the striped bass blog / stripedbass.com

Been busy with work but finally got out the other evening on my neighbor’s boat. Livelined macks but only managed a few hits outside the mouth. Saw some other decent stripers taken.

As we were starting to head in upriver I saw a fish jump just in front of the boat. Tannish, not green/black; prehistoric-looking, not [...]

Per Surfland Bait & Tackle, 4WD drive-on access to Parker River National Wildlife Refuge has been closed because of erosion from last weekend’s storms. Access was supposed to have remained open until Oct. 31. Walk-on is still possible from the refuge parking lots but few fish are being reported.

Surfland B&T reports some small stripers from the Plum Island NWR beach at night — and small bluefin tuna just off the beach. I was up in the mountains this weekend but might try getting out in between the wind, before the season winds up.

Fished the sandbar in the mouth of the Merrimack from the surf (Plum Island side) this a.m. — perfect tide, low just after sunrise. I had the place to myself — not another angler there. Nor any fish …

Got out on the refuge beach Saturday night and before dawn today with nary a bite to show for my efforts. Tried dunking clams and herring and also cast a variety of lures. No birds working and didn’t spot any bait in the water. Some decent breakers (surf’s up!) this a.m.  leftover from the weekend’s [...]

I know, it’s terrible — we’re entering the heart of the fall striper fishing season and I haven’t updated this site in approximately forever. Sorry, been otherwise occupied. I’ve gotten out on the refuge a couple times recently with just one schoolie to show for it thus far. Surfland reports some stripers from the beach [...]

Mixed reports on the striped bass front, which isn’t surprising given we’re in the dead of summer.

Surfland B&T gives a rundown on the recent ups and downs in the Plum Island/Merrimack River area.

Steve Hickoff of Foster’s Daily Democrat has an upbeat take on striper fishing along the coast from southern Maine to northern Mass. He [...]

This thorough article in the Nantucket Independent reports on legislation that would shut the commercial striped bass fishery in Massachusetts. The bill is modeled on Maine’s commercial striper fishing ban but the article concludes it’s unlikely to get out of legislative committee without substantial changes, if at all.

My personal take: I consider striped bass a [...]