Riverlines Blog I

It's Striper time!

 

Welcome fisherman to another season on the river. This is our first fishing info blog. It’s for anglers, from anglers. We will be updating during the season with info, fishing reports, tips and opinions. I have fished this river for 40 years and have enjoyed one of the greatest fisheries in the Northeast, catching stripers, blues, shad, flounder, and even back in the day a salmon or two.

Our initial blog will be dedicated to getting some of the newer anglers acclimated to some things they will need to enjoy a productive safe season. First off let me tell you that I’m a minimalist. The simpler the better, and that means light gear. Thanks to the advent of braided line we can now really gear down and not worry about snapping too many off. Quality rods, quality reels with new tech line is all you need. I prefer Med-Heavy freshwater rods and reels and braided line with 8lb diameter (which equates to 30-40lb test). Rods should be in the 7 foot range and the reels need to have excellent drag systems. That means quality. I recommend Shimano, high end Diawa or if the economy has been good to you Van Staal. As these blogs progress we’ll discuss in more detail, the rigs, plugs and techniques, but for today lets just checklist some basic must haves.

1.      Circle Hooks: These are a must when fishing cut bait. The hook set is automatic and will prevent gut hooked fish.

2.      Hook Degorger: Pick one up. It will save lots of deeply hooked fish.

3.      Tape Measure: If you are going to keep stripers make sure they are 28” or over. I try to keep only one or two fish a year. But it’s up to you, just be sure “he keeps”

4.      Boga Grip: One of the greatest inventions for fisherman. They ain't cheap but they help you get more fish in the boat and control feisty fish at the side of the boat.

5.      100% Deet Bug Spray: Never mind the “Skin So Soft Off”. Never under estimate the power of those little midges.

6.      Fishing License. Follow the link, fill out the form (it takes 2 minutes) and print. Don’t give “Big Brother” a reason to board your boat and hassle you.

7.      Link for Permit: https://www.countmyfish.noaa.gov

That’s it for now anglers. We’ll be back with more shortly. I’m out the door, gone fishin’…It’s May 22nd and the stripers are just starting to run. I’ll let you know how I did and how I did it.

Tightlines

Spit Guy, Fish Guy