Drifting Bait to Catch Striped Bass

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Fishing the Current with Light Tackle to Catch Stripers

Fishing for striped bass in fast moving water is a lot fun, and here is an effective method for catching stripers on light tackle.

One of my favorite places to fish for striped bass is along an inlet with a fast running current during the incoming and outgoing tides. The current moves fast enough to require a fair amount of weight to hold the bait near the bottom with a traditional slip rig. So instead, I use a Cast --> Drift --> Retrieve technique on light tackle. Drifting bait through the currents is a very productive technique for catching striped bass.

My favorite rod for catching striped bass is a 7' medium weight pole rigged with 20lb test braided fishing line. To reduce line twist, I tie a stainless steel barrel swivel to the end of the braided fishing line, and use a snap ring to attach a stainless steel snap swivel to the barrel swivel. Then, I make a 24" leader from 20lb test mono-filament line that is tied to a #4 circle hook, and connect the leader to the line with another snap swivel. When conditions allow, I do not use sinkers or any other tackle.

Cast >>> Drift >>> Retrieve

Bait the hook using a piece of herring (1/2 or 1/3, depending on the size), or an equivalent size chuck of mackerel or other baitfish. Fresh bait is preferred, but frozen bait will work if it is the only option available. The weight of the bait is enough to carry the cast, and then take the hook down through the currents towards the bottom during the drift.

Cast up-stream, and then allow the bait to drift back downstream through the current. After casting out, leave the bale open and the line will free spool as the bait is carried along and downward with the current. Use your forefinger to control the line payout and the drift.

Fine Tuning the Drift

If the current moves the bait along too swiftly to sink, try adding a split shot or two about 18 to 24 inches up the line from the baited hook. If the bait still drifts by just under the surface, more weight is needed but add just a little at a time until the baits sinks properly. If you start catching crabs, there is too much weight and the bait is drifting too slowly along the bottom.

Ideally, the combination of bait and split shot (if needed) will carry the hook downward through the current and bounce it along the bottom for the better part of the drift. Striped bass usually hit the bait as it drifts downward near the bottom. By varying your casts -- both in distance and angle of direction -- you can thoroughly cover the target area before moving on to the next spot.

When a striped bass hits the bait, let the line free spool as the bass starts it run. Point the rod towards the fish, and then quickly snap the bail shut and set the hook. Play and land the fish quickly, to allow a better recovery before releasing. Circle hooks result in more lip hook-ups than traditional hooks and are swallowed less often, which helps to minimize injuries for catch & release fishing.

Tips

* Cast --> Drift --> Retrieve technique to catch striped bass also works from an anchored or slowly drifting boat. This can allow you to drift bait into areas that you could not cast effectively into, such as around piers and along rocky points where striped bass tend to congregate.

* Depending on the speed of the current, clams and squid can be effective, light weight baits for catching striped bass.

Things You Need


* #4 circle hooks
* Barrel swivel
* Leader
* Split shot
* Fresh herring (frozen baitfish works too!)

Hooks, Line & Swivels

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Striped Bass in the News

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Big striped bass moved into surf at Holgate on Long Beach Island. Mark McAuliff caught a nice 42-inch bass Monday night. He tried to put it back alive but it did not make it. He told Margaret O'Brien at Jingle's Bait and Tackle in North Beach Haven it ...
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Surface water temperatures in Long Island Sound (LIS) range from the mid 50's to low 60's °F. Check out the following web sites for more detailed water temperatures and marine boating conditions: STRIPED BASS fishing is good throughout LIS.

“A female Striped Bass weighing 15 lbs is about 8 years old and lays over 1,000,000 eggs every year!”

Catch & Release Fishing

Help maintain a healthy striped bass fishery

type=textMost trophy sized striped bass - fish measuring 50 inches or longer - are usually females. Known as cows, these large females lay many times more eggs than their smaller sisters and are essential to maintaining healthy populations of striped bass. Safely releasing large cows helps to ensure future generations of these spectacular fish for years to come.

