How to Catch Striped Bass: Bait, Lures, Tackle and Rigs
How to catch striped bass? Fish structure such as rocks and other nooks where stripers ambush bait, with live or cut menhaden (bunker), eels, herring or shad, or lures that imitate baitfish. A 7 ft medium spinning rod with 30 lb or heavier braid and a 30 to 50 lb fluorocarbon leader handles most situations, and the same basic setup works in saltwater, freshwater or brackish water.
Below: the best bait and lures, tackle, boat and shore techniques, the most common rigs, and FAQs. For timing, read the best time to fish for striped bass; for the beach, see our surf fishing tips.
What is the best bait for striped bass?
A FishingBooker guide to striped bass fishing calls the striper a "voracious and opportunistic feeder." Live baits include eels, bunker, herring, shad, crabs, bloodworms and sandworms, but the guide names menhaden as the most effective bait overall: cast it on weighted rigs, drift it, or cut it up for chum.
What is the best lure for striped bass?
Imitate baitfish: plastic or rubber eels, swim shads, or a tube lure combined with a live worm. Diamond and parachute jigs are popular too. For light tackle, a topwater popper that can "walk the dog" draws strikes, especially in summer.
What tackle do you need?
| Situation | Rod | Line and leader |
|---|---|---|
| Smaller schooling fish | 7 ft medium, fast action spinning | 30 lb+ braid, 30 to 50 lb fluorocarbon |
| Topwater, boat or shore | 7 to 8 ft medium spinning | 40 lb braid, 40 to 50 lb fluorocarbon |
| Big fish, chunking, heavy jigging, trolling | Heavier spinning outfit | Heavier braid to match |
How to catch striped bass step by step
From a boat
- Trolling: covers big water on large lakes and open water; use an umbrella or mojo rig to imitate a school of baitfish.
- Drift fishing: keeps bait in the strike zone when stripers sit low in cooler water; use cut menhaden or squid, or jigs and heavy vertical jigging spoons.
- Chumming: anchor over structure, chum with menhaden oil, and fish several rods with chunks of fresh bait.
From shore
Stripers spend a lot of time near coastlines, brackish rivers and marsh flats, so fishing on foot is common. The topwater setup above works from shore, and the rigs below cover beaches and piers.
What is the best rig for striped bass?
- Fish-finder rig: a leader with a hook, a barrel swivel and a fish-finder weight slide on the main line. Popular with surf anglers for 2 to 4 inch chunks of bait, with a circle hook from 1/0 to 5/0.
- Mojo (parachute) rig: heavy lures, up to 2 pounds or more, that reach deep water without extra weight. Great for trolling.
- Umbrella rig: metal arms with four or six lures that imitate a bait school, effective cast and retrieved from shore or a pier in summer.
Is striped bass regulated?
Yes. Overfishing on the Atlantic Coast means striped bass are now heavily regulated, and size and bag limits differ by state and water. Check your state's current rules before you keep a fish, and release fish quickly and carefully.
What to wear on the water
Early starts on the rocks or a boat are easier in a long sleeve fishing shirt. These shirts can be personalized with your name; choose your style on the product page. More in our best-selling fishing shirts.
FAQ
What is the best way to catch striped bass?
Fish structure with menhaden or other live bait, or baitfish-style lures, and troll, drift or chum from a boat or cast from shore.
What is the best lure for striped bass?
Soft plastic eels, swim shads, diamond and parachute jigs, and walk-the-dog topwater poppers in summer.
What is the best rig for striped bass?
The fish-finder rig for bait from the beach, and mojo or umbrella rigs for trolling and casting.
Is striped bass good to eat?
Yes, FishingBooker describes it as delicious, but follow your state's size and bag limits.
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