April 25, 2008
Anglers in upstate New York are beginning to target striped bass heading up the Hudson River to spawning grounds near Troy Dam. “Stripers start spawning sometime in May, continuing into early June. Their eggs are fertilized and then cast adrift in the current, hatching in a few days. The small striped bass spend their first summer in the shallow waters of the lower Hudson. By fall the juvenile stripers move out into shoreline cover found in estuaries along the Atlantic coast.” The bait of choice for Hudson River striped bass -- herring.
April 13, 2008
Ditch those pricey bloodworms and pesty sandworms, and slap a clam on your hook. That’s the feedback from anglers targeting stripers on Long Beach Island and other parts of the Jersey shore. “Bloodworms or sandworms were thought by many to have an edge over surf clams for early bass. Now clams are the overwhelming choice.” Another good tip – anglers using clams are having better luck using red hooks, with some believing that “the color looks like blood or a vein in the otherwise pale clam, and is an added attraction.”
April 11, 2008
The total striped bass harvest for both commercial and recreational sectors in 2006 was estimated at 3.82 million fish, a 46% increase from 2002. But scientists say the spawning stock was 55 million pounds in 2006, down from a high of 75 million pounds in 2003. More interesting tidbits: Maryland fishermen led in the harvest of striped bass with commercial fishermen in 2006 netting 65 million fish, and anglers taking 66.5 million fish. Virginia was ranked second in its commercial haul, totaling 61 million fish, followed by New Jersey (50 million stripers); Massachusetts (33 million); and New York (30.5 million).
April 10, 2008
Anglers are nailing mostly short striped bass in Delaware’s Indian River Inlet on flies and soft plastics, especially after dark. Live herring is also scoring fish in Delaware. On the New Jersey side of the Delaware Bay, anglers are having luck catching striped bass on clams.
Beginning in June Maryland anglers can win up to $25,000 in cash for capturing Diamond Jim – a striped bass tagged by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Boater’s World is also offering $500 for the capture of Diamond Jim “imposters” – other specially tagged stripers. Toyota and Bass Pro Shops are donating a Toyota 4X4 pick-up truck and a Tracker boat for other prizes in the 2008 Maryland Fishing Challenge.
April 9, 2008
There may be more striped bass beginning to make their northern migration, but poor weather is keeping many anglers inside. Nonetheless, there are some reports from New Jersey of stripers running 24 to 27 inches. The bait of choice – clams.
April 6, 2008
Herring, a key food source for striped bass – and a popular bait for anglers targeting stripers – are much harder to find these days. Herring numbers have dropped 90% in the last 20 years, and shad stocks are down big time as well. But some good news – anglers are reporting catches of striped bass near New Jersey’s Trenton Power Plant in the Delaware River.
April 4, 2008
There’s a great story today recalling two New Jersey fishermen in 1938 who -- after being caught by game wardens with 267 striped bass on their boat -- claimed that they found the striped bass floating dead in the bay. “The stripers died when ice formed on their gills in the cold bay waters,” the father and son fishing team argued. Amazingly, the judge in Toms River bought the story.
April 2, 2008
With the opening of the 2008 striper season two weeks away, schools of bunker (menhaden) and herring are already attracting striped bass from 20 to 30 pounds in New Jersey’s Raritan Bay. “Over the next several weeks, big migrating bass will be on hot pursuit of these massive schools as they fatten up.” The Hub
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Tracking Striped Bass Migration, and the Bait
