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.
Cruise up-tide from the reef once you have located the top. You can use your fish-finder to assist you. Remember that even if you do not see any hits on the fish finder does not mean that there are not striped bass in the area – they typically cling fairly close to the structures making them difficult for even the most advanced fish-finders to track. As a rule, you should most likely start off in waters that are about 20 feet deeper than where your reef crested. With your boat out of gear, drop your rig all the way to the bottom. If you have difficulty reaching bottom, consider adding some additional weight. Remember, that you will want to be fishing approximately three to six feet above the bottom so you do need to know where it is. As your boat drifts, you will soon grow accustomed to where the bottom is in different areas. As you feel the sinker hitting the bottom, simply crank your reel handle to bring it back up. It is best if you attempt to keep your line as vertical as possible as it will help you manage your line better. It’s important to bear in mind that as you drift uphill you are going to contact the bottom more frequently so make sure you keep an eye on 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.
Stripers can be found on the downhill side, the upside or even at the crest of a hill. No spot should go unchecked for the striper as they feed wherever they find fertile areas. You’ll most likely have to do some checking to find out where they are hiding. Keeping your line at the right depth is also important – the stripers are almost found in waters not that are maximum six feet from the bottom and minimum 3 feet from the bottom. Some anglers are surprised to find that a rod hanging out of their rod holders will also land a fish or two however incidentally.
If you are looking for a more secure way of catching stripers, you should be considering a 5/0 or 6/0 circle hook when you are using eels for bait. These circle hooks do not require a hook to be set, you simply need to let out the slack and reel it up or lift the tip. Most anglers agree that there is little (if any at all) downside to the circle hook. If you are using menhaden, hickory shad or scup for bait, you will want to switch to the 8/0 circle hook.
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 reels and van staal fishing reels.
