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Striper Fishing, and some Fresh Bass for Dinner

Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker
Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker Posts: 3,743
edited November -0001 in EggHead Forum
Headed out of Newburypost MA for some quick bait fishing then three miles out to a striper spot off Rockport. Was a beautiful day. We caught four stripers and a 30 pound Beagle, with two other stripers having broken off. Both of the ones that got away we were convinced (of course) were the largest.

The marina at 7am. 01_Marina.jpg

Winslow (the beagle, dove on a mackerel (we jigged for mackeral to use for bait) and hooked himself in the lip. Eight years on the boat and he's never hooked himself. Here his is doing just fine an hour later. Toby is landing a 40 inch bass here.

winslow-n-toby.jpg

I landed 3 of the the four, but it's basically luck, as whoever is standing next to the rod that gets the fish. We trolled mackerel on four lines.

34-inches.jpg

40-inches.jpg

fish ranged around 33 to 40+. we kept one and sold the other three. The boat owner normally runs a charter, but we (his son and I) went out to help them fish commercially. Didn't make him any money, maybe paid for the gas.

His wife filetted the smallest one, and we each took home a filet.

gail_b-02.jpg

gail_b-01.jpg

chunked off a couple pieces and grilled them, served over green beans with beurre blanc and seafood risotto.

filets.jpg

grilling.jpg

plated.jpg
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Comments

  • dhuffjr
    dhuffjr Posts: 3,182
    Sounds like a great time. I envy you folks that don't puke non stop on the water :sick:
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  • walrusegger
    walrusegger Posts: 314
    MMM, man I love rock fish...mouth watering!

    Ever do cakes with rock? Awesome!
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  • Braumiester
    Braumiester Posts: 134
    Good times good food, nice presentation B)
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  • Lawn Ranger
    Lawn Ranger Posts: 5,467
    Looks like a fun day and great meal. Nice presentation.

    Mike
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  • AZRP
    AZRP Posts: 10,116
    Hey Jeff, how did they taste? I've caught them up at lake Powell and didn't care for them. It could be that I didn't know you are supposed to cut out the red meat that runs down the center of the fillet and also maybe the fresh water stripers taste different than the salt water ones. -RP
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  • Richard Fl
    Richard Fl Posts: 8,297
    Your catches were bigger than theirs.

    This trip was after the Florida Sunshine Fest this year.

    http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=849592&catid=1
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  • eenie meenie
    eenie meenie Posts: 4,394
    Stike, it doesn't get much better does it?

    Thanks for sharing all the pics. When you wrote your lead in about catching a 30 lb Beagle you caught me hook, line, and sinker, lol. I thought, "what's a Beagle fish?" Oh well, if the boat doesn't have a name, they should plagiarize the H.M.S. Beagle.

    Really nice catch and a beautiful plated filet. :) Thought it was from Le Bernardin for a minute.
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  • Weekend Warrior
    Weekend Warrior Posts: 1,702
    Nice. ;) One of my favorite ways to spend a day. Good looking meal too, to bring the day full circle.

    Mark
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  • AZRP
    AZRP Posts: 10,116
    Knowing how tall Steven is, that fish can't be much over 6" long. -RP
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  • Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker
    Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker Posts: 3,743
    looks like our mascot was bigger than yours, too. :woohoo:
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  • Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker
    Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker Posts: 3,743
    i was tired (hit the sack at midnight for a 5 am pick-up... but never got sick, thank bajeezus
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  • ibanda
    ibanda Posts: 553
    I have an annual striper fishing trip at Lake Texoma (fresh water) every June. I was also advised to trim the red meat out of the filet. I have cooked them with RossinVentura's method on top of limes with a little Mango Habenero glaze, and Paul Prudhommes Fish Magic, they are very tasty!

    [/img]RookieEggYear003.jpg

    [/img]RookieEggYear007.jpg
    "Bacon tastes gooood, pork chops taste gooood." - Vincent Vega, Pulp Fiction
    Small and Large BGE in Oklahoma City.
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  • Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker
    Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker Posts: 3,743
    no cakes. got a recipe? still have a serious chunk in the fridge
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  • Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker
    Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker Posts: 3,743
    thx. almost didn't take the 'plated' pic because there wasn't much to it
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  • Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker
    Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker Posts: 3,743
    thanks LR. was a a beautiful day. tee shirts mostly. we had climbed to the top on the ride out, and it was a little windy and damp, so got a little cool and put on the sweatshirt. didn't last long though.

    saw a couple whales from up top, humpbacks.
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 34,597
    heard they were big this year, but those look skinney, blues must be in pushing the bait further out. been a while since i got my boat down there, were you fishing near the wall, first time diving there i found out you can puke thru a diving regulator at 80 feet :ermm: :laugh: :laugh:
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker
    Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker Posts: 3,743
    tasted fantastic. a little buttery too. not just because of the butter sauce either. haha
    my son had a simple roasted piece, and it was beautiful. sweet, fresh, a little buttery. i find lobster and fresh scallops and real fresh fish have a sweet buttery maple tinge to it. not substantial, just especially in their aroma

    we bled the one we planned on taking home. they say bleeding them improves the flavor, though for some reason they don't bleed those that go to market (our other three). i suppose not bleeding those preserved their weight (more ca$h), but i'd think if quality was a concern, they'd pay more for properly bled ones. i dunno.

