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I recently received a pmail from one of the newer Snaggedline members. He asked about what types of rod and reel combos he should buy for striper fishing. My experience is that Snaggedline, like any other group of enthusiasts, will have a wide range of opinions. I explained to him that
he will get 10 answers to this if he asks 10 different anglers. I then offered my own thoughts on choosing rods and reels. Particularly in light of item #1 below, please do not take my thoughts as anything more than my own opinions. I am sharing what works for me -- I recognize that other anglers have different likes and dislikes and will choose differently.
Before giving any specific answers to your questions, let me start with a few basic principles:
1) There is not just a single way to catch stripers, nor is there just a single type of equipment that should be used. If anyone tries to tell you that there is just one way, don’t believe them.
2) Some Snaggedline members (and fishermen in general) tend to want the perfect rod and reel for each possible fishing scenario – they often have 25, 50, or more combos. Others, like me, realize that some rods and reels can work very well for multiple species or multiple fishing techniques. Despite fishing nearly 150 days last year and catching 50 different species last year, I own just 13 rods and reels (all spinning gear ranging from ultralight to medium-heavy and all within the 6’ to 6’6” length range). I have owned other types of rods and reels over the years but realized that I like light tackle fishing the best. I also realized years ago that I dislike baitcasting reels and heavy trolling tackle. I have little interest in flyfishing either.
3) Unless you are targeting only the very largest stripers (much as Alan Battista does successfully) you do not need heavy rods or high-pound-test lines. Bass fishermen often want heavy gear and heavy lines so they can winch fish quickly out of cover. For the most part, stripers are not found in areas of dense cover. You do not need to pull them out of lily pads or fallen wood.
4) Freshwater tackle that you already own is probably just fine for catching stripers day in and day out. Fresh water rods and reels are likely to be slightly more susceptible to rusting and corrosion than gear made for salt water. But the rods and reels I use (St Croix Premier or Avid rods, Shimano Stradic reels) are listed as freshwater tackle on the manufacturer’s websites. I give a quick rinse with the garden hose on my rods and reels after each trip. I see little evidence of corrosion, even after 3-5 years of regular usage.
5) To a large extent, you get what you pay for. If you buy a $40 combo at Walmart, you can catch stripers. The reel will probably get stiff quickly and the rod will lack sensitivity. On the other extreme, you do not need a $500 combo to catch stripers. My gear tends to be more expensive than average, but I have gradually upgraded my arsenal over the years. I watch for sales or classified ads to get good deals on high quality equipment. It works better and lasts longer than the cheap stuff. It is lighter so I can cast longer without getting fatigued.
Now let me offer some more specific thoughts about the types of gear I would recommend (or at least what I use myself). Yesterday I trolled four lines from my pedal-drive kayak. I caught nearly 50 stripers from 12” to 21” (most by trolling, but some when I stopped trolling and cast into areas holding fish). I used 6’6” medium-light and medium spinning rods with 2500 and 3000 series spinning reels. All were spooled with 20-lb Powerpro. I prefer trolling jigheads and bucktails with 3”-4” paddletails. The weight of the lead head is determined by the water depth (both total depth and the depth in the water column in which you want the lures to run). Other anglers like to troll crankbaits. If you have a crankbait with a strong swimming motion, you may want to use medium-heavy or heavy rods. Since I rarely troll with crankbaits, I don’t need the heavier rods. I have caught stripers up to 37" trolling with the tackle described above.
Today, I did a composite trip. I wanted to spend some time casting a small spinnerbait to the shoreline for perch in a tidal river and later wanted to cast 2” twistertails for crappie and bluegills in a pond. For those two rods, I used 6’ ultralight spinning rods with 1000 series reels and 10-lb Powerpro. I also planned to troll paddletails for a while, so I brought along two 6’6” medium spinning rods with 2500 series reels. That set of 4 rods allowed me to fish in several different ways (trolling, casting). I even threw a topwater popper for a while on one of the same 6’6” spinning rods.
I do not do a lot of deep jigging (often called light tackle jigging or LTJ). But when I do fish that way, I use one of my 6’6” medium-heavy spinning rods. Some people prefer baitcasting reels for that technique, but I don’t think it matters.
