MV Derby 2011 is Underway and Over-exciting

It is over-exciting for me atleast. I can't get enough of the Derby, even though I haven't weighed a fish in for the past three years. Does that make any sense? Probably not since I did have a shot at a few daily prizes and potential mystery prizes, but its not all about the prizes to me. I try to tell myself that I'm fishing for a grand prize winner, and I check the leader boards frequently to know what it will take.

I'm leaving for the island Saturday am, and can hardly wait as I sit in the office writing this post. In fact, this is a pretty pointless blog post, since I'm writing it mainly so I can release some excitement and make it through these final two days of work before I leave for a week of Derby fishing. I'll try to make this post valuable by adding some Derby advice - something that may help the angler who is only there for a short time (a week, a weekend, a day) be successful.

Tip #1: Have fun. Don't worry about catching a grand prize winner. In fact, a good portion of derby winners have been inexperienced, yet extremely lucky anglers, just enjoying themselves on the island, while other experienced, diehard anglers can fish the Derby their entire lives without claiming the top prize.

Tip #2: Go to the Derby Headquarters at some point between 8am and 10am or 8pm and 10pm. Even if you're not weighing in a fish you can get some great Keurig coffee, some stickers, brochures, some cool Derby gear, and you can even check the wharf to see whats going on.

Tip #3: Stay safe. Weather this time of year can be downright nasty. No fish is worth putting your life on the line. Keep a constant eye on the weather.

I am going to try my best to post next week while I am on the island. Hopefully I'll have some good pics, stories, and reports - but we'll see.

Tight Lines

The Martha's Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby

The Martha's Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby, or more popularly know simply as "The Derby," is one of the oldest and most prestigious fishing tournaments on the east coast. In less than two weeks, the 66th annual Derby will begin, drawing anglers from across the world to the waters of Martha's Vineyard. Though the Derby was started as a way to generate off season revenue by an advertising executive and the ferry company, it is now run by a non-profit committee, with all the proceeds going to scholarships for local kids. All prizes are donated, including the grand prizes, an Eastern boat and Chevy truck. I won't give too much of a background, because authors David Kinney and Robert Post have given excellent descriptions and stories in their works "The Big One," and "Reading the Water." I recommend giving each a read.

The Derby is more than just the hunt for a trophy fish that will lead to some really cool prizes. It is a combination of passion, comraderie, skill, luck, and most importantly, fun. Though I've been a fan of the Derby all my life, this fall will mark only the third Derby that I've registered for. For some reason my parents didn't let me miss school to travel with my old man to fish the Derby every year like he did (I think this will be his 35th consecutive year). Now that I've been out of college for three years, I am taken over by Derby fever each fall.

Though it began as a primarily shore fishing tournament, the Derby has transformed to suit a variety of anglers. Whether you are the hardcore wetsuit-clad surfcaster; the daytime bait soaker; the dedicated fly fisherman; or the boat/shore/light tackle/somewhat serious surfcaster like me, the Derby has what you're looking for, even if you never weigh in a fish. The history, the pursuit, the luck, the skill, the heartbreak, the success; in the the end it all results in a truly spectacular experience.

I am heading to the Island on 9/16 for the entire week, and can hardly wait. If you haven't experienced what the Derby has to offer, I highly recommend checking it out. There is no place I'd rather be between September 11, 2011 and October 15, 2011. Plus, I hear they have trucker hats this year.

Check out the Derby website and Facebook page for more info. I'll do my best to post updates, reports, and more while I'm there.

Wire leader or no wire leader? That is the question.

I hate to lose lures. For some reason, the thought of losing even a $3 bucktail jig really upsets me. I know that it is best to fish your jigs or plugs close to the bottom for bass, so I’m ok with the occasional lost lure if I’m flirting with the bottom, but when I’m cut off by a bluefish, I just really feel bad about it.

This past weekend, I was able to get out in the boat in Boston Harbor with my brother and father. We got out later than anticipated, but stumbled upon a school of mackerel that seemed content feasting on juvenile herring. I decided to fish the outside of the school with a small soft plastic shad hoping there may be some stripers around feeding on either the herring or mackerel. My brother put on the sabiki and tried getting a few macks to live line. It didn’t take long for me to hook up, but it wasn’t with a striper, or even a big optimistic mackerel, but rather with a ten pound bluefish. After a short fight, the razor sharp teeth found my 20lb mono leader and that blue was gone. In the meantime, my brother hooked up with a few mackerel that were nailed by a bluefish or school of bluefish on the way in. There was only one little hook left out of 6 on the sabiki rig.

