Striped Bass Fishing is a very popular sport fish. They are not only fun to bring in but also they are good eating as well. Nova Scotia is nearly an Island province having the ocean surrounding the entire province with the exception of a sliver of land connecting to the mainland.
Where to fish for striped bass in Nova Scotia? Striped Bass are abundant along the coasts, estuaries and tidal rivers throughout the Bay Of Fundy, Minas Basin and along the Northumberland Strait up to Cape Breton. There are 3 strains of striped bass that are found in Nova Scotia.
One group is found in the Gulf waters that are between Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Pei and Newfoundland. The striped bass that exist in these waters are primarily from the Miramichi river system as well as a few other rivers in New Brunswick.
The Gulf population travels up the Northumberland Strait between Nova Scotia and P.E.I up to Cape Breton. This population has been managed effectively and has bounced back quite dramatically from when the commercial fishery decimated its population.
The striped bass that frequent the Northumberland Channel also make their way up the many tidal rivers and fishing these tidal rivers can yield good results.
The great thing about fishing for striped bass in the Gulf and Northumberland is you don’t need to worry as much about tides if fishing from shore. The tides are less dramatic than in the Bay of Fundy.
The Second population of striped bass is found in the Bay of Fundy and its tidal rivers. Most shore fishing activity happens around the Minas Basin, the sea floor here is generally soft and allows for the use of bottom baits. Bait such as local fish, squid, or clams are used by locals to target stripers.
The third group of striped bass found in Nova Scotia waters is from the Atlantic Coast of the United States. These fish make their way up the coast during summer season and mingle with the local populations.
There have been reports of stripers caught in some river estuaries along the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia. Historically, striper populations were found in the St. Mary’s River and Porters Lake estuaries as well as a few other locations. Some stripers have been reported in some areas more recently however their numbers have not appeared to return to historical populations as of yet.
Here is a list of some spots where striped bass can be fished for in Nova Scotia:
- Summerville Beach
- Spencer Point
- Saints Rest
- Economy Point Road
- Carrs Brook Beach
- Blue Sac Road
- Five Islands Lighthouse Park
- Cove Road
- Jacob’s Lane
- Burncoat Road
- Bass River
- Lighthouse Lane
- Portapique
- Five Houses
- Captain’s Lane
- Evangeline Beach
- Schurman Road
- Saints Rest
- The Guzzle
- Gasperereau River
- Avonport Road
- Oak Island Road
- Rainy Cove
- Cambridge Cove
- Mutton Cove
- Cogmagun River
- Cheverie
- Shipyard Road
- Walton
- Tennycape Beach
- Blue Beach
A Few Locations Along Northumberland:
- Pugwash
- Waugh’s River
- Pictou
How do you fish for striped bass from shore?
First you need to purchase the correct gear. You should consider purchasing heavier gear since striped bass are a larger anadromous fish. You can use a salmon fishing rod and reel, and at least 20 gauge fishing line.
For the hook you should use a medium to large hook. The hooks in certain areas such as the Gulf must be barbless. You can use a bait system with one to two hooks and a 3-4 oz weight to hold it in the surf.
Fishing times for striped bass depends on location and other factors. Many have success fishing for striped bass at night, however check regulations for areas since this can be illegal in some areas.
I have personally found success fishing the gulf surf, from a beach while the tide is coming in. The striped bass chase various pray fish into the surf and casting behind the surf can lead to success.
In the Minas Basin the tides are dramatic and unless you have a boat you must wait for higher tides to fish successfully, so check the tide schedules before leaving.
The Northumberland rivers and estuaries have less dramatic tides so fishing with weight and bait can bring much fishing success.
Most have success fishing with bait. Allow the bait to sink to the bottom and wait. Once the bass take the bait set the hook. If fishing with barbless hooks you must make sure the line remains tight keeping the pressure on. For larger fish in the surf there is a greater risk of loosing the fish because as the fish comes into shallow water and begins to rest on the bottom, the line can become slack and the hook pop out. You must continue to keep the line taunt and it is best if someone can wade into the shallow surf (if beach casting) and bring the fish out.
In waters that are not murky you can use artificial lures such as spoons. The advantage of using crank baits is that there is no need to keep bait on hand or worry about running out of bait.
The difficult part of using bait is needing to check to see if the bait is still on the hooks. If using a fish such as herring, it is a good practice to salt the herring since this keeps the fish firmer on the hook. Some put the bait in stockings or nylons and then hook the nylons rather than the bait going straight on the hook. This helps keep the bait on the hook. I have not personally tried this method but others say it works great.
I personally prefer using squid if available. The naturally rubbery nature of squid is great for staying longer on the hook. If fishing with squid, I worry less about it falling off the hook. The striped bass also really seem to take to it.
If you can catch a striper you will want to go back for more. The striped bass is an exciting fighting fish and the fact that its great eating makes it all the more desirable to angle for.