If you have existing tackle (whether spinning or baitcasting) in the medium-light to medium-heavy range, I suggest that you spend some time fishing for stripers using the same gear. You may find that your existing tackle works just fine. If you find that your equipment is impeding you in some way, then by all means get something else. But don’t necessarily rush out to buy new tackle just for striper fishing.
he will get 10 answers to this if he asks 10 different anglers. I then offered my own thoughts on choosing rods and reels. Particularly in light of item #1 below, please do not take my thoughts as anything more than my own opinions. I am sharing what works for me -- I recognize that other anglers have different likes and dislikes and will choose differently.
Before giving any specific answers to your questions, let me start with a few basic principles:
1) There is not just a single way to catch stripers, nor is there just a single type of equipment that should be used. If anyone tries to tell you that there is just one way, don’t believe them.
2) Some Snaggedline members (and fishermen in general) tend to want the perfect rod and reel for each possible fishing scenario – they often have 25, 50, or more combos. Others, like me, realize that some rods and reels can work very well for multiple species or multiple fishing techniques. Despite fishing nearly 150 days last year and catching 50 different species last year, I own just 13 rods and reels (all spinning gear ranging from ultralight to medium-heavy and all within the 6’ to 6’6” length range). I have owned other types of rods and reels over the years but realized that I like light tackle fishing the best. I also realized years ago that I dislike baitcasting reels and heavy trolling tackle. I have little interest in flyfishing either.
3) Unless you are targeting only the very largest stripers (much as Alan Battista does successfully) you do not need heavy rods or high-pound-test lines. Bass fishermen often want heavy gear and heavy lines so they can winch fish quickly out of cover. For the most part, stripers are not found in areas of dense cover. You do not need to pull them out of lily pads or fallen wood.
4) Freshwater tackle that you already own is probably just fine for catching stripers day in and day out. Fresh water rods and reels are likely to be slightly more susceptible to rusting and corrosion than gear made for salt water. But the rods and reels I use (St Croix Premier or Avid rods, Shimano Stradic reels) are listed as freshwater tackle on the manufacturer’s websites. I give a quick rinse with the garden hose on my rods and reels after each trip. I see little evidence of corrosion, even after 3-5 years of regular usage.
5) To a large extent, you get what you pay for. If you buy a $40 combo at Walmart, you can catch stripers. The reel will probably get stiff quickly and the rod will lack sensitivity. On the other extreme, you do not need a $500 combo to catch stripers. My gear tends to be more expensive than average, but I have gradually upgraded my arsenal over the years. I watch for sales or classified ads to get good deals on high quality equipment. It works better and lasts longer than the cheap stuff. It is lighter so I can cast longer without getting fatigued.
Now let me offer some more specific thoughts about the types of gear I would recommend (or at least what I use myself). Yesterday I trolled four lines from my pedal-drive kayak. I caught nearly 50 stripers from 12” to 21” (most by trolling, but some when I stopped trolling and cast into areas holding fish). I used 6’6” medium-light and medium spinning rods with 2500 and 3000 series spinning reels. All were spooled with 20-lb Powerpro. I prefer trolling jigheads and bucktails with 3”-4” paddletails. The weight of the lead head is determined by the water depth (both total depth and the depth in the water column in which you want the lures to run). Other anglers like to troll crankbaits. If you have a crankbait with a strong swimming motion, you may want to use medium-heavy or heavy rods. Since I rarely troll with crankbaits, I don’t need the heavier rods. I have caught stripers up to 37" trolling with the tackle described above.
Today, I did a composite trip. I wanted to spend some time casting a small spinnerbait to the shoreline for perch in a tidal river and later wanted to cast 2” twistertails for crappie and bluegills in a pond. For those two rods, I used 6’ ultralight spinning rods with 1000 series reels and 10-lb Powerpro. I also planned to troll paddletails for a while, so I brought along two 6’6” medium spinning rods with 2500 series reels. That set of 4 rods allowed me to fish in several different ways (trolling, casting). I even threw a topwater popper for a while on one of the same 6’6” spinning rods.
I do not do a lot of deep jigging (often called light tackle jigging or LTJ). But when I do fish that way, I use one of my 6’6” medium-heavy spinning rods. Some people prefer baitcasting reels for that technique, but I don’t think it matters.
If you have existing tackle (whether spinning or baitcasting) in the medium-light to medium-heavy range, I suggest that you spend some time fishing for stripers using the same gear. You may find that your existing tackle works just fine. If you find that your equipment is impeding you in some way, then by all means get something else. But don’t necessarily rush out to buy new tackle just for striper fishing.
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