The striped bass is an incredible fish species capable of living in fresh and saltwater and has many fans nationwide. Stripers are a popular target species from New England and throughout the East Coast to California and the famed California Delta, with many lakes and reservoirs in between. During the fall, the bite heats up as they feed heavily and run into rivers, no matter where they live.
Captain Mike Roy of Reel Cast Charters in Connecticut targets them in many ways, including using large flutter spoons. This technique originated with big largemouth bass on offshore ledges and slowly gained a foothold with freshwater stripers and now it’s a certified phenomenon in the salt. It’s a fun way to fish and will catch plenty of stripers on both coasts and something that Roy is catching fish with right now.
Fishing the Heavy Metal
The spoon is an age-old lure and large 7, 8, and 9-inch metal spoons are pretty basic, but they get the job done for predators like stripers.
“We do a lot of live bait fishing for stripers but also use artificials like topwaters and soft plastics and heavier metal baits like the diamond jigs in the faster-moving water,” said Roy. “The flutter spoon bite started getting popular here about two years ago after it exploded on the internet and works great when vertically jigging off the bottom. Just snap your rod and let it sink, but you always want the bait to fall on a slack line to get the best fluttering action.”
While jigging the bait with this retrieve works great, Roy has found success in shallower water by casting and sweeping the big spoons. “You can sweep, stop, and let it sink,” he said. “Then rip it fast and do it again.”
These spoons are effective on spinning and casting gear and Roy and his clients fish them with a 50-pound braided line with a 60-pound AFTCO Saiko Pro Fluorocarbon leader.
“There are so many rocks and that fluorocarbon is very abrasion resistant and will hold up to it much better than monofilament,” he said. “Many of these areas also have bluefish around, which holds up well to their teeth. It’s a harder line and not as coily as monofilament, which gives you a cleaner lure presentation.”
For rods and reels, he opts for 7-foot, 6-inch G.Loomis IMX Pro Blue with fast actions and faster tapers to help with landing more fish and pairs it with the Shimano Tranx for casting and 6000-sized Saragosa for spinning.
“You want a rod that’s not too soft or slow, or your rod will bend in half when you rip the spoon,” he said. “I also add a stinger hook to the spoon to get more fish and will add a second split ring to the hooks so they can pivot more. Having that and the right rod will help you land more of the fish.”
Gearing Up For Anything
As someone who makes his living on the water, Capt. Roy knows how important it is to stay comfortable and dry, especially as the temperatures dip with the arrival of fall. His clothing and gear are everything for him and the following are his must-have items for fishing for stripers this time of year.
Starting from the outside and working in, Roy prefers the AFTCO Barricade bibs and jacket and layers beneath it depending on the air temperatures.
“The Barricade is a very good outer shell and does a good job of protecting you and keeping you dry,” he said. “This time of year is usually pretty windy for us and we fish out of center consoles, so you get a lot of boat spray and it keeps us dry even on rough days.”
Underneath the suit, he wears the Honcho pants and Adapt Phase Change performance hoodie. “Usually, by the end of the day, that’s all you’ll be wearing as it warms up,” he said. “I like the pants and long sleeves for the sun protection, but that hooded shirt also helps keep you warm or cool depending on the air temperatures.”
Another must is a good pair of boots and Roy opts for the AFTCO Ankle Deck Boots. “You have to have a good pair of boots, or your feet will definitely get wet,” he said. “We use cast nets for bait and wash down the boat and there’s always water around and they keep you dry. They also have more ankle support than other boots I’ve worn.”
No matter where you live, the fall striper bite is something to look forward to every year. One great way to catch them this time of year is with a large flutter spoon and gearing up for any weather will ensure you can fish longer and capitalize on the bite.
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