Jigging For Stripers

[Gerry Zagorski]

Once the season starts coming to a close Stripers tend to go on a day feed and will chase bait around most of the day and are practically dormant at night. This is probably the most exciting and productive times of the Striper season and when casting artificials is your best bet. There is nothing like feeling a Striper hit a lure.. The action usually starts in late November and lasts until December or January depending on water temps and presence of bait so don’t be too quick about putting your gear away or pulling your boat.. As the season wears on they will bite best in the middle of the day with the sun directly overhead so no need to get up a O’dark thirty. Most of the fishing this time of year is done by sight by chasing flocks of Gannets and Seagulls diving on the bait

Unless you’re lucky and you get into a huge flock of birds that stay in one place the fall is a run and gun fishery. The bait comes up, the birds start working, you get to the spot throw a few casts and the bait goes down and the birds disappear. A few minutes later you’ll spot them and start the whole drill over. For this reason there are a few important tips….

- Make your shots count and be prepared. The last thing you want to do when pulling up on a flock of working birds is to be tying up or fussing with something. If you’re not set up then take your time and get set up before you approach the birds. Since you’re likely to only get a few casts in take your time and pin point your casts. Look around, try and find the largest concentration of birds that are working and diving and cast on them.

- Make sure the deck is clear of nets and poles and anything else that can inhibit your casting and watch out for other people on the boat when you’re drawing the rod back to cast. I’ve been caught by a lure when it was being drawn back to cast and I can tell you it was not fun. Easier said then done when an all our blitz is in full swing, but you need to take your time and watch what you’re doing so someone doesn't get hurt.

- If you’re after a pool wining fish the larger fish are usually on the edges of the school or deeper in the water. All the smaller younger fish are busy competing for the bait and the older smarter ones hang on the edges or down deep and feed on the aftermath. You don’t get old being no fool Cast on the edges or let your lure sink before reeling it in. You might not get as many fish but what you get will be larger.
- I prefer spinning reels to conventional reels for tossing lures for 2 reasons. 1) If your using a light lure you will be able to cast further with spinning gear and 2) The last thing you want to be doing while the blitz is on is clearing a birds nest from your conventional reel. Yeah some people swear by the new conventional reels with all the cast controls but I haven’t found one yet that is fool proof. Being a fool I like to keep things simple. When the blitz is on I loose what little sense I have and next thing you know I’m out of the game clearing a birds nest. Give me a spinner.

- Last but not least don’t be boat ignorant or arrogant. Approach the school slowly and let the wind and current push you into the school. Running into the school will only ruin the fishing for yourself and others. I can’t tell you the number of times I‘ve seen people come blazing into the school full bore shut the boat down and get ready to cast and the birds just disappear. Nothing will break up a school of feeding fish faster then a boat running through it. If you see someone doing this give them the benefit of the doubt (boat ignorant) and motor up to them and explain to them politely the correct way to fish a school. If you see then doing it again (boat arrogant) a few casts of the jig on their bow might be what is needed. Better yet, motor up to them and make a few circles around their boat. I’ll bet they will take the hint

After you've found the working birds the 2 most important things are lure selection and presentation. Just like in fly-fishing for Trout you need to match the hatch. That is to select a lure that matches the bait the stripers are after. In the fall that could be a variety of baits including Herring, adult and Peanut Bunker, Mullet and Sand Eels. Best way to find out what they are eating is to cut open a Stripers belly and look at the contents. If I had to carry only a handful of Lures it would be the following : Diamond Jigs, weighted soft bodies like Storms and a surface poppers like a Yozuri or Creek Chub.

Let’s talk a bit in what conditions and how to work the lures I mentioned above.

Diamond jigs are probably one of the most versatile and effect lures ever invented. If there’s a patch of birds around a Diamond jig is what I usually reach for. Some folks tie them directly to their running line while others prefer a barrel swivel and a leader. If you’re into a blitz a leader works well. It’s stronger and less abrasive then your running line so you don’t have to re tie as often and you can horse the fish over the side of the boat by grabbing the leader maximizing the time the lure is in the water. In general there are 2 methods I use to Diamond jig in the fall. If the fish are visibly feeding on top then I cast to the edges of the school and start to reel as soon as the lure hits the water. If we are marking them deep on the depth sounder I will cast the jig out let it hit bottom and jig the lure vertically up and down of the bottom. If neither of these methods is working then I will try combinations of the 2 and see what works best.

