There are many effective ways of fishing for late season stripers on the Chesapeake Bay, but light tackle jigging is certainly one of the most fun. Jump aboard with FishTalk Angler in Chief Lenny Rudow, and watch this video for a quick look at some basic, beginner-level tackle and tips for late fall/early winter striped bass jigging. Please note: this video was shot prior to regulation changes instituting a slot limit on the Chesapeake Bay. All of the fish handled here were legal keepers at the time, so you will see some 26" to 30" fish being netted even though with today's current restrictions and bag limits, these fish should be unhooked at boatside and released without netting. (See Set the Catch and Release Bar for safe handling methods when fish are to be released).

Remember those basic tips:

  • When you spot birds don't just start blindly casting, but watch your fishfinder and move around (slowly, at idle) until you see good marks on the fishfinder.
  • Bait-balls seen on the meter should be more or less ignored, unless you see the larger marks of fish hunting the bait.
  • Try slowing down your presentation. Sometimes, once the water temperature falls below 50-degrees, it becomes more effective if you move that jg slowly (though we should note, not always - sometimes they'll still want faster motion).
  • Use braid, so you can detect the light bites. Cold-water stripers sometimes take the lure rather gingerly.
  • Skirted heads in the one- to two-ounce range dressed with soft plastics are an excellent offering this time of year. Whites, pearls, and chartreuse are all good colors (white and pearl have been the killer the past few seasons) and some color contrast in the skirt is a good thing. Reds and pinks go well with white, for this purpose.
  • Try large baits at first, because in cold weather fish often prefer a larger meal. But if that isn't working don't hesitate to try smaller lures. Sometimes, you just have to match the hatch.

When it gets really cold out, it may be time to try hitting a warm water discharge. If that's in your plans, be sure to check out our article and video Fishing for Trophy Rockfish in Warm Water Discharges.

big striped bass caught during the winter
Warm water discharges can produce some very big winter striped bass.

Just in case the wind's blowing - a rather common event as we move into the winter season - don't give up hope. Although the bulk of the fish and especially the very large ones will have moved off to deeper water, in many of the Chesapeake Tributaries there will still be some fish in the shallows until the water temps drop into the low 40s. (Check out Fishing Light Tackle for Stripers in the Shallows Part I which is the how-to, and Part II which covers the where-to, to get the scoop on this style of fishing). Just how long is it really possible to catch rockfish in just a foot or two of water? We've snagged keepers from the shallows the last day of the season, which varies from year to year but is in late December. And in November you can often catch keepers casting the shorelines at dusk.

Once it gets too cold for this action the shallows become abandoned, however, there will still be rockfish holding in the tributaries. On sunny afternoons the fish will often move from deep water up onto shelves and flats in the tribs. Check out Catch and Release Striped Bass All Winter Long to see a number of options and Catch and Release Off Season Striped Bass Part II for how to target these fish in the tributaries, in specific.

angler with a striped bass caught in winter
Angler Kevin Thomas holds up a winter striped bass caught in the Severn River.

Yes, it may be a bit chilly these days. Sure, you're tempted to winterize your boat and hang up the striper fishing gear. But we'd say don't do it - there's some excellent fishing still to come as those stripers fatten up for the winter.

Editor's note: This article was originally published in November of 2017 and was last updated in January of 2025.