The month of April traditionally initiates a time of rebirth along the New Jersey Coast. Mother Nature awakens out of hibernation and blesses us with her beauty and splendor for yet another season. As our surroundings change, visual stimulations and fragrant aromas permeate our consciousness that govern our own sense of rebirth as we go about our daily endeavors.

Trout fishermen awaken at this time year as a much-needed cure for cabin fever, opening day, traditionally arrives. Much countryside is sprinkled with anglers fly fishing in babbling brooks and secluded streams that paint a picture of solitude and tranquility for the observant onlooker. These anglers delight in ten to fifteen inch rainbow and brook trout coming to net and return home satisfied that this is April in New Jersey.

But visualize now not ten to fifteen inch fish but rather an opportunity to cast to big fish that will tip the scales in the teen to thirty-pound range. Opportunities like this will present themselves to the salty flyrodder in New Jersey as spring once again rolls around. Our most sought after species, the striped bass, will be present within casting distance for the shore bound longrodder and boater alike.

Up to this point in time we have been targeting mostly schoolie bass that are the first fish to become active as spring approaches. Seven to nine weight rods with ten to twelve pound tippets have been the norm for the most part. As has small clousers, jiggies, deceivers, or shrimp patterns to match the smaller baits, mainly spearing and grass shrimp, that are some of our early season predominant baits.

Targeting these bigger fish will now require a knowledge of what acts as the stimuli to drive these large bass back into our waters. Understanding this will allow you to make adjustments so as to employ different strategies, tactics, and methods. You will also need to know where to look to have any chance at all of hooking into these 'take me into my backing' spring brutes.


Return of the Large

There are three events that coincide with one another that will trigger the migration of these larger stripers back into New Jersey in the springtime. These are the herring run, the bunker run, and the spawning urge of the striped bass. The timing of all three of these events is ultimately dictated by rising water temperatures.

Herring and striped bass are anadromous seeking the freshwater rivers, tributaries, creeks, or the upper portions of tidal ponds to spawn. For the striped bass there are three factors that affect the spring spawn that act as stimuli to move these fish. First, increased amount of daylight, secondly, increased freshwater river flow, and thirdly, increased water temperatures.

Males will arrive first followed by the large females and finally the smaller females. These fish will start to enter freshwater tributaries when the water temperature reaches 49 degrees. Spawning will occur when the water temperatures increase to 58-64 degrees. Some fish however may drop their eggs below this temperature and some above. The majority of these eggs do not survive but it helps to ensure that eggs are present over a wider spectrum in response to possible radical environmental changes that may occur in a particular season.

The large females can range well into the forty-pound range with numerous fish in the twenty and thirty pound class. These fish will feed up to the time they spawn, go off their feed when spawning, and then resume feeding when they are spawned out.

The Hudson, Raritan, and Delaware Rivers and its tributaries (and to some degree the Mullica River) along with the Chesapeake Bay are the major spawning grounds that produce fish for the New Jersey area. It is believed however that some smaller rivers and bays in the state, such as Barnegat and Great Bay, the Shrewsbury, Navesink, and Manasquan River systems may support a small spawning population. The main problem with successful spawns in these systems is the lack of a sufficient water current and depth to keep eggs viable.

This is not to say however that a small number of the female population is not going to try to spawn in these areas. I think to say that the spawning attempt is limited to only our major systems would be to carve primordial behaviors in stone. This would eliminate the possibilities that provide a species another avenue to increase its biotic potential and genetic diversity. The attempt to spawn may be there, but the environment mainly keeps it in check rendering it unsuccessful.

Coinciding with this spawning urge of the striped bass is the historical arrival of Alosa pseudoharengus and Alosa aestivalis, better known as the alewife and blueback herring respectively. These baitfish can be considered the 'filet mignon' of the stripers diet in the springtime. Since the alewife and blueback are also anadromous in nature, their primordial instincts will drive them to return to freshwaters to spawn. This will put them in the exact location as our bigger bass. The adults average anywhere from six to ten inches in length but can run as large as twelve inches and have a single black spot high on the body behind the gill plate. Their flanks are silvery and they have a deeply forked tail.

The Atlantic Menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus) will also appear on the scene at the same time as spawning bass and herring. Also known as mossbunker, pogy, bugmouth, and fat back these baitfish are one of the most important fish species found in New Jersey waters. They to are members of the herring family and have both recreational and commercial value. They are also one of the most prominent forage fish for stripers when we look at their availability throughout an entire season in our inshore waters. Bunkers traditionally appear in our area always around the first of April and by the middle of May are present in very good numbers. The baits that are first to arrive are the adult spawners that are in the ten to fourteen inch range. They will enter and remain in the lower tidal areas of our larger bay and river systems.

