What Is The Best Bait For Freshwater Striped Bass?

  • Alewives. This is one of the best baits for big striped bass and hybrids
  • Alewives. This is one of the best baits for big striped bass and hybrids
  • Gizzard Shad. Gizzard shad are excellent striper baits
  • Gizzard Shad
  • Threadfin Shad
  • Threadfin Shad
  • American Eels
  • American Eels.

What lures do freshwater striper like?

Topwater, popper, soft plastic, jig, crankbait, and spoon lures all work. But if you plan on mostly fishing in saltwater, consider ones that’ll stand up to rust, while other lures are ideal for fishing in a mixture of salt and fresh water to account for the fact that these stripers also swim in brackish water.

What month is best for striped bass fishing?

Early fall mimics the summer where stripers feed most heavily in the cooler periods of the day. Early morning and late afternoon is key. As fall moves along and the weather gets colder, striped bass feed more in the warmer parts of the day. The early afternoon period always seems to be best for me.

How do you catch freshwater striped bass from shore?

Slowly trolling a live herring or shad is the predominant method for taking big striped bass in

freshwater lakes

. Downriggers and sinkers are used to get the baits down to the desired depth. The boat is moved slowly, just enough to keep the lines straight.

Are freshwater striped bass good to eat?

Stripers are widely considered one of the best-eating fish in the northeast Atlantic region , but it depends who you’re speaking with. Many people prefer black sea bass, fluke, or tautog over stripers.

What depth do striped bass eat?

On many of these fisheries—especially in the South–stripers remain in the creeks throughout the winter and hold at depths of 15 to 20 feet Catching striped bass doesn’t automatically slow down when the winter hits, these suspended fish will actively eat.

How big do freshwater stripers get?

Stripers will grow to a weight of 50+ pounds in freshwater. Hybrid stripers have a wider body and rarely exceed 20 pounds. The world record freshwater striped bass weighed 69 pounds 9 ounces.

What

size hook

do you use for striped bass?

The size of the circle hook you use for a striped bass rig depends on the size of the bait. For

larger baits

, like live menhaden (bunker or pogies), an 8/0 circle hook is ideal. For chunk baits and live eels or spot, a smaller 6/0 circle hook will work. Smaller baits, like seaworms, can be rigged on 2/0 circle hooks.

Do striped bass like high or low tide?

They look to consume as many calories as possible while burning as few calories as possible, therefore they do their most aggressive feeding when their advantage over the baitfish is greatest—at peak tide In the striped bass world, the hierarchy is determined by size, and size alone.

How do you find striped bass in a river?

As striped bass move into rivers they stop at staging points along the way to rest. These locations are ideal for catching bass. Look for tapering points or humps that drop off into river channels. In shallower rivers, look for holes that are 10 to 15 feet deep.

Are striped bass hard to catch?

They are a migratory fish that move between freshwater and saltwater. The striped bass (or “striper”) is popular in sport fishing—the largest specimen ever caught weighed in at 81.8 pounds (37.1 kg). Striped bass can be a little tricky to catch, as they are constantly on the move and behave somewhat unpredictably.

What color lures for striped bass?

Yellow and chartreuse are fish-catchers because, simply put, they get seen. A study performed at the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences showed that striped bass see yellow and chartreuse better than other colors as they are smack dab in the middle of the striped bass’s visual range.

Why should you not eat striped bass?

Striped bass have potential exposure to methyl-mercury and PCBs everyday as they forage Small striped bass show low levels of mercury and PCBs, but as they grow larger these toxins bioaccumulate and magnify to levels that are potentially very dangerous.

What is the biggest striped bass ever caught?

Fishing for striped bass The largest striped bass ever taken by angling was an 81.88 lb (37.14 kg) specimen taken from a boat in Long Island Sound, near the Outer Southwest Reef, off the coast of Westbrook, Connecticut. The all-tackle world record fish was taken by Gregory Myerson on the night of August 4, 2011.

What is the red meat in striped bass?

Blood Line The dark red meat that runs along the spine is the only part of a striper I avoid eating. It has a strong, fishy flavor that I am not a fan of, so as a special treat I feed it to my dogs, who seem to love it.

What pound test should I use for striped bass?

The Solution. Line matters and Captain Mike recommends sticking with 10-pound or 12-pound test Plus, it makes catching striped bass a lot more fun.

Where do striped bass go during the day?

Weight is essential, as they tend to hold deeper than other bass before and after the spawn. As with black bass, stripers don’t love bright light. During

daylight hours

, target shady spots like overpasses, bridges, piers and docks The two hours before and after high tide are the best in tidally influenced areas.

What time of day do stripers feed?

Stripers are opportunistic fish, feeding whenever they can, especially at the specific time periods and windows during a tide Some locations fish best when the current is cranking, other spots are better around slack tide, when there is little or no current movement.

Does striped bass taste good?

To put it succinctly, striped bass tastes absolutely delicious The flesh is white and flaky with enough fat to make it seem almost buttery (even when no butter has been added) but not so much as to make it seem oily. Moreover, the primary flavor is sweet and briny, without a hint of fishiness.

What size reel is best for striped bass?

I typically would recommend pairing a

medium power rod

with a 4000 or 5000 class reel filled with 30lb test braid and a 12 or 15lb test fluorocarbon leader. This is an excellent spring rod for casting small to medium sized jigs, plugs and softbaits.

What size rod is best for striper fishing?

7′ Spinning Rod: Medium Heavy This rod will be your workhorse for when the keeper size stripers show up and you start using larger lures to mimic the larger baits they are feeding on. This rod is great for casting larger soft plastics, metals, Epoxy Jigs and plugs.

Can you use treble hooks for striped bass?

A. Yes, you can use another hook type (e.g. treble hook) to snag menhaden Once you’ve snagged a bunker, you’ll need to transfer it to a circle hook to target striped bass. You can fish live menhaden or as chunk bait once on a circle hook.

Can you catch striped bass during the day?

Anyone can catch stripers consistently during the day if they have a plan, know what to use, pay attention to conditions and have a little luck The first thing a surf fisherman looking for striped bass during daylight hours should do is divide the season into thirds; spring, summer and fall.

What is the point of a circle hook?

Circle hooks are designed to hook fish in the corner of the mouth which makes the fish easier to release Circle hooks have been used successfully with both dead and live baits for many species.

Is it better to fish for stripers on incoming or outgoing tide?

The warmer water causes the stripers metabolism to rise. The fish will burn calories faster and be more aggressive. In this case stripers will feed on the incoming and outgoing tides, with the incoming being the more productive This is because stripers will move toward shallow water to feed.

Citations

Beginner’s Guide: How to Catch Freshwater Striped Bass




https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1977/08/16/freshwater-striper-fishing-booms/5bf6d47b-b751-483e-b3a0-414227c24cc9/