how long before stripers show up

[GetANet]

I Live by the raritan bay and don't usually start fishing till at least the third week of march, depending on the weather. I'm usually stir crazy by then but after doing it for so long and becoming older and wiser I don't feel like freezing for the first few weeks with nothing going on. I will start with pretty small circles cause usually the begining is alot of smaller fish. I laugh now when I see the guys getting bit several times and swing and miss!!! That's cause their schoolies, learned it the hard way myself but after I downsized my hooks quite a bit, I hook up almost every time if they take thebait which is usually about a third to a quarter of a clam. Forget the 4/0's and up till later or next month when the bigger fish move in. Small hooks and baits are the way to go IMO>try it and see if it works for you......I'd rather catch five schoolies then ten hits and NO FISH!

[SaltLife1980]

Im not looking for any schoolies.. Im looking for the cows! But yes.. i have tried it and picked up a few

[Capt.Yasar]

I've been really sick recently; infected by the fishing bug, have been suffering from a severe case of cabin fever. It seems Stripers are coming soon. Think I will be cured after all.

[SaltLife1980]

Heard there was bunker in Raritan Bay from a good friend.. I wont be long now!!!!!! Can we say... Early Run!

Seems like an early spring...figure by April 1st there will be some nice keepers around

[Michael82929]

Bunker for the last couple of years have been starting to show in March - that is nothing new.. recently what has been new is seeing the early season bass chew on the bunker.. I am hearing that more and more....

Usually the fish are too sluggish to be chewing on bait schools and need to get that warmer water for them to start venturing on bait schools.. which is why the early season worm / clam bite is the ticket until one day - its game on with the chunk...

[Outofline]

Last March around the 17th, when we had that extremely warm week, Shucker, myself, Fast Eddie, DuckorBleed, and even Gerry Z were in the back bay in t-shirts catching fish on bunker chunks. Biggest probably went 25-30lbs. The bunker were so thick you didn't have to snag them, they snagged themselves on the lines in the water; reel in, chunk bunker, catch bass. It was CRAZY fishing. Went back the next day, bunker were still there, but no bass!