April-May: The end of April through the end of May is a great time to catch loads of striped bass. This time of the year a ton of bunker come into the back bay and the stripers are right behind them. The fish are usually within 5 minutes from the dock. Both live bunker and chunks are the ticket this time of year, with bass ranging anywhere from 10-40 lbs. Days with over 20 keeper stripers aren't uncommon.
June/ Early July: In June the water in the back of the bay heats up pretty quick, sending most of the stripers out towards the ocean. Fish continue to be caught using live bunker and bunker chunks in the front of the bay, as well as in the ocean. This is when the light tackle fishing in the ocean starts to get hot as well. Bass push small baitfish up to the surface and crash on them with no mercy. Casting small jigs, swimbaits and poppers under the birds can lead to a very successful day. Big Bunker pods also move out to the ocean and stay until around mid July. This is where we see the biggest fish of the season. We don't see many fish under 25 lbs. and it isn't uncommon to see fish over the 50 lb. mark. The average bass on the bunker pods is 30-35 lbs. If you want trophy bass this is the time.
July- August: When we get into the summer months, lite tackle, fly rods, and artificial lures become the name of the game. We follow the birds casting lures or flies to breaking fish, it is nothing short of exhillerating. I can't think of anything more fun than catching a big striper or bluefish on lite tackle. These fish range from 5-20 pounds although it is not uncommon to see bigger fish. The fluke and seabass fishing is also red hot during this time of year. Catching tasty fluke and seabass when the striper bite dies is the perfect ending to a great day on the water.
September-November: In the fall the lite tackle is still the most effective. The stripers and bluefish are still around, but once September rolls around, false albacore are thrown into the mix. These small tunas are fast and if you can get a hook into one of these guys, you are in for the ride of a lifetime.
