O ne hazy June day on Long Island Sound my Fishing Club, parents, very uncomfortable boyfriend – not used to being in the windy salty choppy cold of a fishing boat – were with me on the Celtic Queen when I hit the jackpot!
We started the porgy trip dropping Hi-Lo rigs with fresh stinky clam for bait and jigging off the bottom. It was slowing down and the little silver fish were getting smaller. I let my rig down, as a last attempt before taking a food break, until I felt my sinker thud on the soft bottom and began bobbing the rod up and down waiting for that little tug indicating a flash of silver filet on my hook. A little tug is not what I received. Suddenly something huge laid on my line, just pressure. I began reeling up slowly only to find that it was practically impossible to reel up even one rotation. I leaned back and pulled the tip of my rod up as far as I could and quickly reeled in as I brought it down again.
By now my mom was curious and asked “fish on?” Holding tension on the line with all the strength I have, which isn’t much, all I could do to respond was grunt “I dunno.” She instructed me to cut it some slack and I released the tension. Immediately the fish ran with it and twirled around in figure eights. “Yup, fish on!” she yelled, and in no time a mate was at my side. Soon enough, I could see a bright flash through the green tint of the water that belonged to a very large striped bass. The mate, obviously more than a little surprised, dipped the long net just under the fish and pulled it up the side of the boat still trashing about, tangling itself and my line in the mesh. It was really quite a scene, a skinny blonde girl holding down a fish half her size while a guy who looked more weathered than the bluffs delicately untangled the line and un- hooked the fish from the measly porgy rig as people stood around and watched. I was more than happy doing the thing I love that day, and being so heavily rewarded, 30″ to be exact.
All of us at Coastal Angler are committed to sharing the sport we love with the next generation. We are especially grateful when we find young folks like Allie Salva- dore who can share her passion for fishing through stories, or teacher/leader Bob Wilson who puts his time and resources to work for the kids 24/7.
The Ward Melville HS Fishing Club will be sharing their stories and photos through a monthly column for us, shar- ing their fish tales and passion for fishing on Long Island.
For information on how to start your own high school fishing club, or to sub- mit a teen article for this column please contact me at LisaD@coastalanglermagazine.com
If you would like to reach out to Bob with ‘atta boys for him or his fishing club you can reach him at:
Ward Melville High School
Fishing Club Bob Wilson
380 Old Town Road
wmhsfishingclub@gmail.com
rwilson2@3villagecsd.kl2.ny.us
