Printer Friendly Version - Striped Bass Have Arrived and are Biting

Nick Dietz (13) of Madison, already an accomplished fisher, had an outstanding week of springtime fishing, including hooking into these two trophy fish: striped bass (42”) and blackfish (10.8 pounds) just days apart. Photo courtesy of Captain Morgan

A tradition passed down from generation to generation, pictured is Charlie Jones (left, top right), son Zack (bottom right), and granddaughter Autumn (two), who reels in her brown trout when fishing for the very first time. Photo courtesy of Captain Morgan

Frank Rausch of Killingworth hooked into this awesome example of a 20” brown trout while using a morsel of scented bait. Photo courtesy of Captain Morgan

Put all of your trusted ways of anticipating the arrival of striped bass aside. If you are still anticipating, waiting to wet a line or hear the news, you are missing a slice of spring that offers explosive action. If you are expecting to hook into schoolies, you will. If forty inchers are not in your thoughts, then you might have a surprise brewing. The bass are here.

Dressing up an inline circle hook with live or fresh bait, a favorite walk-the-dog spook or other plug, a spoon, bucktail, or fly and a fisher will be off to a good start. Any migrating schooling fish embarking on a long journey from one habitat to another has cranked up its metabolic rate and is in need of nourishment. Anything naturally smelling, sounding, resembling, and/or acting like food will unlikely be passed up. Striped bass are opportunistic predators and are known to eat anything from cinder worms, crustaceans, and mollusks to eels, river herring, and many different species of fin fish.

Taking advantage of when and where forage congregates is one step closer to hooking into a linesider - by the book or extraneously. Striped bass have a very short memory - no longer than 15 minutes. But they respond to repetition, making them hook shy, and at the same time, learning to approach food, allowing them to reach 30 years of age. They can also be a ruthless predator, which could easily result in a jarring hit.

The fact is that they have four nostrils (a pair on each side of their nose) through which water passes over tiny hairs that detect odors and transmit them to their brain which may indicate why they repel certain smells, like engine oil, insect repellent, sun screen, tobacco, etc., resulting in zero hookups. Keep in mind that they smell constantly while swimming, and that sense of smell is much greater than their ability to see. Best bet, appeal to each of their senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, lateral line) as dictated, not only just the ones above.

It is the biological uniqueness of striped bass that makes them addictive and such a challenge to pursue. Add the complexities of their habitat, climate, weather, food source/availability, stock biomass, and mortality (among other conditions/obstacles encountered) and it is no wonder this adaptable species (Marone saxatilis) has the deep respect and interest of the fishing community. So, when you hook up, take advantage of the photo-op and safely return it - except, of course, for the occasional slot limit (28-31”) meal.

High pressure built into the region before a frontal system impacted the area with clouds, rain, and wind. Another high pressure followed but moved out, making way for another disturbing, longer lasting frontal system that accompanied air temperatures that jumped from the high 50s to the high 60s. Near-shore Long Island Sound water temperatures rose to the low 50s as winds swung around the compass, and seas rolled around 2-3 feet with extended periods of rather calm waters.

During the period of high pressure heading into a frontal system, over-the-slot-limit striped bass in excess of 40” showed up and were caught near shore. These fish turned into the Sound, as they migrated from the Hudson River and the DelMarVa regions. They joined the CT holdover stock, which consisted of a mix slot limit and smaller fish, and those that are larger. Feeding was varied from natural baits to hard and soft lures, including flies when winds subsided or were from the north. Whether flooding or ebbing tides were best was generally determined by location and time of day.

If the influx of finfish or other forage spawn out, linesiders will continue to show up, giving shore casters and small vessel operators good fishing opportunities in the shallow water of the lower tidal rivers, bays, beaches, and harbor channels. Spring blackfish (tautog) season closed out on an up note, as weather, winds, and water temperatures improved. With the season about to close, the breakwalls, pilings, and nearshore boulder fields saw a good uptick in toggers, who caught many throwback fish barely keeper size to ones 3-5 pounds, and a few notable ones reaching eight pounds. There was even a 10+ pounder caught locally from shore. Soft baits and crabs were mostly used on rigs and tog jigs to lure in these tactful bait stealers and log in this noteworthy season.

We are on the verge of seeing some colorful Squeteague show up. They will be heading across the Sound and into estuaries for their spring spawning, often catchable from beaches and sandbars adjacent to lower tidal rivers. Boaters will have a shot at them as they plow through The Race, cross Six Mile, run past Kimberly Reef and Faulkner Island heading toward New Haven. Catch them on squid and seaworms in conjunction with a weakfish rig or bucktail - even a fly.

Interest is mild regarding winter flounder. Some of it has to do with the weather pattern as well as the two fish limit. However, the effort to get set up in the bays and channels or casting from shore is fairly minimal compared to launching and setting out into the Sound. Those fishers that enjoy early season catches and the taste of fresh flatties have little issue with soaking some bait and chum for a tide of fishing since the fishery has been edging up. As the season moves along, a sought after blackback becomes a real possibility.

Overall, trout fishing remains good, primarily due to the number of fish stocked in the many rivers, lakes, and trout parks. There are several rivers that still exhibit higher than normal water levels and flows presenting various challenges, causing a segment of anglers fishing to be hard pressed for a limit while others scoring repeated catches - including those ever-vigilant ospreys showing off their mastery. At any given time, live bait, Gulp, swimmers, inline spinners, and flies are catching fish. Nymphs and streamers are go-to’s with dries connecting and filling gaps during warmer days.

Lakes and ponds, along with upper tidal rivers north of the brackish line, have been prime waters for large/smallmouth bass. Live worms, jigs, soft plastics, cranks, and spinnerbaits are always effective this time of year. There are good sized pickerel to be caught, suspended black crappie, and plenty of other panfish (like yellow perch and bluegills) to keep individuals or a family of anglers engrossed.

Fly Fishing Clinic: An outstanding opportunity for the experienced or intermediate fly fisher to sharpen up! Booking inland and marine fly fishing lessons with top flight, highly experienced instructors and guides. From trout, salmon, steelhead, and sea-run browns to striped bass, bonefish, permit and tarpon, etc., techniques learned and honed will improve your fishing adventures. Gift certificates are available for that special angler!

Note: Email us pics of your catches to share with our USA and International fishing friends who keep up with the latest fishing news and frequent social media.

For all things fishy, including the latest gear, flies/fly fishing, rods/reels, clam/crabbing supplies, fishing trips, licenses/permits, and much more, swing by the shop (203-245-8665), open seven days, located at 21 Boston Post Road, Madison. Until next time from your Connecticut shoreline's full-service fishing outfitter and Authorized Penn Premium Dealer, where we don't make the fisherman, we make the fisherman better.