Up to date Sep 1, 2022 5:42 AM
Anglers in pursuit of striped bass face an virtually overwhelming alternative of lures to catch them. However, you solely want just a few lures to reliably catch stripers. In actual fact, you could be a bit underwhelmed should you have a look at the lures I carry when focusing on stripers. I normally fish variations of only a handful of lure varieties which can be properly matched for the circumstances. I’m fully assured with that handful of lures as a result of practically fifty years of striper fishing expertise has helped me slim down the alternatives to my confirmed favorites. You’ll be able to minimize out the 50 years of trial and error through the use of my picks for the most effective baits for striped bass. If you happen to’re simply getting began or wanting so as to add to your striper field, these finest baits for striped bass are a wonderful place to start out.
Every of my high picks has an utility the place it shines and my lure selections for any given journey will depend upon water situations, whether or not it’s day or evening, and whether or not I’m fishing from surf, kayak, or boat. I’ve picked some lures which can be finest utilized in particular conditions like at evening in tough surf, and others that I all the time have in my bag.
Key Options
- Weight: ½ to five ounces
- Smiling Invoice Head
- Hand tied
- Mustad 34184DT Hook
- Hackle feathers and full skirt for lifelike profile
Why It Made the Lower
Bucktails are the most effective bait for striped bass general as a result of they are often introduced correctly and are extremely efficient beneath all of those situations from boat, surf, or kayak.
Professionals
- May be introduced correctly in all situations and environments
- Extraordinarily productive
- Design makes for strong hookups and few misplaced fish
Cons
- Mediocre casting distance
Product Overview
There are various wonderful bucktail producers, and I selected the S&S model bass bucktails as a result of they’re improved variations of what I tied for myself. My disclaimer is that I designed them, however they’re the product of years of expertise catching striped bass on bucktails. Of specific significance is correct hair density and the addition of hackle feathers on the hook shank to fill out and lengthen the bucktail’s profile. S&S produces an exceptionally well-tied bucktail with high-quality hooks of the correct measurement of their U.S.-based workshop.
Bucktails current a profile that matches most of the issues stripers feed on. A bucktail of the right weight and hair density could be made to swim correctly in difficult situations resembling robust currents and turbulent surf. Whereas there are quite a few retrieve types, should you can glide a bucktail close to the underside at a sluggish to average retrieve within the presence of stripers, you’re more likely to catch one. The largest mistake I see starting anglers make with bucktails is that they go too heavy. You don’t need to drag or bounce on the underside, however swim above it. I tip my bucktails with 4- to 6-inch strips, resembling Otter Tails and Fats Cow Jig Strips. The mix of a well-known profile and a pure presentation gives stripers what appears to be like like a simple meal, typically inflicting them to eat it. I discover bucktails to be so efficient for catching striped bass that I wrote a ebook on how you can fish them.
Honorable Mentions: MagicTail, Joe Baggs, Andrus
Key Options
- Size: 5 ¾ and 6 ½ inches
- Weight 1 ¾ and a couple of ¾ ounces
- Through-wire development
- Two 4X treble hooks
- Big selection of colours
Why It Made the Lower
A pencil popper is without doubt one of the longest casting lures in a surfcaster’s arsenal, however its actual energy is that it could actually pull fish to the floor even when they’re not actively feeding. That’s why a pencil popper and particularly, the Savage Gear Panic Pencil, is my decide for the most effective daytime surfcasting lure.
Professionals
- Lengthy casting
- Erratic floor thrashing entices fish, even in calm and clear water
Cons
Product Overview
Lures catch fish via a mix of imitation and obfuscation. A correctly labored pencil popper can curiosity fish in calm and clear water as a result of it tears up the floor in such a method that the fish can’t inform that it’s nothing however a chunk of plastic or wooden. Pumping the rod whereas utilizing a sluggish retrieve will get this lure up on the floor and dancing. As with all floor lure, you should use it to search out lively fish and don’t want the fish to eat it for the fish to offer its presence away. A semi-interested boil behind a plug is extraordinarily invaluable intel whenever you’re looking for good striper spots.
Honorable Mentions: Darkish Matter, Madd Mantis, Gibbs, Tsunami Talkin Popper
Key Options
- Size: 5 1/8, 6, and 6 ¾ inches
- Weight: ⅞ to 1 7/8-ounce
- Dives to three ft
- Saltwater hooks
- Inner weight switch system
- Massive number of colours
Why It Made the Lower
Minnow-shaped plugs imitate most of the baitfish stripers feed on and are extremely efficient. The Daiwa Salt Professional stands out due to its lengthy casting distance and flexibility.
