Striped Bass Fishing Lures
by www.striperspace.com
There are many excellent lures for catching striped bass. Some of our favorites are shown below.
Swiming Lures
My favorite swimming lures are Bombers,
1 and 2, on the left. I have caught more stripers on Bombers than any other lure I've ever used.
I've also used Mega Bait lures, 3 and 4, on the lefy. They are slightly heavier and you can cast them farther. Also they have a neat built in rattle. Unfortunately they don't seem to be available anymore.
Other good swimming lures include:
Diawa SP Minnow and Guides Secret .
For swimming lures, use yellow in the day and black at night. I usually use teasers with both.
Swimming lures should be retrieved at a speed, usually slow, that allows their lips to impart a swimming motion on the lure. This results in a slight pulsation of the rod tip that you can both see and feel.
My favorite swimming lures are Bombers,
1 and 2, on the left. I have caught more stripers on Bombers than any other lure I've ever used.
I've also used Mega Bait lures, 3 and 4, on the lefy. They are slightly heavier and you can cast them farther. Also they have a neat built in rattle. Unfortunately they don't seem to be available anymore.
Other good swimming lures include:
Diawa SP Minnow and Guides Secret .
For swimming lures, use yellow in the day and black at night. I usually use teasers with both.
Swimming lures should be retrieved at a speed, usually slow, that allows their lips to impart a swimming motion on the lure. This results in a slight pulsation of the rod tip that you can both see and feel.
Large Swimming Lures
Sometimes you need to cast a little farther, and you need a heavier plug. Three good heavier weight swimming plugs are shown on the left.
Top: SPRO Prime Minnow, 1¾ oz.
Middle: Rebel Wind Cheater, 2 oz.
Bottom: Danny, 2¼ oz.
Sometimes you need to cast a little farther, and you need a heavier plug. Three good heavier weight swimming plugs are shown on the left.
Top: SPRO Prime Minnow, 1¾ oz.
Middle: Rebel Wind Cheater, 2 oz.
Bottom: Danny, 2¼ oz.
Poppers
When the fish are on top, as evidenced by bird activity or other commotion, it may be time for a popper. There are many good ones, including those shown on the right.
Top: Stillwater Smack-It.
Middle: Knuckle-Head.
Bottom: Gibbs Pencil Popper.
Poppers should be retrieved in short bursts that make the lure pop and creates a commotion.
When the fish are on top, as evidenced by bird activity or other commotion, it may be time for a popper. There are many good ones, including those shown on the right.
Top: Stillwater Smack-It.
Middle: Knuckle-Head.
Bottom: Gibbs Pencil Popper.
Poppers should be retrieved in short bursts that make the lure pop and creates a commotion.
Needlefish Lure
Needlefish are long , slim lures that imitate narrow baitfish and sand eels. Their aerodynamic shape enables long casts.
Pictured: Gibbs Needlefish
Needlefish are usually retrieved slow and steady. They are used mostly at night.
Needlefish are long , slim lures that imitate narrow baitfish and sand eels. Their aerodynamic shape enables long casts.
Pictured: Gibbs Needlefish
Needlefish are usually retrieved slow and steady. They are used mostly at night.
Bucktails
Bucktails have been around for years, and stripers still go for them.
I sometimes replace the bucktail with feathers, but this is unnecessary. Adding curlytails or porkrind trailers is a popular addition. A picture of a bucktail with a porkrind trailer is provide by this link.
Bucktails work best when allowed to sink lower in the water column before starting the retrieve. On the retrieve bump the bucktail up on about every third crank of the reel handle. The hits come as the bucktail falters.
Bucktails have been around for years, and stripers still go for them.
I sometimes replace the bucktail with feathers, but this is unnecessary. Adding curlytails or porkrind trailers is a popular addition. A picture of a bucktail with a porkrind trailer is provide by this link.
Bucktails work best when allowed to sink lower in the water column before starting the retrieve. On the retrieve bump the bucktail up on about every third crank of the reel handle. The hits come as the bucktail falters.
Metal Lures
Often metal lures get good results. Three of the best are shown on the right.
The top one is a Kastmaster and in the middle is a Hopkins. An AVA Diamond Jig is on the bottom.
You can fish them plain, add hair
or a colored tube tail, green being a good choice.
Often bluefish hit these lures, so I replace the treble hooks with single hooks to make it easier to unhook those toothy critters.
To keep a metal lure near the surface, retrieve it rapidly.
To get it deep, pause and let it sink deeper before retrieving. Retrieve it fast to catch bluefish; slower for stripers.
Use the Ava's when casting from the surf when sand eels are the prevalent bait.
For jigging from a boat use a heavier AVA Diamond Jig, maybe an A-47 or A67, to get the jig down near the bottom.
Often metal lures get good results. Three of the best are shown on the right.
The top one is a Kastmaster and in the middle is a Hopkins. An AVA Diamond Jig is on the bottom.
You can fish them plain, add hair
or a colored tube tail, green being a good choice.
Often bluefish hit these lures, so I replace the treble hooks with single hooks to make it easier to unhook those toothy critters.
To keep a metal lure near the surface, retrieve it rapidly.
To get it deep, pause and let it sink deeper before retrieving. Retrieve it fast to catch bluefish; slower for stripers.
Use the Ava's when casting from the surf when sand eels are the prevalent bait.
For jigging from a boat use a heavier AVA Diamond Jig, maybe an A-47 or A67, to get the jig down near the bottom.
Soft Plastic Lures
Some of the best striped bass lures are made of soft plastic. Three excellent examples are shown on the right.
Top: Slug-Go
Middle: Pencil Worm
Bottom: Fin-S Fish
Fish them on a worm hook, or on a jighead to get
them deeper into the water column.
Some of the best striped bass lures are made of soft plastic. Three excellent examples are shown on the right.
Top: Slug-Go
Middle: Pencil Worm
Bottom: Fin-S Fish
Fish them on a worm hook, or on a jighead to get
them deeper into the water column.
Scented Soft Plastic Lures
Some soft plastic lures come impregnated with a fish attracting scent, Berkley Gulp being a good example.
You can also make a soft plastic lure scented by squirting a scent on it, soaking the lure in a fish attracting scent, or rubbing a fish attracting scent on the lure.
Some soft plastic lures come impregnated with a fish attracting scent, Berkley Gulp being a good example.
You can also make a soft plastic lure scented by squirting a scent on it, soaking the lure in a fish attracting scent, or rubbing a fish attracting scent on the lure.
Swim Shads
Swim Shads include the Storm WildEye series shown on the right. These feature a molded in jighead with a salt impregnated tough soft plastic body and a holographic foil insert.
These really work, as they look exactly like the baitfish they are designed to imitate.Tsunami also makes similar lures that work great.
A slow retrieve with not much manipulation usually works well with these lures.
Swim Shads include the Storm WildEye series shown on the right. These feature a molded in jighead with a salt impregnated tough soft plastic body and a holographic foil insert.
These really work, as they look exactly like the baitfish they are designed to imitate.Tsunami also makes similar lures that work great.
A slow retrieve with not much manipulation usually works well with these lures.
