It’s all happening! Slowly, but surely. In Week 1 of our 2026 Striper Migration Reports, OTW’s Matt Haeffner and Johnny McIntyre discuss pre-spawn striper patterns in the Chesapeake Bay, early-season action in New Jersey and Long Island, and the arrival of scout river herring in southern New England. Plus, we get an inside look at spring striper fishing in Chesapeake Bay from Captain Stephen Griffin of Griffin’s Guide Service in Deale, MD.  

After a fierce winter in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, water temperatures are still colder than usual for this time of year. But with big Chesapeake breeders moving into spawning rivers, there’s so much to look forward to as the first day of spring approaches.  

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