Spreading Out into the Bay

Here's a good size
schoolie taken from
shore in the Bay this
evening.

The fish hit a small
popper, unusual
in this early going.

Migrating schoolies are really sreading out throughout the state. For the first time this spring I fished the upper Bay, and caught stripers there too. I had been hearing reports from friends who have been catching in the lower Bay and mid Bay locations so I decided to try the Bay myself.
The crazy thing about tonight is that I caught two stripers, one a near keeper and the other about 20 inches, on small poppers. Both fish were super active and just blasted my surface offering. Usually you don't start getting them on topwater lures until things really warm up, but these fish were taking on top, a sure sign that things are heating up.  I also saw a couple of fish break for bait, another unusual activity in this early going.
So, it's happening all over right now.  With warm temperatures expected all week, look for some bigger fish and maybe even a few bluefish to arrive soon.