What is the time table for the fall migration of striper

bubba9ner · #1 08-19-2007, 09:36 PM

Whith all this cold weather, I was wondering if this is going to trigger the onset of the fall migration?. If so, I heard that the NH coast only gets grazed buy the run. Is this true?
Thanks guys,
Bubba

Roccus · #2 08-20-2007, 10:10 AM

Bubba,

Water temp is only one of many factors contributing to the fall run, the Atlantic ocean is a large body of water, it takes it all summer to reach it's peak tempetures in Mid tyo late August, a few cool day wont drop it enoughtto make the fish run for home and mother, what it will do, is cool of the inshore water enough to make the water start the process...

Length of day is the most signifigant factor in the migration.... as far as WHERE the fish are most likely to blitz, will dsepent on wind, tide and location of bait....Dont count New Hampshires tiny sliver of coast short, I've taken some rea bohemothe there in September into October...

Steve H. · #3 08-20-2007, 05:13 PM

Bubba,

Like Roccus said, don't count out NH. Little and Great Bays, the Piscataqua, Rye, Hampton and Seabrook beaches and Hampton Harbor all have potential of amazing fishing...starting NOW. I've already been into 'em pretty good and am going out again tomorrow. LOTS of baitfish around and nice sized stripers. Looks like it's going to be an early and productive fall season...in NH and elsewhere!!

Steve H.

bubba9ner · #4 08-20-2007, 07:20 PM

Thanks Roc and Steve. I have all next week off. So does the wife, but she doesn't like to fish and any sea over .5 feet makes her ill. I am going to do some mid week fishing. She said if I do it, it's all over. God, I am going to miss the extra income. Looks like I'll be living in the truck until winter, then I'll move to my snowmobile trailer. LOL.
Peace

Steve/NH · #5 08-21-2007, 10:19 PM

Along the same "fall run" lines....What are the prefered methods for the Fall Bass bite. Do they run the same hang-outs like up the rivers, rips etc...Will they hang in the shallows or are they found deeper?
I have heard much about this fall run but never had much luck with it.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Roccus · #6 08-22-2007, 08:33 AM

Steve,
up our way the actual fall run isnt as big of a deal as it is for those to the south of us, I do just as well in the heat of summer... fall fish are just a little more aggresive...

that said, fish that are migrating are where the food is, and most often, thats along the ocean front, the rivers can get hot because of the shad and herring drops that have already begun to filter in, but daily patterenrs are hard to come by, but along the ocean front, there are spike mackeral, peanut bunker, the schools of shad or herring fry,sand eels, just offshore, the whiting have moved in over the mud bottom and ocean herring are within a few miles of the beach, bass know this, especialy the big ones, this is the one time of year that I do realy well a mile or two off the beach during the day..

another problem we face is availability, often times we think the fall run will be good becuase of all the fish that passed by in the spring, but if we have a warm fall, they often times wont work their way down the coast line, instead, they will stay where the feed is on their summer grounds and when the days get realy short make a mad dash on the outside... if you draw a straight line from Maine to P town...it's realy a pretty short swim..

Then we have the weather to contend with, line storms can kick up and hurricains can rile the ocean for days, the fish can pass by with out us ever knowing it....
Given my druthers, I'll take the dog days of August... at least the weather is tranquill and the fishing dependable.

Steve/NH · #7 08-22-2007, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roccus

...that said, fish that are migrating are where the food is, and most often, thats along the ocean front, the rivers can get hot because of the shad and herring drops that have already begun to filter in, but daily patterenrs are hard to come by, but along the ocean front, there are spike mackeral, peanut bunker, the schools of shad or herring fry,sand eels, just offshore, the whiting have moved in over the mud bottom and ocean herring are within a few miles of the beach, bass know this, especialy the big ones, this is the one time of year that I do realy well a mile or two off the beach during the day..

Thanks Roccus, So...if fishing a mile or 2 off shore during the day, what is your method of attack? You must be in 40-80 feet of water and knowing Bass are bottom dwellers, I am guessing Jigging wire may be a good approach but never see anybody doing this up here in NE. Live lining ? Trolling umbrellas? From what I've read, you seem to trust your live bait the most.

I've been out there so many times with my boys and always eventually end up back in the river chunking because the boys think thats the "only" way to catch em and I can't argue with their logic...yet. Hoping to be able to show them better methods that work.

Roccus · #8 08-22-2007, 11:45 AM

Nope,this is the only time I throw the hook...

first, I drop the gill net over the mud and load up with herring(legal sea herring) and whiting, while the net soaks I set up on one of my inshore ledges that rise from 120' to about 40'....I fish a few that are a little deper, all with in two miles of the beach.
once I pick the net and reset it, I put a few dozen live herring and whiting in the tank, and ice the rest and go back to the anchor, once on anchor( always use a ball incase you need to drop it in a hurry),The bass are usualy close to the top, I'd rather be above them than below them, I set one line at 14' under a ballon( standard depth that the mackereal seem to run at) with a live whiting or herring, another at 6' on a ballon then I rig a Roc special whole bait for the bottom.... I then cut my iced bait into tiny pieces and keep a chum line going, often times Mackereal show in the slick (just before the bass show up and between attacks) and they end up in the well as bait.

I use oversize gear for this (TLD 30's loaded with 80lb power pro) because too many times I;ve been cleaned out by Charlie tuna, I cant land a giant on this gear, but anything 200lbs and under is fair game...

Steve/NH · #9 08-22-2007, 02:13 PM

Wow, sounds like quite a system you've developed. Now while these 3 lines are out, are you anchored or drifting over this ledge?
Also...don't you get hammered by the dogs with a chum line going like that?

Roccus · #10 08-22-2007, 02:34 PM

Anchored.... not usualy, obviously, if the puppies are around I have to change tactics....

Steve/NH · #11 08-22-2007, 02:39 PM

Thanks Roccus...I'll have to give it a go.

BTW - any reason you know of no body ever jigs wire up here? That all they do down the cape and its very productive. I'm going to give it shot too.

Roccus · #12 08-22-2007, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve/NH

Thanks Roccus...I'll have to give it a go.

BTW - any reason you know of no body ever jigs wire up here? That all they do down the cape and its very productive. I'm going to give it shot too.

Who said we dont jig wire

...Plugs until daybreak, jigs once the sun rises.... I just said I dont fish them out there

Steve/NH · #13 08-22-2007, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roccus

Who said we dont jig wire

...Plugs until daybreak, jigs once the sun rises.... I just said I dont fish them out there

I'll assume what you mean by "out there" you mean 1-2 miles out.
With all the boat's in and out of the river, on any given day, I have never, I mean NEVER seen anyone jigging steel. Weird. I have to assume jigging along the beaches is productive.

Thanks for the tips Roccus. Your always willing to share your expert advise.