This past week’s "warm" weather should help spark Cape Cod’s saltwater fishing scene. One fish in particular, the river herring, will soon be found in good numbers within Cape Cod’s many estuaries, rivers and ponds.

Two different species, the blueback herring and the alewife, are both commonly referred to as river herring. Blueback herring will make a surge upriver once water temperatures reach 50 degrees or so. Alewives wait for slightly more tepid temperatures before swimming upstream. Both species are en route to complete one of the most amazing fish spawning migrations on the East Coast.

Just a few short months ago many of these herring may have been swimming off the coast of Maryland, North Carolina, and South Carolina. River herring are versatile creatures that wander far offshore in massive schools, feeding on micro-organisms as they go.

The life of the river herring is no cake walk. Their lives are constantly threatened by predatory species including tuna, striped bass, bluefish and a variety of other species. Despite these threats, some river herring end up living 10 or more years-which is pretty darn impressive for a forage fish.

On Cape Cod, river herring show up in great numbers from late April through the month of May. This coincides perfectly with the arrival of large striped bass. Opportunistic Cape Cod striped bass fishermen use this to their advantage by fishing specific areas, and using particular techniques, to catch herring crazed stripers.

Big Bait = Big Plugs

The average herring is about a foot in length, which is on the larger end of the striped bass bait spectrum. This means that large plugs and lures are the way to go when big bass and herring collide.

My favorite plugs (not including my “ugly” homemade plugs) are Gibbs 5 to 9 inch pencil poppers. The 2 main things to keep in mind when choosing a pencil popper are casting distance and action. A plug that casts like a missile and dances well on the surface is a killer combination. I don't concern with myself with the color of the plug.

Before casting pencils for big bass, I recommend swapping out the manufacturers’ treble hooks with single hooks. This will significantly decrease the harm and damage caused to hooked bass, and it will also make it easier to get a really solid hook set on true cows.

Another helpful tip is to add some weight to the tail end of the plug.  This will help the plug sail much farther, so you can cast to those bass feeding well offshore.

If you want to try your hand at something other than topwater, then consider casting a Sebile or Tsunami shad. These two lures do a nice job of imitating herring, and work exceptionally well on our striped friends.  Again, I really recommend swapping out the treble hooks on those Sebiles if you plan on releasing most hooked bass.

Casting big baits will work well from shore and from boats. For boat anglers, umbrella rigs setup with large shad bodies will work well for trolling. Swimming plugs like Rapalas and Danny’s will get the job done too.

Find the Herring and Find the Bass

The Cape is home to multiple herring runs, which means there will be numerous areas containing a lot of life throughout the next month and a half. Needless to say, these are excellent areas to wet a line. If you are able to locate an area with plenty of herring, you will increase your chances of encountering large striped bass.

When you are fishing these spots be sure to give the herring plenty of shoulder room-especially if you are fishing in close proximity to a run. There has been a moratorium on river herring for quite a few years now, in an effort to rebuild local populations. Said another way, be sure to not interrupt river herring, and definitely don’t try using them for bait.

Most fishermen will focus their efforts on the area directly around the herring run itself. This makes good sense, because bass will sometimes follow herring right up into the runs. Last season my fishing buddy Jason Mazzola caught his first keeper striper within 20 feet of a local run.

Yet keep in mind that the best action may be well away from the actual herring run. These herring are migrating from the open ocean, into bays and estuaries. From there they’ll travel along the beaches and shorelines, towards the runs. More often than not the best feeding frenzies will happen along a beachfront, and not smack dab in front of a herring run.

I would recommend locating an area you know contains herring, and then strategizing how the herring may be navigating the given area. If you can position yourself somewhere along the herrings’ path, you’ll put yourself in a prime spot. When in doubt, I usually just start walking and casting. Sometimes you’ll have to cover a mile or more of beach before you find a bite.

Finding schools of herring and bass when fishing from a boat is a bit simpler. Herring register as blueish/green marks on most sonar units. If it’s a big dense school, you can actually mark the fish while traveling at a high rate of speed.

At other times the birds may lead the way to the action. Birds will be working over the bass if the stripers have pushed the herring to the surface. If you don’t see bass on the surface, but do see gannets peltering the water, then you are still in a good area. Be sure to keep in mind that birds are the best fishermen of all.

When fishing Cape Cod from a boat during the month of May, I think you have a fair chance at encountering aggressive bass. Odds are if you find the fish, you’ll be able to figure out a way to catch them. This is different than during July and August, when oftentimes you may encounter lockjaw stripers, which prove difficult to entice.

Chomping at the Bit

Cape Cod’s numerous herring runs will hopefully be chockfull of herring any day now. If you are like me, then you are really chomping at the bit to get out there and catch that first fresh striper of the season.

Needless to say there are many different ways to target bass when they are zoned in on herring.

What are some of your favorite methods and techniques for catching herring-crazed stripers?