afishinado
Moderator
Staff member
Here is some Striper FFing info sent to me by a former member that now lives on the coast in New England and is an expert SW FFer.
Striper fishing - or more precisely knowing the areas where stripers most likely will be found during the spring, summer and fall seasons - is driven primarily by the moon cycle/phase. Is is something many folks don't understand. The moon cycle can be divided into 2 segments - ascending from new moon to full moon and descending from full to new - and within each segment are 2 distinct phases - the ascent has new moon to half moon and half moon to full moon and the descent has full moon to half moon and half moon to new moon. New moon to new moon is the monthly cycle.
Each of the 4 phases within a cycle brings different tides and intensities, which is why baitfish may be in an area for 3-5 days then vanish. The monthly moon cycle is generally as follows. New moon has new fish moving into a new area. Fish may start arriving in new areas 2-3 days before the start of the 3 day new moon period and be gone 2 days after the 3 day period ends with fishing generally peaking on the day of new moon (the day of new moon has the strongest tidal currents, it is an increasing energy level from half moon approaching new moon and then a decreasing energy level from new to half). Now, within that 6-8 day range wind can have a major influence on exactly where stripers are located and how they are feeding.
As the moon goes from new to half, the fish generally move to a new "staging area," which may or may not be close by, and stay there during the half moon phase.
As the moon goes from half to full moon, the energy levels start increasing again and the fish typically return to the same areas as new moon beginning to arrive 2-3 days before the start of the 3 day full moon period.
As the moon goes from full to half, fish will move and migrate to a new staging area and arrive in a new area on the next new moon.
As the moon goes from half to new, the energy level starts increasing and fish move into a new area.
The migration north in the spring and south in the fall is all moon phase driven and the areas the fish frequent are driven by the moon phase.
Now, other variables that affect striper fishing are surf direction/intensity and wind direction/intensity.
Simplifying, the moon creates tides, tides creates current, wind moves and locates current, as well as creates or flattens surf, and current and surf locates baitfish and stripers. The ocean is dynamic and there are 4 tides a day so things are constantly changing and generally wind direction changes on the tidal turn. Believe me, a 5% shift in wind direction can relocate fish immediately. Wind has a tremendous affect on fish location, much more than most believe. I have witnessed firsthand on many occasions a place go dead or burst alive with a slight change in wind direction or speed. I have also witnessed instances where fish are busting everywhere when there is no wind and then there is a 10min period of slight wind and the fishing dies immediately. As soon as the wind stops it's alive again. Why? I don't know but wind has a TREMENDOUS impact on striper fishing.
Another thing, a certain place may only produce for an hour midway through the flood under an east wind during new/full moon phases of spring and under all other conditions will be devoid of fish. But that place under those conditions in the spring is almost guaranteed to turn on. Or some places may produce at all times during the summer as long as there is a strong NE wind. Those places do exist it just takes a lot of on water experience to find them. Fish don't randomly show up - there is a reason why they are there.
Bottom line, in salt water fishing you really need hours on the water and keep a fishing journal. You want to be the one giving the reports because if you are listening to the reports, you missed it. Example, you kill them standing on this specific point/bar/rock/beach at such and such location - that tells you NOTHING without knowing the date, time, moon phase, stage of the tide, wind direction/speed, and the surf direction/intensity. The fish were there BECAUSE OF THOSE CONDITIONS and not because they haven't seen the place in 3 years and wanted to visit. I can guarantee you that the combination of those variables is what turned that spot on. Make a note of it. When those conditions reoccur, go there. It will happen year to year. It's not like trout fishing where the fish are confined between 2 banks, wind has very little effect on current (except on large rivers) and water flow is relatively consistent. The ocean is dynamic and the fish move with moon phase and current. Remember, areas that are 6' deep at high tide may be bone dry at low tide during new/full moon phase while 4' and 1' deep during half moon phases. That affects how that area fishes.