Being the hopeful angler that I am, I still felt there would be bass hanging around this bait. I fixed up another rod with a 40lb mono leader and a slightly larger soft plastic and got back to work. A few casts later I hooked into a much better fish. After some good runs I got the fish to within sight of the boat. Turns out it was another bluefish, this time around 15 lbs. I could see that my line was in the danger zone near the corner of the blues jaw. As I reached to grab the fish, one quick move parted the line and off went my second lure for the day. I was upset.

I decided that even though there had been no surface action and no blitzing fish that I was going to put a wire leader on and a topwater plug with a single siwash. By now the bait had dispersed and it was looking pretty disappointing. We came across a small commotion on the surface, which looked like a mackerel going after a juvenile baitfish. I decided to toss out my newly tied wire leader and topwater to see if there were any bluefish around. It didn’t take long before I had an explosion on my plug. I didn’t get a good look at the fish, but I assumed it was another good sized bluefish. After a couple good runs and some give and take, I got a glimpse of the fish. It was a nice bass.

That was all I caught for the rest of the morning. I need to learn how to take better pictures. This fished pulled the boga down to just below 20lbs. Something about the way it is held, or maybe it’s the white shirt, but to me, the fish looks small. Or maybe it is the crappy cell phone used to take it. I’m still bitter about losing the soft plastic shads, even though it only cost about $1.50.

Deep Water Near Shore for Summer Stripers

Targeting stripers in the heat of summer from shore can be tricky. One way to improve your odds is to find deep water close to shore. Now this doesn't have to water that is 60 feet deep, but look for areas where depths of 15 feet or more can be found close to shore.

One spot that I've had some success at on the North Shore has water that is between 15 and 20 feet deep immediatly off the rocks at low tide. This also means that as the tide rises there are some great points and troughs for bass to hunt prey and still have some deep water nearby. The image on the right shows a rocky outcropping at low tide. I was standing on a similar point and had depths of more than 10 feet right off the tips of my toes. This creates an excellent bass habitat, but also presents a safety concern. I encourage not wearing waders in such scenarios as one false step, or slip, can land you in some deep water. I prefer to fish these areas in the summer, which also allows me to wear a bathing suit, neoprene socks, and studded wading boots. This way, if I happen to fall in, I will not have to worry about waders filling up with water.

A great way to target areas like this is with bucktail jigs. I almost always carry Andrus Jetty Caster bucktails between 3/4oz and 1 1/2 oz, regardless of where I am fishing. Match them with a pork rind strip and you've got a deadly bass catcher. I stick to three colors: white, black, and yellow. Usually white will work day and night, but sometimes black seems to produce better on really dark nights. I really only use yellow if the water is murky or if fishing white water. Yellow seems to stand out better in these circumstances.

Here is a football of a fish taken at the spot pictured above on a 1oz bucktail near the bottom of the tide. Make sure you remain safe on the rocks, pick a good landing spot before you begin fishing, and keep an eye on the tide, swells, and current.

Find deep water near shore and you should find some fish. These areas are filled with prey, both of the fish and crustacean variety. Low light or no light periods are the way to go this time of year. Tight lines.

Beat the Heat with some Lunker Largemouth

Just when striper fishing starts to slow, fishing for their freshwater counterpart - the largemouth bass - heats up in Massachusetts. From mid-July through August largemouth fishing can be very good. One of the reasons largemouth activity increases during this time frame is the abundance of dragonflies. For some reason, largemouth love to eat dragonflies. I equate it to the love (or hatred) that stripers have for eels. You will often see dragonflies buzzing around areas loaded with lily pads and largies will shoot through the cover to slurp the dragonflies down. Quite a site to see.

Despite the warm temps, bass will get active during this time. Fishing a topwater frog or salad spoon across the lily pads is a sure way to draw strikes. My preferred method of pulling large bass, however, is to focus on the edges of lily pads and fish a weighted presentation. My favorite bait is actually the 3in chigger craw by Berkley. I feel that this bait mimics a dragonfly that has somehow managed to get trapped in the water and is slowly sinking presenting an easy meal for a largemouth. This tactic has produced numerous five pound and larger bass for me this summer.

When striper fishing gets slow, or moves to a strictly nocturnal affair, go down to your local pond and try some largemouth fishing. If you see dragonflies buzzing around, you're in a good spot. I would target these areas with weedless frogs or texas-rigged chigger craws, creatures, and rubber worms.

Don't forget a good pair of polarized shades either. Sometimes you'll spot a big largie cruising the shallows that will readily take a soft plastic pitched their way.

