I went out Tuesday night with my buddy Rob for some low tide action. We got some intel that the big cows were out in the mouth of the Merrimack chasing macks. As we started out from the ramp we could see the mouth was nasty. Big waves, driving rain and a strong north wind. We made a hard u turn and went over to the flats instead. The waves were calmer but the flats still had the rain and wind. The action was very slow to start. We had lots of chasers but they wouldn't commit. I decided it was time to mix things up a bit and try out an Alabama rig I bought on a whim over the winter. They are illegal in the fresh water but I thought they might work on stripers with 9 inch sluggos. Rob started to rib me about it but then grabbed it away and said I want to try it. He's the captain so I gave in. We both were amazed at the action. It looks like a school of bait. A striper might turn his nose up at one sluggo but 5 of them, they can't turn that down we thought. Then  Rob got serious and started to work it like a pro. It took 6 casts and he was into a 31 inch fish. Then another and another. At that point I said HEY give it back and he did. I was working the same water with a single sluggo with "0"  action. I then threw the rig out there and 3rd cast I was into a fish. I love my alabama rig!!! We boated half dozen fish with it. 4 of them went from 29" to 34". I might not throw it on a sunny day beacuse they'll see the wires. But it worked the bomb on a cloudy rainy day. Season is still starting so I plan to do more experimenting with the rig. I'm going to try painting some white sluggos to look like mackerel with magic markers. Stripers love macks!

Here's some pics

too cold to smile!

first fish on the rig

Nice fish Paul.  From the sounds of things and the reports I got form you it looks like the Striper fishing has improved over the last couple of years.  Have you ever tried to fly fish for them ?