So you need to build a fishing log and the way to do that is fish a particular spot through an entire tide. If you are serious, during the spring pick 1 spot and fish it as much as you can during different tides and moon phases. You probably will find that during certain conditions it turns on. You now know the time to go and more importantly when NOT to go. Do this for the entire season picking 1-2 spots in the summer and 1-2 spots in the fall. I know this is a lot of work and everyone can't do but Im saying this because that's how you figure out the ocean. It's data building. Next season repeat with different areas. Next thing you know after 4-5 years you will have found spring, summer, and fall spots that you can be pretty sure of catching fish under almost any tide/surf/wind condition. It really can be predictable. There are places I know that during June - October on an incoming tide with a strong SW wind and SE surf will turn on within 1min of the first wave cresting the rocky ledge 30' offshore and creating a wash. But that only happens when it's dark out. And if the waves and wind aren't strong enough to create that wash, or too strong and create a whirlpool, the fish won't be there. It is a certain condition that happens in the first 1-3 hours of the flood but only when it is dark. So what does that mean? It means if dead LT is 6pm in July it's just about dark at 930 but by 930 that wash is long gone because the tide has come in too much so it's a useless spot to fish that night but if it's late September and it gets dark at 730 it's worth going unless I know the surf and wind are really strong. So through building a fishing log, I've identified the correct time and condition to fish this place and during other times I seek other spots. And find them. So now I can fish multiple spots during a tide because I know where the fish move as the tide changes.
The ocean is intimidating and chaotic but the stripers do follow a specific order. They are lazy and opportunistic and take what is created and given to them by nature.
Lastly, fly fishing for stripers is different than spin fishing for stripers. Everyone fly fishes like they are spin fishing (sinking line, cast as far as you can and rapidly retrieve and hope for success). Fly fishing for stripers is no different than fly fishing for trout. You are fishing currents and presenting a fly to the fish. What I can tell you is there are times when a fly rod will totally outperform a spin rod, most times they will perform equally if the fly rod is fished properly and some times a spin rod outperforms. But overall I am convinced a fly rod will outperform a spin rod when in the hands of an experience fly guy and obviously if the fish are within FF casting range.
Personally I'm not a fan of sinking lines. All the experts seem to think sinking line is the way they to go because it cuts through the surf and gets the fly deep. Extend the leader. Let the current sink the fly. Floating line stays on the surface (but can be sunk) and when on the surface you can control the line. Lift and flip over the surf. It takes practice and a rod/line heavier than 8wt. I use a 10wt rod with 12wt line. BTW When I first started any surf over 1' was disaster in controlling the fly. I can now keep and maneuver a fly in the water for 5min in surf to 4' provided wave spacing is sufficient. Lift and flip over the curls. Feed line. Mend. Flip. Get the fly into the rip currents. Let the current take the fly to the fish
And for beach fishing observe the surf. All surf on the beach consists of right and left moving water that converges and forms a return "river" to the ocean. The saying what goes up must come down, well same with the surf. What water hits the beach must return to the ocean. And the beach is a series of small rivers that actually goes UNDER the incoming surf and the current will pull a floating line under the surf and out to the bars and the beauty is the line in close will float and you flip and mend the line. Takes practice but that's how it's done. And Observe observe observe!!!!! Generally these return currents are about 100-150' apart and they can relocate with stage of tide. But that's where the big stripers will locate. Many times FF see a blitz on the beach and start distance casting and rapidly retrieving. That can work but don't be afraid to work the return rip current. Let your fly drift back under the surf by the current. Cast and work the rip from both sides. Can't tell you how many times I would drift a fly in a rip current from the left side for nothing but cast back when I'm on the right side and pull several fish out. Again, stripers use current to feed and the largest stripers are the laziest stripers and they will be waiting for bait to drift to them. The surf tosses the bait on the beach and the rip currents concentrate the bait in a little river and delivers it right to the stripers.
Again, Striper fishing is not random and can be predicted most of the time once you have a good data base. All the best have learned through experience AND OBSERVATION what works when and where and most importantly what doesn't work. Failures are just as important as successes. They tell you where not to fish under what conditions. During the summer months, if you fish a spot at 4 different tidal conditions and the wind is coming from the SW on all occasions you got nothing, you've learned under a SW wind that spot probably doesn't produce. Go there on a NW wind. Nothing. Try an E wind. Bingo! Now you know that spot produces at this tide stage, moon phase, wind/surf. Record conditions on your log. Understand the environment. If the fish were feeding in 6' of water and an hour from now they gone, they probably have moved to the new 6' of water. Remember is the tide rising or dropping? Know what's happening. Know the wind direction. Be aware of slight changes in wind speed and/or direction. Same for surf.
