Lures & Flies: Gerald Almy Getting a Line on Stripers Fishing for--and catching--freshwater stripers in cold-weather months usually means employing three distinct methods. In many lakes, especially in the South, striped bass remain active throughout the winter and can be caught in relatively shallow water. Casting is the name of the game here. In other bodies of water fish tend to rove in moderate depths, and trolling is the preferred tactic. In still others, stripers grow semi-dormant; they hover over deep offshore structure in tight schools, moving and feeding little. Vertical jigging is the choice for these fish. Casting: As long as the water temperature remains in the mid-40s or higher, casting and retrieving is a viable technique. Look for fish near points, flats, dropoffs, submerged islands, humps, bridge pilings and funnel areas where creeks drain into the main lake. Also watch for stripers boiling on top. The best lures are thin-minnow plugs or jerkbaits such as a Cordell Red Fin, Rapala Minnow, Mann's Loudmouth Jerkbait, Methods Wobbl'n Minnow, Storm Thunderstick, Smithwick Rattlin Rouge or Bomber Long A. Cast over likely holding areas or where you see surface action and retrieve slowly and steadily so the lure creates a V-wake on the surface. Topwater chuggers such as the Arbogast Blooper, Luhr-Jensen P.J. Pop, Storm Chug-Bug, Mann's Chug-n-Spit and Bill Lewis Spitfire also work. If fish aren't feeding close to the surface, try casting lipless crankbaits like the Cordell Spot or Rattlin' Rapala. Let the lure sink to different depths and retrieve steadily, with occasional pauses so it drops like a wounded shad. A final lure to stock is a 1/4- to 1/2-ounce white bucktail jig, preferably with a red, blue or green saddle hackle tied in along the flanks. Use a plastic twister tail if the water is stained. Cast and crank in smoothly, pausing from time to time if the steady presentation fails to score. Trolling: If fish are in moderate depths, trolling will put your lure down in the 15- to 30-foot range where stripers hang out and keep it there as you slowly motor over likely holding areas. Good places to troll include the mouths of tributaries, river and creek channel edges, humps, steep bluffs, bridges over creek and river arms, and water near a dam. Downriggers will allow you to troll any lure. Good choices include shad-shape crankbaits, thin-minnow plugs, bucktail jigs and Sassy Shads. If you don't want to fool with downriggers, troll large deep-plunging plugs such as the Storm Big Mac, Hellbender, Mann's Stretch 25 and Deep-Diving Redfins and Rapalas. These dive 15 to 25 feet and often tempt jumbo stripers. To make them even more effective, tie an 18- to 36-inch leader to the center hook of the front treble and then attach a 1/4-ounce white jig or grub to this trailer. The fish often are attracted to the large wobbling plug, but actually strike the smaller trailing jig. 1887 Way it Was 1997 A BETTER BUG Have you ever tried O.C. Tuttle Devil Bugs when the fish wouldn't bite? There's something about these lures, which are made of deer hair and retain a faint saline taste, that attracts, whether it be trout, bass, pike or muskies that you are after. They look, float, crunch and taste just like real bugs. --El Capitan, Sports Afield, January 1929. Vertical Jigging: When fish are holding tight over structure such as a point, dropoff or submerged island, working lures up and down directly above them is the way to go. First pinpoint likely areas on a topo map, then scope them out with the depth- finder. If they show baitfish, large gamefish, or both, drop a buoy marker and pump lures up and down over them. Good choices include blade lures, tailspinners and slab-type jigging spoons--spoons being by far the most popular. Examples include the Hopkins Shorty, Mann-O-Lure, Hildebrandt Bun-G-Blade, Luhr-Jensen Crippled Herring, Bomber Slab Spoon, Bass Pro Strata and Acme Kastmaster. Weights from 1/2 to 1 1/2 ounces can be used, in silver, chrome or white. Lower the spoon to the depth fish show on the sonar or a foot or so above them by counting off two-foot strips of line measured on your rod. Pump the lure rhythmically, raising it sharply, but dropping it just fast enough that excessive slack doesn't form in the line. Most strikes will come on the drop. You may feel a slight tap, or simply see the line move sideways or stop falling. Set the hooks immediately. ⌐ 1997 The Hearst Corporation. All rights reserved.