Top 5 Striper Lures

[Gone Fishing]

I think this survey was done last year. I'm curious if things have changed.

1. Fin-S
2. Gotchas
3. Sassy Shad
4. Bucktails
5. Rattle L

Am I in the ballpark?

GF

[Eric G]

Only one lure missing:
Gag's Mambo Minnow in black w/ silver sides. In addition, the yellow w/silver sides and parrot color (for coffee water)work very well also.

[Salty]

5. Poppers
4. Lip Swimmers (Windcheater, Atom Jr., etc.)
3. Roadrunners
2. Assassins
1. More Assassins!!!

I also like streamers; buck tubes, decievers, etc. but I don't know if those have a place above.

Salty

[Patrick]

1. Bucktail Jig
2. Rattletrap (or similar lipless baits like the Mr. Bunker by Gags)
3. Live eel. Okay, so it's a live bait but it's worked like a lure.
4. Bomber 6" solid.
5. Either the 5" Cordell Redfin or the Krocodile spoon.

I can't believe the bucktail wasn't on any of your lists!

[Salty]

Roadrunner is a bucktail...

[Joey]

5. Spoons
4. Grubs
3. Bucktail
1. Poppers (top water addict) :p
1. Assassins

Hey Salty, how about a top 5 list for flies? :)

[Salty]

Well, its been a while since I have seriously attacked stripers with flies, but some of my favorite patterns:

5. Skipping bugs (though I miss a lot on them)
4. Minnows (ie: epoxy minnow)
3. Sliders and/or Snakes (ie: Tabory Snake)
2. Decievers and/or buck tubes
1. Clouser minnow

The "and/or" may reflect slight name variations, regional name variations, or just general patters that may be alike.

How's that?

Tight lines and blue skies,

Salty

[Joey]

Perfect! Thank you. I'm kinda new to saltwater fly fishing and my top 3 lures would be:

3. Clousers
2. Deceivers
1. Surf Candy

[ketch69]

1.Bassassassins
2.Bucktail Jig
3.13/0 Crippled Alwife Spoon
4.4 oz. Buctail Troller(handmade by myself)
5.24 oz. MOJO with 9" Sassy Shad


DEAN

[Manayunk Jake]

You can really tell each angler's favorite (or at least most productive) method of fishing from the list they submitted. I'm still rather new at stripers on lures (heck, I'm still trying to get the hang of hooking them on bait), but here goes:
5) black Bomber, 4) Cordell Red Fin, 3) Creek Chub Striper Strike 2) 1.5 oz bucktail jig with 5" Kalin Salty Grub 1) 6 oz bucktail with 9" shad on an umbrella rig. I really don't like trolling, but #1 will put more and bigger fish in the boat than even the 'sacred' Stretch 25. Number 2 is tough to cast, but will catch schoolies to trophys from bay and surf. The remainder are "must haves" for beach-blitzing linesides.

[TunaFish]

M. Jake, hey I used to live in Philly (Germantown, went to W.B Saul). Anyway, I have never used lures before, so here's a quick question. Since Bucktail is on most of people's list, what is the technique in using it? Do we cast it out and let it sit on the bottom, or do we tug it to give a "moving" motion?

[Patrick]

Bucktails can be worked in a bunch of different ways.

From shore, you drag it on the bottom, or hop it on the bottom. Or you can work it any part of the water column.

[Manayunk Jake]

Greetings Tuna Fish! My son went to W.B. Saul (aka "the farm school".)
Patrick is right about the bucktail jig. It's pretty much considered the most versatile lure around. A plastic trailer adds a little action to the jig, but other than that, its up to the fisherman. A bucktail can be reeled straight in from ultra slow to "burning" it through the water. You can also use a stop and go retrieve, or try vertical jigging from a boat or pier. Bucktails are great around jettys, since they are inexpensive as far as lures go, plus the single hook doesn't snag up as much as other lures. Next time your soaking bait, throw one on a second rod and experiment...

[sand flea]

1. Mirrolures (still my favorite for any predatory fish)
2. Assassins
3. Bucktails
4. Eels
5. Rattle traps

But then again, this could be modified according to the conditions. If I'm fishing in a rough Atlantic surf, I'd prefer bait. If the fish are everywhere, I'll take a surface popper like a Gibbs or Atom plug.

And if it's chilly and they refuse to bite, there's nothing like dynamite and, failing that, C-4 :D

[landlocked]

Order changes with conditions.
Kastmaster with teaser.
Rebel
Jigs
Assassins
Plugs

[Salty]

Ditto to the above on bucktails; just want to add, I'll typically start deep and slow with a bucktail, especially if there are schoolie fish or bait near the surface. If nothing takes near the bottom I'll slowly work up the water column, varying speeds, and if all else fails, go for the schoolies near the top. I'm a habitual bottom bouncer, but it doesn't always work.