Striper fishing - or more precisely knowing the areas where stripers most likely will be found during the spring, summer and fall seasons - is driven primarily by the moon cycle/phase. Is is something many folks don't understand. The moon cycle can be divided into 2 segments - ascending from new moon to full moon and descending from full to new - and within each segment are 2 distinct phases - the ascent has new moon to half moon and half moon to full moon and the descent has full moon to half moon and half moon to new moon. New moon to new moon is the monthly cycle.
Each of the 4 phases within a cycle brings different tides and intensities, which is why baitfish may be in an area for 3-5 days then vanish. The monthly moon cycle is generally as follows. New moon has new fish moving into a new area. Fish may start arriving in new areas 2-3 days before the start of the 3 day new moon period and be gone 2 days after the 3 day period ends with fishing generally peaking on the day of new moon (the day of new moon has the strongest tidal currents, it is an increasing energy level from half moon approaching new moon and then a decreasing energy level from new to half). Now, within that 6-8 day range wind can have a major influence on exactly where stripers are located and how they are feeding.
As the moon goes from new to half, the fish generally move to a new "staging area," which may or may not be close by, and stay there during the half moon phase.
As the moon goes from half to full moon, the energy levels start increasing again and the fish typically return to the same areas as new moon beginning to arrive 2-3 days before the start of the 3 day full moon period.
As the moon goes from full to half, fish will move and migrate to a new staging area and arrive in a new area on the next new moon.
As the moon goes from half to new, the energy level starts increasing and fish move into a new area.
The migration north in the spring and south in the fall is all moon phase driven and the areas the fish frequent are driven by the moon phase.
Now, other variables that affect striper fishing are surf direction/intensity and wind direction/intensity.
Simplifying, the moon creates tides, tides creates current, wind moves and locates current, as well as creates or flattens surf, and current and surf locates baitfish and stripers. The ocean is dynamic and there are 4 tides a day so things are constantly changing and generally wind direction changes on the tidal turn. Believe me, a 5% shift in wind direction can relocate fish immediately. Wind has a tremendous affect on fish location, much more than most believe. I have witnessed firsthand on many occasions a place go dead or burst alive with a slight change in wind direction or speed. I have also witnessed instances where fish are busting everywhere when there is no wind and then there is a 10min period of slight wind and the fishing dies immediately. As soon as the wind stops it's alive again. Why? I don't know but wind has a TREMENDOUS impact on striper fishing.
Another thing, a certain place may only produce for an hour midway through the flood under an east wind during new/full moon phases of spring and under all other conditions will be devoid of fish. But that place under those conditions in the spring is almost guaranteed to turn on. Or some places may produce at all times during the summer as long as there is a strong NE wind. Those places do exist it just takes a lot of on water experience to find them. Fish don't randomly show up - there is a reason why they are there.
Bottom line, in salt water fishing you really need hours on the water and keep a fishing journal. You want to be the one giving the reports because if you are listening to the reports, you missed it. Example, you kill them standing on this specific point/bar/rock/beach at such and such location - that tells you NOTHING without knowing the date, time, moon phase, stage of the tide, wind direction/speed, and the surf direction/intensity. The fish were there BECAUSE OF THOSE CONDITIONS and not because they haven't seen the place in 3 years and wanted to visit. I can guarantee you that the combination of those variables is what turned that spot on. Make a note of it. When those conditions reoccur, go there. It will happen year to year. It's not like trout fishing where the fish are confined between 2 banks, wind has very little effect on current (except on large rivers) and water flow is relatively consistent. The ocean is dynamic and the fish move with moon phase and current. Remember, areas that are 6' deep at high tide may be bone dry at low tide during new/full moon phase while 4' and 1' deep during half moon phases. That affects how that area fishes.
