While growing up on the beach I spent many hours checking the surf with a fishing rod in my hands. The summer of 2001 was an especially good year for corbina. One morning, during my early morning ritual, I got ripped by something much larger than your typical corbina. The fish picked up my sand crab and made a screaming run parallel to the beach. It was immediately apparent that I was going to get spooled so I started running down the beach after the fish. My favorite 4lb ultralight rod was absolutely no help as I hopelessly tried to turn the fish. After a brisk 100 yard run the fish found a rip, turned and started heading out to sea. I watched as my spool got smaller and smaller. With only a few wraps left on that tiny piece of aluminum I began to wade out after the fish. After a few minutes in chest deep water I was able to turn the fish and gain some line back. It was now twenty or so minutes into the fight and I was finally able to get a look at the fish. A swell began to crest in its evolution into a wave just as the fish made a darting run across the face of the swell. It was a striped bass! The fish took one more good run before I was able to get her near the beach again. A set wave came in and with a well timed effort I was able bring the striper up onto the sand. The fish tipped the scale at 15.6 pounds.
