Fly Fishing For Inland
Striped Bass
Bill Butts
Springfield MO
For many years, a variety of books, magazines, fishing
TV shows, and now DVDs have dedicated significant space
and time to the pursuit of Striped Bass with both
conventional and fly tackle. Most of what you will find
to read and watch on this topic takes place somewhere
along the Atlantic coast of the U.S where Striped Bass
fishing has a long and illustrious history.
However, in recent years there is a steadily growing
interest among fishermen on inland waters to seek these
large predators that roam a number of lakes and river
systems across the country. Among these inland Striped
Bass fishermen is a group that chooses to pursuit these
awesome fish with fly tackle.
Inland Striped Bass
The Striped Bass is the largest of the popular gamefish
family called Temperate Basses, which also includes
Hybrid Striped Bass and White Bass. While White Bass
seldom exceed 4# and Hybrid Stripers rarely exceed 20#,
Striped Bass live longer than their cousins in many
fisheries and commonly reach the 30-50# range. In a few
inland fisheries, like the Cumberland River system,
there are even a few 60# monsters caught each year.
How do fly fishermen get interested in catching some of
these exciting fish? I've heard stories of a lot of
different ways that fly fishermen have gotten "hooked"
(pun intended) on catching Stripers with fly tackle.
Sometimes it is by a well researched, planned and
equipped approach by trial and error learning curve, but
other times it is by chance or opportunity, perhaps with
a guide.
How I Got Hooked
My fascination with Temperate Basses began with catching
White Bass on fly tackle in the Missouri Ozarks at a
young age. When I moved to San Jose CA to work in the
fly fishing business after graduating from college, I
was initially unaware of the great Striper fisheries
that I would be living near.
Dan Blanton and some fellow Striper fishermen helped
indoctrinate me into the culture of fly fishing for
Striped Bass. During the few years I spent in Northern
CA, most of my fishing time was spent on the famous
reservoirs of San Luis and O'Neil Forebay. That was over
30 years ago.
Those fisheries are synonymous with big Striped Bass,
and at one time every world record tippet class Inland
Striped Bass was caught from these two fisheries. Not
coincidently, two anglers, Len Bearden and Al Whitehurst
owned all those records, some of which still stand. As
far as I know, the largest inland Striper in the world
record books is still a 50+# behemoth caught by Mr.
Whitehurst while fishing in a float tube. It's almost
inconceivable to think about subduing a fish of that
magnitude while fishing from a float tube. My fishing
experiences on these lakes were not nearly as
impressive, but I did begin a learning curve and fishing
passion that continues today.
The author with a nice Inland Striper
Years later, my close friendship with Dave Whitlock, who
lived for many years very close to the great Striped
Bass fishery of Norfork Lake in Arkansas, served to
rekindle my interest and focus on the king of the
Temperate Basses.
The Temperate Basses are such great gamefish, especially
Striped Bass, with many puzzles to solve for consistent
success, that they have been almost 100% of my fishing
focus for a number of years.
Saltwater Gamefish in Freshwater?
History and Biology
So, how did Striped Bass which originated as a saltwater
gamefish find their way into many of the lakes and
rivers across this country? First, you should understand
that Striped Bass are anadromous fish which, like
Salmon, means they leave their marine environment to
ascend freshwater rivers to spawn. This they have done
along the aforementioned Atlantic Coast for literally
centuries.
Back in the early 1940's when the Santee and Cooper
Rivers in South Carolina were dammed to form the very
large lakes of Marion and Moultrie, it was originally
believed that the Striped Bass which became impounded
were just in those rivers at their annual spawning time.
But, more recent research has concluded that the
Stripers in those rivers were actually a "riverene"
population, totally freshwater river fish. The bottom
line of this is that many states and fishermen now
benefit from the discovery that Striped Bass will not
only survive in freshwater but thrive in their growth
rates and reproductive efforts. Stripers in those South
Carolina lakes still ascend the tributaries of the lakes
to successfully spawn, which is not the case with all
Striped Bass fisheries that have been established across
the country.
Overall, the vast majority of inland Striper fisheries
exist by virtue of rearing Stripers in hatcheries for
release in specific lakes and rivers. The reason
hatchery production is so important and necessary is
that Striped Bass spawn differently in rivers than their
highly prolific White Bass cousins.
The dating and mating process is pretty much the same,
with both species releasing and fertilizing their eggs
in mid-stream. But, there is a key difference after that
occurs.
