Good Striper Rods

[Captain Rhino]

I am looking to buy a rod for striper fishing at Lake Cumberland, KY. I have a large reel already, but am looking for a rod to fit it. I will probably use this rod for a bit of catfishing as well, but the majority will be for striper. I will only be able to go about 5 times a year, so I am not looking for an overly expensive rod. Any advice or recommendations?

Thanks,

Rhino

[roadwarrior]

If you have a MH or H bass rod, you don't need

anything specifically for striper.

8-)

[Captain Rhino]

If you have a MH or H bass rod, you don't need

anything specifically for striper.

8-)

I only have M and ML's. I know stripers can get pretty heavy, which is why I'm concerned about my smaller rods.

[roadwarrior]

Well, if you fish the Cumberland River, Tennessee River

or any of the reservoirs on either system, an "average"

striper runs 8-12 lbs. If you get a big'un on, you will

either lose it or kill it by the time you get it to the boat.

As I wrote earlier, get a MH or H rod, #15 Hybrid or

17 XT and Gamakatsu 4/0 Octopus Circle Hooks if

you fish live bait.

8-)

[Captain Rhino]

Excellent, thanks for the advice!

[newriverfisherman1953]

Ugly Stick.  Cost is $30.00 or less most places.  They are very strong and durable for the money.

[stratos 375]

You didn't say if you had a casting or spinning reel. If you have a casting reel, get a  7' flippin stick, should be easy to find, you can probably get a used one very cheap. If you got spinning gear, I don't know what to tell you, spinning gear ain't my thing.

If you're gonna be throwin striper size lures, it'll get old throwin it on a bass rod, and if you hook a real hog on bass gear, you'll wished you hadn't. Any serious striper fishin will destroy your bass gear. Up here in the neck of the Chesapeake, stripers are numerous and large. When the're runnin thick, you can catch 20 to 30 a day up to 30 lbs or so. I've caught literally thousands of them, never used a net on any of them and have the scars to prove it

My striper gear is a Ambassaduer 6001, 7' Fenwick glass flippin stik and Trilene 20# big game. Almost exclusively, we throw 7" rattlin redfins with barbless hooks.

You want to get these babies to the boat as quick as possible, especially as the water warms up. For the size of these brutes, they actually are very delicate and often won't live thru a long drawn out fight, followed by some on-board oral surgery to get your hook out. That's why we always go barbless. A quick fight, grab the treble with pliers, give it a flick of the wrist, they never come out of the water.