You can catch big stripers up and down the East Coast each year, using a variety of methods and many kinds of tackle. If you wish to take full advantage of your chances for a striped bass longer than 40 inches, then live bait on a 3-way rig is your best option. Standard baits in the New England region are eel, hickory shad, scup and menhaden, also called porgy or bunker. Live baits work well no matter the time of day or day of the week. Start fishing seriously for stripers in May, and you can keep on until ice becomes a problem on the boat’s deck in late November. Big bass over 60 pounds have been caught at night or during broad daylight.
How often can you honestly say that anyone strong enough – from a child to your grandmother – to land one of these monsters can have a great day fishing! Some of the heaviest bass from 55 to 78 lbs have been caught in New England. Valiant Rock, Sugar Reef, Plum Gut and the Sluiceway have all bragged about stripers in the weight range of 55-70 lbs while Al McReynolds landed a 78 lb striper at a jetty in New Jersey using a 3-way rig. The next big catch was made at Montauk Point and the proud fisherman that day was Captain Rod Rochetta who was also using a three-way rig. These rigs have made bass fishing so simple that with a few pointers, anyone can land a great fish once you find out where they like to be.
If you think that a three way rig is hard to fashion, think again, it’s actually quite simple. The name explains it all – the starting point is a three way swivel, one from your main line, and two leader lines. One of these lines is created from a dropper loop – simple enough to design, a loop to attach your sinker to which allows bounce during a running tide. Experiment with weights – depending on the area you are fishing you can utilize as few as four ounces or as many as twenty. The second line will be home to a fluorocarbon leader generally about five feet in length. Remember to balance out your line – decide if you’re looking for the unobtrusive approach or if you’re looking for a stronger approach. It’s not that difficult to find the right balance between the two. Generally a fifty pound line is best for this leader as it offers exactly the right balance for most. Depending on the weather, you might find that a thirty pound fluorocarbon line is best on a day that’s especially clear and you’re in clear water.
The measure of the leader is questionable, since some use heavier line when they fish around hazards, like lobster pots. Some prefer 50 lb., as it is a good balance between sneaky and strong. There are days of clear water that make the bass line-shy, and on days like that some use 30 lb fluoro. Terminal tackle is pricey now, and between Seaguar Fluorocarbon, Spro Swivels and Gamakatsu hooks, your rig can get rather expensive. A successful means of avoiding losing countless rigs to the bottom is to employ a lighter line for your dropper loop than the leader. This way, if you get caught, you can snap the dropper loop, losing just your sinker, and still reclaim the rig and your bait. For instance, if your main line is 55, your leader is 50, and that makes your dropper loop around 30 lb.
Choosing your lines for each part of your rig helps ensure the success of the rig. If you use a braided line (best choice) for your main line you will find that the smaller diameter allows you a lot of options. This line is great for keeping within the strike zone – you can’t catch fish if your bait isn’t in the strike zone. When compared to monofilament line, the lower stretch capacity of braided line allows you to feel exactly where you are (in terms of the surface you are on). You can easily identify sandy bottoms, rocky bottoms or even a mussel bed which of course will allow you to determine exactly what you need to do to get your hooks set into your catch. While Fireline, Stren and Power Pro all make an effective braided line, Daiwa is way ahead of their competition. Their braided line is comprised of eight strands versus the four offered by others. An added bonus is that while most complain that braided line lacks that “broken in feel”, Daiwa offers a premier, smooth line that is limp and easy to use.
Striper fishing with live bait can be an extremely fun adventure. To make it more enjoyable, you should make sure you have the right type of reels. Some of Daiwa’s most popular reels include: Daiwa Saltiga 30T, Seaborg 300FB, and Daiwa Viento.
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