Topwater striper lure hits can't be beat for heart racing action. You’re fishing what seems like lifeless water, when all of a sudden the calm scene becomes explosive ... Your topwater fishing lure disappears in a wash of furious, boiling , foamy water. It is primal, it is epic... it is why we leave the jigs in the tackle bag .
There are few things in fishing more exciting than watching a king sized striper demolish a topwater lure like it hates it. It is a sight and a sensation that never grows old. Most of the guys in the shop would rather catch one good bass on the surface than 6 subsurface.
It's likely that Stripers don't smash surface lures because the size and profile are matches for exactly like what they are actively feeding on at the moment, but rather because it arouses an instinctual, fleeing injured baitfish response from predatory gamefish. We have caught big stripers actively feeding and keyed in on small sand eels or crabs on big surface lures.
Whatever the reason they work...they work.
Working a surface lure or popper is easy to learn . Jerk the rod tip upwards , pause, reel in the slack created, then move it again if you are using a popper. If you are using a classic walk-the-dog topwater lure, like the Doc, keep pumping the rod tip as you steadily retrieve to get a consistent side to side action.
Make certain to finish your retrieves with a surface lure all the way back to the beach or boat you are fishing from—stripers will nose follow a surface lure for an incredibly long distance sometimes before they commit to a strike.
How should you retrieve a surface lure? I’ve found that slower retrieves punctuated with distinct, defined pauses tend to work better than a fast, steady retrieve—the constant, fast retrieve method works better for Bluefish, generally speaking ,unless the stripers are frenzy blitzing.
If the stripers are in heavy feed mode and blitzing, just about any lure in your tackle bag will work. But, such blitzes are relatively rare and most serious fisherman are lucky to see a few a year. Stripers, particularly in mid to late summer can get down right finicky, especially when they are feeding in skinny or gin clear water. Choosing, the best topwater lure for the fishing scenario is important. And, not all saltwater topwater lures work as well as others.
Hence, we interviewed the fishing pro staff at the Goose and Goose Endorsed Charter Captains to see what their favorites are...these guys have decades of experience and a store of 23,000 items to choose from .With unlimited options to choose from, these guys settle on a select , very few noteworthy ones:
What Top Water Lures do the guys from the Goose Hummock Shop use for Striped Bass?
Topwater lures are anything that swims on the surface, pushing water or causing a wake. And most importantly, they cause violent, heart stopping surface strikes.
We asked the guys to include any of their favorite, go to, topwater lures in these 4 categories: poppers, pencil-poppers, sliders, and floating jerk-baits.
Let’s see what the guys prefer, and why.
Nick Parrite- General manager
Nick's go to surface lure is the Super Strike sinking little neck popper.
"Incredible casting distance. Big surface commotion. Swims like a metal lip and wakes on the surface during a slow steady retrieve. Use it like you would a popper, or a swimming plug. Casts like a bullet..even into a strong wind."
Capt. Phil Howarth-Owner
"Why the Doc? obviously because that’s the univerrsally recognized all-time killer and because they cast a mile. I change mine over to single hooks so it's very easy to get off the fish .The Doc is a classic walk-the-dog topwater lure with an awesome side to side action."
My favorite top water lure for striped bass is the 7" or 9" Drifter Doc.
It consistently produces throughout the season. In the rips at Monomoy to the bars around Provincetown. The classic dog walking action just consistently seems to excite the striped bass. it can take a little practice to get a great side-to-side action, but once it is learned, the results will speak for themselves. One note is that I take the treble hooks off of mine and replace them with single, straight-line hooks to help the fish survive after release.
Definitely the White Drifter Doc, so many times we get them with the white doc when others don’t even draw attention.
Simply put, the Saltwater Doc catches more large stripers than any striped bass topwater lure out there. It can cast a mile, and be worked effectively by even novice anglers.
7” Doc for me. The steady retrieve “walk” action as well as a pause on retrieval, makes this lure a must have when targeting striped bass on the surface.
My ‘go to’ top water spinning plugs are the Docs in either the 9” and 7” - Yozuri surface cruisers and hydro pencils and squids are a close second.
There are literally dozens of surface lure brands and styles, and frankly, they all work at certain times .But a select few have proven to be a great topwater lures that consistently draws strikes from stripers both big and small in a variety of fishing scenarios.
Indeed, the strikes generated by striped bass topwater lures are awesome. The lures we've detailed here work time and time again in a wide variety of conditions and locations. But, it bears mentioning that these aren’t the only choices, just a chance to learn what " the pros" must have in their box. You should experiment on the water you typically fish and try to learn what works best for you to understand what works best in your home waters.
What is the color popper is most effective for stripers?
Anglers will have their own favorites. But the truth is there isn’t an exact answer. White or bone shades (no color at all) are a favorite amongst the guys listed above. . Realistic color schemes that resemble herring, menhaden or excited squid also are responsibly for some great top water action. The classic red and white is a well deserved popular saltwater color for all gamefish. And most experienced a fisherman will agree that a dark lure in black or purple colors fished at night is nearly mandatory. This is why they make oversized tackle bags/ boxes...you should really have a couple of each on hand at all times.
When is the best time of day to use surface lures for stripers?
When the sun is just coming up, a topwater plug is hard to beat. Many anglers consider dusk and dawn some of the best times for striped bass to eat. Cast out a topwater lure and work the plug like a wounded or fleeing baitfish. The color of lure isn’t as important, as a striped bass is more likely to see the shadow or silhouette of the lure. Wait half-a-second to set the hook after a striped bass strikes your lure.
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