Summer Striper Strategies
The spring striper season has been one for the history books for anglers up and down the coast. The MA Northshore season had a much different start than we have been accustomed to, but this year's surprise has been an invasion of chunky schoolies, slot fish galore, and a ton of "overs," which is pretty rare in late May and early June. Not saying that bigger fish aren't generally around that time of year, but their ABUNDANCE is what made it special. The artificial lure bite on big fish with light tackle was electrifying, and I hope the future holds a similar pattern for years to come. In my opinion, after two years with the slot limit, our fishery has ramped up significantly with quality fish. It’s been a dream start for a Newburyport Charter Captain, that’s for sure!
We are also seeing an abundance of baitfish at untold levels. There were vast amounts of herring in the river compared to the past few years. Dense schools of sandeels have been clouding the river and outside the mouth seemingly 24/7, leading to mackerel being close to home and the mouth producing on all tides. Speaking of mackerel, they have been thick in many spots, but I have found them in 60 - 90 feet of water now that they have settled into the area. Over the past few days, the key has been finding long tide lines, hopefully with a little weed patch and being patient with the chum. One weird thing of note, it has been challenging getting them to stay in the chum for whatever reason. It has been attracting them enough to have good flurries every few minutes but not keeping them under the boat. The 2021 mackerel season had an eerily similar start in the chum regard. Similar to last year, we have seen stripers and seals chasing schools of mackerel around in the deep water, hence why they have been on the move. If you're looking for big fish…. Become a member to finish the article!
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