Crankbaits
Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap
The classic lipless rattling crankbait for flats and schooling fish.
Check PriceSpecies / Striped Bass
Bass
Striped Bass Fishing
Striped bass migrate along the Atlantic coast and thrive landlocked in big reservoirs. Stripers chase baitfish in schools, often busting on the surface.
Best Months: Apr to Jun, Sep to Nov
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Best Flies, Lures & Bait for Striped Bass
Month
6 picks for October.
Clouser Minnow #1/0-8
FlyStreamer
Shop This FlyLefty's Deceiver #3/0-2
FlyStreamer
Shop This FlyWalking Topwater 4 to 5 in
LureTopwater · Surface blitzes.
Shop This LurePaddle-Tail Swimbait 3 to 5 in
LureSoft Plastic
Shop This LureBucktail Jig 1/4 to 2 oz
LureJig
Shop This LureLive Minnows 1 to 3 in
BaitLive Bait · Live shad or herring.
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Rod & Reel
Striped Bass Setup
Striped Bass
Fly 9 ft 9 wt rod, intermediate or sinking line, 20 lb leader. Clousers and Deceivers.
Spin / Cast 7 to 8 ft medium-heavy spinning rod, 4000 to 5000 reel, 30 lb braid with a 20 to 30 lb leader.
The US
Where to Catch Striped Bass
Lakes & Reservoirs · Arkansas
Lake Ouachita
A clear, 40,000 acre Ouachita Mountain reservoir known for striped bass and largemouth.
Striped Bass · Largemouth Bass · Crappie
Lakes & Reservoirs · Arizona
Lake Havasu
A Colorado River reservoir on the California line with strong striped bass, largemouth, and smallmouth populations.
Striped Bass · Largemouth Bass · Smallmouth Bass
Rivers & Streams · California
American River
A Sacramento area river with spring shad, summer stripers, and winter steelhead.
Striped Bass · American Shad · Steelhead
Saltwater & Coast · California
San Francisco Bay
Striped bass from piers, flats, and the gates, plus staghorn and halibut.
Striped Bass · Staghorn Sculpin · California Halibut
Saltwater & Coast · Connecticut
Long Island Sound
Reefs and river mouths that hold stripers and bluefish all season and fall albies.
Striped Bass · Bluefish · False Albacore
Saltwater & Coast · Delaware
Delaware Bay
A broad estuary known for spring striped bass and summer flounder.
Striped Bass · Flounder · Bluefish
Saltwater & Coast · Delaware
Indian River Inlet
A busy inlet with jetty fishing for stripers, flounder, and blues.
Striped Bass · Flounder · Bluefish
Lakes & Reservoirs · Georgia
Lake Lanier
A deep, clear reservoir north of Atlanta known for big spotted bass and striped bass.
Spotted Bass · Striped Bass
Lakes & Reservoirs · Kentucky
Lake Cumberland
A deep, clear reservoir known for striped bass and big smallmouth.
Striped Bass · Smallmouth Bass · Walleye
Saltwater & Coast · Massachusetts
Cape Cod
Stripers and albies from the beach, flats, and rips.
Striped Bass · False Albacore · Bluefish
Saltwater & Coast · Massachusetts
Martha's Vineyard
An island known for surfcasting and a fall derby for stripers, blues, and albies.
Striped Bass · Bluefish · False Albacore
Saltwater & Coast · Maryland
Chesapeake Bay
Striped bass from the bridges to the flats, plus speckled trout and red drum to the south.
Striped Bass · Red Drum · Speckled Trout
Saltwater & Coast · Maryland
Susquehanna Flats
Grass flats at the head of the Chesapeake with striped bass and largemouth. Check current Maryland spawning-season closures.
Striped Bass · Largemouth Bass
Saltwater & Coast · Maine
Casco Bay
Islands and river mouths around Portland with summer stripers.
Striped Bass · Bluefish
Rivers & Streams · Maine
Kennebec River
Trout water below the dams upstream and a striped bass run in the tidal lower river.
Brown Trout · Rainbow Trout · Striped Bass
Lakes & Reservoirs · North Carolina
Lake Norman
North Carolina's largest man-made lake near Charlotte, with stripers, spotted bass, and largemouth.
