Stripers
Contributors to this thread:Massachusetts
From: huntskifishcook
20-May-18
I know there are at least a few of you guys who start chasing stripers this time of year. Any of you guys having any luck?
I hit the water for the first time this year around sunset tonight and caught my first of the season, an 18" schoolie. So it begins!
From: Murphy31
20-May-18
I've caught 4 schoolies, and a 34 incher so far.
From: brooktrout59
21-May-18
Friend caught 32 incher from his canoe inland river on coast. Gave us one side filet. Grilled with EOO minced garlic, lemon , salt, pepper skin side down. Outstanding!!
From: notme
21-May-18
The bigger fish are just starting to move into the housy here in ct..alwives have been sparse but around , big pods of bunker in some harbors..yellow eyed demons are in jersey moving fast
From: Dthfrmabove
21-May-18
Lots of them around down here. Schoolies with keepers to 32” mixed in. This coming week should break wide open with some good fish
From: Will
21-May-18
I'm seeing lots of reports of guys getting into fish up to the low 30's (inches) in CT/RI in smaller streams, trib's to major rivers...
From: xi
21-May-18
From: Murphy31
21-May-18
No fish in Holyoke don't waste your time
From: Come november
21-May-18
Mackerel in cape cod bay
From: BruceP
21-May-18
Surfland on Plum Island weighed in their first keeper of the year a few days ago. Caught by a 90 year old guy out surfcasting the mouth of the Merrimack. Hope that's me someday :-)
From: BruceP
21-May-18
BruceP's Link
From: huntskifishcook
21-May-18
Sounds like it's slowly heating up out there. Can't wait to hook up with one that'll get the reel screaming in the coming weeks!
Bruce, that is incredible! I hope I'm still out that at that age also.
From: jdrdeerslayer
21-May-18
ill be on the merrimack this weekend...brought my boat uo there for the summer sunday
From: xi
22-May-18
Awesome piece on Bob, thank you !
From: Dthfrmabove
22-May-18
That right there is a legend!!!
From: Jebediah
22-May-18
Wow there’s no way that guy is 90. I hope to look that good when I’m 60.
From: Will
22-May-18
Super star!
From: BruceP
22-May-18
Love the last pic in that Surfland piece, ICE FISHING for stripers on the Parker River. Never knew that was even a thing...
From: Come november
22-May-18
Pretty sure the ice fishing picture is a joke. He plucked a mount off the wall for a gag photo.
From: Come november
22-May-18
By the way, a canal rat told me there was a few decent bass taken at the canal this morning.
From: bowandspear
23-May-18
bowandspear's Link
Us freedivers have been watching them arrive, enjoy the vid . My shop sponsored diver off Newport RI second week of May.
From: bowandspear
23-May-18
And the Bob Smith article... The last pic, 1964 Parker River Ice Fishing Stripers! That's 10 different flavors of awesome!
From: Let's Go
24-May-18
Nice link BruceP. I new Bob when he owned his 23' MacKenzie Bass Boat "Keeper". I was the Commodore of the MacKenzie Boat Club back then. His fishing stories were legendary! Let's Go
From: Dthfrmabove
24-May-18
Here is one of the two properties I am currently working on in upper buzzards bay. Killing me to not even have the time to cast the pole !!! The fish are here now so someone please get out there and show me some pics so I can wallow in my own self induced pity !!!!!
From: huntskifishcook
24-May-18
Dth, there is nothing I would like to do more than assist you in your self induced pity by posting some striper pics. There just doesn't seem to be a whole lot of them this far north yet. I was throwing a 4" swim bait the other day and it was getting bumped alot, but they were all real small. I think things will be changing around here in the next week or so.
From: Skippah
26-May-18
Buzzards Bay kayak striper last night
From: Dthfrmabove
26-May-18
Nice!!!!! Upper BB ? PM me if you don’t want to post it. Friends went out front of a river last night. Real windy and did well
From: bigsevig
27-May-18
chatham.
From: Dthfrmabove
27-May-18
Well couldn’t sleep this morning and got out for an hour or so. Got a half dozen ranging from 14” - 33”. Got my fix now and can head to work in a half hour
From: Moons22
27-May-18
Blue fish were killing us this am! Quick 100 bucks of gear down the drain. A few small stripes on the south side beaches. Pulled an all nighter was hoping for better results!!!
From: Dthfrmabove
27-May-18
Boat or beach moons ?? PM me the details would love to get into blues. I will share a little info with ya too
From: Skippah
27-May-18
Nice job guys, ya dth it was an upper b bay river
From: huntskifishcook
27-May-18
I do love me some smoked bluefish!
