Delaware River Estuary striper run over

[Mike]

Most of the striped bass that were part of the 2013 spawning population in the Delaware have for the most part begun their out-migration. Limited spawning was still occurring at one site we visited on Tuesday in Phila. Anglers targeting stripers will still find some adults at Trenton Falls, while a low density of adults will be found farther upriver....Scudders Falls, below New Hope, and other traditional spots (cold creek mouths, for instance, on the Pa and NJ side)...as the next few weeks progress. Based on tag return info (we've tagged close to 4000 adults since 1994) a very, very small percentage of the adult stripers ascend the non-tidal Delaware post-spawning. Typical catches in the non-tidal Delaware from now through early Sept are fish between 1-3 years of age (18 inches or less). The non-tidal Delaware serves as nursery water, as do the tidal sections of tributaries to the tidal Delaware (Delware Estuary) in Pa. By the way, the largest fish we tagged this year was nearly 49 inches long and was captured in central Philadelphia (electrofishing) on May 8. It had already completed spawning.

 

[fishngun]

So what about the resident fish that inhabit the river year round? I have seen fish in the 30+ inch range blitzing on bait in August. I have caught them spring through fall. I know they are here. I'm sure the numbers aren't as high as the spawning run but I have a hunch they are more prevalent that people think. Maybe not the big cows, but good numbers of 20 to mid 30 inch fish. Thoughts?

 

[Mike]

fishgun,
Refer to the tag return info presented above. It is also true for the tidal portion of the Delaware that jointly borders Pa and NJ with respect to how many (the low percentage) remain in that stretch through summer and fall. We receive few tag returns from the tidal stretch of the Delaware other than in late spring. We receive even fewer from the non-tidal stretch (one or two tag returns from non-tidal water since 1995).

FYI:The fish that we tag are all 16 inches long and longer.