Tips & Tricks

As the weather becomes warmer, we witness the largest migration on earth. ‘Witness’ may not be the right word, as a whole of it happens away from our sight, under the surface of the Atlantic Ocean. When waters turn warmer along the East Coast, millions of bait fish swim north, and schoolie stripers are chasing after them, looking for a good meal.
meal.

Today we discuss the best way to catch schoolie . Let’s start with the bait. What to throw?

The thing about stripers is that they are not particularly picky, and will eat anything you throw their way. It’s early spring, and the
striper is hungry, which means you can conveniently work with most flies.

You can catch schoolies from the shore and expect a good catch at this time of the year. Or you can fish from the jetty, especially at the mouth of the river. The thing about jetties is that they provide a barrier that interrupts the current, making for a good catch.

If you’re catching in late afternoon, you will find
a lot of fish as the backwaters are a bit warmer than the ocean. The warm outgoing tides fare better than incoming ones during early spring as far as catching schoolies is concerned.

Some technology might also help, and you can track schoolie migration on the internet as well. It’s a good idea to be on the movie, moving from beach to beach, since your catch is also on the move. Don’t stay at one place too long. That is why you should consider fishing from a boat. That way, you’ll be able to cover a lot of water.

Finally, try using sinking or intermediate line and variate the depth of the fly each time you cast. Do this until you find your sweet spot.

Good Luck!