Fly fishing for striped bass (stripers) in the summer is the staple of New England fly fishing. Since New England lacks the trout and salmon fisheries found in the western United States, its claim to fame is its excellent saltwater fishing..
Stripers are unique because they can be caught in so many different ways. You can chase them on the flats like bonefish, cast in open water like tuna, or fish for them deep. Pound for pound they are one of the strongest gamefish you can target. A 15-inch striper can put a serious bend in an 8-weight rod.
Stripers are synonymous with the change from winter to summer. As the water warms, stripers head north out of their spawning grounds in the Chesapeake Bay. As an important part of the economy and culture of the northeast, people can be found targeting stripers in droves. Not to mention they are downright fun to catch. Let’s look at five tips that will help you get started in fly fishing for stripers.
1. Where to go Fly Fishing for Stripers
Fly fishing for striped bass can be accomplished on a variety of bodies of water including estuaries such as tidal rivers and salt ponds, off beaches, in the open ocean, and on tidal flats. Each body of water generally requires you to employ a different technique. In this way, striper fishing is both accessible and almost never boring.
Both shore and boat fishermen can easily target stripers. Fishing for stripers from a boat generally results in more volume because of the mobile nature of fishing from a boat, but fishing for stripers from shore is quick and easy. After all, we can’t all be blessed with a boat.
Here is more about New England fly fishing and the diversity of the area for various species on the fly.
2. Learn How to Read Saltwater
While reading a river can be relatively universal, saltwater can be a bit trickier. There are several factors including tide, moon phase, wind, structure, and body of water type that influence how you are going to go fly fishing for striped bass. Water moves differently through the aforementioned bodies of water that stripers inhabit, especially during new and full moons. These periods are called moon tides where the gravitational pull of the moon is intense resulting in a large tidal oscillation.
Stripers may feed differently throughout other moon stages as well. Each time you catch one, log the moon stage. Over time, you can start to extrapolate your data and figure out the best moon phases for targeting stripers.
Tidal rivers function similarly to generic freshwater rivers. They have seams and currents influenced by underwater structures. However, the tide changes the game on tidal rivers. Stripers enter and exit tidal rivers in search of bait. As a general rule, the bait will enter on an incoming tide and exit on an outgoing. As such, stripers will be in tow as they push the bait in one direction or another.
Tidal rivers can provide excellent fishing on an outgoing tide because stripers will sit at the mouth and wait for the bait to come to them. Stripers that traveled up the river on an incoming tide will also be crossing back through your path as they exit the river. Keep an eye on the tide and wind. The wind can make the current at the surface go one way when in reality the currents underwater are going the other way. Use your knowledge of stripping and swinging flies through rivers to make your presentation on a tidal river.
Fishing in open water presents its challenges. Whether you are fishing in the open ocean or off a beach, structure is your best friend. Look for jettys, rips, or sandbars. These are areas where stripers can corral bait to have an easier time feeding.
If you cannot find structure, then watch your surroundings. Nervous water can indicate a school of fish on the move or a school of baitfish. Watch for jumps or splashes at the surface which would indicate stripers feeding. Bird activity is also an important part of saltwater fishing. Birds do not automatically mean fish are near, but birds diving from the air can indicate the presence of baitfish. Stripers will often push baitfish to the surface which will allow diving birds to feed so if you see birds then there is a good chance that stripers are not far behind.
3. Practice Your Cast
You will need to know how to cast long distances to go fly fishing for striped bass. You aren’t casting to the little trout in your local river. You are consistently going to make casts at 50-feet and above. Given that you are going to be fishing over saltwater, these casts are going to come with high amounts of wind and other elements that are going to make casting at a distance difficult.
The key to improving as a caster is to simply practice as much as you can. Taking 10 minutes a day in the front yard or at your local park can pay dividends. Start by easing yourself into casting by practicing on calm and clear days. As your skills continue to increase and your distances grow longer, start practicing on windy, cold, and foul weather days. If you can cast on those days, then you can cast on any day. Improving your ability to cast will allow you to catch more fish with far less frustration.
4. Grab the Right Gear
Striper gear is bigger and more robust than your average trout gear. You are going to want at least a 7-weight rod but an 8-weight may give you more backbone to throw through tough saltwater wind. When fly fishing for striped bass on flats or in shallow water, a floating line will do. However, when you branch out and start fishing deeper water in channels, rivers, beaches, and out in the open, you will want an intermediate line.
Fly choice when fly fishing for striped bass can be pretty simple. These fish are not picky eaters. In the shallows, grab your favorite crab and shrimp patterns that you might use for bonefish or permit, and get ready to watch exciting eats. In deeper water, Clouser minnows and deceivers are great starting points. As you gain experience, you can try different variations of those patterns or even branch out to more complicated patterns. Don’t be afraid to stock up on some topwater gurglers as well. When stripers start eating on top, they can give you a better rush than fishing poppers for largemouth bass.
5. Stay on the Move
Possibly the most important tip is to ensure that you stay on the move. When fishing for trout, fish may be present throughout a river system. However, stripers are far less stationary. These are highly mobile fish motivated by the presence of food as they undergo a long migratory journey. If you are not fishing a spot that is a consistent fish highway and you cannot find any sign of bait, structure, or other necessities, then you should keep moving.
If you move around, then you are bound to bump into a body of fish somewhere. Sometimes, all it may take is moving a small distance in the direction of the tide. Other times you may need to switch your body of water choice altogether. However, staying in one spot and casting for hours with no sign of fish is usually a futile effort.
Here’s a helpful video by the crew at New Fly Fisher to get some more tips and tricks.
Here’s another helpful resource for additional reading on NE fly fishing for striped bass.