Successful catch and release fishing begins with your fishing tackle. Circle hooks are very effective and setting the hook properly usually results in catching the corners of the bass's mouth. Circle hooks are swallowed much less frequently than traditional hooks, saving unnecessary internal injury to the fish.

Landing the fish quickly will help to keep the bass strong for a safe release. Grab the striped bass firmly by the lower jaw, and use your other hand to support the mid section of large fish while lifting and holding out of the water. Do not hold the fish by the gills.

Use a hook extractor or pliers to remove imbedded hooks. Grab the hook as close to the point as possible, while gently yet firmly twisting and backing out the hook. Pliers or an extractor provides extra leverage without putting additional pressure against the fish.

Return the fish to the water as quickly as possible, but releasing an exhausted and disoriented fish before it has time to recover is lethal. Hold the fish in the water by its tail while supporting the midsection, and within a few minutes, a healthy and uninjured fish will begin to regain its strength. Taking the time to allow a tired fish to recover fully before swimming off on its own will significantly increase its chances to survive and to fight again on another day.

Striped Bass Boat Flag

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Taylor Made Products Striped Bass Boat Flag (12" x 18")

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Circle Hooks for Catch & Release Fishing

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Fishing in Style

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Striped Bass Quiz

True or False

Catching Baitfish

Baitfish offer lots of natural scent and movement when presented on a hook, attracting the attention of hungry stripers, blues, flounder and other game fish in the area. Catching fresh baitfish for a fishing trip requires a little advance planning and specialized equipment, but it is a good investment of time and energy. There are several methods and techniques for catching live minnows, silversides and mummichogs, and here are a few tips for catching a fresh supply of local baitfish for your next fishing trip.

Bait a trap
The simple design of the traditional minnow pot funnels the baitfish into the trap in search of an easy meal, but narrow opening makes it very difficult for the fish to escape. Bait the minnow trap with corn chips instead of bread or fish heads; the oil from the chips attracts baitfish and the chips hold up longer in the water than bread and are not as messy as fish heads. Tie the minnow trap to a dock or pier, and wait a few hours for the bait to arrive.

Cast a net
When the opportunity arises, throw a casting net over a school of baitfish. A dipping net is not as effective at catching baitfish but is still useful for scooping out a few minnows or shiners. Try coaxing baitfish within reach by baiting the water with chips, bread or canned cat food.

Use a bigger net
One or two passes with a seine net can catch enough baitfish for a full day of fishing. A seine net has small weights attached to the bottom edge of the net with floats attached at the top to hold the net up vertically in the water. Long poles at either end are used to guide the net through the water, encircling and trapping the baitfish. Use a seine net along sandy shorelines, avoiding rock areas that can rip the net. Along with a supply of baitfish, a few tasty crabs might get caught up in the net.

Keep baitfish in an aerated live well. If using a bucket or cooler, replace the water frequently. Some of the baitfish will inevitably die off, but the dead minnows are still very effective bait, giving off a scent that carries through the water to attract game fish. At the end of the day, freeze the extra baitfish for another day.
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Additional Resources: Striped Bass Fishing Books

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Selecting Saltwater Lures

There are thousands of saltwater lures available on the market today from numerous manufacturers, and the choices can be overwhelming for novice and beginner anglers. Flashy lures of every shape, size and color fill the online catalogs and sporting goods shelves, and all claim to catch fish. How do you determine which saltwater lures to buy for your next fishing trip?

While there isn't a single answer to this question, there are several things to consider when buying saltwater lures including the types of fish you are trying to catch, where you are fishing, and if you are casting or trolling. Most weekend anglers can catch fish using only a few basic lures, and then expanding their collection lures as they increase their fishing skills. Here are a few tips to help you select saltwater lures to catch more fish.

Match the lure to the target fish. Knowing the characteristics of the fish you are trying to catch is necessary for selecting an appropriate saltwater lure. For an evening of casting to striped bass, a tackle box should include a top water plug, a diving crank bait and a count down lure. If casting for bluefish, the flash from a metal Kastmaster or metal spoon will entice toothy hits.