From: DanaC
27-May-18
Some friends are getting them in the Connecticut River here in Mass. 20+ pounds, Agawam area.
From: DanaC
27-May-18
https://www.onthewater.com/news/2018/05/25/striper-migration-map-may-25-2018
From: huntskifishcook
28-May-18
Overrun with little schoolies here on the north shore. Still waiting on some bigger fish to show up.
From: Skippah
30-May-18
Canal fish this morning with a guppy pencil
From: Skippah
30-May-18
From: Moons22
30-May-18
Nice! Dth and myself were battling this morning. Got a few smaller keepers and one for dinner!
From: Dthfrmabove
30-May-18
Nice !!! I can say without a doubt. That moons is a killer in the water and out of the water. Is nothing safe in this world from him???? Good to see you moons. If you’re going fri or sat nite I am in.
From: huntskifishcook
30-May-18
You guys down south are killing me! Still waiting on consistent keeper action up here.
From: BruceP
01-Jun-18
How far north you fish Joe?
Hit the mouth of the Merrimack for this mornings low. Was there from about 6-8 and ended up with 11 schoolies, biggest being about 20 inches. Nothing to write home about but still a fun morning.
From: Will
01-Jun-18
Sounds like things are getting good out there!
From: Dthfrmabove
03-Jun-18
So just got done cutting the lawn and I turn on the tv. It’s on the outdoor channel and it’s a show on largemouth bass fishing.
I got a big chuckle because this guy is telling us to use 50 lb braid on a medium heavy 8 ft rod because you have to get a good hook set and pull these fish out of the weedbeds
WTF are you kidding me !!!! These fish are 4 lbs he is catching and I only use 40 lb braid for stripers up to 50 lbs in a 4 knot current from shore with no boat to motor up to them. This guy is catching fish that mine eat!! And he is using 50 lb and grunting and groaning like it’s a “ baby whale “
Effin jokers I tell ya
From: huntskifishcook
03-Jun-18
Bruce, I do most of my fishing on the south side of Cape Ann Salem/Beverly/Manchester/Gloucester area. I'm heading out around 10 tonight to catch the incoming tide, hoping to finally put one on my cutting board!
Dth, I've always chuckled about that also. I use 40 lb braid like you for stripers and I've used 12 lb trilene xt mono for freshwater bass/pike for years. Pulled some monsters out of the slop and never had an issue.
From: Jebediah
03-Jun-18
Have planned to start stripers for several years—but I have a fear related to what you’re describing. If I get a 20-, 30-, 40-pound striper, then how am I going to feel about a 5-pound largemouth?
From: huntskifishcook
03-Jun-18
Lost 3 lures to a ravenous school of bluefish tonight. Never had so much bluefish action after dark. Have any of you guys experienced that before?
From: Dthfrmabove
04-Jun-18
Jeb. As far as fresh water fish are concerned they are bait. Unless I am targeting pike. I do hit the rivers for trout sometimes but it’s just not the same
I used to fish wachusett res a lot and that was a ton of fun but once I started catching fish 30 pounds and up it was over. that’s what ruined it for me
From: BQP
02-Sep-18
Some fish from 2 good trips to the canal out of about 8 or so total trips this year
From: Will
02-Sep-18
Nice! Migration should be starting soon eh?
From: GED
02-Sep-18
Canal schoolies!
From: Dthfrmabove
03-Sep-18
Funny seeing this thread brought back to life considering how dead the fishing has been. Got tired of the crowds and nonsense down the ditch and have graduated to something a little bigger. I used to hit the Canal an average of 4-5 times a week, now I think I have been there 7 times this year. I don’t miss it one bit. Plenty of other fish and other places to feed the addiction. Lol
From: peterk1234
03-Sep-18
There was some good fishing but like Dthfrmabove said, the place has turned into a $hit show. One of the most disappointing things I have seen in a long time. Really gives fishermen a bad name.
From: Buckshot89
04-Sep-18
Yup. No more canal for me at least during the day on weekends. Night time during the week is manageable. Live lined macks just outside the mouth of the Merrimack river yesterday with not much luck. My father and I landed two schoolies nothing over 25 inches. Caught maybe 30 macks in 10 minutes though, completely packed my livewell. Beautiful day to be out, but the wales had pushed a ton of bait against the beaches and at the mouth i'm assuming because we got there early caught our bait literally within feet of one of the channel markers and there was probably 40 boats around once the ebb started around 7AM drifting macks. A lot of seals swimming around as well could of scattered the fish. Regardless loved every minute of it. The fall run is about to start and deer season is right in the mix. This is the best time of year!
From: xi
04-Sep-18
Nice fish everyone
