Let’s Get Back to
School
Grab some binoculars and head on out for some fun fishing! Striped bass in the Santee Cooper area tend to school up when cooler days begin to creep upon us. The striped bass, or striper, is a fish that is found primarily along the Atlantic coast. Stripers are typically native to saltwater but will migrate to freshwater streams and rivers to spawn. The egg of a striped bass must stay in constant motion for the eggs to hatch. During the beginning stages of a striper’s life, they will usually travel in schools. This allows for the big appetite of the fish to be fulfilled when the school comes in range of shad, herring or minnows. When the schools start to push onto bait, the bait will rise to the surface bringing the striper up with them. This, in turn, attracts gulls and other fish-eating birds to the area to partake in the feast.
Some anglers practice bird-watching as a way to find the schools of fish, motor close to them, and cast directly into the school of bait and bass. Although this allows you to catch a good number of fish from the schoolers, some bigger sized striper will lie in wait for the bait to come to them. The bigger striped bass like to hang out on the edge of deep water. To catch a deeper water striper, I suggest heavier baits. My favorite is a 1 ½-ounce Spro bucktail jig in white or chartreuse. Jigging spoons or spinner combos would also work well for the deeper holes and walls.
For schooling striped bass, I tend to use soft plastic lures ranging from 3 to 7 inches long. Gotcha soft plastics in the pearl color cast into the schools and slowly reeled back is my favorite way to catch a striped bass. Top-water lures, such as Zara spooks and most Rapala, are a great way to get good top-water hits with these fish. Some anglers also like to use minnow-imitating crankbaits or swimming spoons at certain depths to hook into a good fish.
When fishing in the lakes for striped bass, there is also a possibility of catching a hybrid striped bass. The hybrid striped bass is a hybrid of a striped bass and a white bass. A hybrid can be identified by broken rather than solid horizontal stripes on its body. These fish will school with striped bass and will eat the same baits as a striped bass. Fishing with the same lures can typically catch both the striper and the hybrid on any given day. The hybrid striped bass, however, will give a better fight pound for pound than the striped bass. These fish are more aggressive eaters and will take bait hard.
Anglers also like to troll for striper while scoping out the scene for birds or just to have a nice day on the water and catch a few fish. Some anglers like to use heavy individual baits to attract the fish while others like to troll in style. Capt. Mack’s umbrella rigs are great for trolling in both deeper and shallower waters. When the targeted game fish is focused on bait fish schools, these rigs are perfect for attracting multiple fish to your lures. They can give total coverage depending on the weights and jigs.
So, when out on the lake this winter, make sure to get back to school and bring out those binoculars. Look for the birds and the bait breaking the surface. Bring a couple of combos and drop a few lines in the water and have a blast catching dozens of striped bass and hybrid striped bass. Remember, it is the South Carolina fish for a reason.
Come on down to Palmetto State Armory and check out our wide selection of lures, bucktails and many other fun things to catch the eye and catch the fish. If you have any questions about schooling striper, need help rigging up to go catch some deep water fish, or just want to chat and learn more, stop on by and we will be glad to chat and answer any questions you have.
Courtney Downing
Palmetto State Armory