FISHING 



STRIPED BASS FISHING. 



BY J. FRANKLIN. 



A few words about striped bass fishing, 

 which is the greatest sport of all salt-water 

 angling; they were also caught in fresh water, 

 such as the upper Hudson, Connecticut and 

 Susquehanna Rivers and upper Chesapeake 

 Bay. 



In years gone by before our local waters 

 were polluted by oil and other refuse, striped 

 bass were caught in goodly numbers around 

 Hell Gate, where it was essential for one to 

 have a guide to row the boat and to know 

 the haunts of these gamy fish, as the fishing 

 was done by trolling. I have been told that 

 where the railroad docks are in Jersey City 

 and Hoboken striped bass from one to 

 five pounds were taken in great abundance. 

 The Battery was also a well-known place for 

 them, as the tides of the North and East 

 Rivers coming together formed many strong 

 eddies where striped bass could always he 

 found if in the vicinity. Liberty Island was 

 also a noted ground for them. At last these 

 local waters got so polluted with oil and ref- 

 use that the fish gradually departed or did 

 not linger long enough for the angler to 

 catch them. If an angler was fortunate 

 enough to catch one the sumptuous meal he 

 reckoned upon was spoiled by the taste of oil, 

 which has tainted the waters. I have taken 

 striped bass on the Hudson as far up as New- 

 burgh. Along the Connecticut shores are very 

 good places, especially Stamford; here one 

 needs a guide, unless he is thoroughly ac- 

 quainted with the waters, for to fish for 

 striped hass outside of their haunts is like 

 looking for a needle in a haystack. There are 

 also good places along the north shore of 

 Long Island, also the south shore, which I 

 will come to later. In each of these places 

 before one begins to fish for striped bass I 

 would advise him to learn what bait is used 

 and what are the best tides ; for in one place 

 they only fish high water, while in another 

 last of the flood and first of the ebb. In go- 

 ing to a strange place to fish I always try to 

 have an extra day which I put on the first 

 of my trip, so if possible to learn all I can 

 about this particular place ; for instance, the 

 first time I went to Montauk Point, Long 

 Island, which is at the extreme easterly end, 

 [ stopped at the Dickerson House, which is 

 about four or five miles from the depot, and 

 from there to the extreme end of the island 



the bank is thirty to sixty feet above the 

 water. At high water I have seen the seas 

 break against the bank. Well, I asked Mr. 

 Dickerson where the best place was to catch 

 striped bass or the king of our local waters, 

 and he told me just the place, about three 

 miles east of his house, very easy to find; if 

 I would, just stop at a cottage that was situ- 

 ated between two small lakes, the gentleman 

 there would show me. As I approached the 

 cottage I saw a jolly good fellow, who said 

 "Why, certainly," and we footed it about half 

 a mile further eastward, and he said, "There 

 you are, but sorry to say the tide is not right ; 

 if you can, be here to-morrow morning about 

 eight o'clock, two hours before high water. 

 You can have about four hours' fishing." It 

 is needless to say I was there, as well as the 

 friend I had made the day before ; and as I 

 was not acquainted with the waters, I placed 

 myself in his charge and did as I was told. 

 He told me to use the largest hook I had. As 

 luck would have it I .had just the hook; he 

 used io.o hand-made Harrison. I filled 

 the hook and some distance upon the leader 

 with white worms. I judge I put on twelve 

 -or fifteen; then cast as far seaward as pos- 

 sible, about two hundred feet. We had 

 fished fully one ihour, and no striped bass. 

 I cleaned my hook and leader and put on a 

 new supply of bait. This time I made an 

 extra long cast, and before I had taken up 

 my slack the rod was 'most taken from my 

 hands by the strike I got. He called, "You 

 have got him !" I well knew it, for my friend 

 on the hook end of the line was no land lub- 

 ber ; he was anxious to go as far out to sea 

 as possible, and I was just as anxious he 

 should ; so on he went, taking out about four 

 hundred feet of six-thread line. I could not 

 put much strain on my fish, as I always use 

 light tackle, that is, the line and rod. Well, 

 after about twenty-five minutes of fun I suc- 

 ceeded in landing a beautiful striped bass 

 weighing twenty-eight pounds. My friend 

 got two smaller ones, twelve and eighteen 

 pounds. The next day was banner day; we 

 caught fifteen as pretty striped bass as one 

 would wish to look at. Our fun commenced 

 with our first cast, and continued for three 

 hours. I should say we lost as many as we 

 caught, for it is very difficult to fish at Mon- 

 tauk; you are standing on a very rocky 

 beach, and you can see those large rocks 

 projecting from the water two or three hun- 



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