In the early fall, striped bass start to move up coastal rivers in Virginia following schools of bait before the winter sets in. This phenomenon creates the perfect opportunity for anglers to target these fish in shallow water. School-sized striped bass make for a day of action packed fishing. These fish are typically found in small schools in rivers during the fall. This allows the angler to have the opportunity to catch high numbers of these hard fighting fish on fly rods and light tackle. Not to mention - these rivers are usually much quieter in the fall compared to the busy spring season!