Bunker are silvery in color with a distinct black shoulder spot behind their gill opening. In addition, you may see a group of smaller spots loosely arranged the below the dorsal fin along their anterior flanks. You will also notice a deeply forked tail like in the herring.

Bunker have extremely oily skin that makes them unfit for human consumption but are highly sought after by commercial fisherman where catches are processed for dozens of products ranging from animal feed, fertilizer, margarine, and lipstick. They can be found in very large, densely packed schools that darken the water like a black cloud when they are near the surface. As a result of this behavior they are easy targets for purse seine equipped vessels and spotter planes.

Unfortunately the Marine Fisheries Council voted 6-4 last month to allow out of state bunker seiners to continue to invade New Jersey waters to harvest these baits for reduction purposes. The outcry of the New Jersey recreational angler along with the JCAA and RFA to stop such practices has once again been cast off.

In the fall we will see the first young of the year, the peanut bunker that have spent the summer in the backwaters maturing, that migrate out along our beaches. The presence of these smaller baits in the two to six inch ranges will trigger our classic New Jersey blitzes that we are accustomed to in the fall along our beaches.

Maintaining the stocks of our adult bunkers is absolutely vital to our New Jersey fishery. Not only will our striped bass fishery be affected but our bluefish populations as well. Bunkers are one of the prime forage fish for blues also. Their oily meat is a delicacy for our slammer blues that range in the mid to upper teen class.

Where to Go

In light of all these behavioral characteristics it should be clear that the place to target these large bass will be to concentrate your efforts in the back bays, coastal rivers, tidal creeks and ponds. Fishing a sandy beach or jetty on the oceanfront that is away from the entrance points to any of these areas will not be productive.

As you move back into these areas check any tributary or creek mouths that empty into any of these bodies of water. These locations will also be excellent ambush points to concentrate your efforts. These areas will congregate the baits and the fish as their narrow passageway will act as a natural barrier to their migration. Many of these areas will also have deeper holes that are carved right at their mouth as a result of heavy outflows from spring rains and runoff.

If you are adventurous it would also pay to follow these tributaries or creeks up river so to speak and take a look to see if fish and baits are present. I think you will be pleasantly surprised to find out that they will be. Keep in mind however that the area that you are in may require you to have a NJ freshwater fishing license on your person, check the compendium to be sure.

All of these back bay areas will warm more quickly than the open ocean or beachfront. This is mainly due to the warm water run-off from the land after early season rains. The fact that these areas are also shallower and usually have dark muddy bottoms will also help to contribute to their warming by better absorption of the sun's rays, and thereby heating the water. The magic water temperature that we are looking for that usually puts the fish back on flies is in the mid-fifty degree range.

You will also find that the most productive times in these areas will be on the outgoing tides, as this warmer water flows towards the ocean. The incoming tides will bring in much cooler water from the ocean that will usually turn the bite off. The first two hours of an outgoing tide is especially productive when it occurs towards the end of the day.

If you are going to fish on the oceanside you will want to concentrate your efforts around any freshwater outflow pipe or flume that has considerable freshwater flow and opening for baits to migrate through. In these instances the baits will be alewife and blueback herring that are seeking out the freshwater to spawn.

These pipes or flumes are usually located at the seaward end of freshwater lakes or ponds. It is not necessary that access is available for bass to enter just as long as the bait can. The bait will stack up in these areas as they stage and await the right water levels to move into the lake or pond. These baits will enter the flumes or pipes at low tide and then move forward into the freshwater as the high tide comes in and serves as an aid. Mass movements will usually occur on the new and full moon phases of the month. Because the entrances to these migration routes are narrow they will concentrate the activity in an easily identifiable place.

Strategies to Employ/Flies

When it comes to springtime fishing there are two types of strategies that the fly fisher can employ. Both of these strategies are linked to the baits that are present. The first choice is to fish small flies that emulate small dominant baits such as spearing or grass shrimp that are very prevalent at this time of year. This will usually result in hooking mostly schoolie bass but many of them.

The second choice, and the strategy that we are focusing on here, is to fish big flies that imitate the large spawning adult bunkers, alewifes, and blueback herring. With bigger flies you can expect a lot less hook-ups, many times none at all, but you will have a shot at the bigger trophy bass that are feeding on these larger baits.

The fact that these big bass can become rather selective when so many of the naturals are around is usually why I find that most fly fishers give up too quickly on these big fish tactics. Persistence here is the name of the game. If you are in the right place, like any of the locations mentioned above, than you should think that the big bass will be there. When I weigh all the variables just knowing this fact keeps my interest.


