, these are the very things that make striper fishing so much fun. God only knows, that trout don’t swim in schools and frantically bite everything the see. God only knows, how all of us flyfisherman have spent countless hours trying to trick a trout. God only knows how many times we have casted our lines and brought it back in with nothing on the hook. So maybe the stripers are a realease from all that stuff. My striper fishing tactics have not changed much for me since I was a little kid. I still love to see the birds diving after bait fish and see the stripers boiling on the surface. I still run down the beach casting into the boiling fish. I still love the feeling of the hit and I still can’t help but think of getting the next one on my line. I know I am not alone, because most of my stiper fishing buddies share the same sense of child like enthusiasm. Just the other night, I was chasing the birds with a 74 year old man. So, let’s face it. Striper fishing is not all that technical. Striper fishing is fun because we have a realistic chance of catching lots of fish and big fish. So, maybe that is my destiny. Maybe I will never grow into a mature striper fisherman. Maybe I spend the rest of my days running down the beaches casting my line into the boiling stripers. I suppose I could gain my composure and not act like such a child – but what fun would that be.
