Rocky shores for stripers: the seal launch

While striper fishing on the north shore of Massachusetts can be great, particularly off Cape Ann, much of the shoreline there is ledge and granite.

So one way to launch off the rocks is with the so-called seal launch: carry the kayak to the water's edge, sit in the ****pit, wait for a wave surge to flood and float you off, then paddle like mad.

Check out this kayak fisherman picking his way down to the shorebreak. First he picks up the yak, walks to the water's edge, gets in the boat, waits for the wave, and then paddles offshore as fast as possible in pursuit of a school breaking on the surface just beyond the shorebreak.

And if you're a plastic boat guy---don't worry about it! The guy in these photos paddles a wooden boat!