Striper Setup
 

I am really making a goal of catching my first rockfish this year. I am purchasing a 8'6" surf rod with a pretty good capacity spinning reel on it. What would you striper guys suggest to put on it for line? I will be mostly fishing tailraces since I am not currently a boat owner. Thanks for any help.

I personally like a backing of 30# braid, then I use a double uni-knot to top off with 20-30# mono. Usually I will put 125YD braid them top the real off with the mono. I like the mono and the long rods for the way they can handle casting and the shock absorbance.

Striper rigging <'TK><
 

Thank you so much for all the info! I will be mainly casting baits from shore below dams, as I have no boat to fish from. So i also need a rig that can cast FAR!! Thanks again for all the advice! I already have the fever and that was just from hooking probably about a ten pounder tossing a fluke below percy. I just had a 6' med walleye jigging rod that i used in MN a lot with 10 lb fireline on it. It pretty much dominated me for about 8 seconds and as I was reaching to loosen my drag because it was screaming so much, the line broke.

Thats all it took...I am hooked.

MNfisher,

Pm me your phone #. When the time changes I will be fishing Priest after work 5:30-7 Pm. I don't mind sharing when and where they start moving up. You need some waders and a set up that can cast a Zoom fluke w/ a 1/4 oz. swimbait hook. You can throw an exposed hook but you will get hung up a lot.

i am willing to donate alittle boat time for alittle info. keep your feet dry.:D

I have all those....pm sent. Thanks!

Mn,

Gookfishin is extending a good invite, I would definitely take him up on it. If you see someone in a Hook1 cap, it's probably me. I fish priest in spring, it can be a phenomenal bite when it's on, and the crowds don't seem to hurt the quality...well, at one location anyways.


Chris

Have you met Chad Hoover, I fished with him last summer when he was in town for a weekend. He was a very nice guy and had a blast fishing with him!

Not yet, I look forward to meeting him, though.


Chris

When do you guys expect the rockfish and hybrids to start their run- a certain water temp, about the time a particular plant blooms, whatever?
I don't know enough about the lower stones to wade it so I'll probably motor up from the new ramp in my Gheenoe. Its olive green with a 9.9 Yami. Hollar at me.
Donnie

MNfisher. Long casting distance, along with large line capacity is what I love about these set ups. This is perfect for any striper between 5-30#, still lets the little ones give their fight, but brings the bigger ones in. To be more specific, I like the Ambassadeur 6500 (this one has the clicker option for freespool) on a Bass Pro Power Plus Trophy Class 8'6 downrigger rod. You can put this together for around 100 bucks. For the best casting I would put 125 yd 20# fireline on the spool first, I like to put a little peice of tape on the knot at the spool to keep the knot from spinning with braid. Then use a double uni-knot to top off with another 125 or so yards of berkly big game 20# test. The uni-knot will not give, and it is the easiest I have seen to tie two lines together. If you need help learning the double uni-knot just PM me. And then attach your hooks or plugs with the palomar knot. I bought these rigs for downrigger fishing, but now I use them for everything. Best I have used for throwing a 10" gizzard shad with a 2 oz weight. Also, no need to worry about the fireline eating your guides with these rods, mine are 15+ years old and the eyes look like new. I have used this same rig in the gulf for kingfish and blacktip shark (blacktip shark not by choice) in open water and it gets them in. Now all that said, if you are trophy striper fishing, 40+ or better in a river around heavy cover, be sure to have a couple of TK's 2x4 and winch rigs handy..I do. The only reason for the braid is to give extra line capacity to the relatively smaller reel. When you need to change line, just change the mono down to the fireline.

I might've missed it, but what do y'all use for throwing topwater lures and jerkbaits

From a boat?

Here are some of my favorite baits, there is a 7" and a 5" Cotton Cordell Redfin. The Pencil Popper is my favorite, but it has no name stamped on it and I can't remember who made it at the moment. But I panicked last time I got down to just one. The top one is a swimbait, you can fish it at any depth. When fish are hitting over deep water, I will cast it out and let it sink while I work back another bait. Or even If I am just marking fish deeper. I like the redfins for calmer situations when things are kinda quiet but the conditions are right, they are a little light, but effective. The pencil popper is my favorite because it is the heaviest, and causes the most comotion. If I see fish working or just know they are there I will throw it first. If the fish are aggressive I reel it back fast, kicking up as much water as possible. Or if they are not as aggressive or I just want it to stay in the strike zone as much as possible I will reel it back as slow as it will still stay on the surface, and it looks a lot like a redfin. The popper does not float, it is heavy, probably 4 oz. So you have to real it in just to keep it on the surface.