What is the most effective lure for Stripers that I can use anywhere, anytime?
Due primarily to the size ,profile and built in live action , Soft plastics are effective on striped bass(and many other of our local gamefish) year round because of the huge variety of ways they can be rigged and techniques that you can use that cover virtually every fishing scenario.
On a blitz, stripers will feed with reckless abandon on just about anything. But, for most fisherman, witnessing or experiencing blitz behavior is a few times a season sort of thing. Most often, bass will be feeding more subtly and keyed in on a bait of a certain size, color and action. This is where having a decent size arsenal of soft plastics can come in reel handy.
Relative to manufactured hard plastic or metal baits, most soft plastic lures are easier on your wallet. This makes it easy to fill your tackle bag with a wide variety of sizes, profiles and colors without breaking the bank. $30-$40 dollar a pop custom crafted pencil poppers certainly have a well deserved place in every good striper fisherman's tackle bag and can save the day on some fishing trips, but most of the time , you can catch any striper, in any spot, with a cheaper soft plastic.
You never know what you will run into on any given striper trip. Sometimes they will be feeding on the surface, sometimes just below or mid water column and others, snug to the bottom. The flexibility of soft plastics to be fished in every segment of the water column is what really makes them effective. With the same rubber bait, but with different hook styles and rigging, you can fish the same lure effectively in every part of the water stripers are hanging around in.
How should I rig a soft plastic?
Striped bass can some times be as picky and as wary as an old, wise trout on a heavily pressured stream. When stripers are exhibiting this sort of behavior, you can fish a soft plastic unweighted for the most natural, match the hatch sort of presentation. Especially in shallow water or on the flats, an unweighted presentation is the way to go. What size? it will depend on the size of the bait you select, but 3/0-5/0 will work for most applications.
On the flip side, when you see stripers rooting around hard on the bottom for sand eels, a weighted jig head presentation is most effective. The weighted jig head will get you right down to the feeding zone on the bottom and will also kick sand as it is bounced along the bottom. To a striper, this looks and behaves just like a sand eel evading predation. Stripers love that.
In some areas, casting distance will be a critical component to success. In this case, a jig head presentation is a must...even if a little natural presentation action is lost.
How should I retrieve an unweighted soft plastic lure?
Striped bass love a rest/ pause sort of retrieve and will usually strike on the pause. Again, in a blitz, a fast steady retrieve might be just the ticket, but when stripers are feeding a little less hard, a rest / pause retrieve is a good way to start.This is for unweighted or lightly weighted presentations. To make this retrieve, simply crank the reel handle a few times while lightly jerking the rod tip to impart some additional wounded baitfish action, the pause for a second or two. Repeat.
How about with a jig head?
In mid to late summer, fish will likely be in deeper water and snug to bottom or bottom structure. The jighead and soft plastic combination is the go to in this situation. Especially if you know sandeels are the primary forage in the location you are fishing. Always try to use the lightest jig head that will aloow you to reach and hold at the desired depth. Generally speaking, the heavier the jighead, the more natural action will be lost. The retrieve with a jig head is not entirely dissimilar to the unweighted retrieve. However, you will want to use more of an up and down light pumping action with the rod tip .
What colors/ styles are best on Cape Cod?
Far and away, white (or some slight variant of white) is the best seller at the Goose Hummock. Alot of our customers like to combine the white color with a black, blue or chartreuse back. In less clear waters, solid chartreuse, green or hot pink can be super effective. Match the hatch type colorations like Bill Hurley Sandeels are also super effective...particularly in clearer water.
Though we have had days where one color decidedly out fished another, the most critical component is size , profile and action. Having a wide variety, in sizes 3-9 inch, in a couple of different body styles is a really good idea.
In terms of most popular brands, it's Ron Z and Bill Hurley at the Goose. Year in, year out these are the best selling lures in the store...because they work.
Soft plastics must be in every striper fishermans tackle box. Striper season is just a couple of months a way,,,stock up today!
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