Striped Bass. Striper’s. Rock fish. Linesiders. There is a certain mystique about the striper that makes everyone want to catch them. It’s a beautiful fish, anyone who has seen one fresh out of the water with the sun shining off their silvery sides will agree. Catching them can be another matter entirely, though. There are a lot of “bottom fishermen” who may be switching to bass fishing in 2008 due to the possible regulations that could be applied to flounder, scup, and other species as a result of lawsuits by environmentalist groups. Fishing for bass is quite different from bottom fishing.
Bass are aggressive feeders at certain times of the day and also when large amounts of bait are around. This is usually pretty easy to spot, as bait will be jumping as the bass feed upon them. Its a matter of motoring up and slowing down before you get too close and casting an appropriate lure in among them. Don’t make the mistake of going right into or through the area of feeding fish, this is the quickest way to put an end to the fishing. Under these conditions a top water plug or soft plastic that matches the size and shape of the bait is a...