Anglers go for the gold; Attention to detail is key to winning big at striper tournaments.

Byline: Mary Anne Magiera

Whether for bragging rights or breakfast, striped bass fishermen have always competed with each other.

However, few could have predicted some 60 years ago when striper fishing became a popular sport in Massachusetts that the idea of yours vs. mine could fetch thousands of dollars and nationwide television exposure.

For years, saltwater fishermen watched from the sidelines as freshwater bass and walleye anglers raked in hundreds of thousands of dollars fishing in Bassmaster and Wal-Mart FLW Outdoors tournaments.

In 2005, southern saltwater anglers got into the game when the FLW added redfish and kingfish events. Last year, an East Coast striped bass circuit was launched. Massachusetts marinas hosted tournaments boasting top prizes of up to $50,000. The championship was televised on the Fox Sports Network.

"The Wal-Mart FLW Striper Series generated a lot of excitement in its inaugural season," observed FLW Outdoors President and CEO Charlie Evans. "Not only did we award the largest payouts the sport has ever seen, but we proved that catch-and-release tournaments are the way of the future, and we see that ethic taking hold."

Pursuing striped bass - the top gun of East Coast ocean predators - first became sport here after World War II. Encouraged by leaders such as Johnny Williams, founder of the Worcester Surfcasting Club, Central Massachusetts fishermen headed for the Cape Cod Canal and the Cape's outer beaches almost every weekend.

Some from this area became legends among the state's striper fishing community. They also perennially topped the leader boards of the popular striper derbies of their day, with payouts of a few dollars. In those early years it was customary to use mostly live bait and keep and kill the largest catch of the day - sometimes more than 60 pounds - for a derby win.

Central Massachusetts striper fishermen are still making names for themselves, but the game has changed. Boat fishermen

have the advantage, and they need to be almost as adept at promoting themselves to sponsors willing to finance their endeavors as they are at catching stripers.

Payouts of thousands of dollars go to those who catch and weigh-in live, young, non-breeding-age

stripers within a certain slot limit - 28-34 inches long, generally weighing less than 20 pounds. Only artificial lures can be used in FLW tournaments and polygraphs are administered to prevent cheating.

Nine Massachusetts teams among the 70 from Chesapeake Bay to Maine are competing in the striper tournaments this year. Three are captained by area residents; two are second-year veterans who have tasted victory and shared winnings of more than $37,000.

"We're all at the same level," said Capt. Steve Howell about his Doubled Up Team Lowrance. "If something isn't working out, we put our heads together to figure out what to do next. You can't go to a tournament with just one plan."

The Paxton resident fishes with his 12-year-old son, Jake Howell, Tracy Terrien of Attleboro, and Tyler Maki of Holden aboard his 25-foot Cape Horn center console.

Last year, Howell's team, with a slightly different configuration, won the West Dennis tournament, placed fourth in a New Jersey event, and finished seventh overall in the series championship held in Virginia Beach.

"We are more organized as a team this year. The same team will fish all the tournaments; we've all put a ton of time into this," added Terrien after a pre-tournament trip to Rhode Island waters near Block Island and Point Judith. Attention to detail is the key to doing well in competition, according to the anglers. For example, Howell spent the winter making all of the rods used in the tournaments. The team spends hours between tournaments researching areas to be fished, developing strategies for events, and rigging baits.

"Even though it's tournament play and a little stressful, I'd take it over what I do Monday through Friday any day. It's a lot of work, but it's fun," said Terrien, who is a distribution supervisor.

The opportunity to test yourself against the best of the best is the constant of striper fishing that binds and transcends generations. However, there is no doubt that new people are drawn to the sport by the value of the purses available today.

"The element of the money drives you to go there, but if you don't finish in the top 10 you don't go home crying. You learn a lot; you're buying knowledge with your entry fee," Howell said.

At 58, Mike Scichilone said he has not forgotten the 1960s-style of striper fishing. The Spencer resident fished with Howell last year in the boat they co-owned. This year, he captains his own team, which includes his brother and a friend from New Jersey.

"I really like the FLW tournaments because of the catch and release," Scichilone said. "I have nine grandkids and I want to teach them to fish that way."

Getting on board

The number of competitors has more than doubled from last year's inaugural, but FLW Outdoors has yet to reach its goal of 100-boat tournaments. There is plenty of room for more teams to sign up. "Any local fisherman would be crazy not to fish the events," Steve Howell said. Here are some tips on how to get involved:

Take an inventory. You need to have solid experience striper fishing from a boat of at least 18 feet. Do you have at least two fishing buddies you can trust under pressure? Teams of two to five anglers are allowed to compete. You will need to invest $450 for the entry fee and another $100 to rent the FLW designed keep-alive striper tubes.

Check the rules. Complete tournament rules and entry forms are available at flwoutdoors.com (click striper series) or by calling [phone]. The Web site also has information about previous tournaments and how they were won.

Talk to other fishermen. Howell said he and others who fish tournaments are more than willing to share information. Much information is provided at the captain's meetings that precede events, but the insight of other fishermen is always helpful. Howell's Web site is doubledupcharters.com.

Ask for help. Sponsors can defray the costs of competing, but they are not a must. Howell used a lot of initiative in developing his stable of sponsors. He has some big names - Yamaha Outboards, Lowrance, Mann's Bait Co., SPRO, Cannon Downriggers, Orvis, Shimano and Navionics - as well as two very helpful local sponsors that provide staples such as braided wire and fishing line - Brookfield Wire Co. of West Brookfield and Woodstock Line of Woodstock, Conn.

Enter a tournament. The next tournament of the season is Sept. 22 out of Bass River Marina in West Dennis on Cape Cod.

ART: PHOTOS

CUTLINE: (1) Tracy Terrien helps Jake Howell, 12, display a 33-1/2-inch striped bass while fishing off the coast of Point Judith, R.I. (2) At far right are Terrien, Steve Howell and Jake. (3) Top photo, Stephen Howell of Paxton at the helm. (4) Above, lures used to catch striped bass.

PHOTOG: Photography by Tom Rettig