Quick North Shore Mass Fishing Report

I haven't been fishing much do to work and family obligations, but I have been out enough recently to give a short report. There certainly is no lack of bait anywhere from Boston Harbor to the NH border. I've seen mackerel, sand eels, sea herring, adult and peanut bunker, and juvenille herring and spearing. This plethora of bait should be yeilding great fishing, yet I have not been overly satisfied with the outcome of most of my haunts. There are certainly fish to be caught, but with the amount of bait I've seen in some places, I have been surprised that the fishing has not been better. With that being said, however, some anglers have been finding great blitzes, and have even tied into some very large fish.

One lure that seems to shine when there is such a wide variety of bait around is the bucktail jig. On a recent trip to a rocky outcropping on the North Shore I got into some good action with a 3/4 oz Andrus Jetty Caster bucktail. I am a huge fan of the Jetty Casters and recommend them for a variety of scenarios. In this case, the 3/4oz densely tied bucktail with a pork rind allowed me to fish a boulderfield successfully while keeping my presentation near the bottom where the bass where hiding. Unfortunately I lost the only 3/4oz jig I had on me that night due to the sharp craggy bottom. Lesson learned.

Though we have entered the "summer doldrums" there is still some great fishing to be had. With manageable temperatures at night and in the early am, I recommend getting out to your favorite beach or rock pile and trying your luck for some bass and blues. Nothing beats catching some fish and watching the sun rise. Try the river mouths in the area or find some deeper water close to shore. Live eels are a good bet at night, with bucktail jigs and soft plastics close behind. As the sun begins to rise don't be afraid to clip on a spook or popper.

Your Lucky Fishing Hat: More than a Mojo Builder?

Adjectives that descibe my favorite fishing hat: smelly, faded, salt-encrusted, lucky. The one adjective that is seldom listed, yet is one of the most important is: safe. I almost always wear a hat when I'm fishing. Not only does it look totally awesome, but it provides protection from the sun, the rain, and the occasional flying hazard, say a swimming plug with two treble hooks that somehow finds its way whizzing past my head.

The brim of a hat can help protect your face from being impaled by a hook, whether that hook is being cast by a partner next to you, or it is being spit from a fishes mouth as you reach to grab it. Having a hat on can be the difference between a hook in the face, and a close call. I encourage you to wear a hat, even when fishing at night, to help prevent any accidents.

While on the topic of safety, I'd like to address a little landing technique that will help keep everyone safer. Too often do I see someone reaching straight for the fishes mouth, which is always just out of reach, and in doing so they put tremendous stress on the line. If the fish happens to free itself from the hook, it is likely that the lure will come catapulting back toward you. To prevent this, I recommend angling your rod to either side when a fish is nearing you. Even a slight angle off center will prevent the plug from flying straight at you should it come loose. I also recommend using a leader and swivel, as this presents a spot where you can grab the line, especially when using braided lines. Grabbing the line a few feet above where the fish is hooked will take all that pressure of the line, and will not allow the catapulting effect mentioned earlier. Then place the rod under your armpit, slide your hand down to the lure, and grab the fish. Hopefully I'll have a video up soon of this landing method to help illustrate the point.

Back to hats. Here is a good selection from my favorite tackle shop: Hats

Tight lines - S.B.

Rigged Eels for Big Stripers

Eels have long been one of the top striper baits around, particularly along the New England coast. Some anglers become so heavily invested in live eel fishing that they build complex eel tanks in their garages, and either buy in bulk, or trap their own eels so they always have a healthy selection at their disposal. All this effort to fish eels is certainly worth it, as live eels account for incredible striped bass catches year after year.

I never really liked fishing live eels, even though my largest bass to date was taken on a live eel.  A few years ago I started to explore options with rigged eels, and have been extremely impressed. Though it takes some time to rig eels, and there is a bit of a learning curve, the effort is well worth it. Here are a few videos on how to rig eels, using a few different methods. The first features Rudy from the Saltwater Edge in RI, and the second, John Skinner from FishersLog and author of A Season on the Edge.

These two guys are excellent fishermen, and are great a rigging eels. If you want to try rigging some eels, you can't go wrong with either method. The zip tie method will save some time, while the rigging floss style leads to a more natural look and usually more durability. You decide which is best for you. Check out their YouTube channels to learn more: The Saltwater Edge and John Skinner.

Pencil Poppers for Big Stripers in New England

Despite my advice in the last post to fish deep for summer stripers, there are still some tactics from the spring that will work. One of my favorite tactics that I carry over from the spring is first light pencil popper fishing. Although summer stripers combat the hot summer sun by heading to deep water, they still spend their nights prowling the shallows for baitfish, crustatceans, and other prey. Fishing pencil poppers in a shallow boulder field, or even in deeper water like at the Cape Cod Canal, at first light can be a great way to catch large striped bass.

