The 17 Rivers Striper Tournament is a catch & release tournament, so anglers catches will be judged based on photo entries. These photo entries establish the length of each fish and also provide a great record of all the catches submitted during the month of September.

Scoring will be more than just the length of a fish. We’ve designed the scoring system to level the playing field for all anglers. This scoring system involves two additional categories Method and Style, and weighting factors are assigned to each of the respective variables within the categories.

Method - reflects how you fish,… from a boat or shore.

Since anglers who fish from shore are limited by access and mobility the wieghting factor favors the shore fisherman.

Style - reflects how you caught your striper.

Some anglers use bait, others artificial lures or flies. Two considerations influenced our dicission with respect to the weighting factors in the style category.
1.) Bait fishermen have a distinct advantage over all other approaches to fishing. Bait reflects a natural food source for stripers and includes a scent element.
2.) Bait fishermen often employ a strategy of letting the striper swallow the bait before setting the hook. This can result in damage to the fish.

The style weighting factors are therefore designed to favor the use of fly and artificial lures, since these approaches to fishing are more difficult and less harmful to fish.

Here’s an example of how this scoring system works. Score = Length X Method X Style. This picture shows a nice slot fish of approximately 21.5 inches and the fish was caught from a boat using a fly.

Fish Score = 21.5″ X .85 X 1.0 = 18.275

Note, because the angler fished  from a boat, the weighting factor (Wf = .85) resulted in the overall score being reduced. If the fisherman had fished from shore instead of a boat, the overall score would have been maximized and a score of 21.5 would have resulted.

Anglers are encouraged to review the Tournament Rules and note the differences between each category and the respective weighting factors.

The balmy days of August are here, as are the tourists. When it’s nice in Maine everyone’s out and about, although moving at a slightly slower pace. Striper fishing changes a bit this time of year too.

During the months of June and into July, striper action can be chaotic. Large groups of stripers migrate up the east coast chasing waves of bait . These early season stripers are typically in large schools and it’s not uncommon to catch hundreds of fish in a day. Most are of the same year class and sized within inches of each other.

August is distinctly different. The schools of striper have spread out along the coast and chewed up the minnows, shrimp and green crabs in the bays. As the waters warm, they seek cooler conditions and their foraging patterns change. These fish pull back into deeper waters where they will often suspend and remain fairly inactive during the daylight hours. As a result, anglers can find fishing this time of year frustrating.

Successful August strategies include trolling with tub rigs and drifting bait. But for those who prefer casting artificial lures or flies, going nocturnal or at least fishing the low light hours is essential.

Seeking out deeper waters adjacent to large flats or bays and targeting structure in these areas can yield success. Stripers tend to prefer areas with current which brings bait to them. So pair these variables and you stand a good chance of getting into fish.

You will have good success working ledges and island shore lines this time of year. Look for water movement and actively work the shorelines. Target those spots where their’s current or it’s frothy and cast to structure. Stripers feed in these locations.  If you find fish in one particular spot and the action slows, move on. Your arm will be weary before you run out of new places to fish in Maine, and you’ll catch more fish this way.

This mid-summer action won’t be as hot as during the spring and fall migrations, but it can be satisfying and yield some nice fish.

The Tackle Shop is located on India Street in downtown Portland and will be an “Official Registration Site” for the 17 Rivers Striper Tournament. Dana Eastman is the owner operator of this business, which is a great local resource for bait fishing, light spinning and fly fishing gear and supplies.

For fly fisherman, you’ll appreciate the good supply of rods, reels and hand tied flies Dana has in stock. The shop’s small in size, but the quality and variety of gear will meet the needs of even the most discerning consumer.

If you’ve never visited this shop, please do drop by. You’ll be impressed by what you find.

Johnson’s Sporting Goods is an “Official Registration Site” for the 17 Rivers Striper Tournament.

Johnson’s is a family owned and operated business with three strategic locations serving Portland, Brunswick and Rockland. They offer a significant variety of products and services for fishing, hunting, archery, scuba and paint ball. I have frequented these three stores for years and always find what I’m seeking. The family’s great and the staff’s friendly and helpful.

During this years striper tournament, you can be assured Johnson’s will have a good supply of bait and tackle available for tournament anglers. So drop by, sign up for the tournament and pick up the gear and tackle you need.

White Anchor - Bait & Tackle Company is located in Boothbay, Maine. Look for the shop on the right about halfway from Route 1 to Boothbay Harbor. The owners Donna & Carl Jordan are very nice people and can help you gear up and point you to some of the local hot-spots.

The tackle shop stocks a good supply of lures and spinning tackle including rods and reels. They also stock a variety of bait and are a great resource for local information, whether it’s… who to seek out as a local fishing guide or where to get the best lobster roll in town.

So drop by for a visit and pick out some gear!

Tightlines Tackle Company is located in Walpol, Maine. This shop will be an official registration site for the 17 Rivers Striper Tournament. Look for their sign on the left, a few miles before you get to South Bristol. Dave Mason is the owner of this specialty tackle shop that primarily serves the unique needs of tuna fishermen, but does stock some striper tackle.

Many inshore anglers, have heard stories of fishermen going offshore and trolling or chumming for blue fin tuna, but few of us actually get the chance to go after this prized fish. It’s an altogether different game that requires specialized gear and a boat that can handle the big offshore seas.

Tightlines Tackle Company is “the shop” if you need tackle and gear for tuna fishing. Dave stocks a broad variety of squid rigs and spreaders and will rig the setups to meet your specifications. So if you get the inkling to chase blue fin tuna, seek out Tightlines Tackle Company and say hello to Dave.