New York Metro &
New Jersey

June 16th, 2003

Join Stripers Forever!!!

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It’s 3:30AM and an unfamiliar alarm begins it’s ceaseless pleading for me to get up. For a minute I wonder where I am, as my surroundings appear alien at first glance. I stumble in the direction of the bathroom and remember that I’m at the Striper Inn in Newburyport, MA. (With a name like that, who could resist staying anywhere else) I’m meeting an old friend and colleague from the CCA days, Captain David Rimmer for a morning of flyfishing the Merrimack River in what has become an annual ombudsman’s holiday. I suck down a cup of bad tasting coffee on the way down to the peer and Dave pulls up on his 23-foot Pathfinder loaded to bear. In minutes we are on the fabled Joppa flats, truly a wonderful place. As Dave slowly motors along, I watch the depth-finder come up from fifteen to four-feet as he brings it back to idle. A large sucking sound to the left immediately gets both of our attention and Dave cuts

the engine. As the sun lights up the perfectly smooth surface, in every direction fish can be seen boiling, some noticeably large. A cormorant wings its way across the surface violently erupting a line of stripers spooking for what must be 100 yards. I literally can’t believe my eyes. A quick cast and an immediate hookup begin what you can imagine was a fantastic morning.

For the last two days I had the pleasure of actually fishing while others did the cumbersome work of rigging, finding, instruction etc… It was in a way a renewal. Nothing like a good day on the water to get you back in the swing of things.

Captain Dave Rimmer, amongst many other anglers in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic is part of a quickly growing organization called Stripers Forever, a non-profit dedicated solely to achieving gamefish status for striped bass. Yes, there are many high hurdles to overcome, but the goal is an achievable one, but only so if the bulk of us anglers get off of our sorry rear ends and join. Nothing will be more important to the future success of this group than membership numbers. If you’re not a member yet, join now at www.stripersforever.com. It’s totally free and will take you only a few minutes. I sincerely believe that if even a small portion of anglers can manage to make just a little effort on behalf of striped bass, we can overcome whatever self-serving lobby stands in the way. E-mail everyone you know who is a striped bass angler, and ask them to join in trying to make the striper a gamefish. Make sure that your tackle shop has a full dispenser of Join Free Stripers Forever fliers. Just e-mail the website the name and address (both physical and web) of the shop and they will send them some. Go to How to Take Action link on the site and follow the steps to contacting your congress person about HR 1286, a bill to make stripers a game fish. But more importantly just go to the site and join!

Now let’s get on to the reports:

Weakfish action seems to have improved dramatically since last week in New Jersey and the massive influx of bunker has created some opportunities for some very big bass. In Raritan Bay and lower New York Harbor, big bluefish seemed to be the story, some frequenting water in the 2 to 3-foot depths. Jamaica Bay has been tough with all the rain and subsequent runoff, but there are bass available to the flyrodder in the early AM hours. The Great South Bay is harboring a good weakfish run while the North Shore has mostly cocktail blues. Out east, the South Side is producing well and in East Hampton, the flats are beginning to really come alive.

Weather looks doable this week so get out there and give it a wing…

And don’t forget to email me your own reports. Tight lines all.

Tight Lines!

John McMurray

New Jersey

Captain Gene Quigley from Shore Catch Guiding Service checks in this week with a report of some excellent fishing in central New Jersey:

Fishing has really picked up since last weeks bad weather. The weakfish are
in full spawn here in Barnegat and they are up on the flats swirling and
swarming all over each other in schools of 20 to 30 fish! They are all BIG too - 7
to 13 lbs!

In addition to the Bay - the ocean in loaded with Big bass right now and the
big Bunkers are all over the place. Their have been two 50 LB fish taken here
over the weekend and many, many fish in the 25 to 45 LB class as well. Got out
Sunday after the fog and had three fish 28, LB, and two well over 30 lbs
under the schools of Bunker. This is really shaping up good and all of the big
Chesapeake fish are starting to make their way north along the central NJ coast.

Captain Jim had out Paul Bergh and his son Eric who he took for a
graduation present from high school and they caught the hot bite up on
the flats in the Bay too. Eric landed his first weakie on the fly that
pulled the boga to eight pounds. The big male hit a pink and white
Jiggy. The next night veteran fly fisher Dennis Longstreet and his buddy
Bob from Conn. jumped on board with Captain Jim and they witnessed some
fantastic visual action up top as pods of weakies were waving their
dorsal in the air. Dennis' best for the evening was a five pounder.

