Striped Bass, Striper, Rockfish

    Striped Bass, or Stripers, locally referred to as Rockfish, are in and around the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries year round. Striped Bass are probably the most important game fish in our waters. The stringent regulations and bag limits have been put in place to protect the species against over-fishing. 

    There are two seasons for Striper fishing in VA, spring and fall. Fishing techniques for each season vary somewhat, when it comes to trolling versus casting. You can pretty much do the same thing in either season but just in different areas or using different baits. 

    During the spring  season, the fish are moving to and from there spawning locations, which are usually up river in the fresh water reaches. Again, there are different rules governing fresh and saltwater Striped Bass angling. It's important to pay attention to those rules or else it will cost you a stiff penalty.

    The spring season for some is like saltwater pond fishing. Casting techniques and the artificial baits that work for spring Rock are very similar to freshwater Largemouth baits, except maybe on a different scale. Soft plastic swim baits, bucktail jigs, and hard baits like jerks and rattle traps are all in order here. Just work them like you normally would and it'll happen if you do it enough.  Jigging deep water ledges with sting silvers or flutter spoons is  a good way to bring up a good fight. Trolling is a different story. Save that for the really cold water. Early fall season, still fish just like springtime, casting and jigging. But when it starts getting cold, it's time to troll in the middle of the bay and in deep water rivers like the Potomac and the Rappahannock. We have a few different trolling rigs that we usually tie for ourselves, Check out our favorite jigs and rigs to find out what works best for you.