Striped bass are not that difficult to land if you can find the right area for finding them. In general, any area that has reefs, wrecks and boulder piles provide an ideal environment for stripers. Fishing along the Connecticut side of Long Island anglers are all too familiar with some of the popular reefs that house stripers. The height of a reef isn’t always a good indicator to use when seeking stripers instead, you want to gauge hills steepness. It’s not unusual to locate a school of stripers in as much as eighty feet of water and as little as ten feet. It’s the funnel formations that reefs are good areas for striped bass, as this is where they typically find their food. The funnel area will allow you to place bait across the column the water will create a flow and carry it over the crest. Once the tide begins flowing up the hill, your bait will be carried right to the location that the stripers are waiting for their food – the crest of the peak. Stripers wait there for food and in this case, the depth is of little importance. In fact, the funnel shape is what will create success. The reef line is where you’ll be able to easily identify the crest.
Locate the top and then use your fish finder while cruising up-tide to help you locate the striper school. You might not see any action on the fish finder but don’t depend on it too much, since the stripers are pretty hard to detect even for the most sophisticated unit due to their clinging to the sides of structures. Depth is also critical, and it’s generally best to start off from where the reef crested 20 feet deeper. Keep your boat out of gear, and drop your rig. If you are having challenges with your line reaching deep enough simply add an additional sinker for more weight. Three to six feet above the bottom is about where you want to be, this is where you’ll most likely find the best opportunity to land striped bass. Don’t worry too much if your sinker hits the bottom, a couple of turns of your reel will have it right back where you want it. Your line really does need to be vertical for the best possible control. As you drift, you’ll find that you’re going to be bouncing off the bottom more frequently and you’ll have to be attentive to your line.
If you are not entirely familiar with the body of water you are fishing in make sure that you are not only minding your fish-finder and GPS but that you’re paying attention to landmarks as well. This will help you map the area when you get a hit or you land a fish. Remember, if you have found one fish in an area, it’s a pretty good guess that you are going to find more than one. Keep an eye out for unusual formations as it’s not unusual for stripers to seek out sharp drops, boulders and formations that are different than those in the area.
You’ll almost always find striped bass on the upside of a hill but you may also find them on the downside. You will most likely need to do some testing to find out where the stripers are feeding and once you find out you will have a great deal of success. Keeping your line at the proper depth is critical – your bait should not be less than three feet and not more than six feet from the bottom. You might also get caught off guard with occasional fish or two landing on your rod while it’s in the rod holder.
Circle hooks are probably the best choice for stripers. The 5/0 or 6/0 circle hooks baited with eels are probably the most secure. This will avoid you needing to set a hook, all you’ll need to do is lift the tip of your rod or let out the slack a bit and reel it in. Menhaden, hickory shad and scut will more than likely require an octopus hook in the 8/0 size.
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 reels and van staal fishing reels.