One reason why I believe pencil poppers (and spook baits alike) work so well at first light is because large profile baits, like pogies (bunker/menhaden) and snapper bluefish come into the areas as well, and the stripers are tight on their tails. Pencil poppers and spooks mimic these baitfish extremely well.

Due to their popularity, there is a wide selection of pencil poppers on the market today, ranging from inexpensive plastic models, to pricey custom built wood plugs, and even build your own plug kits. My favorite pencil over the past few years has been the Salty's 2.5 oz canal style lure kit. Not only do these plugs perform well, but it is also pretty fun painting and assembling them yourself.

Other great pencils include those from Left Hook, Afterhours, Guppy, Gibbs, and Cape Cod Tackle. For spooks it is tough to beat the Tattoo Sea Pup.

Next time you're out slinging eels all night, try to stick it out to first light, and clip on a pencil popper or spook. I prefer to work these lures slower and really emphasize the side to side movement of both, even though conventional pencil popper fisherman insist on whipping the tip back and forth to create a spastic movement. Both methods certainly work.

Here is a 44" striper I caught mid July last year on a pencil popper at first light. May have broke 30lbs, but it was fairly skinny. Not bad considering I had caught nothing throwing rigged eels most of the night.

-S.B.

Fish Soft Plastics Deep for Summer Stripers

As water temperatures rise, bass will seek deeper water. This statement is true for the entire striper coast. In my home waters of Boston Harbor and the North Shore, this usually begins to happen around early July. Although there has been some great blitzes (from what I hear) in my area recently, I can guarentee that the best way to target bigger fish is to get down deep, preferably anywhere from 30 to 60 ft deep. One of the best ways to target these fish is with soft plastic shads, such as the Tsunami or Storm shads.

Although stripers will frequent water deeper than 60 feet, I find that targeting them becomes more difficult and less fun. Targeting stripers that deep requires heavy gear and heavy lures, which can be very effective, but it takes a lot of the fun out of it in my eyes. I have, however, caught stripers on vertical jigs meant for tuna in 100 feet of water or more. (expect a blog on vertical jigging for stripers at a later date!)

Finding deep stripers is not an easy task, but if you have even a bottom line fish finder, and knowledge of structure and channels in the area, you will be able to find them. Focus your efforts around humps, rock piles, and soft structure (sand) that creates an ambush point for stripers. Find these areas and simply drop your soft plastic shads down to the bottom. It helps to use a shad that weighs around 2oz and braided line to help reduce line drag. Often times, the vibration of the paddle tail on the shad is enough to draw strikes. I've caught numerous big stripers out of the same school simply by dropping my swim shad down and letting the tail do the work. If fish are there, and your shad is in front of them, it is a good chance that they'll grab it.

Tsunami also makes 'Deep Shads" which are heavier and will hold bottom in water 50ft or more, assuming the current speed is moderate.

Next time you're out on the water try finding some deep structure and dropping down a soft plastic shad.

-S.B.

Bonito and Albie Fishing This Summer

Living up on the North Shore of MA makes it really hard to put in the time needed to effectively target and catch these speedsters. However, for those on the Cape and Islands, Buzzards Bay, Southern RI from Little Compton to Watch Hill and into CT, Albie and Bonito fishing is beginning to heat up. Anglers hurling small shiny tins like Deadly Dicks, Yozuri L-Jacks, Maria Jigs, and Pt. Judes at inlets, outflows, jetties, breachways, even open beaches will all have a shot at a bone or albie from now until October, assuming the bait is there to keep these fish feeding. I truly envy those who can target these speedsters every day.

I do however, get to fish for bones and albies almost excusively when I fish the Martha's Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby each year, and one lure that I love to use is the Spofford's Needlefish, originally made by Arnold Spofford on the Vineyard. Since Mr. Spofford's passing, these lures have become difficult to find, especially off the island of MV, so I suggest buying them up when you find them. The slim profile of these needlefish mimic sandeels and silversides perfectly, and draw some incredibly viscious strikes. I wrote an article in the August 2010 On The Water NE edition about using these baits for albies and bonito, so if you have that issue, you should take a look back at it.

Even though the Spofford Needle looks simple, and is not as flashy as the newer metal lures on the market, there is not doubting their effectiveness. A small selection of fishermen on the Vineyard and Nantucket know how well these lures work and use them excusively for bones and albies.

I recommend trying one of these if you can find them, or even using the smallest Super Strike or Choopy needles. Fish them with a fairly quick retrieve and impart action with the rod tip. I prefer to hold my tip down and to the side and impart the desired action by twitching the rod. When done correctly this will mimic a fleeing baitfish perfectly.

