I’d rather be plugging the bar for stripers. The roar of the surf couples with hoots of “Fish on!” as, after several boils on a surface plug, a feeding striped bass feels the hard, cold bite of steel. I love the heart-thumping chase-and-take of stripers on popping plugs in the whitewater. Plus, I don’t need a boatload of tackle or a lot of time, since the action occurs right along the beach. In fact, I often head out before work. One morning, I got my fish, but it spit up a live squid that promptly inked me. Fortunately, the attendees at my 9 a.m. meeting were gracious about my purple shirt and chum-slick cologne.
{Favorite Rig}
A 2-ounce Gaines Troublemaker affixed to a big duolock snap so that the plug really dances.
{Favorite Place}
The West Bar at Shinnecock Inlet — breaking water, froth and foam is the striper’s domain.
{Sharpie’s Tip}
Time your casts to drop the lure on the back of a breaking wave. That’s when stripers move in for a free meal uprooted by the tumult.