Unlike White Bass eggs which sink and stick to the
stream gravel, Striper eggs develop neutral buoyancy
that makes them suspend in the water column.
In order for Striped Bass eggs to successfully hatch,
they must be able to free drift in well oxygenated
moving water for about 48-72 hours, depending on some
variables. If the eggs do not have sufficient river
distance for this drift, they will eventually sink to
the bottom where silt effectively ends their life. Very
few Striper fisheries in the country have adequate river
length for successful annual spawning.
Making new Stripers
A few other notable fisheries that contain
self-sustaining wild Striped Bass populations include:
the Arkansas River in OK and AR, the Red River above and
below Lake Texoma on the OK/TX border, the Cumberland
River and some of its tributaries, parts of the Coosa
River system in Alabama and in Georgia just above Weiss
Lake.
Where to Go
This is not a comprehensive list of Inland Striped Bass
fisheries available, but some suggested ones that are
quality fisheries. However, if you will pick just one or
two of these or other quality fisheries and invest the
time and effort to learn how, where and when to find
these fish you will be rewarded for your efforts.
Some of the best known and most productive Striper
fisheries:
Alabama:
*Smith Lake
*Upper Coosa River system
*Martin Lake
*Weiss Lake
Arkansas:
*Beaver Lake
*Norfork Lake
*Ouachita Lake
*Arkansas River
Georgia:
*Lake Sidney Lanier
*Chattahoochee River system lakes and tailraces
including: Lakes Walter George, George Andrews
(Columbia), and Seminole.
*Flint River system lakes and tailraces including: Lakes
Blackshear and Chehaw
*Savannah River system lakes and tailraces including:
Lakes Clarks Hill and Hartwell
Illinois:
*Baldwin Lake
*Cedar Lake
*Lake Jacksonville
*Sangchris Lake
*Smithland Pool / Ohio River
Indiana:
*Brookville Reservoir
*Ohio River
*Cecil M. Harden Lake
*Hardy Lake
*Patoka Lake
Kentucky:
*Cumberland Lake
*Ohio River
Missouri:
*Lower Osage River below Bagnell Dam
*Osage River below Truman Dam
*Upper Norfork Lake
Oklahoma:
*Arkansas River throughout the state
*Lower Illinois River
*Lower Grand River below Ft. Gibson Dam
*Lower Canadian River below Eufaula Dam
*Robert S. Kerr Lake
*Keystone Lake
*Lake Texoma
*Lower Red River below Dennison Dam
Tennessee:
*Cumberland River system including Cordell Hull
Reservoir and Old Hickory Lake, and tributaries
including the Obey and Caney Fork Rivers
*Kentucky Lake tailrace
*Barkley Lake tailrace
*Tim's Ford Lake
*Norris Lake
*Cherokee Lake
Texas:
*Lake Texoma
*Red River below Dennison Dam
*Lake Buchanan
*Lake E.V. Spence
*Amistad Reservoir
*Lake Whitney
Whitlock's Nearnuff Shad
Please understand that this list is just a sampling of
some of the better known Striper fisheries in these
states. Some of them will sound familiar to you by their
reputation for great Striper fishing, even if you don't
live in or fish that region.
You will also note that a number of these fisheries are
listed as "tailraces" below the lake dams. Some are not
noted but most of them have productive tailrace
fisheries. There are some key factors that make the
tailrace fisheries important feeding and habitat areas
for Striped Bass.
When Stripers feel the reproductive urge to move up
rivers to spawn, though few are successful in hatching
offspring, they often seek rivers with good water volume
but many times are blocked by a dam therefore stopping
their upstream migration. Fishermen can then target that
area where at times Stripers become congregated.
Another reason these fish will seek the tailrace waters
is that when the summer heat raises lake water
temperatures to uncomfortable levels they must either
seek deeper water below a lake's thermocline, or cooler
water in a river. Many times a tailrace, with cooler
water releases from the deep water in the lake above,
are cold enough to support trout which is usually
between 50 and 60*. Stripers surely feel these cool
temperatures as welcome relief if the lake water they
are trying to survive in is in the 80-90* range.
Summer Striper
Most Striped Bass that are reared and stocked across the
country are from one of the Atlantic Coast Striped Bass
strains and they are known as "cool" water fish since
much of their native water is very cool water, though
not necessarily as cold as what most trout and salmon
require. They do not thrive and survive in extremely
warm water as well as their Hybrid Striped and White
Bass cousins.
