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I fish for bass mainly. This weekend me and a buddy are going after schooling striper. I have caught them by mistake before bass fishing, but have never targeted them. Any advice for striper fishing this time of year without going live bait or trolling. I am thinking of throwing a spook in the morning and a magnum fluke the rest of the day, if anyone has a better idea i would love to hear it. http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/praying.gif
For schooling fish that are busting up on the surface, I used to throw the big "pencil popper" and move it real fast across the top. If no hits in a couple casts, a 1, 1.5, or 2 oz "roadrunner" type bucktail jig with a 6" trailer (twister or the one that looks like a feather. I forget the name). Throw past the school, let it sink a few seconds, and crank like hell! Better have a good grip on the rod, they'll try to take it out of your hands. Large castmaster and hopkins spoons, or heavy slabs were always on one of my rigs. Anything we could throw a long way so as to not spook them and send them down. Large rattle-traps work,too.
Either spooks or Houdini Shad or large fluke type baits.
Large jerkbaits work really well also if you are fishing a semi clear body of water.
Pearl Big Hammer or Fish Trap swimbaits. use the 6" size with a 3/8 to 1/2 oz Strike King Flats jig head. Toss it out and reel it back in slow. Try to tick the top of the grass or run it buy structure. Stripers will slam a soft swimbait.
NoCAL
I forgot to add: Look for the gulls. A bunch of birds diving in a small area will pinpoint a school that is feeding but not busting up on the surface.
Here in Georgia the stripers are schooled up 30 feet deep over a 50 ft. bottom. Topwater action is sporadic at best. Power reeling a bucktail jig tipped with a soft paddletail swimbait in white colors will produce well after you locate the fish. They can be tough to stay on top of because they tend to move around pretty quick this time of year. Good luck!
RATTLE TRAPS, AND LOTS OF FLASH. SILVERS AND GOLDS THATS WHAT I USE AND IT PAYS OFF ALL TH TIME.
GOOD LUCK! http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/thumbsup2.gif
Scrounger with a fluke or super fluke.
Mepps or Rooster Tail in line spinners work good. Brought in about 18 in 30minutes one morning. Had a nice little fish fry. http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/wink.gif White and silver colors work best.
Biggest Live Shad you can catch with a casting Net...
If you are headed to Smith Mt. look for them schooling on the surface very early @best over humps near the river channel. Haven't been done since the night bite stopped once it got hot. During the dday the fish are deep and tough to catch with lures. I would try a big spoon,jig head fluke or a pencil popper. Use your depthfinder to find them!!