Best live bait for Stripers

[cbay]

I have not used live bait for stripers.
What is your best live bait for Stripers in the Rivers or Bay?
How do you rig it.

Thanks for your help.

C Bay[grin]

[rocksandblues]

four letters

starts with s

ends with t

[capt. dave]

My opinion, which isn't worth the price of a cup of coffee, is that you can't beat small spots for a live striper bait. They seem to attract the rockfish better than peanut bunkers and seem to be more durable. Small croakers will work OK too.

Use a short shank J or octopus hook in size 1 or 1/0. You could use circle hooks IF you know how to use them which most people don't. Use 3 to 5 feet of fluorocarbon leader - 15 to 20 lb. test for school fish or 20 to 30 lb. for bigger fish. If you don't have fluoro use clear mono. Use a small black barrel swivel to connect the leader to your line. Add a small split shot or egg sinker above the swivel.

You can fish this with a float to control the depth or just let the bait swim down toward the bottom. Either way, I suggest that you hook the spot through the upper lip rather than through the back.

When you feel a fish on LET HIM TAKE THE BAIT for a little bit before you set the hook. Once a rockfish gets a spot in its mouth it won't want to let go unless it feels a lot of resistance. When you set the hook do so with a little umph but not enough to break your rod (if you are using a circle hook you DON'T SET THE HOOK, you just start cranking the reel).

Live baiting is a fun way to catch them. Dave

[justkiddin]

I usually count to 15 once the fish has the bait and then give it the old Roland Martin hookset. Have not lost one yet! Just kidding- I second what Capt Dave said- especially since he is catching them on the reels I sold him.

Dave: looking forward to seeing you at Green Top tournament for some of that tasty BBQ

Scott

[capt. dave]

Hey Scott, I don't mind you co-opting my post seeing as how you are going to make a very generous donation of tackle for the next NNAC Sport Fishing Seminar.[grin]

The truth is that everyone who has tried the Spider Cast SCA 50 reel has liked it a lot. We also got a lot of Spanish on the Mitchell Riptide 2/0GL's. I was running 30 lb mono on the Rips when we swept 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places for Spanish during the NNAC Fall Grab Bag Tournament.

Jeff didn't send me an invite to the BBQ!

Dave

[captaingeorge]

Eels.

[k9judge188]

How do you rig your live eels?

[timber]

How do you catch the eels? trap, hook and line ect.

Thanks

[Antman40]

captaingeorge originally wrote:
Eels.


I second that!

'traps'

Tony

[pepsi_man]

I hook the spot thru the nostril.

pepsi man

[cbay]

Thanks for the reply's, you all have been very helpful.

C Bay

[cbay]

Thanks for the reply's, you all have been very helpful.

C Bay

[Al B]

Don't overlook a small Gray Trout for live bait (just make sure he's 'legal' size).

I use a 5/0 J-Style hook on ~6' leader of 50-80 lb test, and haven't seen the need for flourocarbon, as the stripers never seem to be leader shy. I've also had great success/hook-up ratio with a 5/0 khale hook.

As for hooking a spot/trout, I will either go up through the mouth and out the forehead, or go through the eye socket. Hooking through the nostrils will keep the bait alive longer, but doesn't hold the bait as well. And, I usually don't need to keep the bait alive very long.[grin][grin]

If you set the hook and miss, drop it back... he'll eat again.

[BIGBERN]

Hook the eel near the tail. It will not slime the line as bad.[grin]

[jrocket567]

BIGBERN originally wrote:
Hook the eel near the tail. It will not slime the line as bad.[grin]


But watch out- stripers hit the heads of the baits, unlike blues, which hit the tail.

JP
'KwikRelease'

[Ketner]

Great thread.

I understand livelining around structure like bridges, ect..., but if you guys were going to liveline out at the Cell or Cut Channel, ect... would you be chumming, or just going after them on the fishfinder?

When I lived in Chas., SC, I used to float live pinfish under ballons for kings. Anybody try this with rockfish, or does it keep the bait too shallow?

[namyrreb]

Had good luck on 3 to 4 inch spot at the tangier lumps last Sunday. Had a small menhaden slick going and use circle hooks with three medium size split shot about 4 feet away from the spot. Hooked the spot through the lower lip and out through one of the nostrils. Had the bait working about 30 to 40 feet from the boat on an early ebb tide. Set the drag to the point where it will almost free spool the line and just sit back and listen. When the striper takes the bait let him enjoy the spot for as long as you can stand. This gives you time to retighten the drag. I like to follow the line with the rod and then bring it back on a horizontal plane rather than a 6 to 12 move when I set the hook, also don't try and cross the stripers eyes when you set the hook. Enjoy.

[L3Lt]

spot, the bigger the better... Big Bait Big Fish

[FRANK JOYCE]

SPOT , SPOT, SPOT . AND THEY WILL KEEP IN SOME PERRTY COLD WATER . WE HAVE HELD THEM ALMOST TO CHRISTMAS.