Yaz, What kind of reels you use for stripers? What brand line and pound test? Back in my Erie days I use Diawa LC reels but sold them with my boat. Today I found some line counter reels at Walmart marked down, Okuma 20DX LC for $20.00 each. I bought all 4 they had. What is your favorite trolling rig for stripers? h.h.

I cannot comment on the Okuma LC's, as I have not used them. I have used mostly Diawa's. I do have a two sizes of Okuma spinning reels with the bait runner system. I like them really well for what I do with them. I used the Accudepths, and Sealine reels in the past.

They are both decent reels, but are better suited for walleye if you ask me. Neither reel has the drag capabilities needed for constant, long, screaming runs stripers make. I was always working on the drags. Also, the plastic gears in the line counters can't take those runs either, and usually crap out after a season.

I also use Garcia 6500's. The 6500's are bullet proof reels. Mine don't have line counters, but I don't need them. I know how much line comes off the reel by the number of passes the level wind makes. I replaced the factory drags with Carbonex drag washers, and made them a lot smoother.

I now run 6 Shimano Tekota 600 LC's If I'm in a place for big fish. Fantastic reels! They have the same smooth drags as my Calcutta reels.

I'm primarily a live bait fisherman, and rarely troll artificial baits any more. So, I really don't pay much attention to the line counters. If I'm vertical fishing over a school, the come in handy. The way I use them the most is to look and know how much line I have to crank back in to get them to the boat!!!

Ive been reading up on striper fishing and it seems live bait is the best way to catch them. Youtube has some videos on rigs and techniques. I liked the one using trolling bobbers and live shad.

Back in the early 70's while snagging salmon at Tippy Dam in Michigan I watched a guy next to me hook up on a big Chinook using a spinning outfit with 50lbs. test. The fish went screaming down river and the guys drag sounded like a tornado siren going off. All of a sudden I hear a pop-ping and then a bang as the guys reel came flying apart and fell into the river. The look on that guys face was priceless.....LOL h.h.

Yaz,

What kind and size of circle hooks you use for stripers? Are the octopus hooks the same as circle hooks? Ive seen them labeled as circle, octopus and octopus circle. Can you tell me the difference. h.h.

Well……this is THE hotly debated topic amongst striper fishermen. I have been crucified on forums for my opinions on this. If you want to CATCH stripers, THROW the true circle hooks in the trash!

I have been catching stripers since the mid-80's. Long before true circle hooks were even a common type of hook. They probably weren't even invented then. In the early 2000's when we formed a "club", and circle hooks were the rage, I caved and bought some. I made a three year attempt to learn how to use them, and made a real effort……all in the name of conservation of striped bass.

I DOCUMENTED 2 full seasons of use, and a 3'rd season of running "side by side" tests with standard J hooks and offset octopus hooks with the others being full circles.. The premise is not to deep or gut hook fish, allowing more live releases and survival after the release. You are NOT suppose to have any kind of "hook set" with the circles, allowing the fish to pull tight, and the hook to find the corner of the jaw on its own. Well, they do work in that you have LESS fish in the boat!!! I documented at least twice as many missed fish, twice as many fish coming unbuttoned after hooked, AND just as many deep/gut hooked fish with full circle hooks!!!!!!

I don't mean to come off as a meat hunter, or somebody out to catch and keep every striper that hits. I am likely the biggest proponent of catch and release of striped bass there is. Ask Weedy, Wtlhaven, JCWhoyt, or anybody else on here I fish with. I know I have agitated a lot of new people on my boat by making them put fish back in!!! But I am also not out there just to take a boat ride either. I take it personal when I don't get fish in the boat!!!

It may be my style of fishing live bait that lends itself to NOT deep hooking fish with standard hooks. Even though I am at a controlled drift most of the time, I am typically always moving, and not having much if any slack in the lines. That in itself allows the line to come tight quicker, and not allowing the fish to swallow the bait. I just do not gut hook many fish. Not nearly enough to justify, or deal with all the cons associated with full circle hooks.

Now, I'm not saying they are bad for every style of fishing, or every type of fish. I'm sure the catfishing crowd could really benefit from using full circles, because the fish are typically allowed a little bit of run before the line comes tight.

Ok, I'll get off my soap box now!!

To answer your question……a true circle hook has the point bent and turned right back to the shank of the hook. An Octopus hook to me is a "J" hook with the eye bent back away from the gap. An Octopus circle hook has both. I use Octopus hooks exclusively now, as I snell every one on a fluorocarbon leader.

Are you sure......???? LOL

Im not a keep every fish you catch guy, learned that fishing bass tournaments. All though I did keep a lot of walleyes since Lake Erie had a estimated population of over 16 million and at the time Canada was commercial fishing it.

I read an article that a cat fisherman running trot lines switched to circle hooks and improved his catch rate by 40% so I thought maybe they would be the ticket.

I always like Tru-Turn hooks but see the octopus hooks in about every fishing store. I figured 5/0 should do the trick on a striper. Do you use any bait stop to keep shad on? h.h.

I match my hook size to the size of bait Im using, not the size of fish I'm catching. I use size #2 all the way up to 7/0. Pulling a 18" long, 2lb skip jack requires a big hook!

What lure you use if someone eats the bait?

An old saying i use to follow that worked very well for me was "match the hatch". h.h.

I owe him for that...