Greetings from Capt. Dave & BAYMEN!

On board today, 20 year client, Dick Bowman (USMC) for fly and light tackle striped bass. At first light, a near low -1.5 tide, dead-calm seas, and bright sun. A gorgeous day. Air temps 50, water temps 54.

If you saw my RECON trip yesterday with the Admiral, you know the bay was “deadsville” and void of striped bass after the recent Nor’easter and 7″+ of rain. We covered 15 miles and never found fish.

Today, I was optimistic that things would turn around. Winds were near calm and out of the west. An incoming tide, late May – almost half-way through the “Spring Blitz.” We saw micro baits at the dock, two fish rise in the harbor, and there was a Hickory Shad invasion on the bay. Things were looking good! But the fish were nowhere to be found and they never arrived on the incoming tide by mid-morning…

We did have three follows on topwater. Not aggressive follows, more like curiosity follows, if you know what I mean. A few tail swipes and they were gone. We also saw a couple fish up on the flats “Veeing” their way along the edge of a drop-off. Most likely crabbing for quarter-size green crabs which is a favorite food of the striped bass in late May each year.

Dick and I covered about ten spots around the three bays and never marked a single fish! And we only saw  seven fish total all morning on topwater. We saw two seals and a Common Loon. That loon rolled on the surface and dove like a bass that we both thought for a quick cast, it was a bass! We also saw some serious water piling up that was unexplainable down in Plymouth. Dick thought “whale” and I thought “shark” but we never saw what made all that water stand up… Maybe another seal???

After searching the bay all morning in vain, we continued slow crawls over multiple channels, drop-offs, and structure in the hopes of marking some fish. We did not mark a single striped bass all morning on sonar or side scan.

If you find a handful of striped bass INSIDE the bay on the morning tides, count yourself a top rod angler. But it begs the question “where are the Spring Blitz fish?” that we are so accustomed to seeing in our bay almost the entire month of May each year? A couple things. Current minus tides are -1.5 and this sometimes slows the fishing bur rarely kills it. Also, a nor’easter can and will shut off the fishing – but not always. And 7″+ plus of rain in 24 hours can slow the migration or keep it out of our bay. And sewer and chemical run-offs from all the rain can and will affect fish, shellfish, baitfish, etc inside the bay. And the striped bass Population Index is telling us the bass are in big trouble as far as year class diversity numbers but the powers that be decided to keep the management “Status Quo” for one more year. So, pick your poison, or shrub it all off and blame the moon or a combination of all of the above occurring in a very short period of time. In any event, we are not seeing the numbers of Spring striped bass that we have been in past years.. That is a fact.

That is today’s BAYMEN Report for May 27, 2025. I remain optimistic things will turn around soon. NOTE: All clamming and shellfishing remains closed by the State until further notice, due to all the run-off from the recent Nor’easter. Let’s hope they open up again soon…! 

Capt. David Bitters, BAYMEN, baymenlife.com 32 Years Guiding The Bay. Soli Deo Gloria!