Fly Size

The best flies to use to hook into a large bass will be large flat-sided streamer patterns in the six to ten inch ranges. Many fly fishers will also use larger flies that will push the twelve-inch range. Keep in mind that not only is length an important consideration for these flies but also a wide profile is as equally important. Many fly fishers will often omit this important characteristic in their fly selection.

In the shallow waters of the back bays bass will in many locations be just below the baits when they are eying them up. This viewing perspective of the bass will render the dimension of vertical height to be quite evident. In other words the bass will be viewing the bait practically from the side or at eye level. This will be particularly true when in moves in for the take. If this wide profile is absent from your fly it could give the bass a reason to turn away from your offering at the last moment.

Fly Colors

As far as fly colors are concerned for the alewifes or bunker, a bronze back with greenish hues will most closely resemble these baitfish. The blueback, as the name implies, has a bluish hue or tint to its dorsal surface. Many other hues can be incorporated into the fly design of these patterns. Some purple, lavender, or pink will add a nice touch along with the basic foundation colors.

Putting in different hues will maybe add just what is needed to get that trophy to strike out at your fly rather than the real thing. It is interesting to note that when these baitfish reflect light many different portions of the visible spectrum will be dispersed throughout the water column. When we see the bait out of the water it appears different to some degree compared to what the bass sees when the reflected light remains in the water and travels to the fish's eye. The cone receptors in the bass's eye are different than those found in the human eye in terms of their complexity. This will account for the differences in perceptions. Added different hues or tones will on many occasions add to your fly's attractiveness.




Fly Presentation

Water depth and current will dictate the sink rate of your fly line that you should be using. In relatively shallow areas or flats a clear intermediate line will be the line of choice. Floating lines also will have their place. When fishing the deeper channels of back bay waters or at tributary and creek mouths that have deeper holes and strong currents you will need to get your fly down to the level of the fish. This will necessitate the use of quick sinking lines or shooting heads to put your fly in the strike zone.

Carry an assortment of sinking lines or heads ranging from 300-500 grains will have you ready for any varying water depth that you may encounter. You will also want to shorten your leaders to about five feet when using these lines. This will help to give you the straightest connection between your line and fly and result in more hook-ups when a bass strikes out at your fly. A twenty-pound test fluorocarbon leader is recommended. Flies should be fished slowly at this time of year with a strip-pause retrieve to compensate for the sluggish nature of the bass that are associated with colder water temperatures.

Another effective technique that works quite well particularly around the entrance to outflow pipes, flumes, or at creek and tributary mouths is to hold your fly in the deeper current allowing it to undulate bait and forth. This action will simulate a staging or resting herring getting ready to make its spawning run. In this case it is advantageous to use a non-slip mono loop knot to tie your fly to your leader. This will allow for more freedom of movement.

The nature of the herring will usually keep it running deep as it moves through the backwaters unlike bunker that can be found schooling in pods near the surface. Moving pods of bunker are a good indication that large bass are pushing the school. Any splashing surface activity or commotion that turns the school like a Venetian blind is a definite visual clue that can be recognized by any angler.

In situations like this casting directly into a pod of bait may not produce any strikes as your fly can become lost in all of the activity. Instead present your fly along the edges of the school or try to get it to sink below the pod. The largest bass of the school that are molesting the bait will usually remain to the outside and pick off the injured or wounded that cannot stay tightly packed with the pod. Other large bass will also be waiting below the pod for an easy meal to sink down to them.

If you do cast into the center of the pod try using large poppers or Bob's bangers that will remain on the surface. Try two completely different types of retrieves to draw strikes. First, strip the fly rapidly causing a lot of commotion. If this doesn't work cast your fly out and don't strip at all. Let it remain motionless in the school. Many times bass will just hammer this dead drift type of presentation. It does however require a lot of control on your part as your adrenaline surges to a boil as you watch the feeding frenzy in front of you. Give it a try.

Well, good luck. The time is right and the large await your feathered imitations. These opportunities will continue right on through the early part of June. Put yourself in the right place and at the right time and your success rate will increase dramatically. Take the time to explore new areas and don't be apprehensive about giving them a try. You may be pleasantly surprised when your efforts pay off with an early season trophy. Good fishin!...Flyfishing that is!

Jim Freda is a saltwater flyfishing guide and one of the co-owners of the Shore Catch Guide Service located in Manasquan, N.J. His new book, Fishing the New Jersey Coast, Burford Publishing Company, will be available this fall. He can be contacted at (732) 528-1861 or www.shorecatch.com