East Coast Striped Bass or Striper Fishing

Saltwater Striped Bass (morone saxatilis) or Stripers are one of the East's most sought after recreational fish. Stripers range from Nova Scotia south to the GA/FL border and along the U.S. Gulf coast from the Suwannee in Florida to eastern Texas [A1]. Varieties of striped bass are also commonly stocked in inland lakes, reservoirs, and river systems throughout the US. There are a few sustaining, natural inland Striper fisheries. Also, there are West Coast Striped Bass but they are not nearly as important a fishery as is the East Coast fishery.

There are several strains of migrating Striper. Each strain has its particular behavior but generally follow an annual migration cycle:

See our Striper Flies

• There is a northerly, Spring Striper Run. Stripers head north as temperature rise. They begin to actively feed at about 50 F and like to spawn in the low to mid 60's F. Stripers spawn from March/April in North Carolina and move as far north as Massachusetts.

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• Stripers, and especially large Stripers, do not like water much above 70 F. During the summer they will move to cooler waters including deeper, coolers waters or fast moving waters where oxygen may be higher. A cold front may turn fishing on suddenly and may move baitfish as well.
• Cooling weather and short days will eventually trigger migration of baitfish. Hungry Stripers will take advantage of this baitfish migration to bulk up for the coming Winter. This is the Fall migration that many, many anglers wait for as it is a crazy pace of fishing along the East Coast.
• Winter will find the Stripers holding up in the Virginia or Carolinas. As temperatures begin to warm the spawn kicks off and the cycle begins afresh. Major spawning grounds include the Chesapeake Bay, the Roanoke River into the Albemarle Sound, the Hudson, the Delaware river, and many other rivers along the East Coast.

See Stripers247.com for some very good information on Striper fishing.