Passing On The Passion

MFCC member
Greenleaf Garrison

This is my first year seriously targeting striped bass. There have been sporadic trips with friends and family throughout the years, but nothing like a serious pursuit.

I have always loved to fish though - it runs in my blood. However, the passion is not innate, but rather passed on through family and friends. A passion I also encourage in my children.

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My Grandfather was a serious fisherman and while I spent time with him on his boat around Monomoy and Nantucket, it was never really "serious business" when us kids were on board.

Green leaf's grandfather is Charles W. Brown, renowned Cape surfcaster during the 1940's.

I grew up on the water sailing out of Harwich and fishing Skinequit Pond. Most of my saltwater fishing experience comes from the years I lived and fished the flats of Florida.

After beginning a family and returning to the Cape a while back, it wasn’t until this year friends of mine got me hooked back in, and started to show me the ropes.

A couple weeks ago I was taken by a friend to an area I had never fished before. We fished the drop and were mildly successful with some bluefish battles, a few shorts, and one bass at 32 inches.

I then returned to fish the same spot by myself at night, as my friend decided to try his luck in Vegas rather than on the beaches of Cape Cod. Trying to fish a location in the dark is difficult enough, but finding, parking, and fishing a location which I was relatively unfamiliar with was even more challenging.

However, I was successful in finding my way.

Shortly after arriving at high tide and just before 4 am, I hooked into a keeper-size striped bass using a 6 inch Storm Wildeye Swim Shad. Unfortunately, I lost that fish a rod length from my feet with a headshake and a spit hook!

As the sun began to come up I could hear a fly fisherman’s line whipping, cutting through the dense fog that separated us. Dense clouds stacked in above my head, lightning flashed, and thunder rumbled as a storm passed just off shore to the south, moving from west to east.

Eventually the sun rose and the storm passed. Cape Cod is certainly an incredible place with crazy weather.

Scanning the water I swore I saw fish rolling near a navigation buouy. However I had already been fishing for three hours, I was just about ready to pack things up, but I was not about to leave until I made few more casts with my old reliable Sebile Magic Swimmer.

As I got closer to the action I could see there were bass "rolling" on the surface. My first cast landed just beyond the commotion and with a slow steady retrieve, was met with a heavy jerk and a wailing drag.

I didn't muscle the fish in, and I kept a bend in the rod, applying steady even pressure to help avoid breaking the leader or allowing the fish to shake loose.

Success!

The author and his daughter with the 22lb striped bass he caught from shore, early in the morning, in dense fog.

This year  I have landed four fish over 20 pounds, and while I may not be the most successful fisherman around, I sure feel that way.

Reading the water and thinking like a fish has contributed to my success.

However when you have friends and resources that lead you in the right direction, your chances increase exponentially!

There are many resources available to help anglers get started. I first called on friends of mine that fish, like my buddy Drew and my friend Todd who is pictured below.

Local tackle shops can also be a big help. Powderhorn Outfitters and Sports Port have a wealth of information and have been incredibly helpful for me.

And of course the resource of Ryan and MyFishingCapeCod.com. The amount of real information and real fish stories is amazing, and the folks here on MFCC are genuinely helpful.

Not only have you helped me to have a great season, but you have helped my kids too!

Green leaf's children are learning from his successes, trials and tribulations.

I am enjoying passing on the passion to the next generation.

In my opinion it's the people who sacrifice their fishing time, their spots, and their experience to teach the newcomer, that make the fishing past time what it is. I believe these fishing friendships will last a lifetime.

So thank you to all who contributed to my striper fishing success this year! I can only hope to be able to return the favor someday.