Striper time in NNJ

Def a blitz bite thus far. Peanuts. Have to just be there on the right beach at the right time, and they are moving fast. Much like last year, when there were not (m)any sandeels or fish related to soft structure. Basically a crapshoot unless you get on a boat. Fun when you are lucky, however!
 
Yow!! >

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Yes. It’s been going on for the boaters since about the third or last week in Oct. The surf has gotten pretty active with close to shore and some on shore blitzes within about the past ten days, but as usual you have to be at the right place at the right time to find a blitz, which for surf anglers that means it’s a crap shoot unless they drive the beaches. The week of Thanksgiving and the week after are usually the weeks with the most “guarantees.” As for surf fly anglers, be smart if you have to drive any distance or can’t get there frequently. Carry a spinning rod too. You don’t want to be the only one not catching fish because the only blitz of the day is too far out for fly fishing and the spin guys are hammering them.
 
I have always wanted to night fish stripers. Anyone shore fish em at night this time of year? I heard about the summer time Squid Spey swing game but didn’t know if its productive around Turkey day.
 
Yes, the fish hit lures and bait day and night, but dusk and early darkness are reputed to be better as well as whatever pre-dawn is and of course dawn. But people do catch them well into the night. Not as many night sensory problems for them as humans.

The good thing about daylight is that you can often see where the clouds of baitfish are as well as where the stripers and birds are diving on the bait while stripers surface feed too.
 
Mike said:
Yes, the fish hit lures and bait day and night, but dusk and early darkness are reputed to be better as well as whatever pre-dawn is and of course dawn. But people do catch them well into the night. Not as many night sensory problems for them as humans.

The good thing about daylight is that you can often see where the clouds of baitfish are as well as where the stripers and birds are diving on the bait while stripers surface feed too.
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Yea that makes sense, i get the sense that these guys and gals on podcast talking about swinging squids in back bays and points in summer are dealing with more spread out fish than when there is bait balls to the visual aspect counts for less when no bait balls making night fishing in summer a little less feast or famine?
 
Got into a good number in the 26 to 29 inch range on Wed from the beaches in Monmouth County. Not on the fly rod, however. I still moonlight as gear guy in the salt water 🎣

Tide and wind seem to trump all other things in this kind of blitz bite if you are land based. They will pin the schools of peanuts to the beach in high tide. If water is low, clear, and it's sunny, they may take runs across the bar, but tend to stay away from the surf zone and may used the slope of the second bar to corral. Hence all the boats in that slightly out of casting-distance distance.....

If we get a return of sandeels, which were absent last year, then the bite is a first light/last light thing, and fish will slow down and camp out while the bait does the same. Right now, fish are moving due south at a steady clip, pods coming in waves, so feast or famine....
 
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Been the best fall in a long time. Daytime blitz where are pretty easy to find if your familiar with jersey and a better night bite. One night I had well over 30 fish slot sized to 20 pounds, stopped counting. nothing caught on flies. Haven’t even tried fly fishing form them for a few years. started building plugs thats my new addiction.
 

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marcq said:
Been the best fall in a long time. Daytime blitz where are pretty easy to find if your familiar with jersey and a better night bite. One night I had well over 30 fish slot sized to 20 pounds, stopped counting. nothing caught on flies. Haven’t even tried fly fishing form them for a few years. started building plugs thats my new addiction.
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Mos def! Got into them again today. Adult bunker not peanuts today. A lot of fun.

btw, if I catch a double and one is on the deceiver teaser, is that fly fishing? I could crop out the swimmer behind it so it looks like it 😉
 
I fly fish for stripers almost exclusively at night from the kayak and then sometimes wade for them on flats. They really smash clousers better than any other species even better than smallmouth bass. I occasionally catch them by accident during the day while blue fishing. When they are in their spring and fall migration patterns it is definitely a be there at the right time deal but fishing bridge and dock lights is consistent all year even through the winter. Match your rod to the size of the fish and you will have a lot of fun!
 

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