Stripers on the Fly
- This topic has 8 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated Apr 15, 2008 at 1:34 pm by
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Well, now that summer is on the horizon, I’ve decided to wake up and admit to myself that I’ve lived within an hour of the Chesapeake Bay for 3 years, but haven’t taken the plunge into hunting for Stripers on the fly.
Summer is the worst time of the year. The striped bass populations are migratory, and they will be in New England waters all summer. There are schoolies around all year, but the majority of the fish will be north.
As far as wade fishing the bay goes, opportunities are severly limited. We just dont have the nice estuaries and salt water flats like they have on Cape Cod or down in the Carolinas. The only places I can think of to catch stripers from the beach are Point Lookout and surf casting from the various beaches on the eastern shore. Other than that, there is jetty fishing.
Good luck in your hunts. If you do find anywhere better, be sure to let us know.
You can try Stripers Online. These guys are the best resource for stripers up and down the atlantic but, at the same time, they are very guarded with their information and will go as far as deleting posts tht name specific areas.
Don’t wait for summer– you should be fishing NOW! Here in CT we have awesome striper fishing for hold-over schoolies (generally <24"), and the bigger bass will be migrating north as the water warms up. The Chesapeake should be good now, but by the time the water hits 70F the fishing gets tough.
Your gear should do well. Don’t ignore floating lines, btw.
Best bet for local info is frequently the local fly shops. They can get you pointed in the right direction. Stripers Online is also a good place to look.
8-weight is fine, especially in the spring. I personally don’t fish clousers. Too much trouble casting them, especially in the wind. They can easily hit and break your rod tip or, even worse, end up in your ear. In addition, casting weigted flies is tiring. I prefer to fish decievers on sinking lines. Because you’re fishing from the shore you can probably get by with a floating line. If you want a sinking line I guess I’d go with an intermediate. I use 6- or 7-foot leaders. You’ll probably want a stripping basket. I wouldn’t go cheap here. I like the Orvis. (IMHO, much better than the L.L. Bean.) Some people like the Hip Shooter.
Randy
Mark,
I’m from Annapolis. We’ve talked before about flyfishing in MD. Access is tough I’ve found on the bay, especially if you don’t have a boat. I may be on to a spot to wade. Going to try it in the next few days.
I’ll pm you and may be we can go sometime.seth
Well, now that summer is on the horizon, I’ve decided to wake up and admit to myself that I’ve lived within an hour of the Chesapeake Bay for 3 years, but haven’t taken the plunge into hunting for Stripers on the fly.
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