The famous lighthouse at Montauk Point stands tall over hundreds of anglers braving the rocks below in search of striped bass.
Stripers on the Edge of Insanity by Rick Bach
At first glance Montauk, a fishing town on the tip of Long Island in New York, seems like a quaint village ideal for a weekend getaway. There's a plethora of charming restaurants, a handful of motels, and beautiful ocean views. But to anglers, Montauk is a Mecca. So of course, as an intern at Field & Stream, I volunteered to cover the town's annual Surf Classic, a weekend tournament that awards cash and prizes for the largest striped bass and bluefish landed.
But visiting Montauk I learned something about surf fishermen that live there and flock to its shores: They're completely insane. This realization hit me like a 50-pound striper slamming a bucktail jig. I remember the exact moment it sank in. Montauk fisherman Gary "The Toad" Stevens had just left Paulie's tackle shop on his way to the beach and I was going to join him to experience surf fishing first hand. He mentioned on his way out the door that where we were going, "we might not come back." A Paulie's regular covered in tattoos and wearing a T-shirt older than me grabbed my sleeve and whispered, "Gary's one of the best fisherman out here...but he's *&@#%^* nuts."
Photo Gallery Comments (15)
Pretty durn good story for an intern...I once saw a guy on the NYC subway with a 19-inch striper in a duffel bag at his feet. Wish I'd had a camera on me.
This kid is all talk and no skill. What a punk.
never gotten the chance to fish for stripers, but if I ever do, I now know what to use.
Great story!
great story, keep up the good work man!
woe unto thee that becomes addicted to piscatorial pursuits...and i ain't kiddin' niether
great story and good pics
well played dude, I really like your piece. Pretty good writing. Full Stop (or as you would say period)
Regards from old blighty
SBW
I wish I could do that.Someday!
Good story. I bet that was fun
that looks awesome
sounds like fun to me. im the same way when i fish
That looks like a trip of a lifetime. Great story and pics.
you probably one of the craziest people!!!
nice striper
Sounds awesome
Post a Comment
well played dude, I really like your piece. Pretty good writing. Full Stop (or as you would say period)
Regards from old blighty
SBW
Pretty durn good story for an intern...I once saw a guy on the NYC subway with a 19-inch striper in a duffel bag at his feet. Wish I'd had a camera on me.
never gotten the chance to fish for stripers, but if I ever do, I now know what to use.
Great story!
great story, keep up the good work man!
woe unto thee that becomes addicted to piscatorial pursuits...and i ain't kiddin' niether
great story and good pics
I wish I could do that.Someday!
Good story. I bet that was fun
that looks awesome
sounds like fun to me. im the same way when i fish
That looks like a trip of a lifetime. Great story and pics.
you probably one of the craziest people!!!
nice striper
Sounds awesome
This kid is all talk and no skill. What a punk.
Post a Comment