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Finding Stripers
By Paul Melnyk
Finding the fish- probably the most important aspect of surfcasting. This may seem to be a self evident statement, but it never ceases to amaze me as to how many casters seem to be clueless when it comes to targeting stripers. I have seen people flail at the ocean for hours, only to become discouraged and leave just before the bite. Often I have witnessed groups of dedicated surf rats, that for reasons unknown, will sit in their buggies until they spot a sharpie hauling in a few bass from the surf. Well this my friend, is not the way to do it.
Bass fishing is, in a pure sense, hunting. I myself, relieve the greatest gratification from scouting the surf for hours until I find my own school of fish in some remote and lonely cove. The thrill of having a pod of big stripers all by yourself is oneof the greatest feelings in life! In this essay I will try to instill in you some of the skills and tricks in locating this elusive prey.
The first rule of finding bass is to know of the certain locations where the fish frequent. You may discover these spots on your own, while making a scout trip of the beach. You may glean information from a local tackle shop. You may have friends or club members who will divulge a few spots. Hiring a local guide is one of the best ways to successfully find fish. A guide will have the experience of the past week's trend to draw on, and should be able to lead you to the fish. The point being that you need to frequent areas where the bass feed regularly.
I, as a licensed surf guide, know a few fine locations around our region. But these spots alone are not enough to kook up with fish with regularity. There are a few more tricks that can produce results. Let me explain how I track the fish. Tides are a very important part of the game. It is very unlikely that you will have success in locating fish during still water. Bass are predatory and in this respect, they require bait to bring them within casting distance. It is a swift rip that will bring the bait into a position where they are cornered, finding no escape from the striper. Most often these rips are associated with a sand bar, a shoal, an inlet or a point. These subsurface structures often cause a narrowing in the flow of the tide. This will create a venturi effect, accelerating the flow of water into the deeper recesses of the structure. it is important that you look for the predatory fish on the downstream side of the structure. At this point, eddies are often formed. The predators often wait in ambush for the bait to be swept over the edge of these holes.
I look for drop offs in the water to spot the locations of these hollows. The easiest way to locate a drop off is to wade into the water until you step off a ledge, although this method is often a wet one... During a storm, the ocean will scoop a bowl into the beach that will hold bait during a portion of a tide. These holes appear as calm spots in the surface of the water. They are usually surrounded by white water and breaking waves. Speaking of waves, bass love white water. The striper appears to be invigorated by this highly oxygenated surf. This is why successful surf men often are drawn to the beach the day after a good storm.
A drop off or structure will not guarantee a successful hunt. There must be bait present to lure the bass into the trap. Sometimes bait can be seen breaking the surface in a characteristic manner. Bait on the surface is a sure fire clue to predatory fish. Bait jump from the water to try and escape from these predators. A close inspection of a tide pool will often show corralled bait on the beach. You will see their silver bodies flashing in the light. Flocks of birds often follow large pods of bait down the beach. Information such as direction, speed and type of bait may be had by watching seagulls feed on the surface. In the fall, the appearance of Gannets dive bombing the surf is aheartening sight. Gannets often signal large baits such as Herring or Bunker. You will often see these bait fish clamped in the bird's beak as they fly away. Often, during the daylight hours, an oily slick may be seen on the surface of a calm ocean. this is a good sign of subsurface predation.
Weather conditions such as wind direction and intensity will bring stripers into certain locations. A guide or local sharpie can clue you into good spots to hunt during such weather. A common rule of thumb is "Wind in your face, Fish on the beach".
A little known fact about bass is that like most animals, the striper is a creature of habit. It is not uncommon to fish a certain tide at a certain time all season and do rather well. This is the Idea behind the buggy crowd, that claims a point for a week or more. They will sleep all day and fish all night. Night fishing. Bass are mostly night feeders. Large bass are exclusively nighttime hunters of the shallows and dropoffs of the near surf. It is not uncommon to hook a cow in three or four feet of water in the dark. If you expect to target trophy fish, you will have to become proficient at casting into the night.
Water temperature plays an important role in bringing the striper into shallow water. Temperatures of between 55 and 65 degrees are ideal for bass, which is another reason the night tides are so fishy.
I hope that these few paragraphs have enlightened you to success in the surf! Good luck and Good Hunting!
Paul Melnyk is a Licensed New York State Surf Guide who specialize in Montauk surfcasting.
He is the developer and editor of Surfcasting. com and has been fishing Montauk surf for over 25 years. He has won numerous fishing awards including prestigious "Montauk Local" tournament in 1994 and is regarded as a fearless fisherman and a father of "skishing" technique,
a highly specialized way of using wetsuits in the surf.
For more info regarding Paul Melnyk Charters visit
www.surfcasting.com or contact him via email at skishing@aol.com