The more intense springtime sunlight causes the water temperatures to rise, which in turn awakens the marine world and renews the life cycles of the bait creatures and the fish that feed upon them. Resident stripers have already begun to actively feed on the grass shrimp, minnows, worms, crabs and other creatures whose life cycles have been reignited by the onslaught of spring. The resident fish that have over wintered in the Delaware Bay and its saline tributaries are also becoming active feeders as the water temperatures are warming up.

   Schools of adult bunker that have already entered the bay in March will continue to be present well into April. Depleted populations of blue back and alewife herring, along with the shad species have made their run through the bay as well. Hot on their trails are the early run of migratory stripers that have returned from their winter home off of the outer banks of North Carolina and the Virginia Capes. These fish will make their run through the Delaware Bay during March and April en route to the Delaware River, where they will spawn in May.

   Luckily for Cape May and Delaware Bay anglers, April still sees large stripers working their way up the bay on this migratory pathway. Usually in early April the water temperatures are in the mid 40s in the mouth of the bay with progressively warmer temperatures in the more shallow areas of the bay.

   Most anglers will fish with clams in April while anchored along the edges of the main channel, as well as along the sloughs where the stripers migrate. Different spots along the edges and adjacent flats will be productive as schools are only transiently stopping to feed as they migrate. Stripers, though, which are often following schools of bunker, can appear anywhere in the bay. Bunker flipping on the surface or gannets diving from above are telltale signs of stripers beneath. Many times, drifting with clam or bunker bait is more effective then anchoring in these conditions. A 6/0 to 8/0 octopus hook, attached to a 3-foot, 50-pound test fluorocarbon leader, and rigged on a fish-finder clip with a weight, is the common set up used by most anglers.

   Another good spring spot for stripers is 8 to 12 miles up the bay on the flats that are northeast of bug light. Here the water is between 6 and 12-feet deep, and the water currents are slower, both of which lend to warmer water temperatures in this vicinity. These warmer temperatures bring to life the massive numbers of grass shrimp, minnows, worms, snails, and other creatures that stripers love to consume in the spring. The flats near Egg Island point serve as another good fishing spot. Here the grass beds serve as a bait haven where the stripers gladly come in to feed on the plentiful supplies of mysid shrimp that feed and reproduce in these beds. Cruising through an area at slow speeds and looking for fish or bait on a depth finder is the key to locating the feeding schools of stripers.

   Besides anchoring and fishing with bunker and clam, anglers have success fishing with poppers, various plugs and many other types of subsurface lures.

   Other areas that usually hold stripers at this time of year include spots like the Horseshoe, Punk Grounds, Banana Peel, Tussey’s slough, the north end of the 60-foot slough, and the edges of the 20-foot slough. Riding around slowly until one marks bait and/or stripers is the key to finding a good spot to anchor in this area too. Once anchored, fishing with fresh clam and chumming clam morsels is the key to drawing striped bass in behind the boat. Avoid chumming too heavily or the dog sharks will become a constant nuisance. If dogfish become too numerous, a move into shallower waters generally reduces their concentration.

   Pay attention to recent reports to keep tabs on how far up into, or in what area of the bay the fish are present. One day’s hot spot may be poor the next day. Look for fish further up the bay if none are found at the spot where a good report had them biting.

   Stripers can also be caught behind Wildwood and Stone Harbor in the back-bay waters. Here anchoring and fishing with clams is ideal. Keep the rod in hand to feel the telltale pick up of a striper. Fish the steep sod banks or mouths of creeks for the best bite. Stripers line up outside the feeder creeks as the ebbing tide washes out the tiny baits that were harbored in the shallow creeks and meadows. Multitudes of grass shrimp are filling the striper’s bellies, so experiment with the size of the baits used as the stripers may key on smaller baits.

   If crabs become a nuisance, fishing with baits floated several feet off the bottom can also be helpful.

   Some anglers catch fish early in the morning by using slowly retrieved poppers and lures. Often these fish can be found in small schools in some very shallow water. Stealth is the key when fishing shallow waters as unusual noises will very easily scare the fish away.

   Stripers are also available in the Cape May rips at this time of year. While live herring used to be the bait of choice, it is no longer readily available. Good substitutes are eels, storm shads, or bucktails adorned with white or chartreuse plastic worms, and/or clam or mackerel strips.  Both the rips on the Cape May side and Brown Shoals on the Delaware side of the bay can be very productive as the waters warm into the low 50s by the end of the month. Again, the key to using artificials is to fish slowly.

 

Surefire cure for winter humdrums

 

   Black drum make their first appearance in late April, with the smaller fish showing up before their behemoth brethren. They usually show up first off Slaughter Beach on the Delaware side and on the typical spots such as Tussey’s slough and Pin Top on the New Jersey side. The same rigs and clam baits used for stripers will catch these drum as well.

 

Rock, reef and wreck dwellers

 

   Tog will have moved inshore as the water temperatures climb into the upper 40s and a red hot bite ensues by the time the water temperatures are 50 or above. Tog can be targeted on the many wrecks on the Delaware artificial reef sites distributed throughout the bay and offshore. Tog will also be plentiful on the jetties as well as the wrecks on the Cape May reef and nearby inshore wrecks. Green crabs fished on 2/0-5/0 hooks tied singly or as a top and bottom rig are the normal set up. Fish for them now as the season is drawing to a close!

   All through the winter months the sea bass bite has been very good offshore on the rock piles, inside the canyons as well as the deep water wrecks. By April these fish will move onto the Cape May reef, Delaware reef site 11, and the rocks of the Old Grounds. Clam baits, squid, bloodworms, and many other baits work well for these tasty fish.