Imagine this. You’re plugging a tidal river shoreline, trolling motor quietly guiding the boat as you cast a topwater slider toward the bank. Using creative rod action, you make it walk from side to side, then pause. With a splash, the lure disappears, the line comes tight, and you instinctively set the hook. A hefty striper charges away straining the rod, pulling drag in an attempt to escape to deeper water. This is my favorite striper fishing of the year, and if it isn’t yours, it will be once you become proficient at it.
Stripers start hunting in tidal rivers as early as the first couple of weeks of March, depending on the severity of the winter, which affects freshwater flow, water temperature and clarity. Warm clothing, boots and a rain suit make up the ensemble needed to stay warm and dry while fishing and when running a boat from spot to spot. I’m lucky to have my boat a relatively short run from three such rivers: the Navesink, Shrewsbury and Raritan. They are all part of the watershed that feeds Raritan Bay, a key component of the nursery system for young striped bass spawned in the Hudson River Complex. The rivers host larger bass at times, especially when large schools of stripers return to the area to feed before running upriver to spawn, but the majority of spring bass are school-size fish from 16 inches to 20 pounds.
The Hudson River’s striper production is second only to that of the Chesapeake Bay Complex, so we are talking about a lot of striped bass in residence. All the nursery rivers that I’ve fished, stretching from Virginia to Connecticut, have similarities that make them great places to fish for spring striped bass using light tackle.
The Right Boat
You do not need a big boat for river fishing. In fact, small boats that can get into skinny water are the way to go. A trolling motor is a huge advantage because it allows you to get into calm backwaters quietly and to work coves, sedge banks and smaller feeder creeks methodically without spooking wary bass that might be feeding in a foot or two of water. When the wind is blowing, anchor or spot-lock mode can keep you on a bite. I have a 2700 Pathfinder with a jack plate to raise the outboard and a high-thrust trolling motor that allows me to sneak into spots as shallow as 20 inches. My good friend Capt. Terry Sullivan has a 2200 Pathfinder that can get into places where I can’t, and he’s been known to catch stripers in barely a foot of water. After years as a light-tackle guide specializing in striped bass charters, he enjoys fishing inside waters from his bay boat more than anything else.
Tackle for this fishing consists of 7- to 7 ½-foot light- to medium-action spinning or plugging outfits with an appropriate-size reel filled with 10- to 20-pound-test line. Braid or mono works equally well. Light fluorocarbon leaders, no more than 20-pound-test, are a must. I use Tactical Angler’s 50-pound Power Clips for quick lure changes.
Warming Temps Required
Tides and water temperature play a big role in finding stripers in rivers. I usually start fishing as soon as my boat comes out of winter storage, which is mid- to late March. If the water temperatures are in the mid-40-degree range, it’s game on, except for last spring when consistent cold weather and heavy rain pummeled my area from late winter well into May. The weather, low water temperatures and water clarity wreaked havoc on the fishing and resulted in the worst spring river fishing I can remember. Hopefully, we won’t have a repeat in 2025. I’m keeping my fingers crossed.
For the earliest spring fishing, try to find shallows that receive direct sunlight for the longest period of the day. These waters warm faster, making them good places to concentrate your efforts. One of my favorite rivers flows roughly west to east, so the sun strikes the northern bank for a longer period and with more intensity due to the declination, or angle, of the sun’s travel through the sky.
The southern bank will catch up as the sun moves higher in the sky with each passing day, but you’d be hard-pressed to catch a striper on the southern shoreline in the early part of the season, which doesn’t produce like long stretches of the northern bank. The difference might only be a couple of degrees, but it’s enough to attract more baitfish and bass. As water temperature rises through April and May, the bass will spread out, and spots on both banks and around the deeper channels will light up. This is a simplified look at water temperatures, and not all rivers are the same.
Make or Break Tides
Tides are another major factor that will make or break your day of fishing. The prime time for river feeding activity usually occurs on an outgoing or falling tide. I like to start fishing spots well upriver, arriving around slack high tide and anticipating bass moving onto shallow flats and bars where the water will be quickest to warm. On stronger tides, water will push higher onto banks, and baitfish will be there cashing in on the bounty of nutrients that will wash back into the river as the tide begins to recede. So, how do you know which tides might have a more positive effect on fish movements and feeding? By paying close attention to tide charts that have accurate readings near the spots you plan on fishing. Most tidal rivers will have multiple observation points along their length denoted on the tide charts, so you can time the difference in high and low tides the farther upriver you move. But they also have other important information.
There are usually two high and two low tides daily, and typically one will rise higher than the other. It’s got to do with the gravity and position of the moon, but we won’t get into that here. If possible, I like to time my fishing to be on the water for the highest tide of the day, and that is clearly shown on the tide chart measured in feet above and below mean low tide. So, if one tide is going to be 3.4 feet above mean low tide and the next tide will be 5.1 feet, ideally the higher tide should produce better fishing. There are dozens of free tide websites and apps for smartphones available that provide this vital information in a clear and concise manner.
Just consider that in a perfect world, the stronger tide might be the best for fishing, but if it doesn’t coincide with when you can go fishing, it doesn’t mean you should stay home. I’ve caught stripers on the weaker tides, even on the incoming. Even if the fishing isn’t lights-out, being on the water will allow you to scout spots, learn more about the overall river environment, and maybe catch a few. One of my mentors always told me, “The best time to go fishing is whenever you have time to go fishing.”
Read Next: Best Striper Topwater Lures
Bass Treats
River bass can be finicky at times and unafraid of anything you throw at other times, but I have a selection of lures that have proved productive. In March and April, small swimming plugs in the 4- or 5-inch range, like the Guides Secret Mucho Minnow, are deadly. It’s a 4 ½-inch shallow runner, and bass love the silver-and-black and 3D Bunker colors. When they want a bigger swimmer, I go with an X-Rap or Daiwa Salt Pro Minnow.
Surface plugs in several sizes, like TA’s Crossover Stalker and Popper, Guides’ Secret Baby Bottle and Tsunami’s iPop, are good choices. What is surprising is how effective larger sliders are, like the 7- and 9-inch Musky Doc plugs, even on smaller fish. There’s just something about the action that will have several bass chasing them at times, like puppies after a chew toy. I also keep a supply of paddle-tail lures from 3 to 5 inches on the boat in a variety of colors.
By the time you read this, I should be on one of my favorite tidal rivers, pounding on the bass population. If you’re new to river fishing, remember it’s not like the ocean or bay where boats will get right on top of each other. Give other boats plenty of room, find your own spots, and be courteous to fellow anglers.
