Summer is Striper Time

Although you can technically catch striped bass in every coastal state in the U.S., their primary range falls between North Carolina and Maine on the East Coast. And in that part of the world — particularly the northern end — the striper is viewed with a reverence that few other fish enjoy anywhere.

Maybe that’s because people in the Northeast lose half of their season to winter every year, so they’re just thrilled to get back out there and go fishing when springtime rolls around. But we all know that’s not the case. In the minds of those who pursue them with a passion bordering on obsession (you know who you are), the striped bass reigns supreme.

I must admit that I think they’re pretty cool too, mainly because they swim in some beautiful places, where catching them comes with the added benefit of incredible scenery. I’ve caught stripers from North Carolina’s Oregon Inlet in the frigid days of a December cold front, north to Maine’s Sheepscot River in the dead of summer, and everywhere in between. You can catch striped bass in a wide variety of ways — on live or dead bait, or on artificials — in a tremendous number of differing locales.

Every year differs in terms of where the bass will be most abundant, but my favorite way to target them is with topwater lures around rocks along the shorelines of islands or the mainland. From Maine through New York’s Long Island Sound, you’ll find literally hundreds of miles of potentially awesome bass habitat. The stripers lurk around those rocks, waiting for an easy meal as baitfish, squid, or even crabs get washed by with the tide.

My favorite place to throw topwaters is around the islands of coastal Massachusetts, including Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, and the Elizabeth Islands. The rocky coastlines of these scenic islands provide perfect striper habitat, and working the boulders and rocky ledges with a noisy plug is serious fun. The stripers strike hard, and a bite on a topwater plug is a magical experience.

Poppers are a great choice, as are Zara Spooks and the local favorite, the Danny Plug. Toss one of the above as close as you can to a large rock, right in the foam, work it back toward you with a vigorous motion, and hang on. When the bite comes — and it will — it will be an event not soon forgotten.

It doesn’t get much better than New England striped bass in the summer.