How to bottom fish for stripers?

[dug1976]

I was reading some are picking up stripers bottom fishing. Can someone explain this technique. Thanks

[mhall]

Most guys rig it carolina style just like bass fishing with about an 18 inch leader sometimes 2 feet. Nose hook shad as they will try to swim to the surface and keep you in the strike zone. If you use shiners it can be alright as well but shiners tend to swim down and will hide under rocks and underwater structure thus taking you out of the strike zone and or hanging you up, I hope this helps a little.

[HURRICANEBOB]

Mhall provides great advise, I'll add a little.

a. Look for pee gravel, or mud flats that are close to a deep water channel or that are right close to steep bluff walls. Great place to fish as Stripers move off the deep water and roll into the shallows close to the bottom.
b. Same kind of bottom, but in the creeks, look for that type bottom that is right close to a sharp bend in the creek, or right close to a point. These spots work for me. I think the Stripers who hang on the points venture to shallow nearby flats.
c. Gizzard shad, I hook thru the very last part of the tail, in the tough part, and deliberately try to hit the blood vein. They get out their tryting to swim up while leaving a blood trail and the "WHAMMO" is gonna happen.
d. I use small # 2 hooks, same rig as Mhall, but extend the leader to up to 4 feet. For me, that gives the bait a little more natural movement, and still not so much a Striper can't zero in on him.
e. I put out 4 rods, one parallels the bank, and the next three fanned out. (one straight out, and one to each side of that.). What ever rod gets hit, consider moving 2 more rods into that general area.
f. Even though you are tied up to the bank, drop a light at night to bring in the shad. And remember, noise control is real important as a boat on the bank transmits sounds that easily bounce around on the bottom.

[apb]

Bob and Mark pretty much gave you the main details. Just to add a little something, don't be afraid to fish cut bait on the bottom too. As is typical for stripers, the fresher the bait, the better. Circle hook through the back just behind the shoulder. Right before you cast, take your fillet knife and slit them down the belly like you are going to fillet them. Cast it out. I'll usually run 6 rods, similar to how Bob described. Couple of them will be cut bait, rest live.

Andrew

[peter]

Thanks everybody for posting. I needed a refresher.

I had always used a barrel sinker, swivel, then leader. Reel on free spool so the fish could run with the bait. Sounds like you guys are using carolina rig--do you put reel in free spool (with clicker).

Peter

[apb]

If they are short hitting, have the reel in free spool with the clicker on is the way to go. If they are taking the bait with no problems, reel in gear is no problem.

Andrew

[Duayne]

Peter, I did both this past weekend. The clicker is really important if there are walleye in the area or the fish are soft biting. It's not a good idea if the fish are aggressive like they were this past weekend. I had a few bass that even got circle hooks deep so I went back to closing the bail. The fish didn't mind at all..

For me, I put eight rods out. I go really deep on the two straight out the back and shallower as they fan out to the sides. The right and left side lines are just off the bank. I move all lines to a similar depth once I get feedback. You can remove the two side lines if you are getting chewed up by small bass and you are short on bait. But be warned that I only got one striper on the shallow line last weekend and it was my last keeper.

Another tip. This time of year I set up so that my lines to one side work the side of a point and the other side works a bluff or a flat. Getting hits on one side or the other will tell you what the fish you are looking for are using. If all your hits come on the point, and you move, you can set up so you cover both sides of the point. If the hits come on the flat side, you can move and set up in the middle of the flat. This past weekend hits came on all sides. So if the size fish is ok, you don't even have to move.. ;P

One more tip.. Stripers sometimes use the small in cuts off of flats this time of year. Sometimes its the really big fish using the cuts. You might set up there if you have time and don't mind taking a chance. You might not get many hits at all, but if you do get some you may be very glad you did it.

[dug1976]

Thanks for all the great advice. I will try it this weekend.