Casting weighted soft bodies like Storm lures is very exciting and effective as well, especially if there are Peanut Bunker around. There are 2 ways you can work them. Cast out and reel steady, varying the speed of the retrieve until you find out what’s working. Or, cast out and let the lure drop to the bottom and jig it while reeling in. This allows the lure to fall slightly and is often times is enough to trigger a strike.

Surface plugs although not the most productive are by far the most exciting. If Mullet are around they can be deadly. There is nothing like watching a bass tailing on the surface and swirling around your offering. It really gets the blood pumping ! They way you work a surface popper is to cast it out and while reeling it in make it pop water, hence it’s name. These plugs are floaters and usually have concave noses on them that will make the water splash or pop in front of the lure imitating a struggling bait fish on the .The best way to make a lure pop is to cast in out, point the rod tip directly at the popper in the 12 o’clock position and reel in the slack. Once the slack is out quickly sweep the rod parallel to the water from the 12 o’clock to 9 o’clock position. This should send water shooting up in the front of the lure. While returning the rod to the 12 o’clock position you should be reeling in slack and getting ready to sweep the rod back to 9 o’clock and make another pop. This can be tiring and somewhat frustrating since fish will often miss the lure but watching a strike is priceless. One bit of advice here is don’t panic when you see the strike or a swirl. The mistake many people including myself make is pulling the lure away from the fish. It’s like we loose our minds when we see the fish come up and hit the lure and reel like mad pulling the lure from the fish. You need to make a conscious effort to continue to work the lure as you were before the hit. If he hits and misses he might still take another whack it if it’s moving correctly and he does find the hook you don’t need to set it just reel steady. The treble hooks are sharp and will certainly hold with out having to set them.

Sooner or later the we have to stop fishing  Once you start seeing fish that are consistently 2 or 3 pounds it’s a sure sign the season is over. Time to get back to work, reacquaint yourself with your family and start counting the days until the spring run. Hope the cabin fever isn’t as bad as it was last winter. If it is my wife just might pay to send me someplace warm to recuperate.

[1captainron]

A good fish finder usually works too....(Old School)!! LOL

[CadiShackFishing]

Well written Gerry. Maybe spend the winter writing a book on fishing tactics, a chapter for each species. I always enjoy your write-ups. Jeff

[DEEP POCKETS]

Thanks for posting Gerry, nothing like catching stripers on artificials especially on top water plugs

[Fin Reaper]

Very nice post
Thank you

[the directa]

Well written great advice

[Gerry Zagorski]

Thanks guys..... If you can't be out fishing, I guess the next best thing is talking or writing about it.

And thanks Captain Ron.... A good depth finder is your best friend. A lot of times you won't see birds but the fish will be there. Love seeing the big red blobs on the screen.

Drop your jig down

Let it hit the bottom

Reel it up a few cranks

A few swift lifts of the pole tip

The jigs flutters down

WHAM....FISH ON!!

[Capt Sal]

When we have peanut bunker around soft plastic likes storm shads are a killer.You have to be able to fish the bottom so buy the heavier ones. Big difference fishing Raritan Bay than ocean side around the hook.It might be 60 feet deep as compared to 20ft. in the bay.The current outside can be quite strong and if you are on a party boat you want a heavy jig or soft plastic.Being able to switch lures fast is the key.I like a small snap or coast lock swivel.You do not need to spend a fortune but a good variety is a must.Sand eel jigs are great in Nov. and go to the bottom quickly.A plain hammered jig is a must and a 67 is not too big.I am sure Pete at Atlantic Bait will be more then happy to help you.Some lures only catch fishermen lol

[Gerry Zagorski]

Update - Seems like the jig fishing has come into it's own the past few days. I heard there are some sand eels in the mix now too. Last few years when the Sand eels came in and the birds were working, we did really well on the Savage Sand eel lures. Cast em out into the working birds and a steady reel with a twitch every so often. Dropping them straight down to the bottom and twitching them also worked.

I like spinning gear in this sort of run and gun fishery. Much easier to pin point cast and no birds nests to deal with.

What is your go to lure when Sand eels are around and how do you work them??

[SplitShot]

I use Bill Hurley Sand Eel Jigs.... have had great success with them!!