And, unfortunately, in deeper lakes the deepest and
coolest water sometimes stratifies to critically low
dissolved oxygen (DO) levels that can become lethal to
Stripers. In shallower lakes that continue to receive
the mixing of water layers as a result of the wind
constantly moving and aerating the water there is less
risk for mortality of these great fish.
Up close and personal
What fly tackle do you need to consider?
If you live in an area that has a fly fishing specialty
shop where someone in the shop specializes in inland
waters Striped Bass fishing, you may have a great
resource to help you. I can tell you those shops are few
and far between.
Many shops, today, have some staff and clientele that
travel to destinations like Alaska and the Caribbean and
they will be familiar with the basic rods and reels you
will need, but the fly lines are a little different and
specialized subject for Stripers. You may be one of
those customers who have acquired some nice quality 8 to
10 weight rods for special trips that you don't use very
often on your home waters. If so, you may have part of
the equipment needs met.
Fly Rods
Striped Bass come in many sizes from small "schoolies"
of 2 to 5#, to a fun moderate size of 6 to 15#, up to
the "oh my gosh!" brutes. Therefore, appropriate tackle
is necessary in order to be properly prepared for the
most realistic size for which you will be fishing. I
usually rig multiple rods for this reason. If I know the
fishery I am on usually produces average 6-10# Stripers,
I gear up for that but might also rig a heavier weight
rod for the shot a big boy or a lighter one if I get
into a bunch of schoolie fish.
In most regions, I believe you are best advised to begin
with an 8 weight rod if you're going to give it a try
with just one rod. If you already own a 9 weight, use
it. If you have a good 7 weight, it will be fine for the
schoolies, but borderline for anything in the
double-digit range. If you have a 7 weight and want to
buy a heavier rod, step up two lines sizes to a 9 so
they are distinctly different in capabilities.
For this type of fishing, the casting, hook setting and
fish fighting characteristics of the rod you select are
very important. Most of the time, I fish sink-tip or
sinking head fly lines and use rather heavy and/or bulky
flies. In order to effectively cast these lines and
flies, especially in wind, I believe you are best
equipped with a 9 foot rod with a very fast action and a
stiff tip section. For me, there is just no substitute
for this type of rod.
You might think that any quality saltwater fly rod of
the right line weight would be just what I described,
but that is not the case. Many saltwater rods are
designed to be strong fish-fighting rods, but lack the
very stiff tip section I described for casting the heavy
sinking lines and unwieldy flies.
Rattle Shad on Jig hook
Fly Reels
There are three primary factors to be sure are addressed
for a good Striper reel. One, that it will hold the
needed fly line and backing; two, that it is heavy
enough to properly balance your rod; and three, that it
has an adequate quality disc drag system.
Stripers don't usually run super fast, like a Hybrid
Striper, but they will sometimes run a good distance.
Your reel should have the capacity to hold the fly line
and at least 150 yards of either 20 or 30# backing. My
personal reels from 7 weight and larger each hold from
nearly 200 yards up to about 250 yards.
The proper balance issue is one that I am very surprised
many specialty fly shops don't take more seriously for
the benefit of their customers. Your reel should have
enough physical weight to balance your rod when you hold
the rod with one finger at the top cork on the rod's
handle. If the balance point teeters to the reel end of
the rod, that is OK. But, if the balance point teeters
to the tip of the rod you will fatigue much more quickly
from casting. This is even more evident when you cast
and fish heavier line size rods from 8 weight and above.
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There are many fine fly reels on the market today, from
around $100 and up. When it comes to heavier line rods
that you are going to fish with for Striped Bass, I tell
folks to buy what they can afford, but don't buy a
$500-700 rod and put a cheap reel on it. Spend a little
less on the rod and get a quality reel. I personally
favor large arbor style fly reels, but that is just my
preference.
Haskin Sub-Zero Popper
Fly Lines
Up to this point, the tackle considerations are pretty
simple and straight forward, but when it comes to fly
lines this is where it gets interesting.
With all Temperate Bass species, the most critical
factor for success is locating the fish, but I believe
the next most important factor for success is choosing
and using the right fly lines for the given opportunity
and conditions.
For about the past 10 years, I have experimented with
every type of fly line that has any prospective benefit
for catching Stripers in the rivers and lakes I fish.
