Bluefish and Stripers
Fishing This page still under construction :-)
Saltwater Fishing Page
This Page is dedicated to Bluefish and Stripers
If you need to know tide for your area here is a good tide calculator
for New England or just about anywhere in the U.S.
Click Here
No better feeling in the world than hooking into a 15lb. Bluefish
or 30lb. Striper and watching them run.
The ways of catching Blues and Stripper are wide
and varied and if you ask different fishermen each has his favorite. Some
like trolling with lures, some like trolling with live bait, while other
enjoy using Herron or Porgy chunks, all the way will work but for me I
will concentrate on my favorite way for the last 35yrs. which is: lure
casting or if your from New England it,s "Pluggen".
The plugs I use are "Poppers" their homemade. I've found the best in
the early spring is to make them look like Squid and the rest of the summer
if white doesn't work orange poppers are the next best thing. So I make
them "White" some with buck tails made out of white nylon rope. The body
of the plug is made of wooden dowels and coated with white polymer resin
( orange plugs are painted ) and 2 sets of trebble hooks . They are hollowed
out the front to make them pop in the water getting the name "Popper".
They push a large amount of water imitating a wounded fish, attaching the
Blues in for an easy meal.
The rod is and standard casting rod about
8 to 10 feet long ( I prefer the smaller 8 ft.) it must have good tip action
, that is the most important part , the action will make the popper jump
and throw more water ,and give it that "I'm alive " look. Surf casting
spinning reel are the best for this type of fishing , I suggest medium
to heavy duty reels something with a fighting drag so you can adjust as
your reeling !
The Bluefish
The Bluefish is a very efficient killing machine
, very strong and powerful , flexible jaws ( hinged in front ) like a shark,
( can take thin bites or wide bites ) and very sharp teeth top and bottom.
( Ask me I've Been BITTEN!! ). He ranges from the Carolina to Maine . He's
designed to take chunks out of his prey , large ones can bite another bluefish
in half ( I have had a or what was a 5lb. blue chopped in half while reeling
him in)
There feeding frenzy is a unbelievable sight
to see, the water boils with blues attacking a school of minnows or menhaden
( I once saw a school of blues about 2 miles long by about 1/2 wide and
the water boiling and loosing ever plug and wire leader on board to that
feeding frenzy)
This year I'm going to try something new,
for me "Fly Rod"
I have used Fly Rods for trout (my other passion) the light tackle
makes for good fun on trout so it must be great fun on Blue and Strippers!
Living here on a small island ( West Island ) in Buzzard's Bay, it's
like a natural trap for Bluefish and Strippers feeding on the migrating
schools of bait fish such as (Herron, Menhaden, Porggys, and Squid ) as
they make there way through the Cape Cod Cannelnorth to spawn.
In June it begins when the big fish come in . Last year
myself and my co-workers (John and Kenny) went out on the boat and caught
3 15lb.Blues along with 7 or 8 others ranging 9 to 10 lbs.
we are still under construction :-)
You should always know the marine conditions before heading
out so check here for conditions
Click
Here
for general forecast
Click Here
This page still under construction 
Stripers
Striper Fishing at Sow and Pigs Reef
by Bob J.
Striped Bass fishing is certainly one of the most exciting
sports
I know and Sow and Pigs Reef off of Cuttyhunk Island is probably
one of
the most lucrative Striper spots in the world. To get there, a
seaworthy
boat of at least 20-25 feet is recommended as the seas can be
unpredictable.
As you leave New Bedford Harbor, pass the Butlers
Flats Lighthouse and
run a course of about 210 degrees. Set your Loran or GPS for 41-24.048N
and 70-58.412W and settle back and enjoy the ride. It is important
to
fish the correct tides. If you plan your arrival at the Pigs at
approximately the same time as New Bedford high tide, you should
be able
to produce some nice fish. The numbers given are a good starting
point.
Early and late in the season, when the water is a little cooler,
you may
want to move in a little closer to the reef. In the heat of summer
when
the water is at its warmest, try moving out from the reef in to
about
50-60 feet of water. Pick your spot and anchor your boat.
I prefer to use a fairly stiff conventional rod about 6-7
feet
long with a quick retrieve reel having a ratio of 4 or 4.5:1. Spool
it up
with 40 lb. test monofiliament line. Thread that through a fishfinder
rig
with about a 2-3 oz. sinker and to a barrel swivel. Attach a leader
about
3 feet long of 60 lb. test monofiliament and I prefer a short shank
hook
about 8/0.
Cut Pogy (Bunker or Menhaden) is my preferred bait. There
is no
substitute for snagging or cast netting your own. FRESHNESS is
very
important and can't be stressed enough. With the lack of schools
in the
harbor, I have had good luck with bait purchased from Dockside
Bait &
Tackle on the Fairhaven Bridge. Be sure to buy enough. I will rarely
leave the dock with less than 20 pogies. Cut your bait into thirds
or
quarters and hook the chunk through the meaty portion. You're now
ready
for action.
Technique can be important here. If the current is not pulling
your bait away from the boat and into the reef, you are probably
fishing
the wrong tide. Don't leave yet. You may produce fish even if the
tide
isn't quite right. Don't allow your bait to sit on the bottom.
A light
thumbing of the spool can be used to allow the bait to tumble in
the
current and appear more natural. Experiment with weight. Add more
weight
if the current is running too strong for the bait to hold on the
bottom.
If the current is running lightly, try fishing just the chunk bait
without weight. Allow the fish to run with the bait before setting
the
hook.
Be patient. Hold on. You're in for the trip of your life!
This page still under construction
If you need a tide calulator for the New England aera or
the rest of the U.S.
CLICK HERE
If you have comments or suggestions, email me at rad453@ma.ultranet.com
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