Last week, a stretch of warmer weather and full moon tides led to explosive action across New Jersey. Migratory fish from the 20- to 30-pound class moved into the rivers and bays south of New York City on the heels of bunker, while fish in the mid- to upper-30-inch class blitzed on bunker in the New Jersey surf for a short time. Additionally, large pre-spawn bass to 40 pounds were caught along the shores of Delaware Bay and Cape May.
This week, Raritan Bay continued to fish well with the influx of bait and migratory fish, as did the nearby rivers. However, the action stalled a bit following a brief cold snap that forced anglers to slow down and revert to techniques that excel in cold water and under high fishing pressure. Meanwhile, resident fish are becoming more active in the back bays of western Long Island’s North and South Shores. The action is very slowly trickling east in Long Island Sound due to water temperatures remaining stagnant. But, with more herring arriving in Connecticut’s rivers and a warmup on the way, fishermen from western CT and Long Island are anticipating more action in the Sound, while anglers from southern New Jersey to New York City are expecting last week’s bite to rebound.
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Maryland/Chesapeake Bay Striper Fishing Report
Striped bass anglers in the middle Bay are experiencing a slightly tougher bite this week as they pursue pre-spawn fish heading toward upper Bay spawning areas like the Susquehanna Flats. The fish are spread out and constantly on the move, and finding a school is often a matter of locating bait and clean, comfortable water. Meanwhile, in middle Bay tributaries like the Choptank River—where catch-and-release fishing is strictly prohibited—striped bass have been actively spawning for over a week. Further south, anglers are reportedly catching big spawned out females in the Potomac River, where catch-and-release fishing is permitted.
Schools of menhaden are fueling catch-and-release fishing in the main stem of the middle Bay region. Anglers are having the most success by jigging soft plastics around bunker schools and along channel edges or, when conditions allow, sight casting to fish that are staging in the shallows as they head for upper Bay spawning areas.
Outside of Chesapeake Bay, along Assateague Island and Ocean City, migratory striped bass in the mid- to upper-30-inch class are being caught in the surf as they push up the coast toward Delaware and New Jersey.
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New Jersey Striper Fishing Report
The striper bite erupted over Easter Weekend as migratory fish moved into areas around New York City, Raritan Bay, and Barnegat Bay to feed on bunker. The rivers and back bays were fishing well, and anglers caught fresh fish covered in sea lice up to 30 pounds on everything from live bait and swim shads to glidebaits and metal-lipped swimmers.
Further south, bunker were also present, but not to the same degree as northern NJ. Large pre-spawn fish were caught along the shores of Delaware Bay and Cape May, but as the week continued, the action slowed down and the fish spread out due to a massive cold front that spanned much of the Northeast.
With warm, sunny weather in this week’s forecast, anglers are expecting the bite in the rivers and bays to pick up again.
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New York Striper Report
While migratory and resident bass gorged on bunker in New Jersey, holdover stripers ranging from schoolie-size to the low-teens became more active in the western back bays of Long Island’s North and South Shores. Minnow plugs, glidebaits, and low-profile soft plastics are catching fish in the back bays and harbors of the Western Sound. Bunker are starting to show up in the backwaters around New York City and over-slot fish are beginning to move up the lower Hudson River.
Action has been hot and cold in the Western Sound due to major temperature swings this week, but a mild forecast and influx of river herring in Connecticut indicate that the fishing should improve in the coming days. Anglers in the Eastern Sound region are patiently waiting for water temps in the harbors and bays to climb to more comfortable levels for their resident fish to activate. It won’t be long until migratory fish move into the Sound and the action spreads north and east.
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Connecticut/Rhode Island Striper Report
It’s all about holdover striped bass chasing herring in the rivers, harbors, and salt ponds right now. Cold nighttime temperatures are leading to hit-or-miss action, but with more stable weather ahead, water temps will rise and resident fish will be less lethargic. Large swimbaits, eel-imitating soft plastics, and minnow plugs are catching fish for anglers putting in long hours in the backwaters across southern New England.
In addition to river herring, squid have been spotted in Narragansett Bay and there were reports of mackerel off Rhode Island’s beaches. If the macks stick around for a week or two, the first wave of migratory fish to reach Little Rhody could collide with them in a big way.
Cape Cod/Massachusetts Striper Report
Despite the cold weather and water temps, resident fish are “waking up” and feeding on river herring across the state—from the South Coast around Buzzards Bay over to Cape Cod, to the rivers south of Boston.
Anglers on Cape Cod and the Islands are anticipating the arrival of fresh migratory striped bass sometime in the next two weeks. Schoolies with sea lice tend to reach Martha’s Vineyard around April 20th, but with water temps still in the low to mid 40s, that may be a bit delayed this year.