Freshwater Striper Fishing

[Nockbasser]

Hey guys caught my first Striper two nights ago and am hooked on targeting them vs. LM Bass. I am a lake fisherman and fish Lake Nockamixon in PA. It has a good population of Hybrids and purebreads. The main baitfish are alewife and gizzard shad. I am willing to fish with bait but prefer lures.
I was wondering what some of your favorite lures are for stripers in the spring??? I am planing to throw spooks, redfins, and soft plastic swimbaits.
Any other suggestions or favorites?? Thanks a lot!
--Mike--

[BadDad]

I keep mag darters and buck tails on hand as options. Good luck!

[TBrowning]

Nockbasser,

Sorry I didn’t see your question earlier. I fished for freshwater stripers in SC and NC before moving to NH. We worked different hard baits depending on season. My typical choices were:

Spring- Red fins, “V-waked” on points. Loved to do that early in the am!
Sluggo’s fished shallow to deep near off-shore structure
throughout the day

Summer- Spooks fished early in the morning and at dusk- white, black
or silver. They all work! retrieve faster than for bass.
Trolling Cisco Kids on lead core or downriggers during the
heat of the day (2.4mph). Run the channel edges.
Trolling bucktails- white with trailers if you have shad and
blue/white if you have herring around. Usually stacked two on
a downrigger (2-3mph, zig-zag across points)

Fall- Rebels in blue, black over silver or black over gold, fast retrieve
to get a reaction strike.
Spinnerbaits- I always wanted to target stripers with these.
Caught a couple accidently while bass fishing…should work in
stained water.

Winter- Forget the plastic and slow troll herring and shad on the surface in
the morning and 3-10 feet down in the midday

Hope that’s useful.
TomB