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Fishing for Striped Bass

By Monty | May 22, 2011

If you love fishing for striped bass, there is little doubt that you have found that they are easiest to land in areas where there are numerous structures. Whether it is boulder piles, reefs or wrecks, they seem to attract striped bass.  If you have ever fished along the Connecticut side of Long Island you are probably familiar with some of the popular reefs in that area.  Remember the height of a reef is not always important, instead, you are interested in the steepness of the hill.  You may find fish in water as deep as eighty feet or you may be surprised by finding a school in as little as ten feet of water.  Funnel formations are the reasons that reefs are such great ambush points for striped bass.  They allow you to spread bait across the water column which then flows down and over the crest, and once the tide flows up the hill, the bait gets carried along to the crest of the peak. This is typically where the striped bass are waiting to feed, and depth does not matter in these cases.  The better the funnel shape, the more likely you will be to have success landing striped bass. The crest of the reef is approximately the same as the reef line.

Fish finders and GPS systems are nearly requirements when you’re angling for striped bass.  They will help you identify the best fishing areas. Don’t be too concerned about not finding the stripers on the fish finder – even with the best technology their habit of sticking close to the sides of their hide-away makes it hard to find them.  You will find the most success if you start out in waters about 20 feet deeper than the reef crest.  You want your boat so that it is drifting, and then drop your line over the side and make sure it goes all the way to the bottom.  If you’re having a challenge getting to the bottom simply add a bit of weight and you should solve that problem fairly easily.  The ideal depth for stripers is between three and six feet from the bottom so you’ll want to make sure you stay in that zone as much as possible. You will want to try to make sure that your line stays nearly vertical – this allows for better line management.  As your boat drifts, you’ll find a variety of bottoms so you’ll have to make sure that you pay attention. You’ll quickly get accustomed to the feel that your line has once it hits bottom – crank up your reel if your sinker hits the bottom.

While you are drifting it is important that you keep an eye out for landmarks.  Combining landmarks with your fish-finder and GPS can help you better map the area where you get hits or you actually land a fish. This is even more critical if you are in an area that is unfamiliar to you, as it will help you map out the area.  Keep in mind that if you have had a hit or landed a striped bass, there is a better than average chance that there are more.  If you discover by viewing your fish-finder that there is another formation that is different from other structures in the area, it will likely be a hot spot of stripers. These fish seem to be drawn to sharp drops in depth, large boulders or piles that are different.

While in most cases, stripers are found on the up-side of a hill, it is not all that uncommon to find them at the crest of the hill or even on the down-hill side.  It will require some experimentation on your part to find out exactly where they are feeding.  Do not forget to keep your line in the proper depth so that your bait is three to six feet of the bottom at all times. You may find that even a properly placed rod in your rod holder will land the occasional fish or two.

Circle hooks are a good option for stripers.  For menhaden, hickory shad and scup baits you will want to use an 8/0 circle hook and otherwise you can use a 5/0 or 6/0 for eels.  Circle hooks are definitely advantageous because they don’t require you to set a hook, you can simply let out the slack and reel it up.

When you are getting prepared for a saltwater fishing adventure, having the proper equipment is essential. Some of the most popular products on the market include okuma fishing reel and van staal reels.

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