The third installment to this summer striper series.
When the month of August rolls around the striper fisherman in our region starts thinking about one thing, and that’s water temperature. We can still have some great striper fishing at this time, but conditions often get too warm for the bass’s comfort. For success, the angler has to pick his spots and his fishing times with thought and care. Some places, and it’s now in the minority, will be better than others. Most won’t hold bass well.
Hope Of Stripers
Action in the Western areas, the NY Bite and New Jersey, Western Long Island Sound, and the Island’s Western South Shore will have slowed considerably from the previous two months. Even the few places that do hold fish early in the month may hold none by the latter half. Aside from one exception you may simply have to search other spots further east. If the water gets warm enough, even these Eastern areas can become “bass barren.” It’s that time of year. The “summer doldrums,” and the “Dog Days” have arrived. Regardless, there can still be at least some good striper fishing remaining.
East End Exclusive
The Eastern Sound may remain good until the water temp gets past 72 degrees. This happens quickly this time of year. The easternmost part, say Groton, New London, and Orient Point may take a little longer to get to 70, the highest “departing” temp here. Perhaps it’s time to do some night fishing here. Slightly cooler water temps will prevail in the dark. Again, find the cooler water if you can.
There’s the possibility of having great fishing at Montauk this month. It may remain so until that surface temp gets to, you guessed it, 70 degrees. Maybe, just maybe a little warmer than that. At the end, mostly in the rips and deep, can hold schools of big bass until that threshold temp is reached.
Southwest Ledge, off Block Island may fare better. It’s located “out there” in the open cooler ocean, and if the temp is right may hold lots of bass and lots of big bass at this time. You can catch them during the day, usually deep, and you might get them even better at night. The August full moon night often draws an armada of boats, and lucky fishermen. Again, water temp often determines all. Try eels, soft plastic eels, super snacks, Slug-Go’s, and Hogys on leadheads, bucktails, and flutter spoons (try glow in the dark at night) for action. If sand eels are the predominant bait a diamond jig might turn out to be a winning ticket!
An August Hot Spot
There’s one place that comes into its own in August. When other places lose their bass, the Race – the mouth of Long Island Sound, stretching from Race Rock off Fishers Island all the way to Plum Island off Orient Point, is often at its fishing peak for the entire season at this time. It may offer the coolest temps of the entire region, and this, of course, draws both bait and bass, blues too. If any place in the region is, this is the warm water hot spot. On some days you may see flocks of birds over feeding fish, both bass and blues, and the bait can be butterfish, sand eels, small herring, squid, striped and bay anchovies, small mackerel, as well as peanut bunker.
All kinds of lures and flies can work including bucktails, soft plastics, poppers, Zara Spooks, Docs, diamond jigs, and both small and large subsurface plugs. A great butterfish and peanut bunker imitation (lure) is a Rattle Trap. Deceivers, Puglisi Peanut Butter, Clousers, and Flatwings get fish for the fly fisherman.
The Race can offer great fishing all month, but it too can be vulnerable to high temperatures. But if you’re a betting man, this is the place to be!
Other Rod-Bending Options
Although August can become a slow month for bass, other species shine, or even come into their own this month. Bluefish, and I mean big bluefish, can run thick at the Race and around Block Island. Some of the largest individuals of the year are caught now. Tuna become prominent and drive anglers into a craze. You can find them in all sizes from small school size to giants and they’re available ranging from off the Jersey coast, through the NY Bite, along the Western and Eastern South Shore of Long Island, off Montauk, perhaps along the Race at times, and of course, off the famous tuna grounds off Block Island. You may have seen the Tim Regan drone videos of giant tuna cruising along, close to the beach in Easthampton, Long Island, or heard about the often present tuna fishing happening around the windmills of Block this month.
| WESTERN EXCEPTION |
| That one “Western” exception is the “Triangle” off Northport NY and Eatons Neck. For some reason, schools of bass are known to feed here, even on the surface, when water temps reach up into the mid-70s. The area often has fish when far surrounding areas have none. Try very early and late in the day. |
You can see what draws these bomb shaped speedsters too. Schools upon schools of menhaden along the coast and large mats of sand eels off the shore. Add herring, mackerel, and the delectable (to a tuna) half-beaks and you have a huge tuna buffet.
A viable cobia fishery has developed along the Western Long Island South Shore over the past few years. The accelerated warming from climate breakdown has brought these denizens of southern waters up to our region and this warm month of August initiates their “return.” cobia have been seen all the way to Montauk. Some have been caught fishing from the beach.
Add a lot of bait and more sharks than in yesteryear and you have an availability of good shark fishing, often happening surprisingly close to shore. August can bring spinner sharks, threshers blacktips (find them feeding in the bunkers pods) as well as other species into our area anywhere from the NY Bite to Montauk, out to Block, and along the Eastern CT and Rhode Island shorelines. You can “chum ’em up” or hang out around the big schools of menhaden, and fish live bait.
First Speedster Signs
The end of August usually heralds the first reports of false albacore for the season. These often coming from Buzzards Bay, Nantucket, and possibly off Block Island too. Although we’re far from cool weather at this time, it certainly signals the excitement of the fall season to come.
| KEEP THEM WET |
| Hooking and fighting bass becomes more stressful to the fish the closer the water temp gets to the striper’s thermal tolerance level. Make sure you spend enough time reviving the quarry before you release it. Perhaps you don’t even want to take it out of the water. Some experienced anglers won’t fish during these high temp periods because they’re concerned about the bass’s mortality. |
August is a hot weather month. Striper fishing can be very good in places, but all the fishing is dependent upon acceptable water temperatures for this popular species. Choose your spots and fishing times wisely and you will be rewarded. And remember, when striper fishing wanes, the slack is taken up by other exciting to catch species that tolerate warmer water better like tuna, sharks, bluefish (to a point), and even the exotic cobia. August continues to be a great fishing month in our Northern New Jersey, Metropolitan NY, Long Island, Connecticut, and western Rhode Island regional waters. Go wet a line, enjoy yourself, relax, and catch some fish. And don’t forget the sunscreen. See you out on our waters!
