It is always promoted that Striped Bass don't jump or at the very least are no where in the league of other fishes when it come to getting air time. I have caught a couple over the years that were spectacular leapers. I was reminded of this this past Saturday while casting along the Elizabeths with friend LaPorte. He was casting into a boulder field just west Of Lackey's and I heard this loud pop and looked up to see a bass around ten pounds at the zenith of it's leap, bent in a "U" shape and suspended a good three feet out of the water then crash down to the surface and disappear. It was classic. For a moment in suspended time I could see the whole fish and the Brenzy Howdy hanging off of it's Jaw. Wow!
I have two instances when large fish jumped clear, both at Monomoy and both decades apart. In the late seventies on night while wading a bar there and throwing a six inch Super Windcheater Rebel at 3 or so in the morning I had a 35 pounder come clear and suspend in the half moonlight twenty feet in front of me just as she crashed the plug which was zig zagging just under the surface before I pulled it from the water to cast again. Scared me half to death. The next time was 5 years ago now and I and Eric LaFleur had hit the motherload while wading and flycasting the west side flats where the bars meet the edge of the Chatham Roads channel. It was flat calm, overcast and muggy. We both had multiple fish between 34 and 42 inches and they were really in the mood. We were just beside ourselves with our good fortune. We were walking side by side over a dry bar to fish another channel entrance when Eric spotted a fish that looked to be 40 inches cruising in a foot of water right at the bar edge. I had line in the basket and was ready to shoot so I let go and dropped it right in front of the fish and she darted ahead and took it. Then she came straight out of the water. The entire fish straight up and clear by a foot all 40 inches! She keeled over to the side and crashed in and took off and ten minutes later I let her go. It was Like a marlin had taken the fly. Unbeleivable.

Let's hear some of your experiences with bass going Arial! :hihi:

While trolling unwieghted sluggos on the flats inside CC. bay this spring the bass most around 24-26 inches were just getting airborne while attacking from below. This was in about 5ft of water. It was a blast just seeing these bass come clean out of the water in like you said a u shape, sometimes they would miss them and another would hit it right away.

I've caught some at a favorite spot that the water is so skinny they have no choice but to go up :) - A 20# Bass Tailwalking is an awesome sight :btu:

Sure does get the heart pumping when they do that. Just like the guys on TV.

Head thrashing side to side, 20 somthin inch shad hangin' outta its shad hole, were fishing 35-40 feet of water... thing came up and CREAMED the shad and dove straight down.. I let it run(calm collected) I set (I start freakin out) It jumps ( I freak) It thrashes (I freak) I run to the bow, thing is tossing its head side to side... tail walkin... jumpin.. It jumps I lower the rod it jumps, I lower the rod, It jumps I bring the rod up....... :wall: Im going to go cry myself to sleep now....... :wall:

While trolling unwieghted sluggos on the flats inside CC. bay this spring the bass most around 24-26 inches were just getting airborne while attacking from below. This was in about 5ft of water. It was a blast just seeing these bass come clean out of the water in like you said a u shape, sometimes they would miss them and another would hit it right away.

The ONLY time I've ever seen a bass jump out of the water is smaller bass and in very shallow water (say 3 feet or so). Has that been everyone else's experience?

I have had a handful of schoolies jump when hooked, but my most memorable "jumper" was 3 years ago in mid October, I happened upon a small school of adult menhaden circling in 2 ft of water. Feeling confident that bass were nearby, I tossed an eel into the channel adjacent to the flat, the eel swam off for all of 3 seconds before it was picked up. I dropped the rod tip and set, I must have scared the $#!+ out of her because she leapt immediatley a full 2 feet of the surface. A few minutes later, I landed her about an 18 pound fish... pretty cool.

-Dave

Canalman, you seem to be confirming what I've noticed...when stripers jump, it's almost always (only) in shallow water.

Well... the fish I just wrote about was in about 12-15' of water but shallows were nearby. I suppose 12-15' is still "shallow" when you consider the depths that stripers can be caught in. So I would give your theory a cautious affirmative :tm:

-Dave

Had one about 20# come full out of the water after a pencil popper.
There were lots and lots of big fish around though...maybe the competition caused it.
Later,
Rick

Yep, just saw one clear the water 2 days ago after someones pencil popper.

I had one a couple years ago attack a yellow flash Jigman swimmer so hard and fast it came clear out of the water, it was about 20 pounds.


I love hooking up in shallow water and the big bass cannot get a bite in the water with their tail and all you see is water frothing from their huge tails.

I had one 29" last weekend clear the water by a good foot. He was only bout 4-5' away from the boat at the time, startled the crap outta me, since I was lookin down to see how big the fish was.

Shallow water, they'll jump if they can't sound. Happens all the time Bayside.

We've got some fish in Newport for the past few weeks clearing the water while playing with and tail slapping walk the dog type topwaters. Some are 40+ pounds...

The other jumping incident I've seen was smaller fish under 28 inches or so being harassed by monster blues. Those fish really cleared the water, and it was a good dozen or so fish at once. Never seen anything quite like it since. Couldn't figure out why they did it for a minute or two until an immense blue dog chased my fly up from the depths. This took place in upper Narragansett Bay in 20 or so feet of water. It definitely stands out in my memory.

I have had several stripers clear the water. They have come in clusters(several during a frenzy) and always on topwater lures. It is amazing to see a bass hit the plug on the way back into the water, or get hooked on the way out of the water. I wish I could get it on film.

We've got some fish in Newport for the past few weeks clearing the water while playing with and tail slapping walk the dog type topwaters. Some are 40+ pounds...

The other jumping incident I've seen was smaller fish under 28 inches or so being harassed by monster blues. Those fish really cleared the water, and it was a good dozen or so fish at once. Never seen anything quite like it since. Couldn't figure out why they did it for a minute or two until an immense blue dog chased my fly up from the depths. This took place in upper Narragansett Bay in 20 or so feet of water. It definitely stands out in my memory.

Wow, that's the balls!!!! I would have loved to have seen that. :hihi: