Striped
Bass are one of Fishery Management's greatest success stories.
Originally an inshore saltwater fish, striped bass have been
successfully stocked in freshwater lakes all over the U.S., providing
an outstanding fishery for these large cousins of white bass. Also
known as “the
poor man's salmon”,
they have even been cross-bred with white bass to create a 'hybrid'
striped bass...the best of both worlds, in theory, anyway. Most
places in the U.S. now have freshwater striped bass populations
within a few hours drive. Striped bass are not that hard to catch,
especially if you know a few striped bass fishing tips ahead of time:
- Striped bass are a schooling fish, so where you catch one, there will be many others. You will almost never see a striped bass off by itself unless something is seriously wrong. When you catch a striped bass, keep working the same area. It's not uncommon to catch more than a dozen individuals from a single school, before it goes deep and moves on.
- One of the best ways to locate striped bass schools is by Jump-Fishing. Look for flocks of wheeling. diving birds. Under neath them will usually be a large school of shad, and underneath the shad will be a school of striped and/or white bass chowing down on the shad. They chase them to the surface, where the birds get their share. The water will literally be boiling with fish. Get within casting distance (don't spook the school by going directly into it), and throw right into the melee, and hang on. This is fast and furious fishing. When the school goes deep, either wait until it comes up again nearby, or look for another flock of birds.
- When jump fishing, always have several rods rigged and ready to go. If you lose a lure, just grab another rod, until the school goes down. The schools only stay up for a limited amount of time, and you don't want to waste it fiddling with fishing gear. You can't catch fish if you don't have a line in the water.
- To get the most out of striped bass fishing, try using a fly rod. Any pattern that resembles a shad or minnow will work. Clouser Minnows, Polar Minnows, Angel Hair Minnows, Zonkers, Matukas, and Puglisi Shads are all excellent flies for striped bass. A striped bass is a total demon on fly gear, so you need at least an 8wt rod. A Fighting Butt section on the rod is a big help. make sure you have at least 100 yards of backing on your fly reel, because a striped basses first run can peel that much line off of your reel before you know it.
- If you plan on eating you catch, you are in for a treat. Striped bass are delicious. Just remember to cut out the red strip of meat along the lateral line and discard it. it will make you sick.
Striped
bass are well worth your efforts, especially when you take note of a
few basic striped bass fishing tips.
Happy
fishing.
Striped Bass Fishing Tips
