Surfcasting’s Wildcards
On The Water Magazine » Saltwater
by Jimmy Fee
2h ago
I stepped around the peach-colored coronas of stranded squid eggs uprooted by the recent southwest blow and crept into range of the mirage-like image of a tailing bluefish I thought I’d spotted. There must be some latent instincts within a fisherman’s brain that allows him to instantly recognize when something breaks the natural pattern. In addition to the squid eggs, the strong spring southwest wind of the previous days had filled the surf with mats of eel grass and mung weed that heaved with the swell, but the small black triangle I’d seen moved independent of the waves. My confirmation came ..read more
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Fishing the Chesapeake Bay in April
On The Water Magazine » Saltwater
by Alex Gallardo-Perez
3d ago
Anglers have a plethora of opportunities when fishing the Chesapeake Bay in April, as most fish species are in the midst of their annual spawning runs up the headwaters of connecting tributaries. The most challenging decision anglers face in April is determining what to fish for and where to go in the region.   Some anglers, particularly those in Maryland, don’t eagerly anticipate April. The implementation of new emergency regulations has completely shut down striped bass fishing in Maryland waters, even for catch-and-release anglers. This marks the second year Maryland has closed th ..read more
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Living Off the Land and Sea: Cape Cod Cast and Blast: Surfcasting and Bird Hunting
On The Water Magazine » Saltwater
by OTW Staff
6d ago
Sponsored by Bubba   In this episode of Living off the Land & Sea, Andy Nabreski and Bill Dean head out on a late fall day to Cape Cod’s Sandy Neck Beach for a day of surfcasting and bird hunting. Joined by their dogs, Woody and Molly, the foursome spends a day in the sand, casting for striped bass suds, and chasing pheasant in the dunes.     The post Living Off the Land and Sea: Cape Cod Cast and Blast: Surfcasting and Bird Hunting appeared first on On The Water ..read more
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Striper Migration Map – March 22, 2024
On The Water Magazine » Saltwater
by OTW Staff
6d ago
The Striper Migration Map is back for 2024! It’s officially spring, and after another mild winter, ocean water temperatures are about where they were one year ago. Inshore areas of Chesapeake Bay are warming past the 50-degree mark and big bass are moving into tributaries to spawn. Over 2,000 anglers have already signed up for the Striper Cup! Sign up today, and we’ll ship out your Striper Cup box loaded with stickers, discount codes, a Rapala lure, and a fresh, new Columbia PFG shirt featuring an awesome hand-drawn striper design. Maryland/Chesapeake Bay Striper Fishing Report Catch-and-rele ..read more
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Top Lures for Herring-Hunting Stripers
On The Water Magazine » Saltwater
by Jimmy Fee
6d ago
Remember live-lining herring? These silver bullets seemed tailor-made to be used as live bait. Their size was just right to lob out from shore. They were easily found and acquired, and bass of all sizes couldn’t swim past them without taking a swipe. But river herring have fallen on hard times, and closures have put them off-limits as bait. This isn’t news; in Massachusetts, the herring ban is more than a decade old. Many of today’s surfcasters weren’t even fishing at the time herring were a legal bait option. New Jersey, Connecticut and Rhode Island also have a moratorium on this baitfish. Be ..read more
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New Jersey Speckled Trout
On The Water Magazine » Saltwater
by Ken McDermott
6d ago
When most fishermen catch word of a speckled sea trout caught in New Jersey, they immediately dismiss it as an incidental catch, a lost fish that wandered too far north. But that’s not the case. New Jersey has its very own population of speckled trout, and there is a small fraternity of anglers who successfully target this species in Garden State waters in the fall. George Spaulding of Cape May Court House has caught over 1,000 “specks” from Cape May County waters, topped off by a 9.5-pounder. George and his wife can be found speck fishing long after the last striper fisherman has called it a ..read more
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Kayak Fishing for Stripers in Maine
On The Water Magazine » Saltwater
by Josh Laskin
1w ago
The sound of waves crashing on Maine’s craggy, boulder-strewn coastline grew as the outgoing tide pulled my kayak toward the mouth of the tributary we had been drifting along since sunrise. I continued to work my bone-colored topwater plug along the banks of the marsh—a tedious, yet relaxing process occasionally interrupted by the splash of a schoolie striper exploding on the surface in an attempt at an easy meal. Relaxation turned to attentiveness as I found myself rising and falling between 2- and 3-foot swells, now casting into breaking waves on granite shelves that abruptly dropped into Ca ..read more
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Anglers: Speak Up for Herring and Defend Fishing Access
On The Water Magazine » Saltwater
by Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership
1w ago
Atlantic herring are a critical food source for striped bass, bluefin tuna, and many other fish and wildlife species. Unfortunately, the herring stock is currently overfished. The commercial trawling fleet could be impacting your recreational fishing opportunities by outcompeting predators for food, creating conflicts with other user groups on the water, and removing severely depleted species like river herring and shad. Fishery managers are evaluating what should be done to improve herring management, and are seeking public comments right now. Your perspective could make a significant differe ..read more
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What’s Biting in New Jersey in April?
On The Water Magazine » Saltwater
by Captain Brett Taylor
2w ago
You know it’s the start of Spring when the osprey start taking up residence on their annual nesting sites.  That’s always a great sign and feeling for coastal fisherman! Tautog By the end of the month, tog will be available to anglers fishing off jetties and piers. Tautog season opens up for the start of April, and anglers working deeper to mid-range wrecks should have the greatest success.  Many of New Jersey’s artificial reef sites, from Cape May to Sandy Hook, are great places to start for early-season blackfish.  Cooked shrimp, salted clam, mussels, and green crabs are nice ..read more
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Black Ops: Nighttime Kayak Fishing for Stripers
On The Water Magazine » Saltwater
by Matt Stone
2w ago
The first time I saw photos of guys nighttime kayak fishing for big stripers, I felt the same as I do watching long-distance ski jumpers.  It’s cool, no doubt, but also looks sketchy. My sweet spot for big stripers had always been just before sunrise and into the morning. Why change, right? So, for about a year after moving back to New England in 2020, I stuck to what I knew: launch early(ish), catch stripers until it got bright, switch to bucktailing or swinging slow-pitch jigs for bottom fish, and head home around noon.  But, over time, I learned that those photos weren’t the resul ..read more
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