going deep in NYC

I went deep this weekend. Real deep to hunt for stripers...big ones.

The journey started with an early morning Friday plane ride to Newark, NJ. My friend Charles met me at the airport and we headed straight to the marina in Brooklyn. We were pretty excited as it's been a while since we hung out together, and the thought to catching some stripers together definitely put a kick in our walk. The weather was colder than we expected and it was drizzling. We debated for about one second on if we should fish today, and in one second the decision was done. We were fishing - rain or not.

The second day was a lot more relaxed, and with daylight, a lot less intensity at sea. We slept on Charlie's boat to save travel time, and started fishing immediately after sunrise. Charlie's boat is one of those Catamaran boats, with an exceptionally smooth ride. It was quiet and fast, pretty much cutting through the waves. As we traveled through the various spots Charlie knew of, often switching gears between the light and heavy tackle. I was reassured to hear that my friend also enjoys the various types of fishing, and wasn't stuck on one style. (we both agreed that we liked all fishing expect the lazy kind). It's a nice feeling, riding around fishing, and talking about the next place we should meet when the weather gets too cold. Seems like it will very likely be Florida, to catch bone fish on fly rods.

It was a weekend to remember, fishing next to my friend, the stripers, and the beautiful ocean. For me it's a special feeling, going back home to NYC and discovering what I didn't know about it (the excellent fishing). I am sure I will be back next season to meet these stripers again. Keep fishing Charles and see you on the water again soon! Happy Birthday my friend!