[addict]

EC, TogM and anyone willing to help:

As some of you know, I started fishing (seriously, that is) only last year. As such I need stuff. Now I'm up to the part where I need to buy striper lures. I did a NE search and the reults weren't that helpful.

So my question:

If you could "do over" your initial striper lure purchases, what would you buy to get started for most situations? I'm guilty of buying stuff which I later find out is useless for my application (am I the only one?). As I'm no Donald Trump, I was hoping some of you would be nice enough to share your experiences with a beginning angler so I can avoid costly purchasing mistakes.

I'd like to cover the surface, shallow-mid depth, and the deeper depths. If I'm missing a key component of the analytical process, please feel free to enlighten this ignorant fool.

If it matters....

Where I fish:
shore/surf - nyc harbors/rivers, Huntington, Robert Moses later in the season, and hopefully other LI spots.
party boats - NY and NJ (pt. pleasant to montauk so far)

What I use:
9' seasline-x (surf) or 6'6" st. croix composite spinning rod w/stradic 4000 (no choice) - 30# spider stealth
7' graphite convench st croix matched with 5500 c3 - 30# PP (will be upgrading reel)

I'm hoping to cover spring, summer and fall if I can with about 9 lures. Feel free to say I'm crazy if I'm asking for too much here, but I'd love to hear maybe three lures for each depth.


Thanks in advance

 

[bassavant]

I'm sure you'll get many opinions from those more expert than I, but here's where I would start:

1.Pencil popper, 1-1/2 ozs (red/white)
2,3&4. 3 bucktails w/pork rind (3/4 to 1-1/2 ozs.)
5.Jointed Eel-e metal lip swimmer, (black or white) apx 2 ozs. You can adjust the depth these guys swim at by bending the eye up (deeper) or down (shallower)
6. Hopkins No-Eql, 1-1/2 ozs (maybe 2 ozs)
7. Hopkins Shorty, 1-1/2 ozs (maybe smaller if you go bigger on the No-Eql)
8. 7" Rebel sinking swimmer
9. Bottle plug ("casting swimmer")- pick a color you don't have represented in the rest of you arsenal. You can spray can these to change colors, anyway. The "bend the eye up or down trick" works for these guys, too.

Wow! that's nine already?! Thats like the old Desert Island Disc game; If you were stranded on a desrt island and had to pick only nine record albums, what would they be? LOL! Good post, addict, made me think. Good luck!

I almost put Storm Shads on the list, but I haven't fished them yet. I picked up a bunch over the winter, though, and they're going to get a workout because of what I've been told. I'm sure other guys will put them on the list!

 

[daShark]

Hey there,

I also started surf fishing last year but can tell you what worked best for me,
and I also bought lots of stuff that is usless for me.
So here it goes:


1. Rapala Saltwater Skitter Pop Topwater Lure (MU)
wood made (balsa), 3-1/2" small but also killer for Albies
4-3/4" just the best.

2. Bomber Long "A" Lure in black
weakfish killer

3. Storm Rattlin Big Bug 4-1/2" (711, 905)
night time, noise makers, good for all night


Thats about it.

GF 2 All

 

[daShark]

got pic.....

 

[addict]

bass - thanks for your help..guess I won't get many more replies tho...lol

daShark - thank you for your thoughts and the pics.

bass and daShark: this was a list given to me by Frank Daignault - thoughts?

quote:

MY RANK ORDER OF TROPHY STRIPER LURES

1. Finnish swimmers -- Rebels, Rapalas, Mambos, Red Fins, Bombers (all floaters)
2. Red Gill teasers -- all sizes, 4 1/2 inch best
3. Slug-gos, Fin-S fish
4. Traditional plate swimmers -- Atoms, Dannys, GTS, Pikies/ Jointed eels (May want to skip these as they are for larger outfits.)
5. Jigs w/ squid strips, rinds, plastic tails
6. Skin plugs (more for later than now)
7. Needlefish
8. Tin -- Kastmaster, Hopkins, variants
9. Poppers -- Swipers, Strikes, Pencils, Reverses
For your rig I think 1/2 ounce to one ounce sizes would be best.

