It’s getting hot, and the dog days of summer are upon us. After cashing in on the spring fishing extravaganza, many anglers are spending less time on the water and more time in the air conditioning. However, these folks could be missing out on the best fishing of the season, and I’m talking about stripers!

There are 3 distinct varieties of fish that folks often refer to as “stripers” including white bass (sand bass), striped bass, and hybrid striped bass (genetic cross between white bass and striped bass) or whipers. Although they go by many names, they all share some extremely attractive qualities.

1. Pound for pound, stripers are the most aggressive and hardest fighting fish in freshwater, destroying any shad patterned artificial bait in your arsenal- inline spinners, slab spoons, spinner baits, crank baits, swim baits, chug bugs, pop-r’s, whopper ploppers, mister twisters, and so on… As an added benefit, they will also routinely take live or cut bait presentations. These fish are just plain angry, and on medium light tackle, they have no equal in terms of how they wreck baits. Last summer my best friend said it best, “...when they’re hitting good, it’s pure violence!”

2. Stripers are gregarious, often forming huge schools that can literally make the water “boil” when eviscerating bait balls of shad near the surface. Very often angler doubles, triples, and quadruples are possible under the right conditions, and depending on the presentation, it's not uncommon to catch multiple fish on one rod! Not only does this provide incredible action, it also provides opportunities for keeping good numbers of fish for eating.  

3. Stripers are absolutely delicious when prepared correctly. They have firm, white, flaky flesh that responds well to both pan and deep frying, and larger fish are similar in texture to cod from the grocery store. To make the most of your catch, make sure to bleed them humanely and put them on ice shortly afterwards. Finally, after taking the filets off the skin, trim away the blood line and excess red meat to reduce any “fishy” flavor. An optional step to further reduce gaminess is to soak filets in buttermilk overnight.

Last summer, my buddies and I enjoyed the best striper fishing of our lives. During 3 separate trips to a local reservoir, we eventually figured out a reliable top water pattern that provided explosive action. Hot temperatures and several days of southerly winds drove phytoplankton near shoreline areas with hordes of shad in tow; creating perfect hunting conditions for roving schools of stripers. However, we didn’t fully appreciate the impact of howling winds, white caps, and temperatures in the 90’s. On each occasion, the wind blew a little harder and the fishing was a little better. The bite reached its crescendo on the last trip when the leading edge of a cold front stirred up 25-35 mph winds.  

With the bow pointed into the wind, and my electronic anchor engaged, the boat rocked violently against the torrent of waves. It was difficult to stand at times, the prop of the Terrova lashing the surging waves, spluttering and sloshing until it found purchase in the turbulent water, barely able to hold our position. At the same time, from the stern we whipped Whopper Ploppers, Chug Bugs, and Pop-Rs with the wind to the northernmost reaches of the cove. Landing a foot or two from the bank, in inches of water, we rarely made more than one or two turns of the reel before our baits were annihilated by a frenzied whiper from below. The rods were nearly wrenched from our hands and drags screamed as the enraged, striped torpedoes plowed for deep water. As my buddy so aptly observed, it was pure violence. I don’t recall how many 16-20” fish we landed, but the Whisker Seeker eXtender Landing Net prevented several barely hooked fish from escaping. Between the wind, waves, and fishing, we embraced pure chaos!

Whisker Seeker Tackle offers the best purpose-built catfishing gear available, and this level of quality suits it ideally for multi-species anglers as well. When I go striper fishing, my go-to rods are the Catfish and Carp series in both casting and spinning configurations. When the fish are deep, hitting slab spoons, heavy swim baits, and large crankbaits, the 7’ casting model and an Abu Garcia Revo X reel are my preferred setup. If the fish are hitting spinners, top water baits, square bills, or jigs, the 7’ spinning model paired with an Okuma Avenger, Pflueger President, or Shimano Stradic gets the nod. In either case, you won’t be outgunned by even the largest double-digit whiper, or occasional flathead, and the parabolic action of these rods makes even small fish a blast to fight. 

When the weather gets hot, the fishing can get even hotter! Do a little research and chances are there is a reservoir or river in your area that has both shad and stripers. No matter the variety, these fish punch way above their weight and are in a class of their own for delivering smashing hits and berzerker fights. Give striper fishing a try this summer, and like me, you may find the best fishing of the season!  

 Good luck and tight lines!