In Northern New Jersey, Captain Paul Eidman from Reel Therapy checks in with this report:

Getting these bass to eat flies has been a real challenge. They are so excited to have all this bunker in the water they have a hard time committing to a fly or a plug. Topwaters seem to be a great way to get them to hit, but they have to retrieved slowly, with lots of pauses. In any case we are in the middle of the best striper run in a very long time.
Big blues are eating the bunker and big flies as well and we are having a blast with them.
I have dates available.
Paul
Capt.Paul Eidman
www.reeltherapy.com
Discover Central NJ's Great Outdoors!
Saltwater Fly Fishing/Light Tackle Charters
Guided Kayak Ecotours
732 922 4077

Captain Dino Torino from Fin Chaser Charters reports that bluefish in the 12-pound range are taking surface stuff in some really shallow water in Raritan Bay. Dino says that there are also some bass in the mix. Bass and blues are also schooling in deeper water on rain bait in the early AM.

Captain Joe Mattioli from On The Bight Charters reports good action as well. Check it out:

The Blue fishing has been dominating, with Blitzes under working birds rainfish are what there eating. If you can get down below the Bluefish there are Big! Weakfish up to 10 lbs. There is plenty of action so get out there.

Capt. Joe Mattioli
On The Bite Charters

Captain Ralph Burtis of Island Charters reports plenty of bluefish as well:

The New York Metro area continues to be hot, and I don’t mean the weather. Blues still overwhelmed us on every trip and the old bluefish fly box got a work out clearing out some of my old unwanted flies. We did however manage to find some nice bass here and there when the blues weren’t tearing up our tackle. Larger heavy flies on heavy line (up to 600 grains) worked best to get to the bass when we found them beneath the blues. With all of the bunker chunks and clam bellies in the water, sometimes it’s tough to get the attention of the stripers. We’ve been working on a new fly for just such occasions and only time and use will see if it truly works. Obviously the water temps have finally started to move up and with that we’re moving into late spring / early summer conditions which means the metro area flats and shallows will start to become more active. Of course, we’ll need some sunshine to do anything there at all. You remember the sun, it’s that big orange thing in the sky during the day that heats things up and gives us light.
Until next week;
Capt. Ralph Burtis

In Jamaica Bay it’s been hit or miss… Unfortunately we seem to be missing most of the time. Some large bass have been hitting poppers very early in the AM but once that golden hour disappears, so do the fish. Plenty of bluefish to be had under the birds though… Thank god!

Western Long Island

From the North Shore Captain Ken Courtlangus from “Frequent Fly-er” checks in with this report:

Hi John
In two words the spring fly fishing in the western sound has been 'the pits'. Rain, cold water temps, dirty water, lack of small baitfish, low salinity and low oxygen has reeked havoc with shallow water fly fishing. I have kept a log for over twenty years for the area I fish and this is one of the worst openers I have ever recorded. Well, that started to change last week. Weakfish in the six to ten pound range tore up the rips last week. Bluefish finally made their way to our part of the sound with four to six pound fish the norm. The only baitfish in any numbers (besides a great grass shrimp hatch) that have been around are large Bunker. Late last week they started their spawning ritual which should bode well for a large supply of peanuts in the fall. Lets hope all those little fry survive the late season we are having. Large Striped Bass have been making their way down from the Hudson but seem to be staying in deep water for the Bunker chunkers. With the water temps rising into the sixties they should start to come into shallower waters this week. I feel with a few days of warm sunny weather things should bust loose this week with the full moon coming at the end of the week. We shall see.
Till next time,
Capt. Ken Courtlangus
"Frequent Fly-er"
516-932-0685

From the South Shore, Captain Barry Kanavy from Natural Anglers reports bad weather but good fishing:

Let it rain...Let it rain... Let it rain. as the song goes. The fish are already wet, it's not bothering them. In spite of insane weather, fishing is GREAT! If you can endure the rain and clouds, darn your rain gear and get out there. The fishing has been steady and strong. We've taken Stripers top water with poppers and gurglers, mid-water with bunker pattern deceivers and deep with slab flies. The occasional Blue fish blitz also offers anglers some tackle tearing fun for fish in the 5-7 pound range. And sometimes, even with the clouds there are Stripers on the flats...BIG Stripers. Don't let this weather get you down. Take off your sunglasses and leave your sun block home and go get em.
Oh and remember to check your backing you never know when you might need every last wrap!
Captain Barry Kanavy
www.naturalanglers.com

