Match the Hatch

Spring in New England offers a variety of options for fishing for striped bass. During the spring of 2007, it was a great season and stripers up to 25 pounds in shallow water were not that difficult to catch using artificial lures. One particular day it seemed like there was a shortage. The fish were all but nonexistent.

It was interesting; as the water became more transparent (as the sun was getting higher) you could see fish moving along in small pods. It seemed like the stealthier I became, when approaching these fish the harder I was working to intercept them. Regardless of the type of floor the fish simply would not take a second look. It was almost as if they were focused on something particular small that I could not see.

As it turned out, this was exactly what was happening. After much frustration and changing the floors down to smaller tackle, I finally caught a small fish. When I got him into the boat, he coughed up his breakfast. Then I saw it - the culprit turned out to be tiny translucent crabs.

This becomes a case of needing to "match the hatch" a term very familiar in the fly fishing world. The basic theory is that you need to mimic the bait that the fish are interested in. This means that it must be matched in both size and appearance. Every angler has discovered that trout will neglect any offering that does not look like the prevalent insects and saltwater species tend to get keyed into a certain size and type of bait. For whatever reason, they turn their noses up at anything that fails to have a proper appearance.

This does seem to be more prevalent in the Northeast, especially for those who favor salt ponds and estuaries. For example, the worm hatch that occurs in the salt ponds will tend to distract the fish and unless your bait closely mimics these worms, you’ll find little success. This is typically not problematic for fly fishermen, since tiny worm imitations of 2 to 3 inches long are not a problem for them. However, those who favor spinning rods are likely to find themselves in quite a predicament. For those anglers, they not only have to scale down the lure but also their tackle.

10 pound test braid line and a medium action spinning rod will allow you to use these smaller offerings and still allow you to catch a fairly large fish.The Lunker City Slug-O usually the 3” size, preferably rigged with an offset worm is a fairly good substitute. You will have to experiment with bold colors and sizes to find out which ones will work best.

One fish that is generally not particular will from time to time refused to strike at most offerings that do not mimic the tiny baitfish. This is the bluefish. For most, they find that this happens as the season grows longer and baitfish invades more shallow areas. Season fishermen should consider a tackle box that is stocked with small spoons, as well as soft, small plastics which will allow you to match the bait species that your fish are interested in feeding on. You can pretty much determine what size, shape, and color will serve you best if you can determine what the fish regurgitate on the boat deck.

The situations are not unique, and nearly every saltwater angler will run into them at one time or another. For whatever reason, fish will be particular at times however, are prepared fishermen will likely have the resources to still get the job done. These fishermen will almost always have the tools on hand to effectively "match the hatch".

When you are out saltwater fishing it is important to make sure you have the right supplies. Some of the most popular brands include Shimano Fishing Reels, Penn Fishing Reels, and Daiwa Saltwater Reels.