Freshwater Stripers are one of the most powerful, biggest, challenging, and sought-after fish caught by recreational anglers in the spring. They are also well-known for their great taste. That’s liquorish!
Well, in the spring, a maximum number of freshwater stripers are caught when water temperatures remain between 60° to 70° F.
Under these conditions, the shads stay near the surface and the striped bass are typically up for hitting the lures near or on the water surface.
As freshwater stripers love to feed on shad, lures imitating shades such as Rebels and Red Fins are the best ones. Read on to know more.
Ways To Fish Freshwater Stripers In Springtime:
Out of several fishing techniques, I’m going to go over a few common yet effective methods to catch stripers with an amazing ease. Here we go,,,
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Casting:
If you’re willing to execute this technique, then you will have to search for fish near flats, points, drop-offs, bridge pilings, and submerged islands.
You can also keep an eye on the stripers that break the water surface while tearing into ill-fated baitfish. An array of lures can be used, such as Sassy Shads, lipless crankbaits, and deep-diving minnow plugs.
But nothing can be compared with a plain white bucktail jig. Moreover, if the water is murky, a plastic twister tail can also be added to this. The jig itself is the most effective bait though.
Now, all you need to do is just cast the lure out to the aforementioned structure and keep reeling in slowly. Though it might feel annoying to you for a while, you’ll be thrilled once a 10-12-pound striped bass deliriously strikes the lure.
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Trolling:
Another great trick for early spring freshwater striper fishing is trolling. In this tactic, you will put the lure down ranging from 15 to 30 ft where the stripers hang around most of the time during colder weather.
Some of the great locations for troll fishing are the humps, near bridges, steep bluffs, river edges, and mouths of tributaries.
Remember, as downriggers are specially designed for trolling and use a heavy weight to keep the lure much deeper than conventional sinkers, they can be effectively used to fish a wide variety of freshwater fish. Plus, downriggers will help you troll any kinds of lures for catching stripers.
Large deep-plunging plugs like the Hellbender, Deep-diving Rapalas, Storm Big Mac, and Mann’s Stretch will do the trick well because these lures can sink 12 to 25 ft during trolling and tempt jumbo stripers to eat.
If you wish to make them more efficient, then consider tying an 18 to 36 inches leader to the front treble’s center hook. Then go on attaching a ¼ ounce white jig to this trailer.
Though the stripers typically tend to hit the small trailing jig, they are often attracted to the larger wobbling plug.
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Using Live Baits:
Nothing can be more enticing to a lackluster early spring freshwater striper than a live baitfish, including shad, live eels, bunker, sucker, spot, and herring. And among this wide variety of live baits, shads are the best choice.
However, cut pieces of fresh or frozen fish also make a go-to bait for striped bass of all sizes, be it larger or smaller striper. But, crabs, clams, bloodworms, sand fleas, and squid especially work well for smaller stripers.
Unless you catch the stripers by using a throw net, then try out jumbo shiners that are sold at your nearby bait shops. These will do well too.
You need to make use of an around 15-pound line as well as a size 2 hook. Then choose to attach the hook and a 2 to 4-feet leader after you thread a 1-half to 1-ounce egg sinker on the mainline.
Now, you have got to hook the baitfish through its lips or through the back. Then, lower the bait down to the level where you assume the fish are holding or where they are found on the depth finder.
Mind you, drifting is a good technique for fishing stripers when there’s a light wind. If you hook up any striper, then consider dropping a buoy on that location.
Because, a large school of stripers might be hanging out over there, and if you end up finding a group of epic stripers, you will be able to continue your fishing action for a few hours without going through much of a hassle, which will be a great source of fun and will save you time as well.
Notes:
- Bear in mind that, the stripers and shad will look out for cooler and deeper water when the water temperatures start to exceed 70° F. And then you have got to fish with live baits.
Also, try to be on the water a couple of hours before the sun starts to rise up. Because the stripers are highly sensitive to light and once the sun starts popping up. They are more prone to moving in deeper water.
- If you keep the bait fresh or change it often, your success rate will definitely be high. Also, remember that stripers do not stick around in the same place all the time.
The shads move around and the stripers keep following them. Therefore, if you find the shad, you’ll more likely find the stripers for sure.
How To Make Striper Fishing More Effective?
In this segment, we will talk about some common steps that you will need to follow to make your striper fishing more effective. Though fishing is easy stuff, the output depends on how perfectly you follow them.
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Check the gears
Before leaving for a fishing session, make sure you have taken all your instruments with you.
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Stay updated about the weather
Have a brief idea about how the weather is going to be. If you are fishing far from home, then you should not forget this step. A calm and cold environment will be suitable for fishing.
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Use proper bait
This is one of the most important steps for a perfect fishing session. The bait is the main element that will attract the fish. So focus on the bait. There are some dedicated essence or oil available in the market with the essence that attracts the striper fish better. You may use them as well.
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Use sharp hooks
Sharp hooks will make the fish stuck easily. You will lose the fish if you use normal hooks. Check the hooks every time you are setting up for a new fishing session.
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Get a perfect position & Stay Alert
Sit in a position that you feel comfortable. This will help you to stay alert. A delay of a second may get the fish out of your hook.
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Have Patience
Don’t lose your patience while fishing. Sometimes it may take time, but you will surely get a better session once you get the hook on a fish.
FAQ
What time of year is best for striper fishing?
You will get a better result when the tide is going up and down. Spring can be considered the best time of year for striper fishing.
How do you fish for freshwater stripers?
Two of the most efficient lure colors are yellow and chartreuse, as they get seen easily. Research shows that striped bass does see yellow and chartreuse better than any other colors.
What water is temp good for striper fishing?
You will get a better catch when the temperature is between 50 to 70 degrees.
More striped bass relevant post at outdoorboat
How to Catch Striped Bass at Smith Mountain Lake
How to Catch Striped Bass from Shore?
Striped Bass Rigs for Pier Fishing
Striped Bass Rigs for Surf Fishing
Are Striped Bass Good to Eat – 13 Fascinating Facts about Striped Bass
Best Striper Rig for River Fishing
Final Words:
Well, that’s all there is to it, people. Now that you’ve got a clear understanding on how you can easily fish freshwater stripers in spring. I hope, if you go on following the aforementioned tricks, then you will most probably be able to reward yourself with a whole lot of freshwater striped bass. Have a nice day, thanks!!!