Week 20 of the 2026 Striper Cup is in the books, and with it, another season. Five anglers from Maine, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island took home the final round of gear as the fall run fired up across the region.
Shore — Christopher Wroblewski
Dennis Port, MA
Wins the PENN Authority 5500 Reel
Boat — Michael Camerano
Somerville, MA
Wins the Bubba Pro Series Smart Fish Scale plus a YETI GoBox 1 Gear Case
Kayak — David Baur
Holliston, MA
Wins the PENN Fathom LP 500
Youth — Pierce Grieg
South Berwick, ME
Wins the YETI Cayo 25L Backpack plus a YETI GoBox 1 Gear Case
Costa Photo Contest — Peter Blasi
Warwick, RI
Wins a pair of Costa Sunglasses
See the full 2026 prize lineup →
Striped Bass Migration Report: The Fall Run Fires Up
The fall run is firing up and down the coast, with false albacore arriving, bait exploding, and blitzes breaking out from Cape Cod to the Chesapeake. Here’s the quick read by region, with a link to each full report.
Cape Cod & Massachusetts
It’s feeling like fall, with cooler nights kickstarting the migration and a bait-and-bass battle raging in the marina mooring fields. Pogy schools around the harbor islands and tube-and-worm in Plum Island Sound are producing. View the full Massachusetts report →
New Hampshire & Maine
The fall striper run keeps building, with bait-filled rivers and area beaches producing bass. Beaches are the best bet, but don’t ignore the buffet of bait stacking up in the rivers. View the full New Hampshire & Maine report →
Rhode Island
Another wave of false albacore has moved in, and the striped bass fishing has stayed tremendous, with bass and blues beginning to blitz on peanut bunker and anchovies. View the full Rhode Island report →
Connecticut
The small bait exploded this week, firing tremendous blitzes of bonito, striped bass, and blues, with albies thick just east of the Sound. The shallow striper bite is improving on live eels and plastics. View the full Connecticut report →
Long Island & NYC
Albies are filling in off Montauk and bonito and Spanish mackerel are pushing through in force, while schoolie bass work the beaches. Post up at an inlet mouth and bomb epoxies for the hardtails. View the full Long Island report →
New Jersey
Bonito, albies, and Spanish mackerel are working the beaches and inlets, and fluke fishing is strong on the ocean reefs as the summer flounder migration gets going. The fall striper run is right around the corner. View the full New Jersey report →
Chesapeake Bay
With the season reopened, striped bass are crushing peanut bunker under diving birds in open water, and the upper bay has morning surface feeds on anchovies. Live-lining spot around the Bay Bridge pilings is producing slot fish. View the full Chesapeake report →
For the big picture, check the Striper Migration Map.
That’s a Wrap on the 2026 Season
Twenty weeks of striped bass fishing are in the books. Thank you to everyone who caught, photographed, and released with us this year. The season isn’t quite over, though. Join us at StriperFest on Saturday, September 26th for the grand prize Skeeter SX221 boat raffle, vendors, food, and a celebration of the season with the whole Striper Cup community.
0 Comments