A storm can kick slow summer surfcasting into high gear!
It’s been predictable summer pattern of surf fishing for years here in southern New England. The summer doldrums bring extended warm weather, light winds, calm waters and poor fishing. It can last for weeks. Then, the marine forecast warns of storms: it could be an offshore tropical storm, a northeaster, a series of line storms, a southwesterly blow or even a hurricane. The surf turns rough and white, the water moves and the fishing comes alive.
Stormy Weather
Last year I experienced this firsthand during the first week of August. Prior to that I had abysmal fishing for weeks with just about nothing except for a fish here and there. The skunks were piling up, and I began to wonder if there were any fish around. But, the forecast was calling for a tropical storm to pass off the Rhode Island shore with strong southerly winds and rough surf. Just what I was hoping for!
With low tide coming in the evening, I knew right where I was going. I would head to one of my favorite outflows where clean water would be dumping out into the turbulent surf. As I approached the spot, I could see birds diving with occasional big breaks under them. In a place where I landed nothing over the previous three weeks, my luck was about to change dramatically. The fish appeared to be on some kind of small bait, possibly bay anchovies. I snapped on a float and jig with the jig being a bucktail with a plastic curly-tail attached. It took no time until I was catching one striper after another. They were all decent-size fish, running from big schoolies to small slots. The action seemed to slow with the tide, but I ended the evening with a dozen decent fish. I got more fish in two hours than I had landed in two weeks!
Increased Opportunities
Most surf fishermen shy away from fishing in rough, summer conditions. True, these conditions can be dangerous, but if you approach this task in a sensible and cautious way, the results can be tremendous. Last summer, I fished at least a half-dozen stormy events like the one described above and caught good numbers of stripers fishing both day and night every time. In the calmer, tranquil weather in between it was a struggle.
Striped bass are opportunistic feeders. In the calm of summer, they tend to feed in deeper water far from the casts of shore fishermen. That’s why boaters experience far better striper fishing in the summer months than the shore guys do. However, get a wind blowing in your face along with some charged-up surf, and it will move bait and hungry predators right in close to shore. Bait tends to be small in the summer months with sand eels, bay anchovies and peanut bunker making up the bulk of the summer pickings. Throw that bait into a tumbling and turbulent surf and they are easy pickings for the stronger and more aggressive bass.
Old Reliable
The size of the bait will dictate your choice of lures. You will also want to go with an offering that will cast some distance into a strong wind that might be coming right at you. Over the years, my best producer in summer storminess along the Rhode Island shore has been a wooden egg float with some type of small jig or even a fly coming about three feet off the float. This set up is a dead ringer for small bait and has been my first go to lure in most instances.
The only thing I might vary here is the offering coming off the float. I might opt for a bucktail jig first. I like the “H” style jig from Do-It molds, a jig that sports a head that looks like a slender baitfish. The half-ounce jig is just right. I tend to add Bass Pro triple ripple tails (white) to the back of the jig. The tail really makes a difference because of its wiggling action. This worked well when small, slender bait was around.
Another offering that worked well for me last year, especially when peanut bunker were around, was the 3-inch NLBN (No Live Bait Needed) paddletail threaded onto a half-ounce jighead. Finally, I also did well in the summer months using a fly coming off the end of the float. This worked great when micro bait was present. I mostly used homemade Deceiver flies in white or pink.
Most fishermen often ask how to work the float and jig. Quite simply, you cast out and proceed with a slow retrieve. The storminess of the water will give the jig loads of action right below the surface. I might also give the rod tip a short pull once in a while for added action. This set-up works great in shallow, rocky and sandy places.
Egg-Free Options
In addition to float set-ups, I have a number of other lures packed in the surf bag to use in rough water. Most of these are bullet-like casters that I need to punch out into a strong wind. One such lure that I used a lot last year was a Super Strike Bullet Heavy Needlefish. This plug, which is just 4-1/2 inches long but weighs 2-1/2 ounces, casts like a bullet, just as the name suggests. I like to work it just below the surface with a slow retrieve and short pulls of the rod tip similar to the way you would work a spook-type plug.
I also like to carry some type of metal with me for a stormy outing. I like the Hopkins N Equal lure in their 3-ounce model. This is a long caster and might just be the thing when fish are way out in rough water.
Finally, I like to fish good-sized bucktail jigs in rough water in specific locations. I tend to fish these along “drop away” shorelines where deep water exists close to the shore. These are made for rocky shores that plunge away and where stripers hang close to shore but a bit deeper. I make my own jigs and carry these in a number of sizes from 1 to 2 ounces and I will always add some type of tail on them as an enhancer. In recent years I’ve been going with 5-inch split tail Fat Cow jig strips. These have been super effective for me in pink.
Keep It Clean
One other key to fishing summer storminess is to make sure you are casting into clean water. Big storms can quickly turn a sandy shoreline brown with weeds and sand. It’s important to hit these areas during the start of a storm. Rocky shorelines can take a pounding without getting dirty and can offer great fishing through the duration of the storm. Breachways, whether along sandy beaches or rocky areas, tend to have clean water on the outgoing tides.
Note that safety is always a common theme in any type of area you fish in rough water. Look for high, dry perches to cast from that also offer a landing spot to get a big fish ashore and to release it. It’s always best to use spiked boots or waders in rocky areas. Always wear a surf belt when wearing waders. Some surf fishermen even opt for an inflatable vest for safety.
For surf fishermen, stormy summer weather is a window of opportunity. It can deliver great fishing opportunities even when there has been very few fish around for weeks. Pack the right lures that will get you out there into the wind and storminess. And, always proceed with caution, keeping safety in the forefront of your fishing adventures.