 

[Codfisha15]

I'd say mambos also, very good for stripers. Also, I've had success with the mirrolure top dog jr.

 

[skatemaster]

1) Bunker snagging rig
2) Sinkers/hooks to fish 1/2 a snagged bunker
3) Big Metal - 3oz Kastmaster
4) Little Metal - 1oz Kastmaster
4) Popper - Love the medium Super Strike Little Neck in that pearl white, Small Atom popper is also great, but cracks.
5) Pencil Popper - Can't go wrong with white - Gibbs is the standard. Small-medium. I hate Lex, they just don't move right
6) 1 1/2oz Andrus Jetty Caster white bucktail with red pork rind
7) Little jig - 1/2oz head with some piece of plastic like a Bass Assassin or Mister Twister
8) Needlefish - Medium, dark
9) Live eel
10) Medium-large Bomber
11) Diamond Jig, plain 47 or 67

For the Hudson or East rivers, you would do fine with just fresh bunker, though throwing metal and jigs can work too. For partyboats in the day, just the diamond jig, at night, just the eel (Ok worms too), unless you are in a bay, then bring the little Bass Assassin. In the surf, pencil popper is the daytime lure, bunker at night. Bucktail, Bomber and Needlefish have their moments.

Frank D never fished the 72nd street pier. Or probably the Hudson. The water is coffee. Stripers will hit wire leaders all day long. Use bait. I have caught many, many bass in the rivers on bucktails, but it is not as productive as bait.

If you see bunker jumping, fish a bloody piece of bunker.

Rapalas, Hopkins, metal lips, skin plugs, bottle plugs, Mirrolures, all catch fish, but I assume that you want stuff that you can use 90% of the time, not 10%.

(This post edited by skatemaster on 04/12/2003)

 

[stripedbass75]

I would agree with everyone about the types of lures. For the weight of the lures most comments are off base. You need to stick with lures that are in your weight range for the rod you are going to use. Usually you can go over 1/2 to 3/4 of an ounce.

As for a surf selection

Popper- Yozuri Surface Cruiser, Polaris(gibbs)
Swimmer- metal lip (gibbs), Bomber Long A (Yellow,Blue/white,and Black)
Bucktails- (white, charteuse, and Black)
Tins- any will work(hopkins,castmaster,007s)

Don't forget about teasers. They are a great addition

Just my $.02

 

[addict]

thanks to willy, skate and striper for your thoughts.

after doing some more research, here's what I found. some striper anglers say that 90-95% of their fish were caught on bait. the rest 5-10% on some kind of artificials.

could anyone comment on the validity of that remark? if it's on avg, a true statement, I really need to reconsider how much $$$ to invest in artificials. not just plugs...all artificials. why spend so much money on something that happens 1 out of 10 times? <if true>

thanks alot for your help.

 

[stripedbass75]

To answer your question about bait verse artificials. I would have to say it is based on the type of fisherman your are. Me, personally I am an plug(artificial) fisherman. I catch most of my fish on artificials. Artificial fisherman I believe are a different breed then bait fisherman. Artificial shore fisherman are more sporting in my opinion. They know what tide,wind, moon phase will produce at a particular area. When I do want to take home a nice meal I will usually bait fish, though.

Hope that helps

 

[skatemaster]

Different strokes. Bait can be a lot harder to get and more expensive than artificials. I grew up fishing bucktails in the Hudson for that reason. That and I hate unhooking eels Lot of snob appeal in catching fish on artificials, flies, flies you tied yourself, etc. Some spots are thought of as artificals only. You can cover a lot more ground with artificals. I think that bait is best for the Hudson. If you are in a Montauk blitz, that's another story.