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Big topwater stripers on plugs and bait in the New York Bight are a staple fishery for saltwater anglers up and down the mid-Atlantic coast. June is the month for big fish as resident Hudson and migrating Chesapeake fish stack up on massive schools of menhaden that school in inshore waters. June is also the month that tuna show up in offshore waters. Could we get both in one shoot?
To capture this exciting fishery on camera we sent two creators (Ryan Morie and Rich Janitschek) out fishing for two days with SWS contributor John McMurray, one of the northeast’s top topwater guides for both stripers and tuna. They were hoping to hit a combo in one shoot. The weather, though, had other ideas.
With offshore out, the guys stayed closer to the coast, running a brand new Sailfish 312 CC (which we tested earlier this year) on this shoot from New York to New Jersey and back. They found big bass under bunker pods just a few miles off the beach and had a blast on slot fish by casting to the rocks. With stripers in the bag, we switched our focus to the solid summer flounder bite going on in the Great South Bay, fishing small bucktails on light tackle in the holes and channels along the backside of Fire Island.
Ryan Morie
Ryan Morie is a full-time content creator based out of southeast Florida. After graduating from the University of Florida, Ryan served as an officer in the United States Marine Corps. During his time on active duty he was able to document some outstanding fisheries near the bases on which he served. He now creates a wide variety of fishing content that documents both local and international adventures.
Richard Janitschek (Fishaholic)
Richard Janitschek grew up in North Jersey, then spent time living in Montauk NY, where he worked on a charter boat, guided surf casting trips, and ran his own light tackle charter boat. After graduating college in 2017 he loaded his kayak on his truck and started traveling, fishing, and filming along the U.S. east coast, finally settling in Stuart, Florida in 2021.
We’re planning more of these! If you’re a creator who is interested in joining our team, please contact Executive Producer Phil Hollandsworth. If you’re a sponsor interested in integrating products or services into these shoots, please contact our publisher, Scott Salyers.