    never had freshwater
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  • Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker
    Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker Posts: 3,743
    poor little guy was whimpering and initially tried to shake it off.

    i caught most of the mackerel too for some reason, stupid luck, but the one he hooked himself on was the boat owner's, and it's the boat owners dog... so i was relieved it wasn't me that hooked him
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  • Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker
    Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker Posts: 3,743
    yeah. i was tired. more from the late night than the fishing. but the sun and all did mean i had a shorter evening last night than i'd have intended. we got back around 5, dragging, and my wife said to the other guy "why don't you stay for dinner?" and then chimed in that his girlfriend was going to be coming over for dinner so it was 'perfect'. except that they'd been having a tough relationship stretch AND because she wasn't due in at out place til 6:30 or 7. i was not up to waiting a couple more hours and THEN cooking dinner for a tired group of people and a couple that might be having a spat. :laugh:

    thankfully, calmer heads prevailed and we (wife and I) ate early and i crashed. the other couple decided not to make a go of it. had been a long day for everyone...

    funny thing is my wife kept asking what we could have for dinner. :huh:

    um, i'm thinking striper?
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  • Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker
    Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker Posts: 3,743
    fished "the rockpile".

    the 40 inch guy i caught was 20# even. dunno if that is skinny.

    here they are the three remaining ones in a less than dazzling presentation.


    three-in-a-row.jpg
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  • Fidel
    Fidel Posts: 10,172
    I love fresh striper. We catch them in lakes down here, fun fish to catch. When you hook into one it's like setting the hook into a rock, thus the slang term for them in the south is rockfish.

    I went last night after work to catch some fresh catfish for dinner, alas all I Could manage was landing three cooters. Couldn't keep them off the bait - they love fresh cut shad just as much as catfish do. I had to give up after a couple hours since at 7:30 it was still 97&deg and about 80% humidity.
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  • Ripnem
    Ripnem Posts: 5,511
    Looks like a fabulous day on the water. Your getting me excited for the big Salmon tourny next week on lake Michigan. I should get in 3 days or so. The bite has been on hard since early June. 10 large for the biggest King. The group I fish with has 6 or so boats and 2 of them placed in the top 10 last year.

    Great plate too ;)
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  • Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker
    Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker Posts: 3,743
    never knew the stripers were found in freshwater too.

    how big do they get in fresh?
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  • Zippylip
    Zippylip Posts: 4,768
    looks like a fantastic way to spend a day, and to end up with a great dinner; I've only been out on a fishing boat like that once, & someone convinced me to take these anti-puke pills 'just to be safe', turns out they knocked me out & I slept through half the trip, was awaken by everyone screaming fire, I opened the cabin door & the place was filled with smoke (we were something like 30 miles out), turns out one of the two props busted loose & the shaft spun free for a while, got tangled in something, blow one of the 2 diesel motors (it was billowing smoke everywhere, nor really a fire...), we limped back to shore on one engine, I never caught a fish, just a long nap & had the scare of my life. Since I was the only novice on board, the captain quicky deemed that I was the 'unlucky' charm & advised me that the seagods had clearly spoken, and that I am to never, ever, go fishing again. So, I've heeded that advice, don't wanna find out what'll happen should I try it again :ermm: :ohmy:


    true story
    happy in the hut
    West Chester Pennsylvania
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 34,597
    average is about 26 pounds for a forty inch fish. seen alot of fish diving that wall, there is some good coral on it to, something you dont see up here very often
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • vidalia1
    vidalia1 Posts: 7,092
    In Lake Lanier here in Ga/Sc they catch stripers 20-30#'s or bigger...smaller too... ;)
    It is a really good lake for stiper fishing...
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  • Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker
    Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker Posts: 3,743
    how long ago did the fresh branch off from the saltwater? can either survive brackish water ?

    kinda cool. never knew that
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  • Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker
    Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker Posts: 3,743
    the owner of the charter missed this year's striper tourney win by a half inch...

    prize was 'only' a grand though, not ten
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  • 2Fategghead
    2Fategghead Posts: 9,624
    Great post Jeff. Maybe someday I'll get back into fishing. Looks like you had a lot of fun. Tim ;)
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  • Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker
    Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker Posts: 3,743
    holy crizzap...
    man.

    about ten seconds after catching the mackerel and starting out for the stripers, i asked "ever get blanked?" and the mother (boat's owner) nearly died. told me to never say that word on the boat. then she said "well, we can always eat a mackerel, and that would mean we didn't get 'blanket and bed'... " she wouldn't say the word 'blanked'.

    superstitious i guess :laugh:
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