The rigs that function in a particular circumstance are the best for catching striped bass. However, circumstances vary greatly from day to day and location to location. Any variety of plugs, spoons, and jigs will attract a fair share of strikes when stripers are feeding at the surface. But overall, trolling is still the best method for finding and catching striped bass, and few tactics are as reliable as the traditional umbrella rig or the steadily rising mojo rig.
Striped Bass Umbrella Rigs
The striped bass umbrella rig is one of the oldest trolling rigs for striper fishing. The umbrella rig, which was once used everywhere, is still preferred in some areas and continues to yield fish.
The umbrella rig consists of a series of hookless teasers, ranging in number from four to twelve, depending on the size of the rig, trailing from a pair of wire crossbars, and a hook bait that has been set up to trail the teasers closely behind. The teasers mimic a school of bait by using soft plastic fish imitators or plastic paddle tails. As teasers, spoons or tube lures can also be used.
The hook bait, which hangs from a leader from the middle of the crossbar, is frequently a soft plastic shad or other similar lures with a parachute attached to the front end. A parachute is a bundle of nylon fibers that encloses the lure when it is trolled.
In order to give the impression that a larger fish is pursuing a school of smaller fish, the hook bait is frequently larger than the teasers. 4-inch teasers and a 6-inch hook bait are a typical set-up for school-sized stripers. Step up to 6-inch teasers and a 9-inch hook bait for larger stripers.
The weight on the intersection of the crossbars, trolling speed, or, in some cases, downrigger deployment determine the depth at which the entire rig is trolled. Running depth is adjusted to prospect suitable bottom structure where bass holds on or to that of striped bass that has been detected on sonar.
Similar to other striped bass trolling rigs, striped bass umbrella rigs enable the angler to cover a large area at the desired depth in order to find and attract stripers even when they may not be visible on the surface.
Striped Bass Mojo Rigs
The mojo jig has left its original home waters of the Chesapeake Bay to take over the Atlantic coast as the preferred striped bass trolling rig. It is far easier to handle and, in the opinion of many striper anglers, more effective.
The mojo is essentially a modified, much larger version of a casting bucktail jig.
Small mojos typically weigh 6 to 8 ounces, and a 32-ounce head is not unusual in deep water. The lead head is covered in a nylon skirt that is attached to the jig’s neck with its long fibers pointing forward like a parachute. When the fibers are deployed, they fold back over the jig’s body to reveal the head and cover the body. Typically, a large plastic swimbait with a paddle tail is threaded onto the jig hook. The palette includes natural tones like shad and chartreuse.
Mojo rigs can be bumped along the bottom, slightly above, or as singles, but tandem rigging and trolling are more typical. A typical rig consists of a large jig (20 to 32 ounces) suspended from a 3-way swivel over 4 feet of 60 to 80-pound leader. The second leg of the swivel is tied to a lighter mojo, which is strung on a leader of 6 to 8 feet, and the third leg is connected to the main line.
The entire rig is dropped back and allowed to sink until it touches the bottom. It is then wound up three or four turns of the reel handle to run above any bottom obstructions while being trolled at three to four knots. The size of the jig and the trolling speed are both modified to fit the depth of the water.
Note: Again, due to population declines, striped bass is a strictly regulated species. If you intend to fish for striped bass, be sure to research the laws in your state regarding the season, size restrictions, hook types, and baits.
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