Four Frozen baits for striper fishing
We all know live fresh bait is the best choice but there are times when using frozen bait while striper fishing is necessary. It may be the easiest way to get actual flesh bait. You can stop by any bait and tackle shop and chances are they will have at least frozen bait available. When striper fishing, which frozen baits work the best? Well, here I will share four frozen baits for striper fishing that I typically use in the northeast.
Mackerel
Frozen Mackerel is a good choice for stiped bass. They still enjoy the frozen meat of a Mackerel. Typically, you want to cut the bait in about 1 inch wide chunks. You can of course use the tail and head as well from these. The head is a little harder to keep on the hook but other than that the stripers don’t care. A couple of small frozen Mackerel will last you a couple of hours. If not jerked around or ripped up by smaller fish, it will last a while just sitting in the water. But of course you want to still change the bait after a while if it appears water logged.
Clams
Another great choice for frozen bait. While using clams you will not need a knife to cut but you will want to let them defrost a little while before they are used. This is due to how they are packaged. They usually come in a plastic container like duck sauce from a Chinese restaurant. And they are packed tight, so trying to break them free frozen can be challenge. Once thawed, you simply grab one from the container and throw it on your choice of rig. These can come off the hook relatively easy.
Squid
In my opinion, this is the best bait in terms of staying on the hook. These will come frozen whole. The way I prep them is to rip the tentacle section from the body. You can then use the tentacle section whole. For the body part, cut a slit on one side length wise. This will allow you to open the squid ring and then slice half inch strips length wise. You can then hook the squid strip a few times which will help it remain on the hook.
Pogies (Menhaden)
Very similar to how you use Mackerel but as some bait shops you can get a smaller fish and use the entire thing. In other cases, if they are large, you want to cut them into chunks. In my case, this is the frozen bait I use the least. Not to say it’s bad bait, I just prefer and grew up using the others more often.
These baits can be used on a variety of rig types. I commonly
use the chunk bait bottom rig or hi low rig, but others will work fine. You can
even just use a hook with no weights and drift the bait. If doing this, you are
better off using a heavier piece of bait, think large chunk of Mackerel or
whole Pogie as a squid stipe would not be heavy enough to sink.
Keep in mind when choosing which baits to use its always
important to consider target species and location of where you are striper fishing.
You may also encounter other fish species when using these baits. Stripers are
not the only fish that will eat these baits. In the northeast, Black Sea Bass,
Fluke, Dogfish, and a variety of others will be attracted to these baits.
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