Stripers arriving early?

[Tom]

I thought I saw some signs a few days ago ...... bait fish bubbling on the surface as the stripers (aka striped bass) forage for them from below. Today as I was standing on the dock I heard the tell-tale splash-splash-spash, looked up and sure enough the bait fish were trying to get out of Dodge. I ran for my pole, no time to change the lure, and cast. Bingo! When the stripers are hungry like this, you're almost certain to catch one every cast.

The fun is over very quickly as the stripers travel in and out of the bays looking for food. If you're in a boat and are able to follow them around, you get prolonged activity. But, if you're on dry land/dock as I was today, it's over almost as quickly as it started.

This is either very early for the fall run or very late for the spring run. I wouldn't normally have expected this activity untl late July and through August/September. The fish were quite small (6" or so), which means they haven't been in this world very long. They grow substantially over the next few months as they fill themselves with bait fish every day.

Here's an example of the lures we use to catch stripers:

• Pop'n Image, a popper style lure.
• Swim'n Image, a floater.
• Shallow runner, a shallow diving lure.

These happen to be one color combination of lures made by Excalibur, but there are numerous other color combinations and brands available. When things are hot, a popper works pretty good, as does a RattleTrap (sorry, I don't have any photos).

 

[caltex]

When the stripers are feeding on the surface, almost anything will produce a strike.  The problem is that all your time is consumed in getting them off the hook. Have you tried a single or barbless hook yet? Even those 6 to 8 inchers are fun on a ultra light outfit with 3 or 4 pound test.

Robert

 

[Tom]

Didn't have time to do anything but grab the nearest rod with whatever it had on it. I was able to get these guys with just one of the hooks in a treble and they came off easy enough. I guess it's when their mouths get a little bigger that it'll be tough unhooking them.