Professionals
- Wonderful prey imitation
- Works day and evening
Cons
- Minnow plugs are comparatively mediocre for casting distance
Product Overview
Daiwa SP Minnows solid properly for this class of lure due to an inside weight switch system constructed into the lure. It additionally handles turbulence and present higher than different minnow plugs. The SP Minnow will minimize via a stiff wind in your face, and given a deliberate regular retrieve, will plow via average surf turbulence whereas nonetheless swimming accurately. Its erratic motion places out vibrations that fish can find at midnight and might’t resist at any time of day.
Honorable Mentions: Cordell Pink Fin, Bomber Lengthy A, Yo-Zuri Inshore Minnow
Key Options
- Size: 6 inches
- Weight: 2 3/8-ounce
- Two 3/0 treble hooks
Why It Made the Lower
Fishing tough surf at evening could be extraordinarily productive for striped bass and in these situations it’s a tricky alternative between tying on a darter or bottle plug. However, the bottle wins for versatility and its superior casting distance. My decide for finest bottle plug is the Tremendous Strike Little Neck Swimmer as a result of it casts nice, has wonderful motion, and its plastic physique lasts indefinitely—it even stands as much as bluefish.
Professionals
- Good casting distance into the wind
- Capable of deal with tough surf
Cons
Product Overview
Bottle plugs can minimize via very vital wind, and with just a few quick cranks, could be dug into tough seas. When a bottle plug is swimming accurately it pulsates the rod tip, giving invaluable suggestions to the angler that the plug is working accurately. Bottle plugs match the profiles of huge baitfish and have a very good fame for catching high quality stripers.
Honorable Mentions: Gibbs Casting Swimmer, North Bar Bottle Darter
Key Options
- Size: 6 ⅝ inches
- Weight 2 ⅜ ounces
- Two 3/0 treble hooks
- Swims 2 to three ft deep
Why It Made the Lower
Subsequent to the bucktail, a darter could be the best lure for giant surf caught stripers at evening. The very best darter is the Tremendous Strike ZigZag as a result of every one swims correctly proper out of the bundle. Additionally, as a result of it’s plastic, it gained’t waterlog or get broken by bluefish.
Professionals
- May be fished within the quickest rip currents
- Exceptionally productive
Cons
Product Overview
Regardless of selecting a bottle plug over a darter within the nighttime tough surf class, I’ve spent extra time fishing a darter than a bottle after darkish. I feel I can say with confidence that darters have in all probability landed extra large stripers for surfcasters at evening than bottle plugs.
However, darters take observe to make use of. While you fish a bottle plug you’ll really feel a pulsation on the rod that indicators it’s swimming accurately. With a darter, you’ll want what I name “darter religion” to trust {that a} darter is zig-zagging as supposed. One tip for fishing a darter accurately is whenever you’re fishing it in present or transferring water, dig it in with just a few quick cranks to get it swimming. When there’s water strain utilized to the lip, it should dart backwards and forwards in an inconsistent sample that triggers stripers.
Honorable Mentions: Northbar Montauk Darter, Gibbs Darter
Key Options
- Size: 5 ¼, 6 3/8, 7 ¼ inches
- Weight: 1 to three ounces
- Imitates sandeels
Why It Made the Lower
Needlefish are already versatile lures, however the size and weight choices of the Tremendous Strike needles permits anglers to dial in simply the best lure for the given situations.
Professionals
- Wonderful casting distance
- Can deal with tough water
Cons
Product Overview
A needlefish plug seems to be little greater than a stick, however pull it via water with some present or turbulence, and there’s simply sufficient wobble to get stripers to commit. Needlefish lures have accounted for a number of the largest fish caught on the striper coast. As with bucktails, there’s numerous variation in measurement and weight with these lures, permitting the angler to adapt to altering situations.
Key Options
- Size: 4 ¼, 5 ¼, 6 inches
- Weight: 1 to three ¾ ounces
- Sorts: Floating, sinking, and additional heavy sinking
Why It Made the Lower
Popping plugs are wonderful search baits that draw fish to the floor. The very best popper is the Tremendous Strike Little Neck as a result of its three lengths and eight weights interprets to versatility in profile matching and dealing with wind and water situations.
