Friday night 4/21 - back bay piggy

[Jigman13]

Been hitting the raritan bay from the surf the last few weeks. Met up with my brother this past Friday night and opted for Option C bc of the hard winds and really high tides. We fished from 930 til 2 am. The 1st few hours were brutal. Not a sniff and some wind burn.

A bit after midnight our lines started getting bumped by bunker as we we were plugging. Then we started foul hooking them as they got thicker. My bro was losing faith and I implored him to stick it out as we had bait moving in.

Sure enough, around 12:30 my plug got demolished just subsurface. It left a significant hole when she breached. After a decent tussle and some solid runs i reached down and pursed a beaut. My brother crapped his waders and was hooting and hollering. I was stoked.

Up on the bank, popped the plug out of her mouth and taped a 44" THICK cow. She was gorged out on bunker and likely heavily egg laden.

After a few quick pics at the waters edge, I lowered her in the water for a revival. She's was glorious. Didn't take much to get her going... a sweep of her wide broom tail and off she went. I looked up to the sky, let out a "thanks dad!"

She was the largest striper I've ever caught while surf fishing. I had a 40" fish a week ago. This fish was way bigger lol... hoping I get a shot at a few more!

[Brewlugger]

Beautiful Bass. Congrats.

[Gerry Zagorski]

That's some fish congrats! Sounds like you really earned that one :eek:

[Duffman]

Damn man she’s a beaut!!!! Congrats!!!!

[rumster]

Congrats.

[dales529]

Nice Fish, well deserved and yes your dad is proud of you!

[Broad Bill]

What a beauty! Glad the regulations were changed to provide protection for the breeders. The experience, thrill and life long memory landing and releasing a fish like that brings, especially from shore, does it really get any better than that? Congrats! Shallow running sub surface lure, explosion must have been huge! That'll get your adrenaline rushing! I'm sure your dad was looking down with a big 'ol smile on his face. No better way to honor and continue his legacy!

[robert.p]

Hey, congrats on catching that big striper! Sometimes, u just need to be patient and stick with it when things ain't lookin' good. Keep hittin' the surf, and I'm sure you'll land more big ones like this!

[Jigman13]

What a beauty! Glad the regulations were changed to provide protection for the breeders. The experience, thrill and life long memory landing and releasing a fish like that brings, especially from shore, does it really get any better than that? Congrats! Shallow running sub surface lure, explosion must have been huge! That'll get your adrenaline rushing! I'm sure your dad was looking down with a big 'ol smile on his face. No better way to honor and continue his legacy!

Even if regs were the last rendition, she would've been released regardless. I only harvest one striper a year...28"-30". And that goes to my neighbor. He's a landscaper. I give him a fish and get 4 or 5 lawn mows out of him! Hahaha...

[Duffman]

Even if regs were the last rendition, she would've been released regardless. I only harvest one striper a year...28"-30"...

True sportsman. Well done.

[capt74]

Great job on the release.

[Broad Bill]

Even if regs were the last rendition, she would've been released regardless. I only harvest one striper a year...28"-30". And that goes to my neighbor. He's a landscaper. I give him a fish and get 4 or 5 lawn mows out of him! Hahaha...

Good to hear, wasn't implying you wouldn't have. Just good to see the big girls being released as opposed to the alternative. Abundance of bunker and new regs bodes well for the future of the fishery and apparently in your case free landscaping services.

[AndyS]

Dayum !

[Jigman13]

Good to hear, wasn't implying you wouldn't have. Just good to see the big girls being released as opposed to the alternative. Abundance of bunker and new regs bodes well for the future of the fishery and apparently in your case free landscaping services.

All good man! I agree, too. The striper regs now are great. Now we just need more on-foot marine patrol. The poaching along the back bay is insane

[Capt. Debbie]

Beautiful cow. NICE job!



Been hitting the raritan bay from the surf the last few weeks. Met up with my brother this past Friday night and opted for Option C bc of the hard winds and really high tides. We fished from 930 til 2 am. The 1st few hours were brutal. Not a sniff and some wind burn.

A bit after midnight our lines started getting bumped by bunker as we we were plugging. Then we started foul hooking them as they got thicker. My bro was losing faith and I implored him to stick it out as we had bait moving in.

Sure enough, around 12:30 my plug got demolished just subsurface. It left a significant hole when she breached. After a decent tussle and some solid runs i reached down and pursed a beaut. My brother crapped his waders and was hooting and hollering. I was stoked.

Up on the bank, popped the plug out of her mouth and taped a 44" THICK cow. She was gorged out on bunker and likely heavily egg laden.

After a few quick pics at the waters edge, I lowered her in the water for a revival. She's was glorious. Didn't take much to get her going... a sweep of her wide broom tail and off she went. I looked up to the sky, let out a "thanks dad!"

She was the largest striper I've ever caught while surf fishing. I had a 40" fish a week ago. This fish was way bigger lol... hoping I get a shot at a few more!

[Detour66]

That's the way to get it done. Congrats on a beautiful bass!

[FASTEDDIE29]

That’s a cow for sure. Great catch my man! What a pig from the banks! Sheeeesh! :D

[Stanton327]

It’s a Beaut Clark, it’s a BEAUT!!!!