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Finding early season striped bass can be tough.  The fish have just started to arrive and are not spread around in various areas as much as they are later in the summer. Here are some tips for finding those early season stripers when fly fishing along the coast of Maine and New England. 

1. Water Temperature

They say 50 degrees is the magic number. Striped Bass are migrating from southern waters and are doing so based mostly on water temperature. Stick to the rivers and mouths of rivers as the water here will be warmer. Baitfish are also spawning and moving into rivers. This is why estuaries and saltwater rivers are a popular spot when looking for that first bass of the year! On the contrary, beaches will not be as productive as water temps are cooler here and most baitfish are focused in other spots. 

2. Low 'N' Slow

Most fish this time of year are scanning around for their food along the bottom. They are not too concerned with the top of the water column, yet. So getting your fly deeper in the zone can be a big advantage when fishing early in the season. Baitfish patterns stripped slowly along or near the bottom can be very productive.

3. Herring

Early season is when the adult herring are in efforts to spawn and they will be doing so in the rivers. Deceiver patterns about 5-7 inches long, with preferably some blue tied in, will work well.  The smaller juvenile herring ("britt" herring) will also be around. The britts can be easily imitated with a (smaller) deceiver pattern with various darker colors tied in such as dark green and black.

4. Small Sand Eels

Sand eels are a baitfish that are prevalent all season long in Maine. But as the season progresses, logically, they get bigger. So early on, you will see that most of the sand eels are 3-4 inches long on average.  Bob Popovic’s Fleye Foils are probably the best imitating patterns for these (and the “latest and greatest”) - many other basic sand eel patterns that are available commercially are also good. But just make sure they are properly sized and have almost zero movement in the first 50% of the body — that’s important when imitating the profile and movement of a sand eel.   

5. Crabs

Crabs are a food source for stripers all season long.  They eat them in Maryland, Cape Cod, New Hampshire..everywhere all along their travels.  Maine has a big population of crabs and they can be effective if fished properly.  Early season can be really great for crabs because, as mentioned before, most bass are looking downwards this time of year.  This will change later in the season.  But for now, most fish are not looking to the surface for their food.  So a good offering of a meaty crab that’s right in their vision is hard to ignore! Get a sinking line (not just an 10’ Type 3) and pull a crab pattern along the bottom.

HOPE THOSE HELP...NOW GET OUT THERE AND EXPLORE!

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I spend most of my time fishing for big native Brook Trout in northwestern Maine.  When fishing in Maine for big natives, there are a handful, or maybe even only a couple of rivers that will typically produce the size and class of fish that I’m after. While I will not list these few rivers, they are by no means a secret. A quick google search will probably reveal the rivers where I spend my time. Beyond that, spending a few days on these rivers during prime fishing time: April-June and then again in mid to late September and watching the other anglers will generally give you an idea of the prime holding water. There are plenty of other fly fisherman in Maine and even New England who share my passion for these fish, so even though we like to think we know secrets about these waters and fish that most others do not, these fish receive a fair amount of pressure daily from anglers stripping feathers and drowning nymphs in their faces.  Inevitably, these fish become educated to the game and can become picky with what they will eat and when they will eat. Here are a few tips or tactics that I use that might help others have increased success on their favorite waters. 

1. Tie Your Own Flies

Even though places like LL Beans and Cabelas or any one of the hundreds of on-line places to order flies have increased their catalogs which can offer more diversity, I think tying my own allows me to customize my patterns to what works. Many see tying as an art, and it can be if you want it to be. Otherwise it, can just be a hobby that helps you connect a little deeper to your passion of fly fishing. You don’t need to invest in a $500 vise and spend thousands on rare feathers. There are good, fairly cheap vises and thousands of great synthetic materials. Make it what you want it to be. Who knows, maybe it will become something you enjoy and allows you to catch more fish. 

2. Change Up The Times You Fish

I like to fish in the dark – sometimes I plan my trips to start when the sun goes down and end when the sun comes up. This might be tough for some as it tends to deprive us of sleep, but the results are fantastic. If sleep deprivation is not your thing, maybe just plan to stay for the first hour or two after sunset or arrive an hour earlier than you normally do. The fish are programmed also, and I think they relax when anglers typically leave the water and feed more carelessly. That said, you will normally have the best spots all to yourself. 

3. Pay Attention To Your Surroundings

Flip over rocks to see what bugs are in the water and what size they are. If you see a fellow angler having success, pay attention to how she or he is fishing. Not just the fly they are using, but how they read the water, how fast they are stripping the streamer, or the length of tippet from indicator to fly…any number of details can help. I don’t keep a fishing journal but I try to understand what decisions led to each hook-up. What was it about the cast or presentation of the fly? Sometime there is no rhyme or reason, but often there is a pattern as to what creates success.

Words + Photos By: Tim Ervin

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