Lipless Cranks And Striped Bass

[Jraut98]

What in your opinion is the best lipless crank for catching striped bass? What size do you use and what color works the best for you?

[Bluebasser86]

They'll eat any of them but the 1/2oz and larger sizes are going to be your best option. Make sure to upgrade the hooks or you'll be lucky to ever land one bigger than a few pounds. The Strike King Red Eye Shad would probably be my pick, either the 1/2oz or 3/4oz sizes in Sexy Shad, chrome sexy shad, or chartreuse sexy shad. 

[Hyrule Bass]

ive caught one striper on a lipless crank. it was a 1/2oz red eye shad, chrome and black colored. i use two-piece rods for ease of traveling in my car. the top half of my rod must've worked its way loose. when i casted the whole top of the rod went flying in the lake. i started reeling fast because there were downed trees in the water on the bank i was fishing(one of the few times a year i fish from a boat) and didnt want my rod to get caught in them. got my rod piece back and on the red eye shad was a small 10inch striper.

[blongfishing]

I'm a big striper fishermen even more than bass and I use ratltrap and the red eye shads. Most luck comes from a ratltrap.

[timsford]

I like rattle traps, red eye shads, and cotton cordell super spots in the 3/4 ounce or larger sizes. Try varying your retrieve. Usually burning it or yo yoing it works best for me. Other baits to try are large minnow baits like red fins, zoom mag super flukes, underspins like the sworming hornet, swimbaits, and bucktail jigs in white or chartruese. Lipless baits catch a lot of atripers for me i just use bigger sizes than i use for largemouth

[Nice_Bass]

I am late, but I like rapala jigging rap. Combo spoon and lipless crank in the bigger sizes

[SirSnookalot]

If it's salt water striper I'd be using a plastic fluke or shad on a jig head.  Size wise I like 5" and above, I have a snowbird friend from Maryland gave me some that were about 10" long on a 1 oz head.  I believe he said they were Bass Assassin, at any rate it's a nice bait.

[Kevin22]

I am late, but I like rapala jigging rap. Combo spoon and lipless crank in the bigger sizes

 

 

I didnt know central IL had stripers?? Where at? Might have to make a road trip! 

[Nice_Bass]

I didnt know central IL had stripers?? Where at? Might have to make a road trip! 

Mississippi 14, Clinton, rend, Baldwin, sangchris and a handful more.  Whats great- many don't fish for them or don't do a great job of it. Mostly folks just trolling with incorrect setups, etc.

mostly just hybrids out there but there are still some pure breeds in Clinton and a few others as well and hybrids are topping out around the 15-20# range.

Personally, I mostly catch hybrids that only get to around 10-15#'s but have lost bigger.  Hard to fish for bass when you can catch a fish that weighs 10#s that would fight harder than a 40# lmb!!!!! 

[Kevin22]

I fish P14 and I have never seen a striper. Never heard of one being caught, and talked to a guy at the cordova hatchery that said they have never netted or shocked one. If you have caught them I would suggest you give them a call and report it. That topic came up on another board and I asked him if he had ever seen one, he said no. There might be a stray one or two but we have no record of them. I also asked about brown trout and he said they net a few every year while getting walleye eggs in willow slough. 

 

I'm up to 574 white bass and a friend is up to 900 some this year and we have had no stripers. Only 1 hybrid and it was the typical 17-18". 

 

IL state record for hybrid is 20#, Iowa 19#.  I'd like to fish with you if you are hooking near state records regularly. And if you happen to hook into a striper on the Miss I would suggest you call the DNR, IA record is only 9# 

[Nice_Bass]

ILL is 22#s I believe and i have seen a couple pictures rhe lasr couple years of 20# fish. 10 to 15# hybrids pretty regular at clinton as well as a little 700 acre lake about 5 minutes from my house called lake bloomington. Like you though, just tough to weed out the whites first. I will send you a couple likes for them on the Mississippi. Illinois river I believe has them as well however not a big fan of that river. Don't really get to.much of a chance to fish Mississippi any longer

[Nice_Bass]

http://www.gameandfishmag.com/2010/10/04/fishing_stripers-hybrids-fishing_il_aa041604a/

If your buddy does not know where to fish let the magazines tell him lol

apperently you really just need to get your non resident license....but may as well go to Arkansas for real fish as 15#s is actually about as big as they really seem to get here.

[Kevin22]

I have a non-res IL. What would be my best chance at hooking a pure striper around north west to central IL? Its on the bucket list... 

 

 

If this river would ever go back down I'd like to get back out and chase the whites/hybrids on the river again. 

[Kevin22]

To the OP. I have no clue for stripers, as I have never caught one around here. But I would venture to guess the biggest you can cast would be the best. I've caught white bass and hybrids on 3/4oz and had to pull the back treble out of their throat. I've even had those pesky 10" white bass hit a 1/2 redeye shad like its a t-bone steak. I remember bass fishing once and seeing a school bust out a little ways. I whipped that 1/2 redeye as far as I could and burned it right under the surface. WHACK WHACK WHACK WHACK all the way in, then one finally hit a treble. About 8" long.