Stripers, Breath of Spring/May 2011
After a long winter stripers are the breath of spring that provides early fishing action for northeast, coastal anglers. Northern areas like Maine might be slow until mid or late May, but southern locations have fish activity earlier. Look for water temperatures in the high 40’s to low 50’s. Often you will find early action in and around estuaries, river mouths and up inside river systems. Productive locations will have holdover fish, warmer water or early runs of big baitfish that attract bigger fish looking for a fat meal.
Early season fishing is often bottom bouncing with a fast sink-tip line. Use a slower retrieve. In water 10 feet or less I like to fish a buoyant fly with a longer leader; this prevents most hang-ups and still puts the fly along the bottom. In shallower locations an intermediate line will also work if you give it time to sink. The Snake Fly or any spun-deer-headed fly with active materials in the wing will work well.
Places with blueback herring and alewives draw big fish. The fish will either wait for the spawned-out bait to return to open water or will follow the bait into the estuary. In either case fishing big flies and fast sinking line is the best medicine. Work herring patterns through the drop-offs, behind bars and along the edges of channels. Also fish around the creeks where big baits spawn. I like to use a fast retrieve after letting the fly and line sink. Dave Skok’s Mega Mushy is a good castable, big-flat-sided fly that matches big baits.
Once the migrating starts expect to find fish up in the water column moving into rips, along shorelines and beaches and onto flats. Locations with good concentrations of bait will have fish. Spearing and sand eels are other major food sources for spring stripers. Sand eels are found along sandy beaches and on big sand flats. Spearing like calm shorelines and will congregate around the mouths of small creeks or up inside estuaries. Fly patterns with thin profiles 3 to 6 inches long will match sand eels—Deceivers and poppers work well when spearing are around. Mix up both retrieve speed and length of strip when matching these baits. If fish are taking poppers on top there can be no better action.
Regards,
Lou Tabory and the Albright Pro Staff
