Delaware Estuary Striped Bass - Chester to Trenton/Morrisville

[Mike]

Striped bass began appearing 3-4 weeks ago and are now present in apparently large numbers based on reliable reports from a 3-man boat landing up to 50-75 stripers of various sizes per day on the best days of the past week. This cool weather has created a temporary downward trend in the water temps, however, and I am expecting a temporary lull in the action. Action should pick back up later this week as the short and long range forecasts should yield an extended upward trend in water temps. Note the daily variations in water temp but with an upward or downward overall trend across multiple days when you check the USGS gauge info. This improved temperature pattern later this week should be welcomed by anglers, as the fish being here combined with the water temps may yield an extra week of good fishing this year. The danger is that anglers may delay fishing at their own peril thinking that the fishery will last as usual to the late 20's of May. That may not be the case, however, as an early start to the fishery may produce an early end as well. Additionally, the best time to find large fish is earlier rather than later since once each female spawns, she usually leaves the system quite quickly. Once, a tagged a female striped bass in Phila was caught 19 days later along Cape Cod. Talk about a quick exit. This year could produce a bumper crop of larger fish if the river flows remain low. Low flow allows the salt line to move northward and apparently pushes additional stripers out of Delaware into Pa. Stripers spawn above the salt line.

 

[Mike]

A friend caught 20 from his kayak on Saturday.

 

[geebee]

all nice to hear.

I'm not surprised about the Philly fish - I've seen what they call 'the migration' along the National Seashore on Cape Cod - those big fish motor along some and don't stop even to feed.

I'd happen to guess that they were doing 6-8mph.

the migration doesn't normally reach there until about June 26th - and its believed they head straight out to Stellwagon bank or even St Georges bank off newfie to try to get there before the whales hoover up all the herring, krill and mostly launce.

other waves of bass tend to mooch around from spot to spot feeding as they go and sometimes will hang about on the same spots for two or three complete tide cycles before moving on, and some will become summer residents if there cool and deep water nearby.

in 2007 my bud Craig hooked a 43" bass during the 'migration' - it only weighed 23lb ! by the end of summer it would have been over 40...

these are hungry fish and they don't hang about until they reach their feeding grounds.

cheers

Mark.

 

[Bogey]

If pursuing from kayak, anyone know the best launch sites?

 

[Mike]

Striper update: Fish just starting to spawn and finding big females in as little as 5 ft of water. Largest electrofished on Wednesday was 43 inches (about a half mile up from Betsy Ross Bridge) and the largest electrofished yesterday was 49 inches and located just up from Tacony-Palmyra Bridge.

 

[Mike]

Kayaker's update from this morning: Had landed 24 stripers twenty inches and over by noon. Quite a few were from 5 feet of water.

The total catch for three kayaker on Wednesday was about 100 stripers give or take a few. Almost all were 20 inches and over, with the big fish of the day unhooking at the kayak...approx 30 lbs.

This coming week is going to be super!!!!!

 

[Dave_W]

Dang - wish I could get over there! With so many fish in shallow water, I'd think it would be a good opportunity for a fly fishing.

 

[Mike]

Dave,
No doubt. I have seen adult stripers in three feet of water along the beach-like areas on the NJ side. I have remarked at times that a wading angler trying to move out as far as possible would probably have fish behind and in front of him on the right days. At high tide the beaches are inundated and wading would be essential or it would require a retreat into the woods in some cases. So be sure to have an escape route.

After a frontal passage a stiff west wind would be blowing in your face so picking a good weather pattern combined with consulting the tide charts is essential.

Moving tides are best...3-4 hrs before and after high tide. So there is a 6 to 8 hr period of potentially good fishing surrounding high tide.

The free NJ saltwater license is required even though this is fresh water. Likewise on the Pa side,,one should have the free Pa version.

Consult the Water Trails maps for the tidal Delaware River. They have good info. The longest, accessible "beach" that I know is immediately down from the Tacony Palmyra Bridge (Route 73) on the NJ side.

 

[jay348]

Unfortunately, i'm here to report back that, as always, the fishing is stillhit or miss. Icyguides and myself wade fished 3 spots from Trenton to Lambertville yesterday morning without a bump. Granted, the higher water made access a lot more difficult than usual. In addition, the boats we saw weren't catching either. I'd be interested in checking out the spots Mike mentioned, though. Seems like there is still plenty of opportunity out there to find fish.

 

[Mike]

Check the USGS gauge for Trenton. Yesterday morning you were fishing at the tail end of a substantial week long decline in water temperature and while the tidal area downstream in Phila also experienced the decline the temp at the bottom of the decline was not as low as that at Trenton. It is likely that the temp shut the fish down where you were.

 

[jay348]

Good to know. I was trying my hardest not to make excuses, but I was worried that the temps had something to do with it.

 

[Mike]

As of Monday: Temps have cooled down in NE Philly and, as a result, the numbers of stripers in the shallows have temporarily diminished until the next warming trend. They just seem to move into deeper water based on good angler catches in deeper water vs poor catches in shallower water when such temperature trends occur. Knowing this should help you maximize the time you have available to fish if you are limited to fishing the shallower areas. During the previous cool spell the fish were 13-17 ft deep and deeper.

 

[Mike]

Heard of a number of 50 to 100 fish days in the past few weeks, but the best was last Sunday...1 boat, 3 guys, 5 hrs of fishing, 150-200 stripers with a third to half being 25 inches to 35 inches. Bigger ones followed the hooked, fighting fish, but could not be hooked themselves. My trips produced fish, but were usually a day late and a dollar short when it came to the really good big days.