This article is all about early-season tactics that I find to be highly effective for catching striped bass. While many of us enjoy spending time out on the water, the ultimate goal is to locate and
catch fish. Let's begin by changing our approach to early-season fishing to find more fish. During early April through early May, you can find small striped bass ranging in size from 16 to 34 inches swimming along the shores of
Western Long Island Sound. After a long and cold winter, the sight of these bass is always welcome, regardless of their size. Most fishermen are happy just to be wetting a line and shooting the breeze with fellow anglers and friends. Yes, some partake in the “holdover”
striper fishing that can be good through the winter in freshwater rivers; however, for most of us, the ocean-run fish are what we wait
for. Thankfully, by early April the wait is over as another season begins. In the early spring, beachfronts and jetties in the back bays hold the
first striped bass coming out of the rivers. The bass visit these spots as if they were stopping on some rest station along a freeway,
guided by internal GPS waypoints imprinted on their DNA.
Just like the bass, I, too, begin to pattern these annual phenomena and know what time of day, tide stage, wind condition, and water temperature will trigger the arrival of the stripers during this early season. I am armed with cookie-cutter 'schoolie' outfits, which
consist of light-action rods paired with small light-tackle reels and light jigs. I am targeting schoolie-sized stripers, and I generally
use some small rubber bait, such as Al Gags, tsunami shads, or NLBN in the 3- or 4-inch size.
There’s a wide assortment of soft-plastic baits in a rainbow of colors that can mimic the small baitfish and other foods that backwater
stripers feed on, and everyone has their own preference. For me, the conditions dictate what I use that day. My approach is very simple: a
slow retrieve. These fish are still lethargic and less aggressive than we wish, so slow it down. Jigs, soft plastics, and poppers are worked
differently, but one thing stays the same – work it slow.
There are many locations in inlets and bays that provide some welcome solitude as well as phenomenal fishing. While many anglers are focused on catching miniature-sized bass along the beaches, others are already landing keepers in the backwaters. With over two decades of experience fishing in the western Long Island
Sound, I've gained valuable knowledge of where these fish love to hang out and have accessed some great early spring fishing. However, it’s only in recent years that I’ve truly found out just how early this fishing really begins.
When catching schoolie stripers down along the beaches and jetties, picking the right tide is crucial. These fish generally only feed for
an hour or two the entire day. That's why fishing early spring can break most anglers. I've found myself asking, 'What am I doing here fishing in this lifeless water?' But that question was soon answered when a schoolie bass exploded on my Rapala that I was working over the surface. I almost jumped off my boat with all the excitement. That first fish always hits differently and is the start of good things to come. As days go on, the bites become more consistent, and a sign of good things to come is on the horizon.
I continue my efforts throughout the month, making subtle adjustments to my choice of lures and gear. While I typically use small rubber
baits, this time, I'm opting for larger plugs, mainly topwater plugs, such as spooks and pencil poppers. These fish seemed to be much more aggressive and willing to hit larger
baits. The presence of larger baitfish in the area allowed me to use much larger artificials than would typically work this time of year. I have seen adult menhaden as early as the first week of April. After my initial trip, nothing was set in stone from my point of view. Although I figured that where there were a few fish, there were bound to be more. I opted to roll the dice again and began moving around to spots that I knew had fish later in the year. To my surprise, I was
rewarded for my early efforts. Not only was I catching fish, but I was catching fish of some real quality, some of which were in the 40-inch
range. I have learned that, especially early in the season, the key to success is moving around and finding a school of fish that are on the
feed. If I work an area and go through everything in my arsenal and don't even get a fish to look at it, then it's time to move, and some
days, I'm doing a lot of moving around, trust me.
There are a few points to consider that will really help in locating these fish. These are things I have found to be successful in my home
waters but may vary with location and preferred angling style. Any realtor will tell you, location is everything. The same goes for fishing. Reading back bays can be tricky at first because there is
rarely any obvious structure that jumps out and says, 'I’m holding fish.' When reading the shoreline of an inlet or bay area, subtle
changes make all the difference. I usually look for steeper than normal drops from the shore into the beach. I also look for a transition from sand to rock along a shoreline at low water. These spots are generally covered during periods of very high tides and provide some cover and foraging area opportunities for bass. Remember, a little cover goes a long way. I also look for points that jut out into the water. These points are usually good indicators of either
small rocky outcroppings or sandbars. Both scenarios tend to be good places for bass to be lying in wait.
Last but certainly not least, are tributaries and their surrounding areas that will likely see adult menhaden in the early spring. These areas can be very consistent. Bass tend to arrive shortly after the arrival of menhaden. Though not always visible, the presence of menhaden will surely make your outing worth it if the right artificials are employed. I tend to fish higher tides in the late afternoon when fishing in early spring. This is for two reasons. One, I am able to get fartherback where, in low tide, there will be no water, and I wouldn't be able to fish. Two, higher late afternoon and evening tides provide the best combination of water height and darkness that encourages the fish to feed a little more aggressively. Overcast days allow me to get outearlier and fish a greater portion of the later stages on the incoming and early outgoing tides, with the latter being the best. When it’s
gray, go fishing! I try to fish anywhere from 2 to 6 feet in the early spring. The shallower the water, the warmer the water temp will be. 1-2 degrees might not sound like much, but trust me, it will make a big difference. I hope this blog was helpful to you and helped you catch
more fish in the Long Island Sound. I also encourage you to put that boat in a little earlier this year. If you have any questions, I have
my direct number on the website, and don't forget to follow me on social media to get live reports @bluefinsoundcharters. I hope to see
you out on the water and, of course, catching bass.
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