At what water.......

[Flaptail]

Temperature do you think Stripers are at thier fighting best?

50 to 55 degrees, 55 to 60 degrees, 60 to 65 degrees? Let's hear what you think and why.

[Slipknot]

There are other factors IMO that may be more important than water temp. 50-55 should be more oxygenated water than warmer water, so that is a plus. I think after their long swim north in the spring, their stamina is built up so I think that is the best time of year to get a good fight out of them, new arrivals tend to be full of piss and vinegar.
Also in the fall the fish that hang in the strong currents are strong and fight hard too. As far as temp. , I'd go with the 50-55 degrees.

[Raven]

colder water has more oxygen in it....

and when the air temperature is warmer (60') there's more
surface activity , so i think 50 -55 water temp is ideal.

[Raven]

ole Slip is faster on the draw

[BigFish]

60-65 degrees in my opinion is optimal......colder water may have more oxygenation but it tends to make them a bit sluggish......I just feel the 60-65 range is a bit more to their liking.....best fighting fish I have ever seen was over Cutty......full on out of the water, talkin' fish up to 30 pounds here! Hook em' and quite a battle! However I also think as others have said its more about the oxygenation of the water than the water temp....but you put the right temp along with good moving, highly oxygenated H2O and you will see some aerobatics and some good pull from the other end.....rocky areas seem naturally better oxygenated imo!

[Steve K]

55-60

Plenty of oxygen in the water but the water is not so cold that they are sluggish. I believe that fish in June fight the hardest. Might also have something to do with hungry fish looking to fatten up after a long migration.

[Clammer]

55-60

[shadow]

55-60 as well thats about the water temp in june the time fish fight hardest.

[EricM]

214 views and 8 replies? OK I will toss my hat into the ring- and vote for 50-55. Why? I will guess that this water temp is a transtional period trigger for the bass- seeing as bait tends to skedaddle when it drops below 55 (kind of a fall-specific answer, I confess, I don't have enough logged spring fishing to make a statement that covers both brackets)... so whatever reserves of energy they may have stored up are all for this particular period of time. They are on the move, and are more tuned to firing on all cylinders to stay alive. Migrating has to be something they get keyed up for, running gauntlets up and down the coast ( do they get picked off by tuna? Makos? Off topic, i know)... Logic aside and going to my not substantial memory bank tells methat the hardest fights I've had have been in rougher, i.e. more hightly oxygenated water as has been noted by many of the gentlemen above.

[Pete F.]

The correct answer is 63 degrees, at least that is what my research says. However my gut feeling is that oxygen level is equally as important.

[RIROCKHOUND]

55-60
In moving water, w/ some surf up.
Too much water and I've had good fish fight like crap.

[Tagger]

Temp. ??? I have noticed stripers to be better fighters in highly oxigenated water ... A crashing surf with lots of foam . fight like bastge

[Slingah]

Originally Posted by Tagger

... A crashing surf with lots of foam . fight like bastge

sounds good....54*.....

[striperman36]

50-55 highly oxygenated
ideal trout temps too

[Bernzy]

60-65 would be optimal IMHO.
However, I have caught them in 80+ deg. water. 92 deg. surface temp and fishing 10 feet down. This is freshwater fishing in Tennessee. They were up that high for the bait. (Gizzard and Threadfin Shad) At that time of year you are not able to release them due to stress and the warm water ( Although the bite is so wild at that time of the year we could easily fill the boat). So, we get a limit (2 fish) and quit fishing and go have breakfast

Bernzy

[beamie]

I would tend to say the cooler temps. 50-55. Because when it comes to water temps they are mostly displayed in surface temps or if your fishing off a boat, just below the surface. Anyone who does any diving or even just snorkeling know if you go down 15 -20 ft the water is an awlful lot cooler and nicer, for a bit, in the heat of summer.

[vanstaal]

55-60

[Flaptail]

In my experience, the hardest fighting fish are those who have just arrived in spring after the migration north. In days of old on a windswept Island shore south of Chatham, we anxiiously awaited the first big fish of the year.

We started our pilgrimage there in small tin boats on Memorial Day and we always referred to those bass as "freight trains" as they took hard in the first wave and ran like run away trains.

The water temps would be 50 to 55 degrees. Cooler oxygenated water of the outer beaches surf brought out the best ( and still does) in Striped Bass and having the added factor of just completed swimming 900 miles plus/minus, they were bad ass bass with nasty attitudes.

Do not wish for an early arrival. Early arrival means the cycle is skewed. Colder springs mean the mung lays off for a longer period of time. Two years ago the mung showed in late June with a warm spring heralding it's arrival. Mung is inevitable but cold springs shorten it's stay by keeping it at bay until late July and seeing it off by just after Labor Day.

[rockhopin2]

[QUOTE=Flaptail;470867]In my experience, the hardest fighting fish are those who have just arrived in spring after the migration north. QUOTE]

I agree, hungry fish


In 2005 I went to Hatteras in Feb and the water was just around 50 the fish we all around 25 to 30lb we were in 3 to 6 feet of water on the outer bars and they def didnt fight as well as a fish in shallow 50 degree water in May.

[daceman63]

I think they are at their best in 350' for about 20 -25 minutes.