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Stripers on the Edge of Insanity
Fast-forward 27 hours. It's midnight Saturday and I'm standing on Volkswagen-sized boulder 50 feet off the Montauk beach. I'm trying to keep one eye on the knot I'm tying and one on the waves crashing into my rock. The larger ones push me back toward the boulders's edge, the cleats of my Korkers (specially designed traction soles) scratching as I slide. I just lost a bucktail to the rocks and I'm struggling to tie on a lighter one, wondering if my headlamp has a brighter setting. I can feel water squishing in my socks from the spills I took trying to get here and my shins and knees are battered from the rocks I fell on. A groove is worn in my right index finger from casting since 7 a.m. The Red Bull I drank to prepare for this late-night venture is wearing off and the darkness is playing tricks on my mind. The scary part is that I'm not thinking about heading back, I'm squinting to see if there is a rock further out I can reach.
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photo: Rick Bach
A Montauk fisherman battles a striper and the surf while keeping his balance on his rock.(below) The author's fishing fuel.
Fast-forward 27 hours. It's midnight Saturday and I'm standing on Volkswagen-sized boulder 50 feet off the Montauk beach. I'm trying to keep one eye on the knot I'm tying and one on the waves crashing into my rock. The larger ones push me back toward the boulders's edge, the cleats of my Korkers (specially designed traction soles) scratching as I slide. I just lost a bucktail to the rocks and I'm struggling to tie on a lighter one, wondering if my headlamp has a brighter setting. I can feel water squishing in my socks from the spills I took trying to get here and my shins and knees are battered from the rocks I fell on. A groove is worn in my right index finger from casting since 7 a.m. The Red Bull I drank to prepare for this late-night venture is wearing off and the darkness is playing tricks on my mind. The scary part is that I'm not thinking about heading back, I'm squinting to see if there is a rock further out I can reach.
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Surf fishing for striped bass in Montauk, New York, means taking your chances on snot-slick rocks and with vicious waves in the dark. We decided to send our intern, a Montauk rookie, out to cover the annual Surf Classic tournament during a hurricane to see if he'd survive. Story by Rick Bach IF YOU GO: What: Montauk Surf Classic Where: Montauk, NY When: 2009 dates TBA (check for updates at pauliestackle.com or call 631-668-5520) Register: Paulie's Tackle Shop, 131 South Edgemere Street, Montauk Cost: $15 |
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