Striper Basics Pt1   Shore Fishing

By Keith Hatch

I employ several different approaches while shore fishing. I mostly sit back and watch my rod tip with some cut bait on the bottom. I'll drift bait as well, but only in certain situations. Other methods include: casting lures, using live bait, and I hack at the flyrod. I'm no fly fisherman by any means, but I've caught my share of stripers while throwing the fly around. I had very little teaching (catching bluegills many years ago), and figured that stripers would be fun on a flyrod. So I bought a 9 wt medalist flyrod and a matching reel, and gave it a shot. And I'm glad I did. Not only did that purchase open up the world of flyfishing to me, but it also caught me many fish that I wouldn't have otherwise. I mostly throw a clouser or deceiver in a prevalent baitfish pattern, on a sinking line ,with a twelve pd mono leader. I use the fly gear when nothing else pans out, and it usually works. As long as I have the room to throw the line around, I will. I strip the line in whatever cadence that is necessary to keep tabs on the fly, If I'm fishing flat water I will use a quick two ft. strip. The flyrod has worked very well for me, and I highly recommend it. It is a totally different world from spinning or casting gear, but just as lethal.

Now for live bait. I usually catch my own live bait, but will sometimes buy eel's. I will place the eels in a cooler under some ice to slow them down a bit, and use a rag to hold the eel while I hook it. For fishing the eels I use a small circle hook and put a swivel on the line about twenty inches above the hook. I hook the eel from under the jaw up through one of the nostrils. I will cast eels at any structure that I can find. But you must be alert and keep tabs on what the eel is doing. They have a tendency to try to get under a rock, or around a piling, so I keep a tight line while fishing live eels. Other live baits I will catch myself, they include: squid, mackarel, pogies, and herring. I will place them in a bucket, but not too many, as they will quickly deplete the oxygen in the water. I rig these baits just as I do eels. When fishing in shallower waters I will use a small balloon as a bobber.

Casting lures "can" be the quickest way to put striper in the freezer. The lures I usually throw are: rattle traps, spoons, jerkbaits, jigs, and topwaters. The topwaters are my favorites, not because they work so well, but because of the explosive strikes that they produce. I like to use poppers, walkers, and even a bass sized buzzbait. they all have their place and I will explain. I use poppers under slightly choppy conditions, like a slight ripple on the surface in a river. The walkers are for a completely lay down condition (glassy surface). The buzzbait is for choppier waters. All of these lures require that you wait to feel the fish before setting the hook. The hit will entice you to strike immediately, but you need to curb that urge. Also,.. I only use topwaters when the skies are a bit darker, (fish don't like looking into the sun). If it's overcast and the topwaters fail, I will switch to a jerkbait.I work these lures with a constant, or, twitch twitch pause retrieve. I let the fish decide which they want. Spoons will get the nod when I fishing deeper waters. I use a snap swivel to attach the spoon to my line. This not only aids in easy lure changing, but also adds to the action of the spoon. Jigs are my bottom bouncing lure. I use these when I believe that the fish are holding on bottom, like after a rain, or in a very strong current. I will cast one out, let it hit bottom, tighten up on the line, raise my rod tip (moving the jig) then count it down with a two count, then repeat. This lure requires your utmost attention. You must watch your line and keep in touch with the jig. The fish usually hit it on the drop. Now for the rattletraps. These are a great striper lure. Just cast it out and retrieve, it's that easy. BUT hold on, stripers crush this lure with a vengeance.

Now for chunk bait fishing. I like to use a bottom presentation when fishing chunk baits. It employs sliding a fishfinder (weight attaching system) on the line before tying on a snap swivel. Then I add a twenty inch leader to the snap, and the appropriate weight on the finder. then I add the bait. Toss it out as far as I can and let it settle to the bottom. Once I'm sure it's settled I tighten up on the line until I feel the weight. Then its a waiting game for a hit. I use a baitrunner reel so I hear the hit. Years ago I used to make a makeshift line holding method. It employed a piece of tinfoil a few inches long, rolled up to imitate a twig. I'd flip the reels bail, take the line from the rod tip and attach it to the line that's between the second and third guide from the tip, with the tinfoil. This would take some line out, but not much. When a fish hit, the foil would pop off and the fish would have friction free line to take.