Cycles Of The Bridge

I often think of the saying, “Jack of all trades, master of none,” when considering an angler’s prowess. Even the most gifted and accomplished fishermen rarely extend a high level of success beyond a handful of disciplines—rocky beaches, deep water, jigging, and the like. While a skilled angler can certainly translate lessons learned in one area to another, true specialization demands such a deep investment of time and experience that success seldom transfers laterally.

I was reminded of this recently after finishing Richard Troxler’s book, Night Fishing For Monster Striped Bass. Even before Rich agreed to appear on the podcast, I wanted to read it; bridge fishing for striped bass has long fascinated me.

In the late ’90s, I began hearing rumors and stories about the giant striped bass being caught from the spans of the West End bridges. Some of the old-timers I fished with had done their time atop bridges in their younger years, though none were still doing it by then. I pored over my striped bass book collection, devouring every reference to bridge fishing I could find before eventually deciding to try it myself.

To make a long story short, I wasn’t very successful. I saw fish, had a few hits, and knew there was something I was missing. The technique held a strong allure, fueled by tales of enormous bass landed from those Long Island spans, but I couldn’t translate that success to my home waters. As Rich mentioned on the podcast in February, learning a bridge can take several years—something I couldn’t commit to at the time while I was still figuring out other spots.

I gave it another try around the time Night Tides: The Striper Fishing Legend of Billy The Greek came out in the early 2000s, but once again the effort was short-lived.

Reading Rich’s book has rekindled my interest. My mind has already begun wandering to a few local spans that might be worth exploring this season. Still, it will take more than a passing curiosity to dedicate the time required to truly learn them—let alone master them the way Billy, Rich, and others once did atop the West End bridges.