Was 2019 Your Best Striper Spring?

[fish4fun]

Wednesday evening I met a private boat owner who said this Spring was his best Striper trolling season he has ever had. He docks at Atlantic Highlands and trolls the same waters where the party boats anchor. I know this was not a good year for me on the party boats. Reading the reports of all the party boats out of AH confirmed that it was certainly not a banner year. What about you trollers? Was this a banner year for you?

[stugots]

The trolling has been very good this year yes. Still another 3-4 weeks left too.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Party boat fishing is way different then fishing on a private or charter boat. A lot of these big fish are on the troll or live lining which is obviously a challenge on a party boat.

Other issue right now is these fish seem to moving and are very scattered and turn on and shut off like a a light switch. One minute they’ll be going off near Sandy Hook they shut off and they go off in Asbury or Deal.

Not saying you won’t catch on a party boat but you don’t have the speed and flexibility that you get on a smaller faster boat with 4 guys on it.

Right now this fishery is being in the right place at the right time and trolling or live lining and if it's not happening where you're at, pick up and go scouting and sometimes at great distances.

In the fall when all the fish are stacked up chewing on sand eels and you have a jig bite in a concentrated area like between the channels, that's when you have just as good a chance on a party boat.

[Capt Sal]

Party boat fishing is way different then fishing on a private or charter boat. A lot of these big fish are on the troll or live lining which is obviously a challenge on a party boat.

Other issue right now is these fish seem to moving and are very scattered and turn on and shut off like a a light switch. One minute they’ll be going off near Sandy Hook they shut off and they go off in Asbury or Deal.

Not saying you won’t catch on a party boat but you don’t have the speed and flexibility that you get on a smaller faster boat with 4 guys on it.

Right now this fishery is being in the right place at the right time and trolling or live lining and if it's not happening where you're at, pick up and go scouting and sometimes at great distances.

In the fall when all the fish are stacked up chewing on sand eels and you have a jig bite in a concentrated area like between the channels, that's when you have just as good a chance on a party boat.

Well said Capt Jerry!

[Skolmann]

There were a lot days this past spring where party boats had days where you could say, “it was one for the record books” in regards to striped bass. Especially in late April/early May. Many bass in the #30 class boated and boats coming in early. Party boat bite became a grind after Mother’s Day. I was only able to make one party boat trip this spring but my son and I combined to catch 6 to #30, all on swim shads or a castable mojo.

[SaltLife1980]

This has been a better season for me for sure. I put some nice fish in the boat and was able to return a few big girls to swim again! And working we have had a ton of fish on the troll this year. Did very well with the shads and bunker but some nights setting out the trolling gear i wouldnt even have the rod back in the holder yet and it was going off.

[NoLimit]

We have a CC and we troll pretty much all the time. This has been the best bass run in a long time. You probably have to go back to the 60's for comparable fishing and it aint done yet. We had multiple hookups yesterday with 50" fish.

[Capt Sal]

We have a CC and we troll pretty much all the time. This has been the best bass run in a long time. You probably have to go back to the 60's for comparable fishing and it aint done yet. We had multiple hookups yesterday with 50" fish.

Better than the sixties for sure.I fished for them in the sixties and we never had a run in Raritan Bay like we have had for the the twenty years.