Strippers are so cool ! 2025

Fish Chris reply :

And Stripers are a lot of fun also :-)

First off, it's only fair that I tell you, I spent 11 hours on the water yesterday, without so much as a touch. But I wasn't the slightest bit deterred :-) On the contrary, I was actually planning a 12 hour trip today (sunrise to sunset).

So anyway, I had had a pole-bouncing, 14" Split Tail on the end of my line for about an hour, when.... Whack ! ZZZZZZZ.... There goes the bait feeder ! 3-2-1... Swing.. Fish on ! And this fish was stubborn too ! But with steady pressure, I had it to the boat in less than 5 minutes. And what an absolutely beautiful fish it was ! (I still don't see how the majority of anglers in these parts, could throw a fish like this on a stringer, and not give it the chance to grow to 50 plus lbs ! I guess they wouldn't like to catch a 50 plus lb'er ???) Anyway, the lighting was great, and I was really happy with the photo of this one. Oh... it went 23.8 lbs. Not a bad one. It released really well, too.

So, about 2 hours later, the tide had turned from an outgoing, to an incoming. Once again, my other Split Tail (I had two live ones) was bouncing my pole pretty good..... When Whack ! This one didn't really run off with it, but I could feel it sitting there, chewing on it.... So, 3-2-1.... Swing ! Fish on ! Another good fighter. Ends up being an older looking fish, with a bigger head, and thicker frame, although a bit shorter, and more hollow bellied. It still went 24.7 lbs though (the number we would all like to be fishing, right ? :-)) It released very well also.

So anyway, not long after the second fish, and here comes the North wind from hell ! ..... plus, I already had had a good trip.... plus, I need to go grocery shopping.... plus, I wanted to go play with my photos :-) ......all leading to an early day off of the water, but a fun day, none the less.

Back out there at 6:30am tomorrow ! Yeeehaaa ! :-)

Peace,

Fish

PS, I'm really stoked about the modified C/R treble hooks I'm working with ! I wonder how many giant Stripers would have been saved over the last 50 years, if somebody would have come up with this idea, way before me ? Of course, regardless of how the fish is hooked, the angler still has to "want" to release it.

Bassassasin12 reply :

one word describes you Chris, determination. Awesome job, hey add em up and you got your 50 plus. Keep putting in those hours and you will keep getting rewarded. When is it time for trophy bass fishing again??? ???

Dane reply :

Awesome fish!

However, never fall in love with the strippers, no matter how cool you think they are.

Stripers, on the other hand, is up to personal preference.

Low_Budget_Hooker reply :

Cali stripers sure are clean and purdy!!

Nice fishies Chris.

I feel bad, I see appx 25-30 lbs (Head on, gutted) of meat that I could sell for between $3-$5/lb.

Stripers and tuna were never sport for me. Wire line and 9'r rigs at 50-60 ft, not my style, but sure put cash in the pocket.

Is that water brackish?

Have you ever fished live bait for that big girl?

Captain Cali reply :

Nice! You got my blood pumping now! 8-)

basspro48 reply :

Wow, very nice fish :o

Bass Smacker reply :

Hey Chris

Did you fish the striper derby this weekend. I heard that they went the slot size and not the bigest fish this year. I'm sure that saved a lot of big fish. I'm so hoping to fish it next year.

PS nice fish and I'm glad to see them back in the water..

Hawg_Hunter reply :

Awesome fish as always! Do you work?

Darrin

justtrying reply :

hey chris,

Coooollll fish.

we've got a lot of strippers, oops, stripers LOL ..here in santee cooper, also, but, if i catch one, it's an accident, 'cause i'm chunking for 'dem der black basses! Hee Hee

BucketmouthAngler13 reply :

sweet fish! i'd like to go striper fishing now...

and keep up the C&R!

Matt

roadwarrior reply :

Well, you certainly don't need any advice, but I'll give you some anyhow: I fish a #6 Gamakatsu circle hook with live bait. The striper hook themselves and you don't get involved until the rod loads up. I never miss a fish and they are ALWAYS hooked up in the jaw. Perfect for C&R. Just a thought.

Great fish. I have some pics that I might show off in Texas. Although a couple might weigh more than the ones you have recently caught, they look about half the size! Fish Chris, YOU DA MAN! I have a pic of a 28 that does NOT look half as big as yours. Gotta have LBH help me with the photography.

Seriously, those are some great fish and beautiful pictures.

Craw reply :

Beautiful specimens. Great photos to, as always. Keep'em coming.

Vorlin reply :

Nice fish!

