Every striper season is different. There are always changes in so many variables including environment, pressure on the fish stocks, breeding, and habitat, weather, and migration patterns. This year (so far) has many correlations of repeating of the last season’s results in the bay. The larger baits are again hard to find especially for adult pogies. We travel thru East Greenwich Cove, Potters Cove, Rumstick, Popasquash, Ohio Ledge, Bristol, and Nayatt often and have seen no sightings. There have been more encouraging sightings of silversides dimpling on the surface each morning. They disperse quickly during the morning hours but nothing seems to be pushing them below or on the surface.
What we have observed!
On calm mornings we witness some striper behavior. We see maybe two dozen stripers swirling, loosely packed, spread over a few hundred feet. They seem to be just playing near the surface. They appear out of nowhere, go up and down rather quickly. This explains why we have been having some success working the bottoms with full sink lines. Most of the stripers look healthy with average body weight; but none of the stripers ever have bulging stomachs. Since these occurrences have happen all over the bay, these stripers are streamline, hunting for their next meal. That explains why there is no consistency at the same locations each day.
If any angler wants to be successful with these changing conditions, you need to be resourceful. There is no bird activity to give the locations away. Depend on you fish finder, move to locations of drop-offs/current/structure as quiet as possible. Find isolated areas way from boat traffic routes. Fish the shallows in the very early morning. Move to deeper water as the day progresses. Move from spot to spot without an educated game plan only uses up costly fuel.
You want to find the higher percentage locations and not turn it into a shell game of. “Is it there or isn’t it.”
Captain Ray’s Log:
Most of us striper fishermen are driven by some sort of passion that runs thru our veins. Why is it we go sleepless, fish rainy mornings, face the cold weather/winds instead of being tucked in a warm bed? I’ve thought I’ve seen it all as far as motivation till I met a man named Bob Signorello.
You see, Bob hails from Bethlehem PA now, but he did live in Rhode Island a few years back when he was employed. Now retired, Bob is unique in his passion. He’s not driven to catch a striper using a fly pattern that he may have developed. On the contrary, he confesses he ties very little flies. He’s caught his fare share of jumbo stripers too since taking up saltwater fly fishing in the mid eighties living around the Jersey shores. So that isn’t it? You would think growing up around New York/ Jersey you would develop a tough skin, or as they say, “New York kind of attitude” but that isn’t the case either. “ Here lies the rub. Not only is Bob an easy going, pleasant guy that would let you change travel lanes on a highway while your directional are on, his passion for striped bass is fueled by composing poetry about his experiences and the magnificent fish.
Bob has fished all type of fisheries, both fresh and salt but confesses that striper’s rule supreme. He’s has left his passion and love (in poems) in localities around New England as far west as the Salmon River in New York for anyone to share and enjoy. Now I have a testament of his works on my wall inspiring me each morning. It is truly a unique gift to start the day.
Bob had a great start to his fishing vacation before heading north to visit his children. He planned on fishing there this time with family. His energy, stamina is limitless while casting the long rod the entire day. Striper fishing was spaced out during the warm sunny day. The morning fog prolonged the bite a bit during the morning hours. To our surprise, Bob caught his biggest striper near 1:00 pm at the peak of the tide. After the trip it was Miller Time to recoup the day’s events.
It was truly a unique day for both Bob and I experience the love of the sport. All told Bob may have released fifteen stripers.
Bob shown holding the best striper of the day estimated @ 12-14 pounds.
