Catching hybrid striped bass or the wiper is lots of fun, isn’t it? Well, this awesome fish is actually a cross between a male white bass and a female striped bass, which are typically found in midwestern rivers and lakes.
If you’re an amateur angler, it can be quite a tough task to catch hybrid striped bass as they are more prone to eluding at particular times of the year and if they are not targeted, they are hardly caught.
How To Catch Hybrid Striped Bass (5 Simple Methods)!!!
The stunning fish can grow massive in size in freshwater and can give a hard fight to any opponent. And, that’s why I’m over here to let you know 5 easy tricks on how you can fish these hybrid stripers.
Here we go,,,
1. Locate Hybrid Stripers:
First things first. You have to locate the stripers before you think of how to catch them. Reservoirs, lakes, or rivers can be the perfect place to locate them.
In the summer, if you plan on fishing in the lakes or large reservoirs, then you had better search for a distinctive and raised hump that you can find in shallow waters. These humps have to be surrounded by deeper water as well.
You can also find these fish species in some common areas like drop-offs, windblown shores, and points linking with cooler depths. Remember, during dawn or dusk when there’s less light, the points can be the perfect spot to catch fish.
Plus, listening to the explosive feeding action of these fish is also proof that they are wandering nearby. This incident typically occurs on fairly deep water though.
During the summer, large hybrids can also easily be found in very small water areas such as inlets and tributaries. That’s surprising! Rivers can also be a great location to find’em. Stripers usually like to patrol from medium to deep water in rivers.
Plus, since these stripers follow schools of bait and also love hiding in shallow water if you locate those bait schools, then you will most probably be able to reward yourself with some striped bass.
2. Using Artificial Baits:
As hybrid striped bass feed along the shore and are more likely to attack the baits, professional anglers can catch stripers with more ease than anybody else.
Remember, since hybrids are active predators, they can be caught on cut baits or artificial baits. Such as, the main food of the hybrid stripers is “shad” in Arkansas. Which is why, any artificial bait looking like a shad should definitely play the trick on them.
Some of the most popular artificial baits are as follows, crank baits, hair jigs, casting spoons, rattle traps, topwater lures, soft plastic jerk baits, swimbaits, and spinner baits.
Choose to buy them from any nearby store and go on using them to catch fish without any second thought as they come cheap and work extremely well.
3. Using Live Baits:
Well, you can also successfully catch stripers by using live bait and any kind of bait fish will do the trick to fish them.
Alewife, herring, gizzard shad, fathead minnows, menhaden, shiners, eels, mackerel, squid, anchovies, clams, sandworms, bloodworms, nightcrawlers, and creek chubs — these all make great bait for fishing the hybrid striped bass. They also prefer to eat crayfish, salamanders, and newts.
However, unless there’s any fish, chicken liver can be used as your go-to bait to attract the fish.
Or, if you want to fish in the tailwaters of large dams, you are better off using strong cut baits like chicken livers to cope with the currents.
4. Fish From Lake Points:
Well, summer is the best season to pay a visit to these water bodies and yield plenty of stripers. All you need to do is just troll the deep-diving crank baits over the mid points.
And, bear in mind that, shadier times of the day such as early morning and evening as well as when the sky is overcast with thick clouds are the most effective hours for catching them.
To catch fish over here, consider dropping the Gizzard Shad and let it sink in the water. You can also add some weight to your bait to help it sink well. A low stretch line can also be used.
Hybrid stripers like to stick around unique locations inside the water. Your trolling therefore has got to be perfect.
As we know, there’s fast current below the dams. In this case, you can make use of some common baits like heavy spoons and jigs. Artificial minnow baits and crank baits are, on the other hand, effective for the areas with less current.
5. Look For Current:
Mind you, flowing water highly attracts hybrid striped bass, therefore, to enhance the probability of hooking a striper, you get to specifically target them first.
I’ll suggest you fish them in the tail-water areas below dams where water is flowing or the spillway gates. Apart from that, hybrids are attracted to natural places like springs after heavy rains. Areas with currents are amazing all year round.
Furthermore, they are also found in streams and reservoir tributaries where there are high currents particularly in April and May.
Point should be noted that these fish are rarely found in the fast-moving water. However, you can get them along the edge where they eagerly sit and wait to ambush their prey.
Where Can I Fish For Hybrid Striped Bass?
Some common lakes for fishing hybrids are: Lake Seminole in Florida, Heidecke Lake in Illinois, West Point Lake in Georgia, Texoma Lake in Oklahoma, Beaver Lake in Arkansas, as well as Sam Rayburn Lake in Texas.
But, if you’re willing to do some fishing on weekends, heading towards your nearest tailwater hybrid fishery can also be an excellent option.
Make sure you don’t talk or shout at them while fishing, because these fish species are highly sensitive just like other fish including salmon and catfish.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
How do you target a hybrid striped bass?
At dawn and dusk during the fall, these stripers tend to prey on baitfish at the water surface. In the summer, hybrid stripers can be targeted by imitating baitfish when you troll at cooler depths. Or, you can use cut baits or live baits at these depths to target these fish.
Are hybrid striped bass good to eat?
Of course! Not only does it feel like over the moon to catch stripers, but they are also great to eat. Typically, hybrids grow large enough and produce absolutely delicious fillets. The white and flaky flesh comes with enough fat that makes it buttery. Plus, they also have an ideal texture for baking, grilling, and broiling.
Can hybrid striped bass live in ponds?
Yes, ponds are suitable for hybrid striped bass to live in, as they’re more resilient to low dissolved oxygen as well as extreme temperatures.
More striped bass fishing tips at outdoorboat
How to Catch Striped Bass at Smith Mountain Lake
The 7 Best Live Bait for Striped Bass in The Freshwater
How to Catch Striped Bass from Shore?
Final Thoughts:
Well, that’s all there is to it. I hope, if you follow the aforementioned tips and use your bait of choice, you will get yourself a number of hybrid striped bass for sure.
To sum it all up, nothing is more exciting than catching hybrid stripers. But, here’s a catch. It’s not a piece of cake to catch hybrid striped bass and that’s why you should be prepared fully before going fishing. Have a nice day, thanks!!!