Striper primary food sources

[archeryrob]

What are they from the Bay Bridge up to Havre de Grace? I tried to do a bunch of reading on this but it seem most of what I can find is saltwater and not the brackish water conditions that could exist in here.

What are you using for lures for what times of the year?

Anyone been examining the stomach contents in the upper bay of the stripers?

[surfdog]

stripers will eat anything they can, worms, eels, crabs, alwives, spot and white perch.

[archeryrob]

OK, so what lures are you using?

I am looking to make wooden plugs to top water and diving plugs. I got a football head jig mold but need others to target stripers. I need input on what lures work best from a kayak, not a downrigger, as all I can find.

I am looking for ideas, and thought, on what everyone has used, or think would work.

[J.A. Veil]

The short answer to your question is that nearly any technique or lure/bait type may work at some location or time of the year. The key to successful catching is first find where the fish are. Then put something in front of them that gets their attention.

Shawn Kimbro released a new book on Chesapeake light tackle fishing just last week. I know Shawn -- he is a highly successful fisherman and a good writer. I have a copy on order. I'm sure it is chock full of information that could help to answer your question.

Lenny Rudow has published several books on Chesapeake fishing. They are also informative.

[archeryrob]

OK, I got a pretty good idea, some top water lures, some crank baits and some deer hair jigs are going to work.

I just want some "I caught some on this lure"
or "I like Bullet jigs for buck tails" or some other kind.

I want to start carving bodies for next May and buy some jig molds for bucktails. But I was looking for what other anglers thought worked for them.

[surfdog]

well a popular bucktail is the hot lips type and a lot of people have success with big topwaters in the spring on the suski ones like chug bugs, rappelas Xraps, manns stretch series are proven catchers also. i picked up some poppers from lonely angler last winter and like there action but havent caught anything with them yet

outletbaitandtackle.com is having a good sale on bommer SW grade and manns stuff now, also zman frogs for snakeheads

[ictalurus]

My favorite popper now is the Stillwater Smack-It. Prior to that it was a Chugbug. A lot of my buddies have luck with Spooks, but they're my second choice. In fact, nearly all my stripers this year came in on the Smack-It. Another cool trick that worked well for me last year was a cheap popper with the hooks removed, 18-22" of leader tied to the rear eyelt, and a 1/8oz bucktail on the end of the leader. The fish hear the popper and hit the bucktail. It works well when fish are around in the usual topwater areas but aren't hitting the poppers. If they're feeding on smaller bait, the bucktail does the trick.

I've also had luck with X-Raps this year. I tried one last year, and nothing hit it. A shallow running Bomber Long A was pretty productive last year, though, but they don't cast worth a crap.

I like Spro bucktails, and Pinch was clobbering stripers at the Bay Bridge using jigheads he made from a similar model mold as the Spro.

[kevinfry]

pencil popper type walking lure for breakers.....rapalas or crystal minnows for the creek mouth....those are about my only regular producers

[archeryrob]

What size bucktails are you using?

They have the 1/2, 3/4, 1, 1-1/2 and the 1/8, 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, 5/8

The small one would make teaser rig jigs like shrimp, but is 1/2" and 5/8" heavy enough in the current?

Ultra Minnow jig

[ictalurus]

For flounder jigging, I use Spro bucktails between 3/4oz and 2oz depending on the depth and current of the area I'm fishing. I probably use the 1.5oz one most frequently. I think that's the size ultra minnow jighead Pinch was using at the Bay Bridge, too.

[chex]

The rockfish i caught this year thought that these were their primary food sources... boy were they wrong... (the bottlecap is there for scale... they didn't actually eat it)

[archeryrob]

Well. I got some Walleye diver that look like the first and 3rd. Plus making some poppers, rapala minnows, large jigs with teasers. Maybe a few tubes or dragging a plastic worm like a eel behind a jig like a following teaser.


Looking for a SOT Yak now and getting offers and looking.

[chex]

When you catch a fish on a lure you made, that's gonna be such a thrill... (maybe you already have and you already know this). Good luck getting the yak.

[archeryrob]

hooked some on some spooks this year. I made some smithwick devil horses and they sank. (DAMN) It is hard to use a top water prop lures when it's too heavy and wants to sink. So I am still in the learning curve, but I am working hard at it.

Fish
drink beer
hunt water fowl,
did I mention drink beer?

Too many hobbies.

[DOGFISH]

If you troll, you can't go wrong with the Rapala X-Rap or the Glass Shad Rap. I have alot of success with the color Glass Ghost. I mostly use the 15' deep diver model. In the spring I use the larger Rapala Magnum Raps, in the same color. Since I started kayak fishing, about five years ago, I have moved to alot of trolling for stripers. Without alot of structure on the bottom of the bay, trolling covers alot of water. It makes the search alot easier. If you use a GPS, you can troll along the contour lines. As for the bridge, I will let others speak to that.

I have also had good luck with YoZuri, Hardcore Drum and the Crystal Minnow. The Drum is much like a Rattle Trap but more life like. I use shad color. I also use the Crystal Minnow in shad color. I have also used some of the Lucky Craft minnow lures with success, the flashy type in deep diver. As you may tell, I like crankbaits, as you don't need any lead to get the baits down deep. Good Luck.