Don't forget the other topwater baits too. Jumpin Minnows, Tattoo Walking Sticks, and small pencil poppers all work extremely well.  Next time you're out fishing for funny fish, make sure you bring along a few topwaters. You won't be disappointed.

Tight Lines,
S.B.

The Heat of Summer for Some Hot Action

We've reached the second week of July, and judging by the recent heat wave, summer is definitely here. For a striper fisherman, this means that your success will improve as you go deeper or darker, and those day time blitzes that we all love will take a break until the fall migration starts.

With this heat comes the arrival of funny fish in our waters. Bonito, False Albacore, Spanish Mackerel, and the occasional King Mackerel and Jack Crevalle will make their way into New England waters and drive fishermen crazy until October. This is one of my favorite times of year. If you've never hooked into a fiesty bonito or albie I highly recommend you try to this year.

Targeting funny fish can be downright frustrating. Though these fish can put the feed-bag on in a downright crazy blitz, it is more likely that they'll pop up in one spot for a quick snack, then before you can get a cast off they're 200 yds away. Then when you finally do get a cast into a feeding school, they shun your offering away.

This is what I find most fun about funny fishing. Oh ya the screaming drag and incredible fight on light and fly tackle really don't hurt either. They will test your fishing IQ, fishing etiquette, your knots, your endurance, and more, and very rarely will they weigh more than 10 lbs while doing so.

I am a firm believer in topwater baits for funny fish, specifically albies. My go to lure is a lime green spoffords needlefish. These lures were made by Arnold Spofford on MV and have become difficult to find. I advise grabbing all you can when you find them (just save some for me). These topwater baits mimic sandeels and silversides perfectly and draw strikes from even the most finicky of albies and bones.

Stay tuned for some more info on targeting bonito and albies. Yeah, I know this is a striper blog, but I will make an exception for these speedsters.

New England Striper Season Is Here

Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer. What is also indicates in the start of the striper season - at least in my mind and in my geographic area. Even though stripers (of quality and of quantity) have been caught throughout souther New England and Cape Cod, I feel like Memorial Day is a good time to start hunting trophy fish, particularly in my area now which is now Boston Harbor and the N. Shore.

Look for the Canal to have reports of large fish (especially during the breaking tides this weekend), and also the North and South Rivers. I also assume that large fish will start being hauled from the river on the North Shore as well.

Use big baits as herring and mackerel will be on the menu. I like to use 9" sluggos and hogys, loaded red fins, sebile magic swimmers, and big pencil poppers this time of year. Don't forget the spooks and glide baits either.

Go get em!

Warmer Temps, Herring, and Fresh Stripers

Temperatures are finally on the rise. Despite the frost on my windshield this morning it appears that the never ending winter has finally receded. Flowers are rapidly popping up through the soil, flower buds are appearing on shrubs, bird chirping is increasing everyday, and herring are showing up in runs and entering the ponds all along the east coast.

I love the Spring. After a long, cold, snow-filled winter, the spring is an enormous breath of fresh air. It is time to start casting at your favorite early season spots, as fresh stripers are rapidly moving into CT and RI waters, with Cape Cod seeing fresh fish in a week or two.

Though I need to wait a little longer until fresh stripers reach me up on the N. Shore of MA, I have been out scouting some spots, and seeing how the winter storms changed our beaches and rivers. I encourage you to do the same, and why not bring a rod along with you.

Still Cold

Since ice fishing isn't really my cup of tea, we've reached the 3rd month of the year and I hadn't been fishing yet, until yesterday, when I made a half-hearted attempt at nabbing a holdover trout on the Cape. Well really, it was more of a scouting mission; however, I did manage about a solid half hour of casting in 20 degree temps to catch a 10" holdover brown. Man was it SWEET! The 2011 fishing season has officially begun for me.

As some anglers get in their last ice trips of the season, others are pursuing opportunities on the open water for trout, bass, pickerel, and panfish. Some are even harassing holdover stripers, anxiously awaiting the return of the fresh striped bass in about a month's time. Until then, I have some more plugs to build and jigs to tie, but hopefully as it gets warmer, I'll find some time to hit the sweetwater. Here's to our dreaming of stripers nearing reality.

First Post

Welcome to the New England Striper Fishing blog. I am hoping that this blog can be a community to share tips, tactics, and experiences for catching striped bass, as well as the variety of other fish that call New England home. I am by no means an expert angler, but I am hoping that I can take my experience and use it to entertain and educate followers of the blog. Stay tuned for pictures, stories, and more, as we have officially begun the 2011 fishing season.

Tight Lines, S.B.