Only three days of fishing left for those participating in the 17 Rivers Striper Tournament and heavy rains, a result of tropical storm “Karen”, will likely have an impact.

Fresh water from heavy rains doesn’t mix well with salt water and sits on top of the ocean until wave action can mix the concoction. Ever add water to scotch? It’s the same effect. The rain run-off also muddies the water of the tidal bays and rivers, further confounding the stripers ability to see. These factors give the cornered bait a chance to escape and result in the stripers feeding patterns changing.

Yesterday morning and last night we had two major downpours which deposited at least two inches of rain in very brief periods. These types of showers tend not to soak into the ground, but instead run off. Such run offs result in a quick rise in river and stream levels and muddied water. Often these dramatic changes put the stripers off and change their feeding patterns.

Expect action to be slow over the next 24-36 hours. The closer you can get to open ocean, the better. Fishing the slosh near deep waters might be a productive option until the waters begins to clear.

However, as the waters clear the stripers will be hungry and will feed with added intensity. They will work to round up schools of bait and the feeding frenzies will being. Chaos is on the near horizon!

Expect action to pick up Saturday and into Sunday as the weather improves. A Canadian high is expected to push into the region overnight bringing cool dry air and bright sunshine to the areas. Bright days in combination with clearing water can result in hot action during almost any point on the tide. So, don’t be discouraged, get out there and fish hard!