Bait and Topwater lures

[Newfish123]

Hi guys, new on this forum. Was referred to her from fishsniffer.com.

While I was in college a few years ago I started striper fishing while up in the Delta (I'm from Ventura county). I'm a lifelong fisherman but I am ADDICTED to striper fishing. I go uo there about 5 times a year now to fish...anyways I will be starting to fish for stripers in pyramid. What baits and topwater lures are good to fish this lake? What is your bait set up? For topwater I have heard Delta Wood Bombers, spooks, lucky kraft, etc. are good lures. My topwater rod is 7' medium-heavy action with 50# braided line.

Thanks guys!!

[DarkShadow]

Hi guys, new on this forum. Was referred to her from fishsniffer.com.

While I was in college a few years ago I started striper fishing while up in the Delta (I'm from Ventura county). I'm a lifelong fisherman but I am ADDICTED to striper fishing. I go uo there about 5 times a year now to fish...anyways I will be starting to fish for stripers in pyramid. What baits and topwater lures are good to fish this lake? What is your bait set up? For topwater I have heard Delta Wood Bombers, spooks, lucky kraft, etc. are good lures. My topwater rod is 7' medium-heavy action with 50# braided line.

Thanks guys!!

Newfish,

Welcome to the board!

As far as Pyramid goes, my only suggestion is to match the size of the bait fish (usually threadfin shad, and in some cases, silversides) to your topwater bait. I've caught some of my biggest stripers on topwater with the smallest of baits. I've also thrown other random crap (because that's the only thing I had rigged up) and caught fish when they were boiling, which gives me a good indication that they perhaps might eat a variety of things when a feeding frenzy was going on. They're not exactly wild rainbows eying your offering on the McCloud.

I have my favorite topwater baits because they simply look pretty, but considering I've seen stripers eat a top of a soda can, you may have a bit of leeway on what you choose to throw.

My favorites? Way too many, but here are some:

Megabass Dog X (either the slider or the swimmer)
Megabass Coayu
IMA Skimmer
The original Reaction Innovation's Vixen
Sammy 65

But the classics are always fun to throw:

Zara Puppy
Zara Spook
Baby Torpedo (Nothing like blades on a topwater bait spinning to the tune of Benny Hill and watching a striper actually eat it)
Pop R

Also, crimp the barbs on all your hooks, and if the bait has three trebles, see if you can get away with 2. There's nothing more frustrating in seeing a school of boiling fish that will eat anything still going in front of you while you're trying to work a bait with 6 of its barbs impaled out of the mouth of a 1 lb fish. In fact, I've moved to throwing a small swimbait underneath the boils and getting the same results, and then just throwing those fish on your deck and the slack of your line removing the barbless hook for you so that you're casting back out there immediately before the fish go down. That way you get a nice limit shot on your truck's tailgate that takes about 12 minutes or so.

[Newfish123]

Newfish,

Welcome to the board!

As far as Pyramid goes, my only suggestion is to match the size of the bait fish (usually threadfin shad, and in some cases, silversides) to your topwater bait. I've caught some of my biggest stripers on topwater with the smallest of baits. I've also thrown other random crap (because that's the only thing I had rigged up) and caught fish when they were boiling, which gives me a good indication that they perhaps might eat a variety of things when a feeding frenzy was going on. They're not exactly wild rainbows eying your offering on the McCloud.

I have my favorite topwater baits because they simply look pretty, but considering I've seen stripers eat a top of a soda can, you may have a bit of leeway on what you choose to throw.

My favorites? Way too many, but here are some:

Megabass Dog X (either the slider or the swimmer)
Megabass Coayu
IMA Skimmer
The original Reaction Innovation's Vixen
Sammy 65

But the classics are always fun to throw:

Zara Puppy
Zara Spook
Baby Torpedo (Nothing like blades on a topwater bait spinning to the tune of Benny Hill and watching a striper actually eat it)
Pop R

Also, crimp the barbs on all your hooks, and if the bait has three trebles, see if you can get away with 2. There's nothing more frustrating in seeing a school of boiling fish that will eat anything still going in front of you while you're trying to work a bait with 6 of its barbs impaled out of the mouth of a 1 lb fish. In fact, I've moved to throwing a small swimbait underneath the boils and getting the same results, and then just throwing those fish on your deck and the slack of your line removing the barbless hook for you so that you're casting back out there immediately before the fish go down. That way you get a nice limit shot on your truck's tailgate that takes about 12 minutes or so.

Thanks! Will these top lures work from the bank or dam?

[iPhish]

My favorites? Way too many, but here are some:

Megabass Dog X (either the slider or the swimmer)
Megabass Coayu
IMA Skimmer
The original Reaction Innovation's Vixen
Sammy 65

But the classics are always fun to throw:

Zara Puppy
Zara Spook
Baby Torpedo (Nothing like blades on a topwater bait spinning to the tune of Benny Hill and watching a striper actually eat it)
Pop R

Sizes and colors for each that you recommend? Great post thank you!!

[DarkShadow]

Sizes and colors for each that you recommend? Great post thank you!!

iPhish,

I stick with traditional 'shad' patterns. You can't go wrong with those.

If you can find some "ghost" patterns, I prefer those in gin clear water.

But as I stated before, it seems stripers when boiling will eat pretty much anything, as evidenced by a buddy throwing a "bumblebee" patterned topwater (black and yellow) and me throwing a shad patterned topwater, and both of getting bit consistently. I think he may have also tried that Budweiser bait and gotten a fish on it.

Stick with shad patterns and you should be ok.

[P.A.W.]

I'd say start with what is in your confidence zone. Then branch out from there. I fell under the striper spell a few years back myself. I found that different folks swear by different things. How can this be? Easy, they all work. Stripers eat fish, so throw something fishy. I'd say moderate to light color and medium size 3-5 inch. Now, bait tactics is something else altogether. I never do that so can't help you there.

[trail blazer]

I could fish the mid < or anywhere else> for stripers with these lures

white super fluke and shad bodies on 1/4 and 1/2 oz lead heads,,DEADLY!

lc 110 and lc128 in any shad color.==For a search lure

1oz kroc spoon or kastmaster in traditional colors == for jigging schools in open water AND casting to boils

spook and Sammy for top water== BOILS

3/4 and 1oz kpn or rattle trap shad colors. Anytime



and have caught fish an all these lures at the mid.

TRAIL BLAZER