Though I suggest that you go fishing for stripers and leve fishing for strippers to us single guys! ;D

Vorlin

YankeesWin reply :

HEY RW,

Do the circle hooks work on strippers too?? :D

roadwarrior reply :

Circle hooks are really designed for big fish in salt water. Using them for freshwater fishing is relatively new.

Fish Chris reply :

Hey LBH, almost pure fresh, although it is connected directly to the Pacific, 40 miles away.... It just stays pretty well flushed out... especially the last couple years with excess rain runoff. You know that Split Tails are live bait right ? ....unless you were talking about the strippers, when you said "big girls".... and actually, I prefer those to be about 5'3" and 115 lbs :-)

Hey Bass Smacker, nah..... No derbies or tournaments for me. I just don't have one ounce of competitive nature anywhere in me. Although fishing is my life, for me the game is all between me and the fish. Besides all of that, nobody could ever convince me that a 33 1/4" Striper (about 15 lbs... and the target length for this years derby winner) is a more outstanding, award winning catch, than a 50 plus ! Heck, I can honestly tell you that I'd rather catch a 50 plus, and lose the derby, than a 33 1/4", 15lb'er, and win $2000. Whoopty doo. I mean, yea, I'm a poor man, but that's simply because there are a lot of things in my life, that mean more than money. But anyway, believe me, target lengths or not, a LOT of fish of all sizes die in the name of those derbies..... even the BIG ones, as where can a guy show off his big catch to more people, than at the derby weigh-in...... Well, maybe on Ultimate Bass Fishing Resource, with a good photo of a C/R'd fish :-) Yes.... Now I like this idea :-)

Hey RW, I have mixed feelings about circle hooks. I mean, I know they are an effective way to hook fish in the corner of their mouths, and help to safely C/R many different species, fresh and salt..... and of course I can't argue with that. However, for me, setting the hook is a big part of the fun ! I just have this mental block about picking up my pole and just starting to reel...... It's like the exact thing you have tried to drill into the fishing goofballs head "not to do" ! NO ! NO ! You gotta' swing ! :-)

But anyway, these Split Tails are anywhere from 12" to 16", and can weigh 1/2 to 2 lbs ! Where and how would you suggest you put a small, single circle hook, in a bait like this ???

BTW, circle hooks work well on catfish too.

Hey Vorlin, I'm single too ! How else do you think I would get to fish 1400 hours a year ? :-)

Thanks again to all of you guys,

Come on 40 plus ! :-)

Peace,

Fish

K_Mac reply :

Fish

How do you rig a bait this size? Beautiful fish BTW.

Fish Chris reply :

Good question....

First, you tie about 30" of 30 lb test mono leader material, onto one of my modified treble hooks (two of the points cut completely off, and the barb crimped down on the remaining point). Then, you tie the other end of the leader onto a long needle (a bait threader). You then stick the needle just under the skin, behind the head, working it all the way down the back, but being careful to stay just under the skin, until it pops out beside the tail. Then you pull it until the eye of the hook pops under the skin. Each of the two "cut off" hooks lay over the left and right shoulder of the Split Tail, and the only real hook rides firmly straight up !

Then you just tie the leader to a barrel swivel, with a slider tube, and a 4 oz weight above that, and yer' good ta' go ! :-)

This shot was before I was modifying the hooks, but rigged the same way:

I'm sure this rigging could be used with other large baitfish, and / or for other species.... Just not sure what....

Peace,

Fish

K_Mac reply :

8-) Thanks for the info.

WhiteMike1018 reply :

WOW!! :o

roadwarrior reply :

I understand EXACTLY how you feel about the hook-set.

If you want to give the circle a try anyhow, sometime, hook the bait across the hard part of the snout. This allows the bait to breath normally thrrough it's mouth unlike the more restrictive traditional rig (lower lip through upper lip).

Low_Budget_Hooker reply :

we have used circles for a few yrs when Tuna fishing. Of course, there is no "hookset" when fishing for these fish anyway. We jig up live Whitting,Herring, Hake, etc. The smaller the better. Our 3 tuna that broke the 1000lb mark were all caught on Whitting less than 8 inches long. Go figure. These don't weigh 1-2 lbs though. We just rig them in one nostril and out the other. Kills me every time I look at the hooks. 6/0. On a 1000 lb fish ( of course the shank on these gammies is LITTLE thicker,lol.)

I think the striper is the most decieving fish, size wise. The one below, I could have sworn was about 8-10 lbs. Turned out to be a hair under 15. This one was taken on a fly we named "***** Whiskers" ,lol.