From floating lines to the fastest sinking lines
available, I continue to fish and evaluate a myriad of
lines for their ability to cast the required flies and
fish them effectively at the needed depths. This trial
and error effort has been very time consuming and
expensive, despite the wonderful input I've received
from fellow Striper fishermen from coast to coast.
Depending upon the water depth you need to fish for
success in a river or lake, there are fly lines that
will present your fly effectively from the water's
surface down to 15-20' deep.
Lee's Rattlin' Gurgler
Blanton FT Whistler and Deceiver
For surface and near surface opportunities, a floating,
hover, or intermediate fly line is needed to present
floating, floating/diving, waking and shallow sinking
patterns.
For depths of 3 to 4', a "type 3" sinking line is ideal
and comes in sinking lengths from 10' sink tips to 38'
sinking heads.
For depths of 4 to 6', a "type 6" sinking line is ideal
and is available in 15' sink-tips to 38' sinking heads.
When you need to reach deeper than 6 feet, there are 3
faster sinking lines made by Rio Products that sink at
7, 8 and 9 inches per second (ips) called Outbound T-8,
T-11 and T-14. I know you're thinking these numbers are
confusing, and yes they can be. The "T" indicates
tungsten, which is the component in the coating of the
line that makes it sink. The number, like in T-8,
indicates the physical weight in grains per foot of
length. Obviously, the key factor is how fast it sinks,
so the "ips" sink rate is the bottom line.
So, what I've detailed for you is 4 somewhat distinct
sinking categories of fly lines that may be of
importance to your fishing for Striped Bass.
Which do I find the most useful?
Well, unfortunately if you looked at the lines on all
the reels and spools in my reel case right now, you
would find literally all 4 types and variations of each.
When I fish from a boat, whether it is on a river or
lake, I prefer to have 2-4 rods rigged with different
line and fly types. This allows me to quickly change to
a different line and fly type when an opportunity
occurs.
If I'm wading a river, I usually rig just one rod and
that is with a multi-tip line (it has loop-to-loop
connections) which covers from floating to 8 ips sinking
tips. Rio calls their multi-tip line "Versi-tips" and
Scientific Anglers/3M calls their similar line a
"Quad-tip".
Caught Another One
These are usually 15' tips, but with my Rio multi-tip
line I can also carry a selection of their longer 24'
"heads", called "Dredger", if I choose to. With this
system, there is a lot of flexibility even though you
have to take time to change the front section and re-tie
your fly. It is quicker to change the front section of
the line and re-tie your fly than if you have to change
a reel spool, re-rig your line thru the guides, and then
re-tie on your fly. It's also less expensive, since you
don't have to buy extra spools or reels to hold the
additional lines.
Leaders and Knots
With fast to very fast sinking lines, the leader system
I've found perfectly adequate and effective is a very
simple two-piece leader.
On a 7 to 10 weight line, I attach an 18" butt section
of .015-.020 diameter mono and tie a 1.5" Perfection
Loop in the end. The connection of the leader to fly
line is accomplished in three different ways. A standard
nail knot (for solid core fly lines), a needle nail-knot
(for braided dacron core fly lines) or a knotless
Whitlock Zap-a-Gap splice (which can be used for solid
or braided core fly lines).
To this butt section I loop-to-loop connect 2.5' of 8 to
20# tippet with a double-surgeons loop knot. I rarely
use fluorocarbon tippet for this type of fishing, though
I know some do. If you decide to use fluorocarbon, you
can definitely use a little stronger size since it is
smaller in diameter for its breaking strength. I usually
find that tippet diameter is not much of an issue unless
the water is extremely clear. In very murky to muddy
water, or at night, the tippet size should not be any
issue. Use the heaviest size you can.
Additionally, in applications where I need to fish very
large baitfish patterns with deep sinking lines, I
sometimes use a braided loop splice constructed with 35
or 50# Gudebrod Braided Mono. This creates a loop right
at the tip of the fly line, to which I simply tie 4' of
heavy tippet, 15-20#.
When using floating, hover or intermediate lines, I use
a heavy-butt knotless tapered leader 6 to 8' long. These
are readily available in a variety of lengths and tippet
sizes.
I attach the fly to the tippet with a Lefty Kreh
Non-slip Loop Knot to allow the fly the most natural and
enticing action. A Duncan Loop is also an excellent loop
knot, though you will need to re-open the loop after
each fish or snag you hook.
