Fall Striper Run

[Smallmouth Squarepants]

Who's gotten out over the past week or so? It's been great as far as numbers goes for me, averaging about 10 per hour and 1/2 session. Mostly schoolies, couple on the keeper line (no tape with me equals no keeping, even if they do pass the rough measurements of hand width/foot length/rod section), and lost one that bent out a solid jig hook after smoking 16 lbs of cinched down drag. All on an A-Rig, all from the rocks or wood. Even got a little snapper Blue night before last after a few outings getting the tails of my keitechs bitten off.

[zwiggles]

Nice report!

I am a bit south of you I suspect, but it’s been slower for me. I got 2 the other night, but had to try 3 spots. Also got skunked a few times before that. The weeds are bad right now too, but I’m hoping for a good close.

[Jim C.]

Sounds like fast action to me    I used to fish for them quite a bit, but now just a couple times in late Sept - Oct.  Haven't been yet.

[Smallmouth Squarepants]

Nice report!

I am a bit south of you I suspect, but it’s been slower for me. I got 2 the other night, but had to try 3 spots. Also got skunked a few times before that. The weeds are bad right now too, but I’m hoping for a good close.

Yeah, just a bit south of Portland here. The first couple of weeks of August really were the definition of the August Slump up here. I was hitting 2 or 3 spots a session, throwing everything in my box at them, and still coming up empty. So much bait in the water. Finally broke the slump on a Megabass I-Slide (thing catches everything but the largemouth it was designed for!) Got this new A rig (had lost my last one at the end of July, had to wait for TW to ship the new ones) right as the bite seemed to be getting in gear and have been killing it for the past 3 weeks, with a notable size increase this past one. Keep up the faith though, should be next week or the week after that it starts to turn on down there!

And I feel you on the weeds, I rotate my spots dependent on the tides, some that are great at 2 sides of high have so much rockweed on the other 20 hours of the day that its impossible to retrieve anything.

[NBourque]

I went yesterday morning from 6-10. Surf was perfect then by 10 it was starting to get too rough. 5 ounces of weight wouldn’t even hold the bait down. No fish to speak of.

[lowaccord66]

Ive landed a few...but south of you though.

[Smallmouth Squarepants]

Ive landed a few...but south of you though.

Hot dawg that is a fatty! Great fish!

[lowaccord66]

Thank you!  Im hoping to find some of his smaller friends on the fly rod tomorrow!

[Smallmouth Squarepants]

Thank you!  Im hoping to find some of his smaller friends on the fly rod tomorrow!

I gotta get a more powerful fly rod so I can try and get in there with you. I feel my 5wt would be way undermatched compared to all but the rattiest of Rats I've gotten into recently. But rules and limits are meant to be pushed and broken...

[lowaccord66]

To each is own but if you hook a larger bass you could break the rod and or kill the bass.  I use a 8w with floating line and a 10w with rio big nasty sink tip. 

[Smallmouth Squarepants]

I was def half kidding there. I wouldn't try for anything in the salt but macs with my 5w. I actually had to get a float and hook out of a bass last night because someone thought throwing a 3 inch float and whatever they had for bait on a 7/0 J hook on what looked like 4-6lb line was a good idea. I saw the big orange float slowly swimming through the water. When I realized what had happened I tried to lead it with my A Rig so I could get the hook out of it, it was slowed down by the float so much. I could see it try to put on speed to hit the rig but it just couldn't accelerate enough, even with me working it wicked slow. I eventually got the rig on the line and it popped free.

[Jim C.]

Jeez, Jon. Congrats on that behemoth.  Did you get any dimensions?

[lowaccord66]

Jeez, Jon. Congrats on that behemoth.  Did you get any dimensions?

No.  I never was one for measuring and these fish much like trout need a very rapid release or they will belly up in 70-72 degree water.  However, once you see my neck pop like that its over 50lbs.  I had one close to 60 but was fishing alone and didnt have someone to do a grip and grin.  Heres a couple of smaller bass from the same night.






Below was the first real large bass for me this season, they look small on the floor but look at the head:




And big bass vs. Undersized net:



One thing I have confirmed after nearly 2 decades of surfcasting.  Its 10000% easier to catch big bass from the boat.  The complicating factor is the weather...

[SHaRPS]

Spot on Jon. Thats why I never got into that cape game you love so much.

[Jim C.]

I hear you on what’s needed for a good release.  Thanks for the extra impressive pics