Tips make outings for stripers enjoyable

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Summer’s nearly here, and if you’re a frequent traveler along the Brewer waterfront, I’m sure you’ve noticed some signs of the season.

All you’ve got to do is look for the parked cars, and it’s obvious that the striped bass are back … and the anglers are enthusiastically fishing for them.

Stripers have emerged as one of the region’s most popular fish, in part because they can be caught in so many different ways.

Those with boats can troll. Those without can stand on shore. Those who enjoy casting and retrieving lures can enjoy some success … as can those who prefer to toss out a weighted natural bait, sit back in a comfy camping chair, and wait for the fish to show up.

Heck, even fly fishers can get in on the action, although they generally head to coastal locations to target the stripers.

On Monday, about 20 anglers vied for the plentiful shore space at the city park on South Main Street in Brewer, and another 10 cars packed the parking lot at the Penobscot Salmon Club in North Brewer.

On the water, plenty of other fishermen tried their luck trolling on one of the few sunny (OK … nearly sunny) days that we’ve enjoyed.

If you’ve never fished for stripers, I’ve got a few tips to get you started. Remember, of course, that you’re receiving these tips from a guy who makes his living writing about fishing … not fishing. There is a big difference (as my fishing buddies always like to point out).

Here, then, are a few tips, some of which I nearly guarantee will almost work:

. Bide the tide. When you’re striper fishing on the Penobscot, most anglers maintain that the best time to do so is during a four-hour span on each side of high tide.

Simply put, if high tide’s at noon, you ought to be fishing from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Or so folks will tell you.

One angler I spoke with on Sunday told me that some diehards have had plenty of luck fishing low tide from the park in Brewer (though, if you’ve ever seen what it looks like at low tide, I can’t imagine that landing a fish was all that easy).

. Treat your fish with respect. You’ve caught a fish. Great! Wonderful! The fact remains that most of the fish you catch in the Penobscot will be too small to keep, and many others will be returned to the water by anglers because they fully subscribe to the catch-and-release ethic. What you do after the catch will vividly illustrate exactly what kind of sportsman you are.

If you’re curious, a “keeper” striper on the Penobscot is between 20 and 26 inches long, or more than 40 inches long. Anglers can only keep one fish per day.

In the past I’ve watched anglers drag stripers up the bank, over the rocks and onto the grass. Then (sometimes after fumbling for a few minutes to find pliers or another hook-extraction tool), they grab the fish and launch it back toward the river.

I figure that if we’re going to catch, we’ve got to be prepared to release. And releasing a fish by throwing it 20 yards off an embankment doesn’t send a great message to those non-fisherfolk who may have stopped for a few minutes to see what’s going on.

. Gear doesn’t matter. There. I said it. There is a chance that you’ll catch a monstrous striper in the Penobscot, and you’ll wish you were using a stout, sturdy rod.

A slim, slim chance.

The vast majority of the fish you catch, however, will be between 14 and 24 inches long … and there’s no sense in investing in expensive tackle to tangle with them.

Walk along the banks and you’ll find anglers enjoying equal success with a vast variety of gear. Some have rods 12 feet long. Others use trout rods seven feet long.

And unless Moby Striper shows up, nobody notices the difference. And if he does? Well, blame me. I can take it.

. Weight and bait. If you’re going to do urban fishing like they do along the banks of the Penobscot, you’re likely going to invest a few bucks in a few items that the regulars all carry.

First, you need a sliding rig that will run up and down your monofilament line, upon which you attach a small weight. Second, some salt water hooks. And third, some ugly, nasty marine worms (sand worms or blood worms each seem to work).

Again, different anglers subscribe to different set-ups. One of Sunday’s busiest anglers swears by small hooks and a one-ounce weight, claiming he has fewer stolen baits that way.

After watching him fish for a half hour, I found his assessment accurate.

Some anglers swear you need 20-pound test line. Others disagree.

All I know is, I’ve fished with anything from 8- to 17-pound test, and find that I’m equally unsuccessful no matter what I use.

. Have fun. Let’s not forget that we fish to have fun. There’s no need to get angry when the outgoing tide carries someone else’s line over yours, creating a temporary tangle.

Smile. Apologize (even though it’s not your fault). And who knows, you might make a new friend or two.

. Ask an expert. Here’s the real truth of the matter: Each angler has an opinion about most everything, including the stuff I mentioned here.

And if you go striper fishing for the first time, you’ll find that most are more than willing to help teach you the ropes.

Showing up with an open mind, and chatting with the guy or girl who keeps catching all the fish is a pretty easy way to get up to speed in a hurry.

Have fun.

John Holyoke can be reached at jholyoke@bangordailynews.net or by calling 990-8214 or 1-800-310-8600.