2019 Striper Migration Map
The legendary “full moon in June” is here and big tides should bring big striped bass inshore from Long Island to Massachusetts. If you haven’t done it yet, go sign up for the Striper Cup and you can win incredible prizes every week just for sending in striper photos!
Follow along as we track the Striper Migration. You can help by contributing to our weekly map updates—simply share your striper fishing reports here, and on social media with tag #stripermigration.
Chesapeake Bay Striper Report
Spawning-size stripers have left the bay. The summer season began June 1 and now anglers can fish wherever they wish to in the tidal rivers or bay, and settle into the familiar limits of two fish at 19 inches to 28 inches, or one fish above and one below 28 inches. Maryland DNR Fishing Report
New Jersey Striper Report
In southern New Jersey, schoolie striped bass have been pretty cooperative in the inlets, especially at night. In northern New Jersey, shore anglers are catching a mix of bass and blues, and while the trophy striper fishing has slowed down there are still some big bass to 40 pounds being caught on mojos, bunker spoons, and live bunker off Sandy Hook and in Raritan Bay.
• Read the Southern New Jersey Fishing Report
• Read the Northern New Jersey Fishing Report
New York Striper Report
It seems like the big bass that had been in New Jersey, are currently hounding bunker schools off the South Shore of Long Island. The big fish seem to be stalled off Fire Island, and are taking their time moving east. Trolling is still the top tactic, with mojos and bunker spoons.
On the North Shore, larger bass are making their way toward the central sound from the west, as 30- to 40-pound bass have made it as far as Cold Spring Harbor.
Twenty-pound stripers are becoming more common at the East End around Montauk.
• Read the Long Island Fishing Report
Connecticut/Rhode Island Striper Report
The striper fishing still seems to be lagging in Connecticut, though more 40-inch-plus stripers moved in over the past week. The western Sound continues to hold the largest bass.
Good sized stripers were reported around Block Island this week, while Newport continues to produce big bass as the fish that had been feeding in Narragansett Bay begin to move out to the ocean. Squid in the rips off Watch Hill have drawn in bass to 40 inches over the past few days as well.
• Read the Connecticut Fishing Report
• Read the Rhode Island Fishing Report
Cape Cod/ Massachusetts Striper Report
Cape Cod captains have been lamenting the lack of large stripers so far this season. Schoolie to low-30-inch fish are plentiful all around the Cape, but 40-inch-plus bass have been harder to find. Some larger fish have been reported off the Outer Cape, and 20-pound fish have been reported around Martha’s Vineyard and in the Canal, but for the most part, fishermen on the Cape are pinning their hopes on the June full moon to bring big bass into their waters.
Interestingly, fishermen around Boston are seeing a fair number of mid-40-inch stripers, with some even being taken on topwaters. Deep water off the South Shore is holding 40-plus-pound stripers, but the North Shore has yet to see numbers of larger bass just yet.
The rivers in Maine have good numbers of 30- to 40-inch fish right now, and more larger bass should arrive to find the bait at the river mouths with the coming full moon.
View this post on Instagram
• Read the Cape Cod Fishing Report
I haint seeing no fidy inch bass up here.
I’m only seeing school bass.
Wait for the squid hatch I suppose.
Gunters!
The fertile striper
Roaming rocky byway
Eel pass-
The white lip of quahog,
Buried,
Something like a mass,
This swimming,
Ancient scenes
Swallow down gullet
Mona Lisa smile
Harborside millions of eggs
Push through the silty
Sperm cloud
Containing soon
The world repeated, just
One more time
1-40″ and multiple over 30in ccbay yesterday afternoon. tube and worm.
6/15 early AM fished Vineyard Sound off of West Chop. We landed 5 keepers 30″ to 33″ largest 20lbs. Jigging through the mung was tough but it paid off. Not many blues. Water was cold and tides/winds were like a light switch – one hour rods were bending next hour 1/2 nothing. No complaints – great fishing and it beats a day of work any time.