Professionals
- Casts far
- Floor splashing entices fish, even in calm and clear water
Cons
Product Overview
Commonplace floor poppers are normally in my surf bag, proper subsequent to pencil poppers. They share most of the qualities of pencils, resembling being lengthy lasting and in a position to pull stripers to the floor. However, they will transfer extra water on account of their giant cupped face. I want the Tremendous Strike Little Neck Popper as a result of it’s manufactured from plastic, which suggests it gained’t get water logged and stands as much as toothy bluefish. It additionally has top quality {hardware} that doesn’t should be swapped out.
Honorable Mentions: Gibbs Polaris, Tsunami Floor Blaster
Key Options
- Size: 7 and 9 inches
- Weight 2 3/4, 3 1/4 ounces
- Plastic physique
Why It Made the Lower
When the chunk will get robust, stripers will hit a spook once they gained’t contact different lures, and the most effective spook for stripers is the Musky Mania Doc.
Professionals
- Zig-zag glide mesmerizes stripers
- Rattles for added attraction
- Sturdy
Cons
- Comparatively poor casting distance
- Not nice in tough situations
Product Overview
This can be a lure that may catch stripers when nothing else will, which could be stunning as a result of the unique spooks had been designed for largemouth bass. Spooks are significantly efficient in calm water when they’re retrieved slowly with rhythmic pulls on the rod that get the plug making huge backwards and forwards darts and leaving a wake on the floor. These lures are hottest with New England striper anglers, however they work wherever hungry stripers swim.
Honorable Mentions: Darkish Matter Astro Spook, Jigging World Spook
Key Options
- Size: 4.5, 6, and seven.5 inches
- Weight 1 1/2, 2 1/4, and three ½ ounces
- Tunable by bending the road tie
Why It Made the Lower
The Gibbs Danny Floor swimmer has a seductive motion and huge profile that triggers large stripers, which is why it’s my alternative for finest metallic lip swimmer.
Professionals
- Wonderful when stripers are feeding on giant bait fish
- Works day and evening
Cons
- Comparatively poor casting distance
- Not nice in tough situations
Product Overview
As with the spook, these are usually not nice casting lures, however the seductive motion is irresistible to stripers. These are significantly efficient when the bass are feeding on bigger baits resembling grownup bunker, snappers, or herring. They’re easy to make use of too. Simply retrieve slowly, and the plug will do the remainder. You may also attempt a sporadic twitch of the rod that makes the bait skitter and splash to set off a strike. There are various nice metallic lip swimmers available on the market, however my go to is the Danny Floor Swimmer as a result of Gibbs makes top quality baits that all the time swim nice out of the bundle, good finishes, and high quality parts.
Honorable Point out: Tsunami Timber Flat Nostril Swimmer
Key Options
- Weights: ½ to 16 ounces
- Colours: Chrome, Gold, Glow
- Erratic fall
Why It Made the Lower
You want a diamond jig in your deal with field as a result of no lure casts farther, and so they are available a variety of weights, making them ideally suited for boat anglers fishing various depths and present strengths.
Professionals
- Unmatched casting distance
- Will get to the underside quick
- Nice sandeel imitator
- Can deal with the roughest water
Cons
- For surfcasters, if casting distance isn’t a difficulty, there are normally higher selections
Product Overview
Few lures are extra simplistic than a diamond jig. They’re only a diamond-shaped piece of lead with a reflective coating and a single hook. However, they’re additionally one of the crucial common saltwater lures. They’re ideally suited boat fishing lures as a result of they are often fished very successfully in deep rips. Common boat displays embody yo-yoing and squidding. Yo-yoing is the place you repeatedly sweep the rod skyward and let the jig fall, normally close to the underside. Squidding includes dropping the jig to the underside and retrieving it rapidly via the water column. When stripers feed on sandeels, diamond jigs in all probability account for the majority of the stripers caught. However, I’ll normally solely use diamond jigs for surf fishing when the fish are out of attain of different lures.
Key Options
- Lengths: 3 to 9 inches
- Weights: 3/8 to six 1/4 ounces
- Pre rigged
- Paddle tail
Why It Made the Lower
Few lures can imitate a baitfish higher than an internally weighted gentle plastic swim shad. Tsunami gives 9 totally different measurement and weight combos that make this a lure as versatile as a bucktail.
Professionals
- Very sensible look and swimming motion
- Versatile
Cons
- Bluefish and different toothy predators can destroy them
Product Overview
Few lures can imitate a baitfish higher than a gentle plastic swim shad. Simply drag it via the water, and it’ll swim like an actual fish. You should utilize a gentle retrieve, jig them, or fluctuate your retrieve to elicit a chunk. The hot button is selecting the best size and weight to match the scale of the predominant forage and the depth the stripers are feeding. The Tsunami Swim Shad’s versatility and ease of use make it my best choice for a gentle plastic lure.
