LAKE AND RIVER-RUN STRIPED BASS: SPRING AND SUMMER TACTICS
By Patrick Hunter
As spring breaks winter’s grip and summer settles in, striped bass begin their annual migration from the lakes in the lowlands up into the shallow shoals of tributaries and rivers, or upper reaches of the lakes to spawn. This seasonal shift opens up incredible opportunities for fly anglers looking to hook up with a fish that is powerful, aggressive, and willing to eat a popper or baitfish fly. Whether you’re targeting them in moving or still water, striped bass are pound-for-pound some of the most exciting fish you can chase on the fly.
Understanding the Migration
In lakes and river systems, stripers often begin pushing into river arms and creek channels once water temps creep into the low 60s. This movement isn’t random — these fish are on a mission to spawn. While reproduction success in freshwater reservoirs varies, the pre-spawn and post-spawn windows produce some of the most predictable striper behavior of the year, and usually the fish show up in big schools. In river systems, striper movement tends to be both water temperature and flow-driven. Watch the
gauges — an uptick in flow paired with warming trends can send waves of fish upriver in a hurry. Save those USGS pins because this is when scouting pays off. Look for holding structure: deep holes below shoals, eddies behind boulders, or sandbars adjacent to current seams. The fish will be moving up river following the baitfish as well, so if you find the bait, the fish won’t be far away.
Gear Up for the Fight
Leave the five-weight at home. An eight to ten weight rod with a strong backbone will give you the power to both throw big flies and control big fish. These don’t necessarily all have to be fast action rods. For throwing topwater flies, I pair an eight or nine weight with a fast-action rod and floating line, but for sink-tip or full sinking lines to dredging points in lakes or fast flowing rivers, I like a medium action nine or ten weight. An intermediate line can be used as a good all-around. Be sure to spool up a solid reel with a dependable drag. Stripers tend to quickly run across and down stream in the current, and in lakes they like to dive deep.
The Flies That Work
When it comes to fly selection, the name of the game is profile and movement. Striped bass are keyed in on baitfish this time of year, and you want your fly to mimic the forage in the system — whether that be shad, herring, bluegill or small trout.
These Blue Line Fly Co. flies have you covered:
Disco Minnow – This small, articulated streamer is perfect for imitating panicked baitfish. Its flashy profile and tight action make it a go-to when stripers are feeding aggressively in both lakes and rivers.
Angel Hair Minnow – This fly, tied completely with angel hair material is a heaven sent pattern just for bass. Simple, but elegant, this pattern will dance gracefully in the water to entice even the pickiest of fish to strike.
White Lightnin’ – This simple craft fur pattern boasts big numbers with fish. Loved by predatory fish in both salt and freshwater, the White Lightnin’ never disappoints.
Flash Minnow – This fly is small, but heavy enough to get down to where the fish are sitting, rides hook point up to avoid the snags and rocks, and has the flash you need to get fish to eat. The white pattern will imitate most forage in the rivers and lakes that Striped Bass will be keyed in on.
PowerHouse – Based on a traditional deceiver, the PowerHouse moves water and is tied with more flash than its predecessor. It catches everything, and we mean everything.
Gurgler – The Gurgler is a tried and true topwater fly. With the unique BLC upgrades, this makes our Gurgler out-fish the rest. More movement and the perfect sound come together in this topwater fly.
Conjuror – The Conjuror is the better casting cousin of the Game Changer, one of the most iconic large streamers. Thrown on a sink tip to help get this fly into the strike zone, this fly will conjure striped bass out of hiding.
Hackle Clouser or Marabou Clouser – Derived from famous fly tier Bob Clouser’s fly, the Clouser Minnow, these Clouser variations have some added flare to complete any streamer line-up. Any fish willing to eat baitfish is catchable on a Clouser, so no matter where an angler chooses to go, it should have a home in every fly fisher’s box.
Timing, Tactics, and Tips
Early mornings and dusk are often the magic hours, especially on lakes. Watch for surface activity — nervous bait, birds diving, or slashing strikes. If you see it, get in casting range fast and hit the edges. Casting into the chaos may cause the school to go back down. In rivers, patience and reading water are key. Position yourself where structure breaks the current, and cast slightly upstream to let your fly sweep through the holding zone naturally. Look for structure in the river, big rock, downed trees or drop offs and ledges. Even a large striper facing upstream can hide in plain sight, so pick the water apart like a surgeon. Don’t overlook the power of the pause. Stripers often crush a fly the moment it stalls. A wounded meal is an easy meal. Vary your retrieve — slow and steady, fast and erratic, strip-strip-pause — and pay attention to what triggers the bite. These rinse and repeat.
Final Thoughts
There’s nothing quite like watching your fly disappear in a swirl or flash of silver, white and grey. The eat, like the tip of the rod, was struck by lightning. The feeling is truly unmistakable with the pull of a striper on the other end pulling you deep down or down river, so whether you’re targeting these fish in lakes or rivers, the spring and summer bring some of the most dynamic fly fishing of the year, so hit the water to cool off, tie on a Disco Minnow, load up your eight-weight, and get after it. Blue Line Co. has the flies; the stripers are waiting.
