Of truth and fish stories, part 1

I try to have a life that doesn't revolve completely around fishing. As the editor of this section, that's very difficult sometimes. I am a PTA mom, I belong to a professional organization of which I am the treasurer, and I am a wife -- though I usually see more of my husband at work than at home, especially during the Hook, Line & Sinker season.

When I got the first messages Friday night about this potential world-record fluke, I was driving home from what was supposed to be the first night of a soccer coaching licensing course. My daughter has decided to play her mom's sport this fall, and I want to be involved.

Since the messages were left at 5 p.m., I called the one person I knew would be all over the story: John Geiser, our longtime outdoors columnist. In 3 1/2 hours, the rumor mill was going berserk.

I started working the phones Friday night. Saturday morning, as headed back to Monroe for the coaching course, I traded calls and messages with people, chasing information. Because of a scheduling error, the course took up most of Saturday -- the instructor hadn't received notice that he was to teach Friday night. I finally got home about 5 p.m. Saturday, and began researching what I could. It was at that point that I discovered all the discussion on Stripersonline.com's Surf Talk forum, with the rumors flying hot and heavy.

I read it, well into the night, while trading phone calls with others who were researching it as well. But no one had anything concrete at that point showing that Monica Oswald had been given the fish by a commercial fisherman.

Sunday morning arrived, and I got in the car to drive to Pequest Trout Hatchery, where I was scheduled to go to write about the Casting for Recovery program and its fifth straight retreat. On the way back to the paper -- I had to put out the sports section that night -- I put my head down and took a nap while my husband drove. I knew I was in for a long night. But I didn't have any idea of how bad it was going to get.

To be continued ...

A fact-finding mission

I have worked on a lot of stories, especially in the last four years, that took some concentrated effort.

But not one has been as frustrating or as consuming as chasing the rumors that have been flying since shortly after Monica Oswald put her 24.3-pound summer flounder on the scale at Scott's Bait & Tackle in Bradley Beach.

And never have I seen such hue and cry over something -- except for Barry Bonds breaking Hank Aaron's home run record, of course.

I saw parallels between the two stories from the start: Both involve cherished records, both involve rumors and innuendo about how, exactly, the record may have been broken, and both have resulted in a lot of very angry commentary, particularly on the Internet.

And lastly, it's doubtful either will be resolved in a way that all who follow those sports are willing to accept.

In writing my column on this topic for Friday's Asbury Park Press, I was able to address some of the issues. But, as is often the case, there's not enough space or ink to cover every quote, every comment, every insight that I sought and received in researching this story.

So, check back here Friday for a more detailed account of how I checked the facts, and more details on the thoughts and opinions expressed by those I discussed this story with: Conservation Officer Clint Dravis; Bruce Freeman, fisheries biologist, now retired, for the state of New Jersey; Erich Neumayer, the friend who was fishing with Monica Oswald on her boat when she landed the enormous fish; and, of course, Monica herself.

For now, 7 straight days of getting up early and going to bed late has taken its toll, and I have to get some sleep. Tomorrow night is the finale of the Mid-Atlantic $500,000, and I want to make sure I have the energy to cover it.