An accomplished logistics and distribution professional in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Bradley “Brad” Berfield holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Boston University and an MBA from Binghamton University. Outside of his professional life, Brad Berfield pursues a diverse range of hobbies that includes golfing, cooking, and boating. An avid fisherman, he particular enjoys angling for striped bass. All anglers have a tale of the one that got one away, but for one fisherman, the one that didn’t get away will be a story to tell for the rest of his life. In May of 2018, a New Jersey fisherman named Joe Callahan caught a near-record striped bass while angling from the shore in Raritan Bay. Callahan had already been fishing for three hours when the monster fish took his bait, and the two spent a half-hour wrestling one another before Callahan was able to reel it in. The fish weighed in at a whopping 58 pounds, making it one of the largest striped bass recorded in New Jersey and ranking it in the upper tier of those caught in the United States. New Jersey is no stranger to record-breaking striped bass. The largest ever caught in the state, a 78-pound behemoth landed in Atlantic City, stood as the world’s largest until a Connecticut fisherman reeled in an 81-pound striper in 2011.
Brad Berfield is a logistics professional with more than two decades of experience overseeing corporate distribution efforts nationwide. An avid fisherman, Brad Berfield has angling experience ranging from Canada to the Chesapeake Bay, where he seeks out bass.Over the past several years, the Upper Chesapeake Bay has reemerged as a hotspot for bass, with weight and catch rates increasing at tournaments for local fishermen. With crowding becoming an issue, there are still many excellent fishing spots that have netted trophy bass in the five- to six-pound range.As described in American Boater, these spots include Elk River, which is accessed through Elk Neck State Park, and the Sassafras River. As the area around the latter location can present heavy morning fog, anglers there typically launch in Galena on Duffy Creek, at a private boat launch.The ideal time for bass fishing in the Upper Chesapeake Bay area is spring, as fish gather from diverse areas of the river system for spawning in two large creeks: Lloyd's, and Turner's. During this season, Turner's Creek offers excellent cover, including emerging grasses and lily pads. The root systems of the lily pads overlap with vegetation such as hydrilla and milfoil, providing an ideal location for spawning. In addition, the sand bottom of the shoreline and boat docks harbor numerous bass, as they provide ideal shelter from currents and predators.
