better ways to keep YOUr
COOL High Performance Coolers [MU LT I SPECI ES]
PAYING WITH PLASTIC S
BY DREW HAERER
triped bass have been called the perfect sport fish. Not only do they live in both fresh- and saltwater, but stripers are one of the strongest, meanest and most exciting fish to catch. Even better, they are usually easy to fool. Wherever anglers target striped bass, soft plastic lures consistently produce big fish.
SEASIDE LINESIDERS Cooler/Dry Boxes
In New England, Hobie Kayaks team member Eric Harrison catches stripers along the beach, over rocks, on flats, suspended in deep water or holding in fast moving current. His soft plastic of choice is a 13-inch Jiggin’ Hogy rigged on a half- to one-ounce Barbarian jighead. The 13- inch bait may be intimidating for many anglers, but Harrison says, “The big plastic gets attention and large fish will hit it aggressively.” If the fish are shallow, Harrison uses a faster retrieve. When the striper go deeper than five feet, he will bounce the bait off of the bottom. To wrestle big linesiders out of the weeds and away from rocks, Harrison uses a heavy- action, eight-foot rod and 5000-series reel spooled with 50-pound braided line and a three-foot shock leader of 50-pound monofilament.
RIVER RUNNERS Live Bait Coolers
Choose our exclusive live bait cooler to keep shrimp or minnows fresh and active, grab a lightweight cooler/dry box to stow your gear or step up to our top-rated roto-molded coolers to hold the cold for days. Only Engel offers all these ways to keep your lunch, your bait and your catch cold and fresh this summer.
For models, specs and more information on what makes an Engel a better cooler, visit
www.engel-usa.com.
Eric Hughes, guide and owner of Georgia Kayak Adventures, special- izes in targeting big striped bass on the Chattahoochee River. His bait of choice is a half- to one-ounce Spro bucktail jig with a Zoom Fat Albert Grub, Split Tail or Fluke trailer. He typically uses a slow, steady retrieve for fish hiding in deep holes. If the fish are finicky, he will switch between bottom bouncing and a high-speed retrieve looking for a response.
LAKE LUNKERS
Landlocked striped bass are a captive audience for kayak anglers. Walt Lariscy, guide and owner of Tight Lines and Plastic Boats on Lake Lanier, Georgia, urges anglers to “follow the forage.” When he sees sea gulls feeding on baitfish he knows the striped bass won’t be far behind. Lariscy chooses swimbaits that look like shad or herring. His favorite bait is a nine-inch Mike Bucca Bull Shad fished with an eight- foot swimbait rod and heavy casting reel spooled with 25-pound mono. Lariscy makes long casts to the bank near humps, points and other structure. He keeps his rod tip high and uses a moderately fast retrieve to induce strikes. His best advice: “Hold on! These fish hit hard.” Drew Haerer is a part time fishing guide and fly fishing instructor
Jupiter, FL •
www.engel-usa.com 1-888-272-9838
with Froggy Waters Outdoors and is on the pro staff for Malibu Kay- aks.
www.manpoweredfishing.com.
36 …KAYAK ANGLER SUMMER/FALL 2013
LIP GRIPPER
IMITATES MANY OF THE STRIPED
BASS’S FAVORITE FOODS. PHOTO KAYAK KEVIN WHITLEY
THE SIZE, SHAPE AND ACTION OF A SOFT PLASTIC LURE
IN FRESHWATER AND SALT, SOFT PLASTIC LURES SCORE STRIPED BASS
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