The Lure of the Vineyard Striper

Story by Captain Phil Cronin

Photos courtesy of Julian Pepper

Martha’s Vineyard is home to some of the most passionate and skilled anglers in the world. Whether plugging in the surf, slinging bait around the rocks, throwing a fly to swirling fish, or casting lures from a boat or shore, you will find piscatorial experts all around the island. Secret spots, specialized bait, custom tackle; Vineyard anglers are a rare breed that often times closely guard the manner and methods which bring them so much success. From youthful beginners to seasoned old timers and every level in between, fishing is a well respected and widely practiced way of life.

June has always been a banner month when it comes time to put a trophy striped bass on the beach and this year has been no exception. Two hard core, very skilled surfcasters have managed to leap into the unofficial island hall of fame with an accomplishment that most of us will never realize. Captain Morgan Taylor, age 23, and Julian Pepper, age 26, are extraordinary beach guides out of Larry’s Tackle Shop in Edgartown and have been plugging to unusually big bass in an undisclosed location along Vineyard shores. After having landed numerous and generally regarded as "good sized" bass, and after having had hooks straightened on large bass, they returned to their spot one night to look for that "fish of a lifetime". The first to score was Morgan when he hooked on to a big fish and managed to land it successfully after employing all the skills an angler can muster. The fish weighed in at 52 lbs. A fish that large had not been caught from the shore using plugs for quite some years. Returning to their spot in the following nights Julian brought his fish in which tipped the scales at 43 lbs. For these two surfcaster to manage almost 100 lbs of striped bass in 2 fish is the talk of the island. I know that luck can often be a factor in my own fishing but I also know that with these two experts, luck had nothing to do with it. They know where and when to find fish and can read the water as well if not better than 90% of the island’s fishermen. Most of us know all of the so called secret spots on the Vineyard but what separates success from failure is the anglers ability to factor in wind, tide, and weather to determine the most likely location to find fish.

Morgan Taylor and Julian Pepper are proven professors of piscatorial predictability when it comes time to rope in the cows. Congratulations to them both. You can reach them at Larry’s Tackle Shop in Edgartown (508-627-5088).