I wonder what's the best way to fish dynamite and c-4? Casting, slow retrieve, jigging, skipping, deadsticking, chugging... I guess they could make a good "popper". C-4 you could shape anyway you might want- limitless possibilities. :rolleyes:

I wish this would have come up during cobe season... :D

[TunaFish]

Thanks, M. Jake, Patrick, and Salty for your advice. I'll give it a try. This will give me plenty practice on my casting.

[Gone Fishing]

Thanks for all the replies....

Looks like I'm gonna got out and stock up on the assasins :)

[TunaFish]

Isn't assasins a plastic thingie?

[Gone Fishing]

Assassins still king?

GF

[OldBay]

Storm Wild Eye Shad
Dressed Kastmaster
Storm Wild Eye Shad
Bucktail
Storm Wild Eye Shad

:D

[ShoreBird]

Mirrolures

Bombers

Gibbs poppers

Storm Wildeye shad

Bucktails

[TRIGGERFISH]

OldBay, we can guess what lure you like the best and I have to say that it would be my first choice too.:jawdrop:

[murphman]

5. Creek Chub Striper Strike
4. Cordell Redfin
3. Rebel Wind Cheater
2. Red/ White Bucktail ( shad imitation plastic) weight depends on depth and current.
1. Red / White Bucktail 9( white twister grub) again weight depends on fishing conditions.

:cool:

[Sandcrab]

1. Rebel Windcheater (Black, black/purple, purple).
2. 9' Slug-O (Black or red).
3. Large Saltwater Bass Assasin (White, Alweife).
4. Bucktail w/curly worm (White/white trailer).
5. Any YoZuri topwater lure (Silver/black).

[cocoflea]

Creek Chub Striper Strike
Bucktail
Pencil popper
Atom plug
Cordel Redfin


I no order of preference but all I buy ever year so I will never be without and are always in my tackle bag.

[OldBay]

Its the versatility of the Wild Eye Shad. You can fish them fast, slow, let them sink through the water, bounce them on the bottom, twitch them, jig them from a boat. They are as versatile as a bucktail (in my humble opinion) but they actuall look like a real fish!!!!! I dig 'em. :D They are a complete unit, and they are pretty cheap, at $3 per pack.

[Anthony]

I like them a lot too, except when the blues are around. Other than that they are great lures, effective, cheap, and has decent weight for casting. What else could you want from a lure? I wouldn't be surprised if they came out with a rattling version soon.
-Anthony

[Joey]

Selecting lures is location, time of year, local forage specific. There are outproducing plugs I would use in the fall, that I wouldn't bother using in the spring, etc. With that said, I'd never leave home without a topwater plug and the Joe Special. :D

Nice selection of lures Cocoaflea!

Anthony,
The rattling wildeye came out last year. It seems the quality of the Storm Shads have gone down. I've lost a few when the loop knot slips from the eye. I've also noticed the scent has changed. It use to have a strong Licorice/Anise scent, then the newer packages had a trace of the scent. And todays packages have a disturbing PVC plastic smell. :barf: They still catch fish, and you'll find them in my plug bag.

[catman]

After watching Trigger and FLF catch fish after fish Saturday on Storms, they became one of my favorites.:D They caught rock jigging, slow retreiving, letting it sit on the bottom, and trolling. Other than a bucktail (which wasn't working for me), I don't know any others lure that you can do this with with any success.

Catman.:)

[BigJeff823]

1) Soft plastics-FinSfish,Sassy Shads,Wildeyes,Trout Killers,Grubs/2-6"sizes
2)Bucktails-1/8 to 1oz
3)Gotcha Plugs
4) Jigging Spoons-Stingsilvers,Hopkins
5)Rattle Plug types-Rattle Traps,Mirrorlures,Mr Bunker(loud lure)

I'm a jig man I caught a 38" Striper on a 1/4oz buctail at IRI;Jigs like soft plastcs on leadheads or bucktails are cheap and I don't have to cry when I loose 50 of them at the Narrows or IRI.You can also catch others on jigs too like Sea Trout,Flounder,Blues,as well as Stripers.;)

[Gone Fishing]

I've seen some posts about Electric Chicken... What the heck is it?

GF :D

[Joey]

electric chicken is a bass assassin color

http://www.hankins.com/bassassassin/shopcart/data/pictures/SA10376.jpg