54-Pound Cow Bass.

The Challenge of Taking Trophy Bass

When an angler has broken the ice and caught his first bass, he will probably catch more bass, and then "arrive" at his quest for large cow bass.

The term "trophy bass" has become familiar in the past few years as more fishermen regard catching these fish (30 pounds or more) as a true achievement. Some are released to fight another day, and some are being mounted for showing as a reminder of the great pursuit and capture.

On my boat, "Caprice," about one-third of our trophy fish are released unharmed. Although bass are very edible, due to the impact of "no sale" on larger fish, there should be more of these fish in the ranks to offer good sport for the growing army of bass fishermen.

The people I have met while fishing seem to be students of the bass. Most have a background in bass fishing and want to move on to catch larger bass. They are willing to go without sleep and they have the endurance to fish all night for that magic time (usually two-three hours) when the "bite is on."

Speaking of endurance, though all my fishing is by boat, surf fishermen today deserve high laurels for being savvy in the ways of the bass. The surf fisherman has become a great predator by not only pursuing this species under adverse conditions, but knowing the bait, tide and locations, and putting all this knowledge together. Without the advantage of a boat, the surf man must wait patiently when all "conditions" come together for him to succeed in his quest. No luck here, just pure knowledge!

In the fall of 1990 at Montauk, both the surf and boat fishermen excelled in landing many large bass.

My son, Chris, who started catching trophy bass on my boat in the '70s, has moved to strictly surf fishing, since he feels the challenge is greater. From June through November, he has pursued these fish in waders and wet suit from Long Island to Cape Cod.

I have observed that most of the men who I take fishing also seem to have an interest in hunting, particularly deer hunting. Evidently, pursuing these larger fish at night, one-on-one, seems to appeal to a basic predatory instinct in man.