So you need to build a fishing log and the way to do that is fish a particular spot through an entire tide. If you are serious, during the spring pick 1 spot and fish it as much as you can during different tides and moon phases. You probably will find that during certain conditions it turns on. You now know the time to go and more importantly when NOT to go. Do this for the entire season picking 1-2 spots in the summer and 1-2 spots in the fall. I know this is a lot of work and everyone can't do but Im saying this because that's how you figure out the ocean. It's data building. Next season repeat with different areas. Next thing you know after 4-5 years you will have found spring, summer, and fall spots that you can be pretty sure of catching fish under almost any tide/surf/wind condition. It really can be predictable. There are places I know that during June - October on an incoming tide with a strong SW wind and SE surf will turn on within 1min of the first wave cresting the rocky ledge 30' offshore and creating a wash. But that only happens when it's dark out. And if the waves and wind aren't strong enough to create that wash, or too strong and create a whirlpool, the fish won't be there. It is a certain condition that happens in the first 1-3 hours of the flood but only when it is dark. So what does that mean? It means if dead LT is 6pm in July it's just about dark at 930 but by 930 that wash is long gone because the tide has come in too much so it's a useless spot to fish that night but if it's late September and it gets dark at 730 it's worth going unless I know the surf and wind are really strong. So through building a fishing log, I've identified the correct time and condition to fish this place and during other times I seek other spots. And find them. So now I can fish multiple spots during a tide because I know where the fish move as the tide changes.
The ocean is intimidating and chaotic but the stripers do follow a specific order. They are lazy and opportunistic and take what is created and given to them by nature.
Lastly, fly fishing for stripers is different than spin fishing for stripers. Everyone fly fishes like they are spin fishing (sinking line, cast as far as you can and rapidly retrieve and hope for success). Fly fishing for stripers is no different than fly fishing for trout. You are fishing currents and presenting a fly to the fish. What I can tell you is there are times when a fly rod will totally outperform a spin rod, most times they will perform equally if the fly rod is fished properly and some times a spin rod outperforms. But overall I am convinced a fly rod will outperform a spin rod when in the hands of an experience fly guy and obviously if the fish are within FF casting range.
Personally I'm not a fan of sinking lines. All the experts seem to think sinking line is the way they to go because it cuts through the surf and gets the fly deep. Extend the leader. Let the current sink the fly. Floating line stays on the surface (but can be sunk) and when on the surface you can control the line. Lift and flip over the surf. It takes practice and a rod/line heavier than 8wt. I use a 10wt rod with 12wt line. BTW When I first started any surf over 1' was disaster in controlling the fly. I can now keep and maneuver a fly in the water for 5min in surf to 4' provided wave spacing is sufficient. Lift and flip over the curls. Feed line. Mend. Flip. Get the fly into the rip currents. Let the current take the fly to the fish
And for beach fishing observe the surf. All surf on the beach consists of right and left moving water that converges and forms a return "river" to the ocean. The saying what goes up must come down, well same with the surf. What water hits the beach must return to the ocean. And the beach is a series of small rivers that actually goes UNDER the incoming surf and the current will pull a floating line under the surf and out to the bars and the beauty is the line in close will float and you flip and mend the line. Takes practice but that's how it's done. And Observe observe observe!!!!! Generally these return currents are about 100-150' apart and they can relocate with stage of tide. But that's where the big stripers will locate. Many times FF see a blitz on the beach and start distance casting and rapidly retrieving. That can work but don't be afraid to work the return rip current. Let your fly drift back under the surf by the current. Cast and work the rip from both sides. Can't tell you how many times I would drift a fly in a rip current from the left side for nothing but cast back when I'm on the right side and pull several fish out. Again, stripers use current to feed and the largest stripers are the laziest stripers and they will be waiting for bait to drift to them. The surf tosses the bait on the beach and the rip currents concentrate the bait in a little river and delivers it right to the stripers.
Again, Striper fishing is not random and can be predicted most of the time once you have a good data base. All the best have learned through experience AND OBSERVATION what works when and where and most importantly what doesn't work. Failures are just as important as successes. They tell you where not to fish under what conditions. During the summer months, if you fish a spot at 4 different tidal conditions and the wind is coming from the SW on all occasions you got nothing, you've learned under a SW wind that spot probably doesn't produce. Go there on a NW wind. Nothing. Try an E wind. Bingo! Now you know that spot produces at this tide stage, moon phase, wind/surf. Record conditions on your log. Understand the environment. If the fish were feeding in 6' of water and an hour from now they gone, they probably have moved to the new 6' of water. Remember is the tide rising or dropping? Know what's happening. Know the wind direction. Be aware of slight changes in wind speed and/or direction. Same for surf.
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