Like any sport, you can spend as much as you want gearing up for your next saltwater battle. However, northeast striper ace Blaine Anderson said the summer months offer plenty of opportunity for anglers with even modest tackle to engage one the region’s premier sport fish.
“It’s easy fishing and there’s a low barrier to entry,” Anderson said of the warm season’s incredible action. “They’re aggressive fish and you can catch them all summer long.”
The striper show abounds throughout this renowned region, with perennial favorites like Block Island (Rhode Island), Fishers Island (New York), Plum Island (Massachusetts) and countless reef systems such as Connecticut’s Bartlett Reef. Where current swirls through rock structure, Anderson expects his prime opportunities.
“Any of the reefs in 15 feet or less will produce, but a boat with a trolling motor will allow you to get in shallow,” Anderson said. “I’ll get in there as shallow as 3 to 4 feet. You have to be careful, because there are a lot of big boulders, but that’s what’s holding the stripers there.”
No doubt, the shallowest of these rocky minefields demand respect, so proceed with caution. Often, the reward more than justifies the effort. Just know that the attraction is all about feeding. Bunker (menhaden) and other forage are no match for the ocean’s might, but stripers are built for this.
“It’s a lot like trout in a river or a stream; the stripers will be in the eddy behind a boulder waiting for something to come by,” Anderson said. “They’re really powerful swimmers, so they don’t mind the current, but the bait is very vulnerable and they’re going to be swept across [the boulder field] and they’re at the mercy of the current at that time.
read more at sportfishingmag.com.
