Stripers for Beginners

[studio36h]

I would like to do some saltwater fishing (shore or boat, preferably boat), considering that I live on the Chesapeake Bay. I have not went fishing for Stripers yet, but would like to start. If you had to give a first timer some need-to-know pointers, what would they be? Is there a "sure thing" lure for Stripers, like the Senko for Bass? What I am looking for is maybe a "Top 3 Striper Lures", line strength, and type of rod and reel to get started with. Any information is greatly appreciated.

[Jinz000]

Hey studio, striper fishing is one of my favorite. They fight and tug hard. I would stick with 14-17 lb line that works well unless the place your fishing has lots of debri then I would probably get some suffix tri. My all time favorite jig is a white bucktail with a jig. You can also try some yo-zuri Mag's. Rod and reel is your choice preferabbly 6'6 would be ideal for boat and 11' is my ideal for shore. I set my drags to hold a gallon of water. Have fun!

[vArm]

Hey I Live in NYC so most of my fishing is Saltwater. Stripers and Blues are about all we fish for in the Long Island Sound.

Stripers Relate to structure much like LMs do. Rocks, Drop offs, and Wrecks. They also hang out where Channels open up.

1st A sure thing is Bunker Chunk or whatever bait fish you have down there in VA. 20# Burkley Big Game with a chunk on a 5/0 hook just under the backbone. Bunker Heads do really well here. Put a 3oz weight about 2-3feet up the line and put the hook threw the nose. The heads float so this keeps the bait off the floor and away form crabs and the like.
You will catch the biggest Fish Chunking. This works best on Deeper structure. Bounce a Bucktail off the bottom when while you wait.

If we are near the shore or rock beds or sea walls you'll want to finesse fish. I Rig my Curado 200DHSV with 14# Fluoro and 6" Slugo's and fish it like a Jerkbait. Throw to the shore and jerk it back to the boat. Sometimes fast sometimes slow. Night Chunking those structures at High Tide is when we have the most success.

Keep an Eye on the seagulls. Alot of times they will tell you where the Stripers are boiling on baitfish. Anytime you see them busting bait on the surface use a Popper on some 15# Big game.

All these methods work really well up here. Hope they can help you down there.

[Lawaia]

I guess you can call me a striper fanatic. I mainly target them from the surf, and I will chase them all the way to the Delta here in Calif. IMHO, my top striper lures are Top waters like Pencil Poppers, Super Zara Spooks, etc.. Minnow plugs preferably wooden with metal lips, but plastic will do like Bomber long A's, Rebel or Yo-zuri minnows, Lucky Craft Pointers. Swim baits work very well also...the third is either metal lures, like Hopkins, Kastmasters, Krocks..or Bucktail jigs with a trailer, I prefer the jigs over metal, its just my preference, but my favorite is always gonna be topwater plugs to entice those stripers ...I like going as light as I can for gear... whether if its in saltwater or fresh basically my gear is LM bass gear. I use either 6-6 to 7 Med to MH rod.. Baitcaster reels like Calcutta 150 series, or Curado 200 with 10 lb or 12lb test, Sometimes if I need to reach them way out from the surf, I'll go to a longer rod like an 8 to 8 1/2ft med. med hvy rod with spinning gear.

Good luck!

[bkfill]

I live in NY I fish Blues + Stripes
I usualy Fish on a Pier

Daiwa Medium 7" rod pretty thick tho
I use 20LB Mono(SeaStriker) I think 20LB is good enough for alot of fish
I've seen a 46" get pulled up with 20LB Line IT WAS HUGE !

and if you dont care for size just try clam gets all sizes and bunker for the BIG stripers

Also I use a wire lead incase blue fish bite the bunker chunk

But I think Blue fish give a way better fight even the little ones swim far with your hook even tho your reeling in LOVE IT!

I havnt cough one using a convential reel yet :/ only on spinnning

EDIT** ALSO! get a rod that has a LONG BUTT so you can stick it under your armpit to really fight that fish