Match the lure to the fishing tactics. Most saltwater lures are designed primarily for either casting or trolling, though a few types of lures can be used successfully for both tactics. Casting and retrieving a top water plug creates a commotion at the surface, and is very effective for catching striped bass. Slowly trolling a plastic tube lure is deadly for blues and stripers, but is almost impossible to cast effectively.

Match the lure to the fishing conditions. The weather and water conditions dictate the approach to fishing, and adapting the saltwater lure and presentation to the conditions will increase the chances of catching fish. Casting a surface plug into a head wind is difficult, but is very effective on calmer days or when casting with the wind.

Try using light colored lures in clear water and sky conditions, and darker colored lures for darker water and skies. White and lighter colored lures tend to match the "look" of baitfish in clear water and bright sunshine, while a lure with a black back & bronze sides or painted in a mackerel pattern is often more effective in dark water and lower light conditions.

Take a variety of saltwater lures on every fishing trip. For all of the reasons listed already, carry a small selection of different lure designs, sizes and colors to match the changing conditions, or to change target species of fish. If drifting fish for bottom species, a prepared fisherman can change quickly to a metal casting lure when a school of bluefish breaks the surface. The surfcaster can try top water plugs, then switch to count down or deep running lure to cover the different depths from the same point.

Top water plug - popping and splashing a commotion lure for casting

Jointed swimming lure - surface swimming lure for casting into shallow areas; also effective when trolled very slowly

Silver spoon - perhaps the most versatile lure: cast and flutter retrieve, troll slowly for depth, or tip the hook with clam, worm of soft plastic for deep water jigging

Count down lure - cast, and allow to sink towards the bottom. Then, rip upwards and the float back down again. Fish often strike as the lure starts to fall.

Tubes - killer lure for trolling, especially when tipped with a sand worm
Kastmaster - ready for blues, snag mackerel or bunker

Jigs - heavy lures for bottom fishing, especially when tipped with a sand worm or soft plastic

Deep running plug - not my personal favorite, but effectively dive deeper during the retrieve (I prefer the spoon or count down to get deeper in casting situations)

Throw a lure that you are comfortable with, or want to learn how to use better. In most situations, use the lure that gives you confidence. Learn to fish that lure well, in different conditions, and you will consistently catch more fish.

Saltwater Fishing in the News

License-Free Saltwater and Freshwater Fishing Fun Coming Up This Week in Florida
1 a license-free saltwater fishing day, which not only falls on a holiday weekend, but is during the popular bay scallop and spiny lobster seasons. Each year, the first Saturday in April and second Saturday in June will be license-free freshwater ...
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SOUTH KINGSTOWN, RI ? One axiom of saltwater fishing in New England is that tautog, those thick and dark-toned fish of inshore reefs and submerged boulder fields, do not strike jigs. They are too busy, the thinking goes, nosing for the lobsters, crabs ...
Jim Freda's saltwater fishing report
By JIM FREDA Sea bass fishing on the offshore wrecks has been very good with many 2- and 3-pound bass being caught. Boats are catching 10-20 per man. Pool winners onboard the party boats have been in the 4 1/2-pound range. Bluefish in the 6- to12-pound ...

Organize Your Fishing Tackle

Soft-sider Tackle Bag

This bag comes with three stowaways pockets to organize and carry all your tackle to your favorite fishing destination. The stowaways allow you to differentiate your tackle into species or technique specific boxes so you have just what you need when you need it. The zippered pockets keep your gear secure during transport to your destination. The shoulder strap helps you get your tackle to the dock when your hands are full.

Striper Lures - Now on eBay

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Thanks for stopping by!

  • karmicchristian Apr 2, 2012 @ 10:40 am | delete
    Never did any great fishing! Maybe I should try casting a wider net! :))
    Thanks for the tips though! :)
  • Tipi Jan 21, 2012 @ 11:18 am | delete
    Cast - drift - retrieve, and hopefully with a stripper attached....sounds like the perfect way to spend a day to me! I got 100% on your quiz...and this is 100% excellent and blessed!
  • timo5150 Jan 13, 2012 @ 2:51 pm | delete
    Always love fishing tips thanks
  • timo5150 Jan 13, 2012 @ 2:51 pm | delete
    Always love fishing tips thanks

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