II'm starting to miss the salt now.....

Fish Chris reply :

Hey LBH, that's a great looking Striper there ! Perfect shape.

Now, I know this is going to make ours look like dinks.... But check this one out; It's a 44 1/2 lb'er, caught by my buddy, fishing within one mile of where I caught these two yesterday, albeit, about 10 years ago.....

What a fish, huh ? I've seen bigger ones from our area, but I don't know if I have ever seen a nicer looking 40 plus from these waters....

Peace,

Fish

K_Mac reply :

Fish

Your buddy's fish has a belly much like mine-a fine "full figured" fish.

SPEEDBEAD. reply :

Nice catch Chris.

GAMEOVER reply :

Holy Fish! That thing has got to be a trophy. Did you use your braid? ;D Where you from?

fishingrulz reply :

I looooooooooovvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeee strippers and i've only caught 3 in my life.

earthworm77 reply :

Nice stripers Chris. when I lived on LI in NY I would go out to Mountauk for the spring and fall run. My biggest was a shade over 42lbs. What awesome fish, great shots too!

Fish Chris reply :

Whooo Hoo ! Just over 42 ! That's freaking awesome ! I can't wait to get my 40 plus :-) I'm sure it will happen..... I just have to keep pushing until it becomes reality :-)

Peace,

Fish

Siebert Outdoors reply :

wow, those would eat most of the fish I catch :-/

yurstruely reply :

inpressive! wow man thats a great story cudos to you bud1

Fishin Phil reply :

You can rig suckers for pike like that as well but they add a treble in the rear, steel leader, and sometimes a float a couple feet away. A lot of times it's to heavy to cast so some will release the bait then drive the boat away. My buddy goes (unsuccessfully) for 50 lb. stripers trolling huge bunker spoons. They are supposed to work great if you know where some big guys live.

sirmo reply :

Super awesome fish guys!

Haven't hooked into one myself....but I swim with them all the time!

Here's a pic I took of some stripers from another angle.

Fish Chris reply :

Sirmo, now of course I have to ask..... Where do you get to swim with these Stripers, and to take photos like this, yet you haven't stuck a few yet ???

It has to be off limits to fishing (I hate places like that :-)....... although it would be kind of cool to see them cruising around like they do) or else surely you would be sticking those suckers, huh ???

Curious,

Fish

sirmo reply :

Totally off limits. Believe me....I would stretching lines with them ALL DAY!

This is in a spring called Silver Glenn Springs. It's off of Lake George (St. Johns River) in Ocala Florida.

http://sjr.state.fl.us/programs/plan_monitor/gw_assess/springs/marion/silver_glen.html

They hang out at the mouth of the spring taking in that COLD! water.

Only way to beat the heat down here sometimes.

There's largemouth all over the place too. But not stacked up like these guys. This is a picture of a few of hundreds you can chase around all day.

Get down here and check these amazing bits of nature out!

Steve-O reply :

Hey FC nice fish! You said that you are out on the water for 12 hours with these split tails sometimes without even a bite, what do you do in the meantime? I know you don't drink, but I'm sure your not just twiddling your thumbs either!?

Murray reply :

can we reiterate the importance of the spelling "striper" ?

Fish Chris reply :

Ya' know Steve-O, it's a funny thing.... First off, I consider myself pretty much of a type-A person (I'm one of the only fat ones I know of :-) Heck, I don't even own a couch, and if I did, I'd have no time to use it. And, I'm the worst with waiting on some idiot at the conveniance store, buying lottery tickets, like 3 of those, and 1 of those, and 4 of those... URGGG ! And when you pull up to a stop light, even if you don't want to turn right, PLEASE stay far enough to the left, that the guy behind you can ! Don't make him (me) wait on your stinking light too ! So, you get my point, right ???

But for whatever reason, I can sit for hour, after hour, after hour, just watching a rod tip, and typically, feel very comfortable, and relaxed the whole time, "as long as I know I am doing, what I need to be doing, to stick a big fish".

Interestingly, if I were to get out doing something that was not likely to produce a monster.... Like last week when I did some trolling for Stripers, "even though I am physically busy", I will likely become much more ancy, and start feeling like I'm wasting my time.

Oh, and even as much as I love music when I'm off of the water, I don't want to hear it when I'm fishing.... nor ANY other man made sounds for that matter.

Pretty strange, huh ? When I pass, my brain should probably be studied by ichthiologists :-)

Peace,

Fish

SPEEDBEAD. reply :

wow...now THAT is a 50 cent word!!

1609

Strippers are so cool ! 2025

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