Striped Bass: Fishing The Flats

As the tides move water onto the flats striped bass move in to feed on crustaceans, immaturefish and many other small critters. Stripers can be found on flats that have a varietyof bottoms including sand, mud, rocks, grass or a combination of all of the above.Flats are found throughout the Atlantic coast and can be from a few yards to severalmiles in size. Tides fill salt ponds and cover exposed grass and mud flats where thestriper’s prey seeks cover. Stripers will move out of channels when the water levels riseto find this hiding prey. There can be similar flats near the banks of many tidal rivers andcan be waded at certain stages of the tide. Sand flats are found along the beaches, inthe bays and at large river deltas. These sandy flats can be altered by severe stormsand large tides that change the bottom or completely wash out areas from year to year.Some flats can’t be safely reached by the shore fly fisherman. Kayaks, canoes andsmall boats give you access to flats near deep water and can be anchored nearby if youwant to wade. So when the tides move in quickly and what was once exposed in nowunder water you can get out without going for a swim. Matching the baits that are on theflats will aid in your success. Flies that imitate crabs, shrimp, sand eels, juvenile flounderand other small bait fish are effective. A floating line and a long leader are usually allthat is necessary but an intermediate line is also used by many flats fishermen. Schoolsof cruising fish can be seen under the right conditions but more often all you see is justa ripple on the water’s surface. Delicate and precise casts to the lead fish or to theedges of the school will prevent spooking these fish. When hooked on the flats, striperscan make long runs as they look to exit to deeper water. So striped bass aren’t usuallythought of as a flats fish but at times it can be a great place to find them.