are stripers line shy? also is mackerel good bait?

[gavin310]

could i get away with a 15-20 lb. leader for soaking bait, or will that scare them off?

also would fresh caught mackerel cut into strips work good, or are frozen chovies or dines the best bait?

[ghetto dad]

EVERY fish gets line shy at times brother.......fish them on 6-10 lb test, preferably with some fluorocarbon........

GD

[gavin310]

i'm just afraid of hooking into a larger model catfish (which i'd also like to catch) and not being able to guide it out of the sticks and rocks with 8 lb. line. but if 6-10 lb. is where it's at with stripers, then i'm gonna go buy some flourocarbon after work. thanks for the advice man.

[ghetto dad]

i'm just afraid of hooking into a larger model catfish (which i'd also like to catch) and not being able to guide it out of the sticks and rocks with 8 lb. line. but if 6-10 lb. is where it's at with stripers, then i'm gonna go buy some flourocarbon after work. thanks for the advice man.

I understand that...but target one or the other....have one set up with heavier line, and one with the lighter line....

im by no means a striper expert...just trying to help....best baits, IMO, are fresh sardine, anchovy, and chicken liver for stripers......

GD

[Troutman65]

best baits, IMO, are fresh sardine, anchovy, and chicken liver for stripers......

GD


I agree with Ghetto Dad on these baits for the bait & wait. I use mackerel for CATFISH.

[gavin310]

alright cool. thanks guys.

ok one more striper newbie question... do you guys keep your line tight or slack when baiting and waiting for stripers?

i'm actually kinda nervous of losing a rod if i get a nice one cause you can't use rod holders at the castaic dam if i remember correctly.

[Troutman65]

I most always fish with my line tight as I use no strike indicators. ( Unless CATFISHing ) To insure I don't loose my fishing rod I keep the drag rather loose. One can use a bait runner . This also helps keep your rod from going into the water.

[Astrolux]

For catfish and stripers I would use 8 to 12 pound mono. Buy clear berkley Big Game, its cheap and it works!!! Don't buy anything but mono for catfish and stipers. You will be wasting your money with the other stuff. And if you're going for both species use chicken livers and anchovies.

[gavin310]

ok thanks again for all the info. i'll report back here if i get anything out there

[ghetto dad]

For catfish and stripers I would use 8 to 12 pound mono. Buy clear berkley Big Game, its cheap and it works!!! Don't buy anything but mono for catfish and stipers. You will be wasting your money with the other stuff. And if you're going for both species use chicken livers and anchovies.

ive had many trips where my fluoro rod got bit 5 times more than my stright mono rod......just my experience tho....

GD

[gavin310]

ive had many trips where my fluoro rod got bit 5 times more than my stright mono rod......just my experience tho....

GD

that's pretty interesting. same tackle and bait on the rods?

[crappie stalker]

The clearer invisible line will get hit more, but I dont buy the high dollar flouro.. I just shoot out 4-8 lb pline and hold on.. lOL.. The cats will hhit the same bait on the bottom.. I flyline the bait for stripers and keep it in the current if I can..

CS

[tacklejunkie]

When fishing reaction, I'd be ok with heavier line (10-12lb?). With bait and wait I'd probably use a low lb test leader. 15-30lb is a little high. I get bit twice as much on 4-6lb rigs with striper. I would conclude they are line shy on certain conditions, as GD says above.

[karlow]

Well, my friends always out fish me on bait. I fish 6 or 8 lb with a 6Lb floro leader. They are fishing 2 & 4 lb test (mono, or floro). When I'm trolling its 25lb/20Lb floro leaders. I troll single bait on 12Lb test. One day this is going to cost me, but I would realy rather get bit first. I fly line with 4 lb p-line.

[slickqrickq]

flurocarbon all the way....its expensive, but effective, i once reeled in a 5 pound striper with 4lb test flurocarbon, man that was a great fight on my ultra light....all u heard was zzzzzzzzz..........zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.. .............zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzz....zzzzzzz...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..i would like to thank shimano for some awesome reels and rods

[gavin310]

alright well last night i picked up some 10 lb. p-line halo for my leader, so i'm thinking i should drop down to 8 lb or even 6 lb. I would go down to 4 lb but I'm still a novice at light line fishing and that makes me nervous with a fish as feisty as a striper.

[ghetto dad]

that's pretty interesting. same tackle and bait on the rods?

lol...same brother...

on the ocean, it sometimes makes a BIG difference...while I was still hardheaded about using fluorocarbon, I remember one SLOW tuna trip that I was on where the ONLY guys that had fish had fluorocarbon....finally, the guys started hooking us up with some leader material, and most of us ended up with fish.....

the thing with fluoro (again, this in my opinion) is that you can get away with using slightly heavier line test ratings if you choose too.

btw, I dont always necessarily fill my reel with the stuff...ill just uni to uni a short leader to the mono....peace

GD

[ghetto dad]

alright well last night i picked up some 10 lb. p-line halo for my leader, so i'm thinking i should drop down to 8 lb or even 6 lb. I would go down to 4 lb but I'm still a novice at light line fishing and that makes me nervous with a fish as feisty as a striper.

oh, i just saw this...imo, you should try to stick to the same size mono/fluoro leader material....example, you fish 10 lb main line with a shot of 4 lb, chances are you are going to break that 4 lb setting the hook with that 10 lb main......ull be ok "giving or taking" one size up or down, but I wouldnt go any lower/higher.....

hope that made sense..lol

GD

[karlow]

Not so, set the drag for the leader, and make sure you use a pole with a soft tip.
Do you want to catch fish, or watch? Last year my buddy Joe caught a 9Lber on his 2Lb line!
It went around the anchor line too! I was amassed he was using trout gear.

KP