Jack's first................

[starcraft65]

striper. We were on vacation in OOB Maine and my son Jack who is six went down to the beach in the rain, nobody else would go. My little buddy said "I'll go with you Dad". It is moments like this that make life very special.
We made the most of the weather with our ponchos on, Jack's had to be tied around his waist because he kept stepping on it. We had clams and a sliding rig with a 2 ounce weight. Also we had all the insider information we had picked from the fishing guru the day before, so we were set for Jack's striper fishing.
Hunger set in so we knoshed on the snacks and peanut butter sandwiches and it seemed like a feast, or the best my wife could do camping and on short notice.
I walked out into the surf and casted as far as the eye can see, you are probable picking up that I don't see very well. Wonder if the clam bait was still on the hook, man is this water cold. I made my way back to shore and place the rod in the $4.99 PVC holder I purchased at Saco Bay Tackle.
We had to move our equipment and chairs a few time because of the incoming tide. Jack provided the one thousand questions only a six year old can come up with and I did my best to answer them semi-honestly.
The waiting game.
The slow movement of the line from the surf, the beach scene in stormy weather, the pole bent over...........THE POLE BENT OVER!!!!
I grabbed it as fast as I could and yanked. Fish aboard. Jack I yelled, take the pole (with help from Dad) I held and he cranked, slowly, as the drag started to scream, adjusted and now to a stand still, no gaining ground now. A small crowd starting to form, our 15 minutes of fame, and now we could see our quarry breaking the surface. Close to shore and the silvery white sides. Victory as the fish came to rest on the sand at the edge of the surf.
"We did it Jack", and then it came, as it has for thousands of years, a moment only a son and father can capture. The SMILE, not just any smile but the SMILE. One of accomplishment and hard earned victory. It was about (no tape measure, it's not like we expected to catch anything) 28" long, a fine fish.
I asked Jack, "What should we do keep it or let it go" (Maine Regs didn't allow us to keep it) I was using the 50/50 odds, he wouldn't understand any regulations. After some careful thought he said "Let's let it go, Dad" and so after some rescusitation in the surf and a few kicks of its tail, he was gone.
That fish will be etched into my memory and hopefully Jack's.

Jack almost lost his Dad last year to a brain aneurysm so these times, outings, and fish seem just a little more special. We caught three more that afternoon, but none as important.

[bostonfisher]

Great story! Some of my best memories are fishing with my Dad as a kid. I only wish we got the chance to go fishing together more often now that I'm an adult.

[Roccus]

Great account of the trip, that fish will be forever engrained in the young mans head...

[jimi4290]

....i have no words.....stories like that are what its all about.

[JakeF]

Great story! Congrats!!!

[ksm2002]

story gave me goose bumps...I ahve a 4 month old and I can only hope the navy puts me somewhere where I can take him striper fishing when he gets old enough to roam the beach with me....ahh, good times.

[newt]

Great story! I hope you have many more just like it as the years go by.

Reading your tale reminds me of my son's first striper. We were anchored up fishing chunk mackerel and my son (three years old at the time) was casting his scoobie-doo zebco with a rubber hook-less fish tied on. He kept insisting that he wanted something with a hook on it. Eventually, I gave in and started casting out a storm shad and then putting the rod in a holder to let him reel it in. Every time he would reel the lure close the boat, he would see the storm shad and say "look dad, a fish."

So, a couple casts later I hear "daddy....fish", "OK buddy, just a minute", I reply. Then again, "daddy, fish". I was in the middle of something, so I again I say "OK, just a second". Well wouldn't you know it, I look up to see his line crossing mine. "Holy s*hit, he's got a fish"! I helped him reel it in and couldn't have been more proud to take the picture of him holding up a 8" or so striper!

[Stripersurg]

Excellent story, Jack sounds like a great kid, and you appear to be a very good dad. Glad things worked out for the best, all around.

[fishstripers]

very good story most of my good fishing trips are with dobb aka kevin hes my friend :P good guy to learn tips off of tho ;P

[keith]

i cant wait to do that with my sons!!!