Summer Doldrums (Can you still catch stripers during the dog days)

[In The Wash]

(In the interest of getting the surf forums going)

As the days get warmer striper fishing typically becomes a bit more difficult. The water warms up and the fish become sluggish. Many of the migrating fish have passed our local beaches and headed to their summer grounds out by Block Island and points north. But that doesn't mean heading out in the surf is a total waste of time and effort. There are still fish to be had in most local areas. Many fish summer over on the Island. You just need to learn where to look.

For the most part this is going to be a night fisherman's game. So change your sleeping habits. And pack plenty of bug spray because the night tides can be almost unbearable with out a little wind. Also moon phase seems to make quite a difference in the quality and ratio of catch. If you can plan your trips around the moons. Two to three before and two to three after.

I tend to look for three main variables myself when looking for these elusive fish. Bait, structure, and conditions. If you find all three you can plan on a pretty good outing. remember for the most part these fish will be sluggish and many times I've found them hugging the bottom. Bucktails and shads tend to do very well, as well as some favorite plugs that get down and can be worked there. On rare occasions (this year anyway) I've found them feeding on top a metal lip or redfin usually did the trick. Last year I did a little better with these types of plugs but that was a slightly different location and a little later in the summer.

The bites can vary this time of year. It seems sometimes the fish will bite for a good part of the tide to just a few minutes of it. And again moon phase seems to have been a big factor in this.

Aim for the tides approaching the slack, 20 mins before 20 mins after (Thanks Crazy Al). this is when you will usually find your biggest fish feeding.

Don't be afraid to chuck an eel (live or rigged) during the slack if you are fishing moving water (this resulted in my biggest fish of the year so far)

Be careful when releasing these fish during this time of year. They take a little extra care and time with the warm water having far less oxygen than the colder water of spring and fall.

Much of this thread consists of what I've managed to put together throughout the season and from information gathered from respected surf casters.

 

[longcast]

I do not surf fish as much in the summer as in the past, but here is what I did. I agree and follow most of what Jay discusses in the prior post. But................I fished a lot more bait. And I was blessed to fish with a great group of veterans of the sport. I looked for areas with strong current and structure for fish to set up ambush positions. I fished the same time periods, last 30 minutes of the in, and the first 30 of the out. Usually the in, as I wanted the water as cool as possible. Did we catch the other way, yeah, but not as consistent. Good fresh bunker was key. Change the bait pretty often, and cast in a couple different spots. And don't be afraid of "short casts". They do come close. Oh, and be patient. Once the tide picked up beyond an 8 ounce hatteras sinker could hold, I would just move outside the current, look for eddies, etc and continue fishing. The only issue (depending on how you look at it) are the amounts of sharks roaming our inshore areas. If bass is your only quest, well I could see that to be annoying. We caught our share of sharks, but not like today. All nights were awesome, maybe not all solid fish nights, but just great to be out there instead of snoozing away the season!

 

[In The Wash]

I rarely if ever chunk anymore. Not opposed to it at all, just not what I've been concentrating on.

 

[Roccus7]

For the most part this is going to be a night fisherman's game. So change your sleeping habits.

It sucks to be me. I left the all night striper fishing trips back on LI. Stripers here way more tide driven than light, so if the tide is right, you can catch fish in the middle of the day, AND since I'm usually the only person fishing a spot, no mugging!!

Yes, they do bite at night, but with all the lobster traps out there, trying to avoid that "minefield" in the dark is well-nigh impossible.

All that being said, WHEN an optimal tide aligns with dawn/dusk, it's pure Nirvana and being a morning person, I just love watching bass crash my plugs at dawn...

 

[In The Wash]

It sucks to be me. I left the all night striper fishing trips back on LI. Stripers here way more tide driven than light, so if the tide is right, you can catch fish in the middle of the day, AND since I'm usually the only person fishing a spot, no mugging!!

Yes, they do bite at night, but with all the lobster traps out there, trying to avoid that "minefield" in the dark is well-nigh impossible.

