Striper fishing fighting advice

[JohnCal]

I had a huge, by my standards, on my line last night.  Still new to striper fishing but have been successful in past but this one was twice the size.  I know I should have reduced the drag but didn’t.  Anyways, the fish fought hard and eventually took a run under the boat.  How do you guys handle this run under the boat.  Line was so tight I didn’t feel I could walk to other side and bring line around.  If I released line I feel I would have lost him for sure.. stilllearning, any advice appreciated!

[VolFan]

If it’s that tight and under the boat I free spool it and use my thumb until I can get a little better control. Best to start with your drag a little loose than too tight with stripers. 

[A-Jay]

Part of the fun & challenge of big hard pulling fish,

and stripers can certainly be that, is the successful landing.

I've caught a few, all saltwater deals, but the process is the same.

My advice is to think of your rod, reel, line, hooks & hardware as a 'system'.

And while we can all have our own way of getting a big fish in the net,

there are a few things we can do after we hook into a giant,

that can put the odds in our favor.

IMO, The 'drag setting' is definitely part of that as it plays a pretty big role in how much pressure the fish puts on you and how much pressure you can place on the fish.

There may be no one perfectly 'correct' drag setting

as conditions and fish fighting spirit are rarely the same.

However having the drag slip some at the right time, can help manage the forces on you, your gear and the fish; and that's almost always a good thing. 

Quality tackle often ensures repeatable & predictable results.

Can be beneficial in the long run. 

So the drag setting needs to be able to set the hook and fight the fish effectively,

meaning allowing you to retain some semblance of control of the fish.

Take line with the rod when you can and give line when the fish seems determined to go the other way.

btw, I adjust my drag mid-fight ALL THE TIME.  

Perhaps think of it like brakes on your truck;

sometimes you need more, sometimes you need less. 

Hard to know in advance which one.

In my early days, I bet I lost far more fish with a drag too tight

than I ever have with a properly set/slipping drag setting.

Good Luck

A-Jay

 

[Craig P]

I salt fish NJ regularly for Stripers from a boat. Full faith in your equipment and especially your drag is a must! but we bull in our Stripers, there is no finesse about it and if it wants to take drag, I use my hand to palm the spool and control what I let it take, using my rod to continue to pull on it.  While I love head shakes, I immediately give them an extra pull if they start to shake. I use a single 5/0 jig head and Plastic Shad so I only have one hook to rely on and I try not to give them a single inch.

 

We also fish them relatively light. 7’ rods and 3000 series reels. 30# braid with a leader. Anywhere from 30-40#, depends if there are blues around.

 

One from this season that was 42” but I could have sworn it was going to be closer to 50” with the way it fought.  It far exceed what other 45”-47” Stripers have felt like this and last season. 
 

 

 

[Dwight Hottle]

I get your concern about the drag but maybe boat control played into your losing that fish. You never want the boat between you & the fish if it can be avoided. If your by yourself you want the boat to be drifting away from the fish never towards it. If you have a partner they should keep the boat moving away from the fish as you tire it out or spin it around so the fish isn’t going under the boat to the other side. Always play the fish out before bring it in to the boat if you can. 

[Woody B]

It's been decades since I caught a Striper, but I agree with @Dwight Hottle.  Boat positioning is key when fighting a big fish.....and you're in a boat.   I've caught a BUNCH of catfish over 10 pounds, and as big as 53 pounds on bass tackle, bass fishing.  Cats love to dive under the boat.  I get on the trolling motor and get the boat away from them before they can get under it.   Regarding drag settings.  I only use baitcasting reels.  I keep my drags fairly loose, but I have a habit of thumbing the reel during hooksets.   

[king fisher]

     I have never caught striped bass, so I have zero first hand knowledge specifically on them, but I will say that when fighting large fish on light gear, I have witnessed far more fish lost due to a drag to tight, than a drag to loose.  Don't panic, let them run, apply more pressure when needed, and be prepared to back off pressure by bowing the rod, and or drag at the critical boat side stage of the fight.  Horsing large fish at the boat is the biggest mistake I believe an angler can make.  If the fish dives under the boat, stick the rod in the water, and work it around to the other side of the boat if necessary.  Way easier to go around the bow of the boat, but there are times, when you have to go around the motor with your rod deep in the water.  Backing off of the drag letting the fish dive, makes this maneuver way easier.  Do not attempt to net the fish until you are positive you will be successful.  Booting the fish with the net is a common mistake, that can easily be avoided with nothing more than a little patience.  

[JohnCal]

Wow, great advice fellas!   Learn so much from this site.  Will put all your advice into action!

[Alex from GA]

King fisher's way is the closest what I do and I've caught my share of freshwater stripers up to 24-12.  Be careful of bumping the trolling motor is the line is close to it.

[WRB]

Spent as much time catching fast strong salt water fish as fresh water fish, some salt game fish that out weigh me and far stronger.

1. Always try to keep a big fast swimming fish in front of you by following the fish if possible. 

2. Adjust your drag 1/3rd the line strength and trust it. Rarely backoff your drag and use your thumb to add force when need. Loosening drag force can give a big fish the opportunity to run uncontrolled running getting into trouble like going under the boat.

3. Stripe bass tend to make a second run when they get near and see the boat so be prepared for it.

bass anglers tend to button drown the reel drag in the false belief the bass will run into cover and break the line. The line being used is usually 2x to 3x the bass weight and the fish can’t break it by pulling to hard. However salt water game fish can easily break line 2X their weight by pulling hard so you learn to adjust the drag or loose the fish.

Tom

[TnRiver46]

Just freak out, works for my wife