Striped Bass Fishing Hacks and Tactics

When fishing for striped bass, have you ever wondered if there were tricks or tips you were missing or unaware of?

Maybe something that local anglers didn’t tell you about. Well, grab some scissors, pliers, files, and your tackle box. We are going to let you in on a couple of lure hacks, used by professional Elite series anglers, to catch trophy-sized striped bass. 

List Of Fishing Hacks

• If fish are just playing with the long strands trailing from your Jig, trim off the strands closer to the hook…that’ll get em.
• on a prop bait, try removing the extra prop, and one of the hooks for a more streamlined bait and a further cast.
• On soft baits, you can remove parts, add parts or mix colors in order to find out what the fish are biting on.
• File the bottom of the bill on your crankbaits allowing them to dive deeper and smoother.
• On a boat, when you get strikes, make sure you visually mark where you are with points onshore, so you can get right back easily if you drift.

What’s in your tackle box?

First, we are going to take a look at the jigs in your tackle box. Jigs are one of the most versatile baits used to catch the striped bass. They can be used in shallow water or down deep. Y

ou can use a jig in open water or you can use them in heavily covered water. Drag them, swim them, or hop them just under or on the surface. All professional anglers swear by having at least one pole outfitted with a jig when they are at a tournament.

This hack is super simple, but probably not thought of often. You want your jig compact so that the striped bass focuses more on the hook and not nibbling on the long strands trailing behind. Take a pair of scissors and trim the strands so that the longest ones are flush with the bend in the hook.

You also want to trim the shorter strands so that they are closer to the head. Make sure you keep the multiple strand lengths or they will stick together in the water, and the striped bass will snub the jig.

Keeping the ‘layered’ strands will help to keep the action/movement of the lure in turn attracting and hooking a fish instead of having one nibbling at your jig. 

Heres another striped bass fishing hack

The second striped bass hack; whether it is a hollow body, popper, or a walking bait, there is a hack for topwater lures. With a prop bait like this one, which usually has 3 treble hooks and 2 props, you want to take the front prop completely off.

With just the back prop you still get plenty of movement and a bubble trail. Taking off the front prop gives you less wind resistance on the cast, which means you will be able to cast out farther.

Without the front prop, the lure is more streamlined and catches on less grass and other vegetation in the water as you are retrieving. You can also remove the center hook for a similar effect.

How about all of those soft plastic baits that you have in your tackle box? The different sizes and shapes that you are hoping one day will be the perfect one to hook a striped bass.

Take the Biffle Bug, for example. ( Here’s a Link )This plastic bait was designed and created by pro angler Tommy Biffle. In tougher fishing conditions, he will modify the lure that he designed, to help with the chances of landing a trophy striper.

To give the bait a more slender look and so it is more productive in clear water or post-frontal conditions, simply remove the front legs.

You can either cut them off with scissors or just pull them off with your fingers. You can also ass a rattle or fill the slot with scent, to make it more appealing to the striped bass.

Here’s how to tweak soft baits and plastics

There are many ways that you can tweak most soft plastic baits. You can add things, remove pieces, or even add a splash of color.

You need to be creative and keep trying until you find what works in the area that you are fishing because it will be different everywhere because of weather, water conditions, temperatures, etc. 

Hacks for crankbaits

Don’t forget about the crankbaits! Crankbaits are designed to go deep. Depending on the area and the weather, sometimes the deeper the better. This is how one pro angler gets his crankbaits to go deeper, where striped bass like to hide when the temperatures are high.

Simply take a metal or cheap wood file and file off some of the plastic on the bottom of the bill. Be cautious, removing material in small portions and making sure it is even.

This will give the bill a thinner, sharper look and it will dive deeper than a normal crankbait. A better hack is to do this with the smaller crankbaits, then they will dive just as deep as the bigger ones.

But they will also not get ignored by the striped bass as the bigger crankbaits sometimes do. 

Give those 4 fishing lure hacks a try next time you go out to catch a trophy-sized striper. But remember, some of it also depends on weather, temperature, and time of year.

Just as with the secrets we have discovered, to catching striped bass. Everything depends on multiple factors, but it never hurts to try something new. So, here are a couple of secrets from pro anglers that love the thrill of catching stripers. 

The secret of trolling

The first secret we are going to dive into deals with trolling for striped bass. Trolling is not as simple as some think it is. Most anglers who have a boat and love to troll, have fish finders on board.

These will tell you where the fish are ‘hiding’ out if you can not visually see them feeding. So, what happens when you are out trolling and your fish finder leads you to a HUGE school of giant striped bass??

You get excited, you anticipate the fight and the victory of catching a big striper. But what happens when you troll right through the middle of them and get no action, no movement?

Your heart sinks, and after an hour or so of casting and retrieving or trolling slowly around the school, you begin to get frustrated. You rack your brain, trying to figure out why they not hooking the bait, or even attempting to nibble.

Anglers have come to the conclusion that the striped bass is in lockjaw mode (sleeping). After all, fish need to sleep too. Yes, striped bass has their feeding frenzies at certain times of the day, but after that, they need rest, just like anyone/anything else.

How to wake up the lazy bass

The secret to catching these ‘lazy’ stripers, a simple tube and worm. The lure may be easy, but the catch may still be a little difficult, depending on how lethargic the fish are.

Try using different depths to catch their eye. Going down an extra 2 feet could make a big difference, just as coming directly above them a foot or two could.

Also, pay very close attention to the action/movement of the tube when you do hook a striped bass. This will give you an idea of what they are looking for, even while they are resting. 

One of the biggest secrets, or should I say ‘tips’ to catching striped bass is to learn everything you can about them and their habits and habitat in the area you are going to fish.

Sometimes it can be time-consuming, but in the end, if it makes your trip more productive and satisfying, then it was worth it. When you go out fishing, take a notebook or journal.

Moon phase and tide hold many secrets too

You need to log the date, time, wind direction and speed, moon phase, tide, clarity, and temperature of the water, recent fishing reports, and whether or not the baitfish are present.

Don’t be afraid to exchange tips with other anglers in the area while you are fishing. The better you know the striped bass habits the better chance you are going to have in hooking one. 

Striped bass fishing has become a big thing in the United States. Stripers are one of the biggest fish that people like to challenge themselves to catch.

They are feisty, unpredictable, and extremely fun to hook and reel in. Try these hacks, secrets, and use the tips on your next fishing trip, you may get a HUGE surprise on the end of your pole. 

You can check out a post I wrote called 5 Best Striped Bass Fishing States Here

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