Honorable Mentions: Storm Swim Shad, Lunker Metropolis Slug-Go
Why It Made the Lower
These lures have an virtually magical means to get large stripers to hit any time of the day. From shallow kayak trolling, to boat fishing over deeper construction with assistance from egg or drail weights, these lures set off hits. Actual worms are usually not needed, as I’ve used Berkley Gulp worms on the ends of my tubes for a few years with nice success.
Key Options
- Lengths: 16, 19, and 24 inches
- Colours: Black, wine, and bubblegum
- Mustad Hoodlum Stinger Hook
Professionals
- Phenomenal productiveness
- Can troll in as little as 5 ft of water
Cons
- Will get bit by interference fish resembling porgies and sea bass
Product Overview
You’ll be able to catch large stripers with a tube and worm in just a few ft of water within the spring or 20 or extra ft within the warmth of summer time. It’s uncommon to discover a lure that may cowl a lot of the water column with an ideal presentation, however the Hogy Excellent Tube does it. I troll these weightless in my kayak in 6 to 10 ft of water, however can simply transfer out to 25 ft with the addition of a one-ounce egg sinker. Deeper water could be fished with heavier sinkers. The important thing to catching fish on a tube and worm is to troll them slowly. I purpose to troll these lures at round 2 mph, adjusted for the present velocity.
FAQs
Q: What baits do striped bass eat?
Possibly the higher query is, “What gained’t they eat?” Regardless of the entire mystique surrounding stripers, they’re scavengers. Once I used to maintain an occasional striper, I’d all the time look at abdomen contents, and I’ve discovered nearly each type of fish and crustacean of their atmosphere. I even discovered a crimson and white ball-point pen within the abdomen of a 28-pound striper. The one factor I’ve not present in a striper’s abdomen is one other striper. I did nonetheless encounter a giant lifeless striper with a smaller striper caught in its throat.
Q: How do I goal giant stripers?
I feel probably the most direct path to a giant striper is a dwell or rigged eel fished at evening. There’s a saying that goes “What’s the distinction between a striper caught on an eel and one caught on a lure?” Reply: About 20 kilos. Eels do an outstanding job of attracting giant bass and culling giant bass from faculties of predominantly small ones.
Q: Are worms good bait?
If fish measurement doesn’t matter, worms are an exceptional striper bait. If my life trusted catching a striped bass, I’d fish with sandworms after darkish. The usual backside rig has a small cigar float to maintain the worms a few ft off the underside. That’s to not say that they gained’t work within the daytime, however you’ll possible encounter extra interference fish.
How you can Select the Greatest Bait for Striped Bass
The very best recommendation I may give to a brand new striper angler can be to buy just a few confirmed lures, and go from there.
begin for a surfcaster can be to get bucktails in weights starting from ¾ to 2 ounces, together with the strips talked about within the bucktail part. If you happen to’re going to fish inlets, you may want some 3-ounce bucktails relying on depth and present. You’ll additionally need a few pencil poppers within the 2-ounce vary. Add a few floating 6-inch Daiwa SP Minnows. If you happen to’re going to fish average to tough surf at evening, embody a bottle plug and 6-inch sinking needlefish. To spherical out your surf casting equipment, embody just a few Kastmaster lures within the 1-2-ounce vary. I point out these over diamond jigs as a result of they are often labored shallower.
If you happen to’re a ship angler you’ll need the identical lures, however as an alternative of the Kastmaster, go together with diamond jigs of the suitable weight for the place you’re fishing. These will possible be within the 2-6-ounce vary.
With all of those bass lures, retaining it easy with pure colours and white is all the time a good selection. It’s additionally important that you just turn out to be an everyday buyer of a well-respected deal with store near the place you plan to fish. These are the native specialists and in virtually all instances will aid you enthusiastically.
Ultimate Ideas
My strategy to lure choice is to stay to what I’ve confidence in, as a result of that eliminates one variable within the equation of catching fish. There are such a lot of different issues to consider, resembling whether or not the tide is correct, or the water high quality is OK, or if the fish are literally current. Solely after I’ve established all of that may I experiment with something new, and even that may possible be only a delicate change on what’s already working. New anglers, or skilled anglers on a brand new fishery, are confronted with the problem of constructing that preliminary confidence of their lures. In case your goal is striped bass, I’m assured that my options for finest bait for striped bass will get you to a spot the place you’re anticipating successful on the subsequent solid since you consider in your lure choice.
