Striped bass report & forecast 2026

If salmon required a bit of adjustment in 2025, striped bass did quite the opposite.

The 2025 striped bass season was excellent from start to finish. Our team benefited from long stretches of stable weather, with predominantly eastern winds and very few strong western blows. This helped maintain relatively cool water temperatures throughout the season, keeping fish active on the flats day in and day out. For the vast majority of days, conditions were about as ideal as they come for shallow water fishing. Fish were present, visible, and willing.

Early June set the tone. Andrew, alongside angler Colin Huff, landed the first fish of the season on the morning of June 3, just edging out the rest of the team. By the following day, fish had already pushed shallow in search of warmer water, and the flats came alive.

This early movement created several unique windows of exceptional walk and wade fishing. One standout day saw Rex Messing, Nick Jones, and Darcy Bacha wading shallow mudflats, targeting tailing fish for hours. It is not often that this fishery presents itself in that way, and it made for one of the more memorable sequences of the season.

Sight fishing remained at the heart of the experience. On many days, we stayed on the platform from first light well into the afternoon with steady opportunities. Large schools moved predictably over hard sand and mixed bottom, often in numbers that are still difficult to fully comprehend.

 At the same time, there was no shortage of more technical shots. Singles and small groups along eelgrass edges and transition zones required a more deliberate approach and precise presentations, offering a rewarding contrast to the bigger schools.

Our guide team pushed hard throughout the season, continuing to explore both new and overlooked water. 

We had the pleasure of hosting Carter Andrews, who joined us for a week and made the trip up from Florida with his 27’ SeaVee. It was a rare opportunity for our team to explore our home waters from such a capable platform. Fishing from the tower even gave us the chance to sight fish from the helm, offering a completely different perspective on familiar water. 

Between his insight and use of his boat, we gained some valuable insight on parts of the bay we seldom work. Speaking of insight, it was a pleasure and honour to get to spend time with legendary Keys guide Rick Ruoff sharing bow and platform time throughout the week. Although fishing started slow that week with a quick drop in temperatures, a noteworthy session on a shallow soft mud flat brought over twenty fish from roving schools of flashing fish. 

We consider ourselves lucky to have had to the opportunity to share time on the water with giants of this sport, its undeniable that they left impressions on us and made us all better guides and waterman. 

What stood out most, however, was the reliability of the fishery. Even on days that did not feel particularly easy, there were always options.

 If the flats slowed down, we could adjust timing, change areas, or shift slightly in depth and quickly relocate fish. Slower periods were just that, short windows rather than sustained trends. The overall baseline of activity remained high throughout the entire season.

A memorable change of pace came during a day spent with friend and guide Alexandre St-Onge, who took a father and son duo out for a spin fishing session after several successful days on the fly. The result was nonstop action, with over thirty fish landed on topwater plugs. That day also gave birth to “Top Water Bob,” who committed fully to casting a Bone Doc for nearly four straight hours.

The data support what we experienced firsthand. Spawning stock estimates increased significantly, from approximately 340,300 fish in 2024 to 547,300 in 2025. But beyond the numbers, what we are seeing is a fishery that is filling in. There are more fish across more water, a broader distribution of biomass, and a noticeable increase in both school density and the presence of larger individuals. This is no longer a fishery reliant on a handful of key zones. It is becoming a true system-wide opportunity.

Operationally, 2025 was also a year of meaningful expansion. Our guide team added nearly a dozen new flats to the rotation. Some are large, open areas that hold big moving schools, while others are smaller, more protected pieces of water that shine under specific conditions.

Access also improved throughout the season with the addition of new launch points. This allowed us to better follow conditions, manage wind, and spread out pressure. In practice, it meant more flexibility, more options, and ultimately a better experience for our guests.

Taken together, 2025 felt like a turning point. Not just a great season, but a clear step forward in the evolution of this fishery.

Looking ahead 

If 2025 felt like a breakthrough, 2026 looks like a continuation of that momentum.

With a growing biomass and our team getting sharper on the platform every day, we feel confident we’ll reap the rewards of time well spent on the water and continue to push for excellence every day. 

From a practical standpoint, that translates into a very high baseline for the season.

We expect:

• Consistent sight fishing opportunities from early season through late summer

• Large, mobile schools on sand and mixed bottom

• A growing number of singles and small groups in technical water, like eelgrass and transition zones

One of the more exciting shifts is how the fishery is continuing to “fill in.” Areas that were once secondary options are now becoming reliable pieces of water. Combined with the new flats we added in 2025, this gives us significantly more flexibility to adapt to conditions and stay on fish regardless of wind, tide, or pressure.

Early season should again be a highlight. As fish push shallow in search of warmer water, we expect a strong window of walk and wade opportunities, similar to what we experienced in early June last year. These moments can be short-lived, but when they line up, they are hard to beat.

As the season progresses, the strength of the biomass should continue to carry the fishery. Even during less-than-ideal conditions, there should be enough fish in the system to maintain steady action day to day.

We also hope to add a Mako 171 Center Console to our lineup, currently undergoing a restoration. This would open up a new layer to the program. Beyond the flats, we expect more opportunities to:

• Target larger fish on coastal structure

• Take advantage of topwater and bait and switch scenarios

• Stay mobile and responsive to feeding patterns, especially during summer blitzes

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In short, the ceiling remains high, but more importantly, the floor keeps rising. That is what makes this fishery so special right now.

2026 is shaping up to be another exceptional year for striped bass, with all signs pointing toward a fishery that continues to mature into something truly world-class.