Note: When you are constructing this rigging at home,
including making up some extra pre-tied, looped tippets,
I highly suggest that you carefully apply a drop of Zap
to each knot just as you draw it tight. Even if your
knot is not perfectly tied (visibly symmetrical as you
draw it down), the addition of the super glue with
ensure it will be a 100% knot. Nice insurance, if you
take the time to do this.
I encourage you to take the time to learn to comfortably
and efficiently tie each of the important knots that are
required for line and leader rigging and tying on your
flies. In addition to fly casting fundamentals, this is
one of the most critical skills in the sport of fly
fishing to master. It isn't difficult, but it does take
some practice.
Live Shad
What they feed on
Striped Bass are always in close proximity to some
desirable type of forage, and in the Midwest and South
the primary forage fish are Gizzard and/or Threadfin
Shad. They also have a great fondness for blueback
herring, skipjack herring, alewifes, suckers and chubs,
and trout. They will also prey upon panfish species, but
because Stripers are "pelagic" fish (open water roamers)
they tend to focus more highly on other open water
baitfish that I described. Many times these forage fish
also seek the cooler water of a tailrace for comfort and
food.
Another food that Stripers have a strong preference for,
in my experience, is crayfish. In rivers that contain
strong populations of crayfish, Stripers will move into
those rivers about any time the river is running very
strong and even muddy from heavy rains and position
themselves just below a shoal or riffle in deeper water
and literally gorge on these small crustaceans as they
wash helplessly in the current.
So, as you can see, Striped Bass feed mostly on baitfish
which greatly narrows down the basic types of flies you
need to equip yourself with for success. I wouldn't say
it makes it simple, but at least you don't have to have
many different food forms like trout fishermen carry in
dry flies, wet flies and nymphs, and streamers.
Flies
The most important forage foods for Inland Striped Bass,
and all Temperate Basses, are Threadfin Shad and Gizzard
Shad, in most Midwest and South-central fisheries.
Threadfins reach a maximum adult size of 3.5", and
Gizzards about 14". However, Threadfin Shad are not
commonly found in fisheries north of approximately the
Missouri/Arkansas or Kentucky/Tennessee borders.
Blueback Herring and Skipjack Herring are also very
important forage fish for Stripers in some inland
fisheries and regions.
Stripers will eat a variety of other fish (including
suckers, trout, chubs, darters, sculpins, perch and
sunfish) and crawfish, but Shad account for the vast
majority of their total forage in most fisheries.
It is important to learn to understand what primary food
sources and sizes the Stripers are keying on in any
given river or lake, and this can change seasonally.
This is where finding fellow fishermen that are
experienced on a particular fishery and already
understand the dynamics is very important. They don't
have to be fly fishermen, but if they know and will
share with you the specifics about bait and/or lure
types and sizes you can match what they use with some
type of fly pattern in most situations.
With a Striper's common forage factors in mind, I tie
and fish a variety of fly patterns and color
combinations including the following:
Patterns--
*Clouser Deep Minnow
*Half & Half Deep Minnow
*Cowen Baitfish
*Blanton Flashtail Whistler
*Woods SeaDucer
Charlie's Airhead
Dave Sellers Striper Fly
Clouser Half & Half Deep Minnow
Crease Fly
For hooks, which are a very important component, I have
tested and continue to experiment with a variety of
styles and brands. Generally, if you have a good quality
general-purpose saltwater hook (regular or 1x long) in
sizes 4 thru 3/0 they will work well for these patterns.
Color Combinations (top/mid-section/belly color)--
*Gray/White
*Black/Gray/White
*Bright Pink/White
*Chartreuse/White
*Chartreuse/Orange
* Black/Chartreuse (for dark days and muddy water)
*Olive/Orange
*Olive/Cream
*All White
*All Tan
*All Black or Purple (for nighttime and muddy water)
Dave Whitlock's Near-Nuff Shad in all-white and
all-chartreuse (2-3"), and Near-Nuff Crawfish in rusty
tan (about 2") are also excellent choices.
It is more important to have the correct size (length)
baitfish than a specific hook size. When I meet another
fisherman on the water who is really catching fish, I
always ask what length and what color of lure or fly
they are using.
In the patterns I have outlined, I tie them mostly 3 to
4.5" long. However, I always carry some of the same
baitfish patterns in larger 5 to 8" lengths for
opportunities to catch a larger Striper, too.
For the times when I am fortunate to locate some surface
feeding Stripers, I carry a handful of surface and
near-surface patterns including Crease Flies, Whitlock
Waker Shad, Charlie's Airheads, Gurglers, Pencil Poppers
and Haskins Sub-Zeros. These range in size from 3 to 8".
