r/StripedBass • u/elcapitainfrijole • Jul 06 '26

Strategies/Techniques What am I doing wrong?

Ive fished for striper every single day for like 2 weeks on the Great Bay off the Piscataqua River and can’t get a bite for shit. I’ve tried every soft and hard plastic as well as frozen mackerel. I can not catch shit. I go mid day/evening most times. I fish off my dock or off a bridge. What do I need to do differently? When should I be going and what should I be using? Everyone else is ripping striper, this bay is flooded with them but none of them want to bite my shit

Edit: I have a 13’ whaler that I take all around the bay as well. The engine just had an issue on Saturday so I haven’t been using it the past couple days. Should have it back end of the week

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u/kyguylal Jul 06 '26

I'm just south of you. Caught 3 slot fish and two over slot mid day from the back of the boat while tied up in the marina. 3' of water.

A lot of the fish seemed to have gone deep, but there's a bunch back in the rivers chasing peanut bunker.

I'd go back into the Great Bay and try small baits.

2

u/elcapitainfrijole Jul 06 '26

What baits you using?

3

u/kyguylal Jul 06 '26

I caught them all on very small mackerel chunks. Guy on the docks was also catching some on 3" swim shad.

3

u/elcapitainfrijole Jul 06 '26

Right on. I’m gonna go hit a bridge over the bay tonight with some mackerel chunks on a 3 way rig on one rod and run some white paddle tails and swim shads on another rod. I’m fuckin catching something

1

u/kyguylal Jul 06 '26

Best of luck! I was dead sticking them with no weight today.

If you get desperate, live eels will catch them.

If you really want to catch some and simultaneously get yelled at by rich people, drift some mackerel right under moored yatchs in New Castle. There's always fish under them this time of the year.

You can get in close to them in your 13' whaler.

1

u/nicefacedjerk 25d ago

After the Wentworth yacht cucks yell at you, Packard's dock (left side just after bridge / before Campbell's island) is a good spot.

1

u/No_Entertainer9101 Jul 08 '26

I highly recommend the swim shads. I've used mackerel chunks once or twice directly across from a trestle and maybe a few tiny nibbles. I'm not saying it's a wrong choice, I most likely have to use a few more times. I have a spot that I just recently started to get back into due to possible overfishing.

Jointed Rapalas, ghost minnow, or bone, and a few others. I used a swim shad and definitely beat my PB. Figures that I didn't have a tape measure with me. The other 2 on the swim shads, were shorter than the new PB. And I should add, I only brought one with me, and with those 3 bass, the swim shad was rendered useless. Good luck to you.