They are not the fastest fish in the ocean. That title belongs to sailfish, topping unbelievable speeds of 70 mph. But few can rival the beauty, the fight and taste of striped bass.
Recently, I was in my boat, fishing off Watch Hill Lighthouse, and landed a respectable 23-inch striped bass. Now, that’s not a whopper, nor a keeper, by any means. The largest striped bass ever caught weighed an astonishing 81 pounds and 14 ounces and measured 54 inches long. That monster was caught by Greg Myerson of Branford on Oct. 19, 2011, off the Southwest reef near Westbrook. Ed Ricclutti, a reporter for the Neighbor News, quoted Myerson saying the fish was so big, “Its dorsal fin looked like Batman’s cape.”
This year’s fishing regulation in Connecticut for striped bass is a 28-35 inch “slot limit.” This means you cannot keep a striped bass less than 28 inches or greater than 35 inches. Everything in between is a keeper. And the bag limit is one fish per person.
These new regulations are designed to protect the younger striped bass, below 28 inches, and safeguard the big egg-laying females, who often outnumber the males, once stripers reach 35 inches or longer.
So that meant I had to throw my striper back, and that was fine, there would be others, I thought. But as I struggled to untangle the striped bass from my net and gently extract one of my favorite lures from its gaping mouth, I could not help but notice how beautiful and powerful these animals are.
First, the colors of a striped bass dazzle you. They range from light green, olive, steel blue, black, or brown on top, with a white or silver iridescent color on the underside.
Striped bass get their common name from the seven or eight continuous horizontal stripes that run the length of their flanks.
I also found their big black eyes are interesting. They look like miniature solar eclipses of the sun, with a tint of gold color blazing around them.
Finally, you notice how muscular and tapered their bodies are, ending in a broad, powerful tail. That big tail, by the way, gives a striper thrust, and enables them to ambush prey in turbulent waters, and give a randy fight to any fisherman who hooks them.
Striped bass spend their first year in freshwater rivers and estuaries along the Atlantic Coast, from Canada to Georgia, and in the Gulf of Mexico, from Florida to Louisiana. Then they head out to sea and can live long lives, up to 30 years.
If you enjoy cooking striped bass, you might try Martha Stewart’s simple but delicious recipe for grilling these wonderful fish. Marinate fillets in a mixture of ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, 2 garlic cloves smashed, a few sprigs of thyme and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Then grill 5-6 minutes per side, or to your doneness.
Bill Hobbs lives in Stonington. He can be reached for comments at whobbs246@gmail.com.
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Nature Notes: Striped bass are fun to catch and eat - theday.com
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