David explained to me how the striper behave at this time of year. The big stripers start migrating in from their wintering grounds off the coast of North Carolina as early as February or March. All these fish depend on the water temperature, salinity and moon phase. They run up these tidal rivers in April, so that s when you can catch the big ones on light tackle, but it has to be catch and release, so they can spawn out. Then they head back down and by June, the breeders are headed north in the ocean.
Smaller ones summer over down here.
David likes to use the lightest tackle possible and prefers thin Spiderwire to the heavier wire line that is more traditional. He also uses less weight and carefully adjusts his spread to match the depth of the fish and bait that he sees on his fishfinder. His tackle and the boat are immaculate. You can tell that he is a perfectionist and he explains that he worked as a mate for 14 years before he was able to buy the Silver Mist last year. He helps his Dad on the farm too, but it s apparent that he is a true sportsman at heart.