But fighting stripers in this spot is no joke. It’s chest-deep water, and the bass force you to shift your feet on soft sand that could crumble out from under you. One slip will fill your waders.

A few years ago, one fish almost got me. We were catching on every cast, all bass over 30 inches. The biggest of the night thrashed while in my grip, and one of the trebles on my chartreuse darter jammed deep into the meat below my thumb.