Chumming with crushed clams and baiting with half a surf clam results in many fine catches each spring. Trolling with bunker spoons, large subsurface swimming plugs and soft-plastic swim shad, either single or behind an umbrella rig, is still another technique to use wherever big stripers are found.

Personally, my major concern with striped bass is that current regulations require the return of undersized fish, while forcing recreational anglers to retain large fish.

Inasmuch as there’s such a major concentration of forage in the bays, the bass tend to stay in those fertile waters as opposed to taking up residence in the surf during the summer.

The jetties and surf of all three states provide nominal fishing in summer, but the major action comes during the spring and fall migrations -- with peak action in the fall, when the forage base vacates bay waters and migrates south along the surf.

Personally, my major concern with the striped bass is that current regulations require the return of undersized fish, while forcing recreational anglers to retain large fish.

This, along with the horrific tournaments that in some cases require killing two fish in order to post a score -- for example, a 33-pound bass and a 41-pound bass result in a combined score of 74 points.

These are the very fish that should be released, since they’re our spawning stock.

As we move into 2008, my wife June and I look forward to enthusiastically enjoying what we call “our contemplative pastime.”

There’ll be peaks and valleys, but if you put in the time on the beach or in a boat, you’ll find a sufficient amount of our favorite five game fish species to satisfy your angling appetite in the season ahead.