Starving off the Land

It was probably round about when we caught our third keeper striper, earlier this season, that I reversed my long-standing policy of not freezing fish. Home freezing invariably damages food. As the food freezes, the water in it expands and breaks the cell walls. The slower the freezing, the worse the damage, and your average [...]

I’m guessing your patience with my fishing stories is wearing thin, so I’ll boil yesterday afternoon’s trip right down. I caught one striper, and Kevin and Bob both caught two (their limit), and then some (which they released). By a fluke, Bob also caught a fluke. The huge fish that I fought for a good [...]

What’s the best eating fish ever? If you were taking a poll, striped bass would most certainly be in the mix. It’s mild and moist, with a texture that walks the line between flaky and meaty. Before I started catching my own striper, I would eagerly anticipate the commercial season, when I could buy beautifully [...]

I’ve discovered the secret to fishing. I now know the key to maximizing your chances of finding and catching a fish. And not just any fish – the right fish. The one that’ll make a great photo, and then be dinner for several meals. I’ve discovered the Holy Grail of fishing. It’s Bob. Those of [...]

I had a lot to do today. I had deadlines. I had research. I had an interesting, engaging blog post on hydroponics to write. And it was all going according to plan, until Kevin called me at 12:30. “Where are you?” he asked. “I’m on the bus,” I said. No matter where I am, this [...]

The stripers are back! Last week, Kevin took the big boat out of winter storage and prepped the motor for the new season. When he was done, he took it down to Prince Cove to put in for a trial run. I didn’t even realize he’d left until the phone rang and I saw his [...]

Last night I caught my first striped bass. We went out with our friends Bob and Mad Dog at about 5:00 yesterday afternoon, just as the tide was coming back into the bays on the south side. Mad Dog, whose real name is Suzie and who earned her nickname by being a mad-dog fisherman, had [...]

The stripers are here. Every year, at about this time, the waters around Cape Cod fill with striped bass just arrived from down south, where they had the good sense to spend the winter. The striper’s combination of being tricky to catch and excellent to eat make it a favorite of local anglers, and every [...]