Striper Season Has Begun
Striper season began on Monday. I’m an super-psyched to be going after stripers this year on the fly. I intend to hit Breezy Point for the first time this season, but this being Spring, there are alot of great things happening in the back bays where the striper spawn is on. The bait fish are in too–I spotted diving birds the other day crashing the shores bait balls right of the fisherman’s parking lot at Fort Tilden on Sunday.
A quick trip to Orchard Beach produced one of my biggest stripers on a fly in a rip current during the outgoing tide. I put the chartreuse over white clouser in the current and deaddrifted it out into the bay. I felt a heavy bump, gave a little mend to the line for that “life” like quality and then “wham” went the line. The next thing I know, it felt like a cinder block had taken my line. Pulling the striper out of the current, my 8 wt completely bent over and up came the striper to the surface. A few big tailslaps and I began to fight him to shore. What a rush. This schoolie was just shy of keeper length.
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