Hybrid Striped Bass gear
Quick setup
| Rod | Reel | Line | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium to medium-heavy rod. | Spincast, spinning or baitcasting. | 8 to 14 lb test. | About 12 inches below a barrel swivel for live bait. |
Rod, reel and line
- Rod
- Medium to medium-heavy rod.
- Reel
- Spincast, spinning or baitcasting.
- Line
- 8 to 14 lb test.
- Leader
- About 12 inches below a barrel swivel for live bait.
Baits
- live shad, 2 to 4 inches
- live minnows
Lures
- lipless crankbaits
- shad-style swimbaits
- white or chartreuse marabou jigs and curly tail grubs
- spoons, slabs and blade baits
- topwater lures when fish are boiling
Rigs
- Live bait below a 1/4 to 1/2 oz egg weight and swivel, dropped to depth from a boat or under a slip float from shore.
- Vertical jig spoons, slabs or blade baits over bait schools found on electronics.
Tips
- Fish wind-blown points, riprap and dams during the May shad spawn and in fall; open water, ledges and channel drop-offs otherwise. Low light is best. Diving birds often mark bait schools.
Starter setup
A 5.5 to 7 foot light to medium-light spinning or spincast rod and matching reel, spooled with 6 lb monofilament. Spincast is easiest for beginners, and a 4 to 5 foot rod suits small kids. Carry size 6 to 10 hooks, a few split shot (pinched on 4 to 8 inches above the hook), small bobbers, a couple of small spinners and jigs, and worms. Learn the improved clinch knot and the palomar knot.
Light line casts farther and draws more strikes. Heavier line and stiffer rods are for bigger fish, heavy cover or sharp teeth, not for everyday fishing.
When to size up
| Fish | Gear |
|---|---|
| Walleye, bass, saugeye, hybrid striped bass | medium rod, 8 to 12 lb line, 6 to 7.5 feet |
| Channel catfish | medium-heavy rod, 10 to 20 lb line |
| Northern pike | medium-heavy rod, 15 lb or heavier braid, steel or heavy fluorocarbon (40 lb+) leader |
| Muskellunge | heavy 7 to 9 foot rod, 50 to 80 lb braid, heavy leader |
| Trolling for lake trout and salmon | 8.5 to 10.5 foot trolling rods, 15 lb mono or 30 lb braid, level-wind reels |
| Steelhead | 8 to 10 foot or longer rods, 6 to 10 lb line |
| Lake sturgeon | heavy rod, 50 to 100 lb braid |
Stocked in the last 2 years
15 waters with a stocking in the last 2 years.
Texas (10)
- Buchanan Tank, Culberson
- Buffalo Springs Lake, Lubbock
- Fort Phantom Hill Lake, Jones
- Jim Chapman Lake, Delta
- Lake Pat Cleburne, Johnson
- Lewisville Creek, Waller
- Millers Creek, Baylor
- Possum Kingdom Lake, Palo Pinto
- Somerville Lake, Burleson
- Tawakoni Balancing Reservoir, Kaufman
Utah (5)
- Brough Reservoir, Juab
- Maple Lake, Utah
- Pelican Lake, Uintah
- Pelican Pond, Cache
- Willard Bay Reservoir, Box Elder
Gear for other species
- Rainbow Trout
- Brown Trout
- Brook Trout
- Walleye
- Stocked Trout (species not listed)
- Cutthroat Trout
- Muskellunge and Tiger Muskie
- Yellow Perch
- Channel Catfish
- Largemouth Bass
- Bluegill and Sunfish
- Northern Pike
- Crappie
- Lake Trout
- Landlocked Atlantic Salmon
- Tiger Trout
- Kokanee
- Chinook Salmon
- Coho Salmon
- Steelhead
- Saugeye and Sauger
- Splake
- Lake Sturgeon
- Smallmouth Bass
- Golden Trout
- Arctic Grayling
Gear types only. Check your state's fishing regulations before you go.