All that being said, WHEN an optimal tide aligns with dawn/dusk, it's pure Nirvana and being a morning person, I just love watching bass crash my plugs at dawn...

For most of the season you can definitely find a good day bite, with bass feeding depending on tide. But for this time of year, for the most part it's a night game. But as everything there are exceptions to the rules and occasionally a decent sunrise or sunset bite will emerge. But I'm mostly a night time guy all season long. Unless the conditions dictate a get my @55 out there. Something like a noreaster will definitely have me poking around during the day in spots I know are gonna produce. I zigged when I should have zagged during the last storm and hit a daytime epic bluefish bite. Flip of the coin on two spots I knew were going to go off. Guess what happened at the spot I didn't go to... Not to worry i ht that spot at night after everyone was gone and had them to myself with my GF. Which also led me to a pattern bite that lasted for a week no one managed to stumble on.

 

[Roccus7]

For most of the season you can definitely find a good day bite, with bass feeding depending on tide. But for this time of year, for the most part it's a night game.

On LI, yes. I spent many nights fishing the Gut on boats and the beaches of Orient. Hell I even fished the Northport LILCO plant on winter nights. Overall over 97% of my fishing was between sunset and sunrise. Here over 99% of my fishing is between first light and sunset.

In Maine, night fishing isn't at all necessary, and since I'm getting too old for that chit, it's a very welcome reprieve. I was incredulous when Barry Gibson told me that I would never need to fish at night again when I move here, and he was right. I'm the weird one around here in that I head out at first light. Most don't show up until the sun is well up.

I do get "homesick" once in a while, and will toss a Redfin off the dock in the dark for old time's sake. After 20 min, I've usually had enough and I high tail back into the house...

 

[longcast]

On LI, yes. I spent many nights fishing the Gut on boats and the beaches of Orient. Hell I even fished the Northport LILCO plant on winter nights. Overall over 97% of my fishing was between sunset and sunrise. Here over 99% of my fishing is between first light and sunset.

In Maine, night fishing isn't at all necessary, and since I'm getting too old for that chit, it's a very welcome reprieve. I was incredulous when Barry Gibson told me that I would never need to fish at night again when I move here, and he was right. I'm the weird one around here in that I head out at first light. Most don't show up until the sun is well up.

I do get "homesick" once in a while, and will toss a Redfin off the dock in the dark for old time's sake. After 20 min, I've usually had enough and I high tail back into the house...

You fished the LILCO plant during the winter? Had so much fun back in the day doing that!

 

[In The Wash]

You fished the LILCO plant during the winter? Had so much fun back in the day doing that!

Those days are long gone, most folks now do their winter striper fishing at "that" river in CT. I try and give my shoulders a rest.

 

[longcast]

You fished the LILCO plant during the winter? Had so much fun back in the day doing that!

Fished a 9' S-glass built by Stan at Rocky Point Fishing with a Penn 5500 and 10# mono. 1/2 oz bucktail or small swimmers. Best fish was 22 lbs, most were 5-8 pounds.

 

[Roccus7]

Fished a 9' S-glass built by Stan at Rocky Point Fishing with a Penn 5500 and 10# mono. 1/2 oz bucktail or small swimmers. Best fish was 22 lbs, most were 5-8 pounds.

My picture was on Stan's wall at the original shop in Miller Place, but it did get moved when he went to RP.

Never caught anything of that big at Northport. It was more of a quest to be able to say that I've caught striped bass every month on LI, which was accomplished, leaving only the 50 lb fish the unattained goal on my original list...

 

[wader]

was always able to pull 'em out of the Nissequoge River floating eels back in the day.............

 

[In The Wash]

was always able to pull 'em out of the Nissequoge River floating eels back in the day.............

If the right bait is around I've done quite well there even in August. But its a bit more of a trip for me than it used to be. I try and stay as local as possible. More driving time = less fishing time.

 

[wader]

If the right bait is around I've done quite well there even in August. But its a bit more of a trip for me than it used to be. I try and stay as local as possible. More driving time = less fishing time.

I lived about 8 blocks from the River - that was always my go to spot on Friday nights.