When Does It All Start??

[Maine Guide]

Folks,

Good Afternoon.

I'd like to get an idea of when you can expect to see the first runs of stripers around the Cape as well as in the Canal.

What are some of the best areas to start at?

Thanks.

[Slipknot]

April for south facing beaches.

The canal will get going around the beginning of May, but some will be in a hurry and will be live-lining herring in april.

[JohnR]

[Got Stripers]

Does it ever stop, well the ice this winter has slowed me down for sure, but I fished today and let's just say my thumb is in tough shape. I knew the next two weekends are blown with shows, so I'm grabbing a couple mid week trips if the weather is good. I know I'm going to be dying behind a booth this coming Sunday with temps predicted to be up in the mid 60's.

[fisherman jim]

mid may, at the herring run in bourne

[Saltheart]

Optamistically, About 2 weeks in a few spots in RI.

[Mr. Sandman]

While there will be a few fish caught in april...the real "run" doesn't begin until mid may (IMO) and really kicks in high gear around the 1st of June IMO. Even then it is not as great as the fall run.
Unless you want to run around and break in your new boat (which is a worthy excuse to get out there!) ...the fishing here is pretty slow in april...yeah...a few flounders/cod/perhaps a tog will be caught....but the bass like 50 deg water...currently the water temp 1 mile off the MV beach at the bottom is: 33.3 deg F.....relax the bass have not even spawned yet, they are still sleeping.
http://mvcodata.whoi.edu/cgi-bin/mvc...?Units=English

IMO instead of fishing, I will be preping my equipment the next couple months.

But I always start late and end late (for bass)....My first day of fishing last year was late may and my last day was early Dec.

IMO the worst time to live in NE is early spring...the rest of the year is great.