May 04, 2026 - 10:27:37
Down the road at Chasing Tails Bait & Tackle in Oakdale, Billy reported the stripers must’ve known Billy was begging for them to show up this week because, man, oh man, they showed up. From the back bays to the surf and everywhere in between, the bass action is hot. Dock guys are having a blast soaking chunks and ripping lips. The surf is loaded up with fish of all sizes. Billy and his best friend Vinny Cagnina had a field day on the beach Monday afternoon into dark. Schools pulled up and they were hooking into them with the entire beach to ourselves. Billy said they had fish from well over slot size to 12-inch dinkers and everything in between. Bucktails and SPs were getting absolutely hammered. The night bite seems like it’ll be another Darter and bottle plug year - big fish are eating all of the bunker we have here locally. In the bay, Billy reported having great luck with a solid topwater bite and shallow divers like the mini–Mag Darter. The schools show up fast, rip through, and they’re gone! Finding the right time to show up is key. There are some very big fish holding out in the bay, and some spots will have you wishing you brought a bigger rod. Boat anglers are pulling up on fish all over the place, with some impressive numbers coming up over the rails. Trolling has been very fruitful, and having some SP's and swim shads slashing through the schools will do some damage.