Striped Bass · Spotted Bass · Largemouth Bass
Saltwater & Coast · New Hampshire
Great Bay
A tidal estuary behind Portsmouth with spring and summer stripers.
Striped Bass
Saltwater & Coast · New Jersey
Barnegat Bay
A shallow bay behind Long Beach Island and Island Beach State Park with fluke, blues, and stripers.
Striped Bass · Bluefish · Flounder
Saltwater & Coast · New Jersey
Cape May
The southern tip of New Jersey with rips, jetties, and back bays for stripers and fluke.
Striped Bass · Flounder · Bluefish
Lakes & Reservoirs · New Mexico
Elephant Butte Lake
New Mexico's largest lake on the Rio Grande with bass, stripers, and catfish.
Largemouth Bass · Striped Bass · White Bass
Lakes & Reservoirs · Nevada
Lake Mead
The huge Colorado River reservoir behind Hoover Dam with striped bass and largemouth.
Striped Bass · Largemouth Bass
Lakes & Reservoirs · Nevada
Lake Mohave
A long, narrow reservoir below Hoover Dam with trophy stripers and smallmouth.
Striped Bass · Smallmouth Bass · Rainbow Trout
Saltwater & Coast · New York
Montauk
The tip of Long Island, a legendary fall blitz destination for stripers, blues, and albies.
Striped Bass · Bluefish · False Albacore
Lakes & Reservoirs · Oklahoma
Lake Texoma
A Red River reservoir on the Texas line and one of the few lakes where stripers reproduce naturally.
Striped Bass · Blue Catfish · Largemouth Bass
Lakes & Reservoirs · Pennsylvania
Raystown Lake
Pennsylvania's largest lake fully in the state, with a striped bass fishery.
Striped Bass · Largemouth Bass · Smallmouth Bass
Saltwater & Coast · Rhode Island
Block Island
An island known for trophy striped bass and fall albies.
Striped Bass · Bluefish · False Albacore
Saltwater & Coast · Rhode Island
Narragansett Bay
A large bay with spring schoolie stripers, summer blues, and fluke.
Striped Bass · Bluefish · Flounder
Lakes & Reservoirs · South Carolina
Lake Murray
A big reservoir near Columbia famous for spring herring spawn bass fishing and stripers.
Striped Bass · Largemouth Bass · Crappie
Lakes & Reservoirs · South Carolina
Santee Cooper Lakes
Lakes Marion and Moultrie, known for trophy blue catfish and landlocked stripers.
Blue Catfish · Striped Bass · Crappie
Lakes & Reservoirs · Utah
Lake Powell
A massive canyon reservoir with striped bass boils and smallmouth on rocky points.
Striped Bass · Smallmouth Bass · Largemouth Bass
Lakes & Reservoirs · Virginia
Smith Mountain Lake
A Roanoke River reservoir known for striped bass and tournament bass fishing.
Striped Bass · Largemouth Bass · Smallmouth Bass
Saltwater & Coast · Virginia
Virginia Beach
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and nearby inlets with stripers, flounder, and sheepshead.
Striped Bass · Flounder · Redfish
Recommended
Gear for Striped Bass
Fly Rods
Orvis Clearwater 9 ft 10 wt Fly Rod
Backbone for big flies, heavy wind, and fish that run into the backing.
Check PriceFly Lines
Scientific Anglers Sink-Tip Fly Line
Gets streamers down to fish holding deep in current.
Check PriceReels
Penn Battle III Spinning Reel
A metal-bodied reel built to survive saltwater and big runs.
Check PriceRods
Penn Battalion II Inshore Spinning Rod
A medium inshore rod for jigs, popping corks, and live bait.
Check PriceLine
PowerPro Spectra Braided Line
Thin, strong braid for long casts, sensitivity, and pulling fish from cover.
Check PriceTopwater
Heddon Zara Spook
The walk-the-dog topwater that works in fresh and salt.
Check PriceSoft Plastics
Z-Man DieZel MinnowZ
A tough, stretchy paddle tail that survives toothy fish.
Check PriceJigs
Spro Bucktail Jigs
Durable hair jigs for stripers, fluke, and anything that eats baitfish.
Check PriceFlies
Saltwater Baitfish Fly Assortment
Clousers and Deceivers in sizes for stripers, snook, and reds.
Check Price