Eastern Long Island

The East End seems to really have turned on this week. Check out Captain Jim Hull from Light Tackle Challenge’s report:

Hi John, Blitz action has slowed and some larger fish have moved in. Chef Bob had a load of fish into the mid thirties. Neil Conners had a 37" come to the boat. Ken Hawkins had a robust,14yr. old,33lb female take a mylar offshore fly. Release them strong. Jim (captainjimhull@aol.com) 631-749-1906

Up on the North Fork Joel Filner reports on the Salty Flyrodders’ annual Conclave:

The weekend was fish full. Not so many that one was bored but enough
to get you to come back and try again. The Salty Conclave brought 50
anglers from Upstate New York, Delaware, Pennsylvania and local long
islanders to the shores of the north fork of long island. Their
intention was to learn from Lou Tabory as well as check out the
waters in what is a long springless season so far. Cold water, rain,
and the absence of bait in the waters all are making the fishing
sporadic. The one notable missing species was the blue fish, where
the only ones found were damaged as part of a by catch dump gasping
on the shore with damage to fins and gills. At least 45 stripers, 7
fluke, no weakfish, and many sea robins were the weekend's tale.
The total is still incomplete, as we await the report forms. One new
Salty managed his first striper on the fly under the direction of Lou
Tabory. Side by side behind the hotel he received first hand
instruction on casting, retrieving, and setting the hook. A smile
that will last for days on both Lou and Steve. Water temperature on
the sound stayed at 56 degrees, and the bay side and creeks were 58,
except in the early mornings when both were down about two degrees.
Successful fly tactics varied from poppers, epoxies, clousers, cinder
worms, grass shrimp, and jiggy flies. One visiting Delaware angler
observed that he would fish one fly, catch a striper, continue
without success, change fly, catch a striper, continue without
success..... through the end of the tide and his fly box.Timing was
everything as there were many weather conditions throughout the
weekend including wind, rain, lightning, fog, no wind, sun (yes,
sun), and slack tides. Can't wait until next year. Or even summer.
Spring?

Great report Joel… Thanks…

From Shinnecock Guiding Service Captain Don Kaye checks in with this report:

The "merry month of May" presented few comfortable fishing opportunities. Heavy rains, wind & cold water kept lots of anglers ashore. June started with more of the same. However, the fish are HERE and they cooperate when you take advantage of the breaks in the difficult weather situations. This past week offered a few productive sessions on the Bay. When the sun shone, sight fishing the flats worked out well, with a few medium sized Stripers taking small flies. In high water, Bluefish 'jumped' on every light lure tossed. Some light rain didn't slow the fishing down as a mixed bag of Bass, Blues and lots of Hickory Shad were all captured & released. With a slow start, June should soon be "busting out all over." Capt. Don Kaye, Shinneccok Guiding 631-7288175

Also in the Shinnecock area, Reel-Timer Mark Soley reports a few great days on the new boat. Check it out:

I was off this past week and spent 3 days fishing at shinnecock. Here's my report:

Fished Monday 6/2, launching off the Old Ponquogue Bridge ramp, Shinnecock. Finally got some sunny weather but, it came with the price of wind. My wife and I worked the channels to the east of the bridge then found our way to rampasture for a fun time with a school of Hickory Shad. 6 weight rod and a small chartuse curly tail did the trick. Wind fro the NW made it tough. Worked our way back to the east side and not much on the fly however, Janet picked up an beautiful 9.25 # , 29" Fluke.

Tuesday proved to be the perfect day for flats/sight fishing. Hit the water at 5:45, no wind and the sun just breaking the horizion. Went right for the flats north of the inlet and worked the rips. Incoming water made the visability increadible. Janet hooked up right away with a 30" bass on a popper. I grabed a schoolie on an 8 weight. Soon to be outdone again by Janet picking up a 36 " linesider on 8# test spin tackle with a fin-esse. The day was bueatiful! Clouds rolled in in early afternoon. The finalle came with a "big-head" Blufish I picked up on a 450grain, 10 weight set up with a shad fly. Gotta love Shinnecock!

SOULMAN

That’s all for this week… See ya on the water…