The colors for these patterns are the same as the colors
in the list above.
I continually experiment with minor design and material
changes on nearly every pattern described above, and I
also network with many fellow Striper fishermen across
the country to share ideas. The sharing attitude of
fellow fly fishermen is part of what makes our sport so
great and enjoyable.
Back to hooks for a minute, there are several good
brands like Tiemco and Gamakatsu that have chemically
sharpened super-sharp points, but understand that they
are a little pricey. My suggestion is to buy the best
quality you can afford, keeping in mind its importance
of hooking and holding the fish.
The best value I have found in this category of hooks is
the Mustad Signature Series #S71S-SS (chemically
sharpened).
It is also becoming more popular, and effective, to use
60* bend jig hooks, like the Eagle Claw 413, for the
Whistler and Deep Minnow patterns. Offset worm hooks,
and their many variations, are also being used more and
more in larger baitfish fly patterns.
I highly recommend that you bend down the barbs on all
your Striper flies, and be sure to sharpen the points on
any hooks that are not chemically sharpened. Barbless
hooks facilitate a quicker hook set penetration, as well
as an easier release which saves wear and tear on the
fish and your fly.
The mouth of a Striped Bass is full of bone and tough
cartilage, sometimes making a solid hookset challenging.
Using good hooks and keeping them needle-point sharp
will help maximize every opportunity to successfully
hook and land a Striper.
Retrieve Techniques
It's important to point out the need for variety and
experimentation with retrieves for Inland Stripers, and
all the Temperate Basses. There is not one magical best
technique, but one thing I would definitely suggest is
not to get into a rut with the same technique all the
time.
Dave Whitlock with a nice Striper
Try to develop an intentional plan for why and how you
modify your technique on the river or lake. There are a
few basic guidelines I will share with you, most of
which will make sense. Simply, if one technique isn't
working, try a different one until you find what
produces strikes.
In clear water that is 60-70*, you have conditions for
Stripers to aggressively track your fly by sight, and
optimum water temperature for this baitfish-eating
machine to actively and regularly feed. These conditions
allow for moderate to very fast retrieves, when
necessary.
A very important deviation from this temperature factor
is in situations where Stripers ascend cold tailwaters,
usually in the heat of summer. The water temperature in
this scenario will probably be in the 50's, and I
believe many times Stripers enter the river and feed
rather quickly before their body's metabolism has time
to respond to the water's temperature.
In clear water of optimum temperature, I will use an
erratic technique of short, fast strips, followed by a
long strip or dead pause. Other times, a moderate pace
of long strips (roughly 24-30") followed by a pause with
a couple of rod-tip twitches will draw aggressive
strikes.
To the other extreme, reasons for a very slow to
moderate retrieve include water that is colder than 55*,
particularly in the high 30's and 40's which keeps these
fish in a sluggish mood; and, murky to muddy water which
impairs visibility. Another condition for slower
retrieves is when you fish at night.
In poor visibility water and at night, you want to be
sure your retrieve is steady and consistent to allow the
fish to home in on your fly. If the fly is jigged up and
down erratically it makes it more difficult for the
predator to accurately track and strike.
It is also important to have the proper rod and line
control as you make these retrieves. I keep my rod tip
at or just above the water (1-2" above) and pointed
almost straight at my line. My strip retrieves are
controlled by never allowing any slack line between my
casting hand and where the line touches the water near
my rod tip. I maintain tight control of the line with
either my index finger or two fingers on my rod hand, as
well as with my line hand, so that I can instantly and
aggressively set the hook. The angle of the rod at
hook-set is about 30-45*, just after you strip-set the
hook with your line hand, too, which utilizes the more
powerful butt and mid-sections of the rod for a solid
hook-up.
When you hook a decent Striper, they will give you a
heavy and powerful head-shake several times at first,
but within that first few seconds most decent Stripers
will turn and run powerfully though not usually
explosively like their Hybrid cousins. This is where the
recommended backing line becomes invaluable. Try to
maintain about a 45* rod angle as you work to land these
fish. With this angle, you are utilizing the powerful
butt section of the rod to more efficiently wear down
the fish.
If you're not already hooked on catching these awesome
fish, I highly recommend that you give it a try to see
what all the excitement is about. You will never forget
the first good Striper you catch with a fly rod.
Good luck and see you on the water!
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