There are two ways to catch stripers and hybrid bass. Here are the basics.
Trolling
Trolling is far and away the most-popular technique for catching stripers or hybrids in June. And once a school is located by trolling, you can stop and cast.
Trolling areas should involve contour changes, and severe ones at that. A ridge that tops out at 12 feet or less close to the river channel surrounded by no less than 18 feet of water on either side is ideal, and many such spots are located in the middle section of the main lake.
Other options include old sloughs or lake beds in the main lake, especially those that offer at least a depth 20 feet adjacent to a big, shallow flat.
“They want deep water nearby, but they will be close to a shallow area where they can push the schools of shad and trap them against the surface,” Garavelli said.
Tackle should include a 6 ½- or 7-foot medium or medium-heavy graphite rod paired with a baitcast reel spooled with either 10-, 12- or 14-pound monofilament line. Do not use backing. Do not use braid or fluorocarbon line because they lack the stretching quality of mono.
The most-popular trolling lures are Bandit 200 and 300 series crankbaits in shad patterns, but last year the new Bandit 250 — a bigger-bodied, deeper-diving crankbait — became popular.
Carry at least three floating marker buoys to mark ledges or ridges, or to toss when a school is located.
Boats with a 24- or 36-volt trolling motor can be used, but most trollers use the outboard. Several striper trollers use pontoon boats for shade and ease of movement, but a long-handled rubber net will be required.
Speed is easy to figure — go only as fast as you need to to get a good wobble out of the crankbait: For most boats that’s an idle speed of between 900 or 1,100 rpms.
On one of my favorite spots (mentioned in story) is the edge of an old 30-foot-deep lake bed adjacent to a big shallow flat that ranges from 10 to 14 feet. We try to keep the boat right on the drop, and pull a Bandit 200 on the shallow side, keeping it on the top of the flat. We pull a 300 just off the drop, where the depths usually run about 18 feet. On the outside, we pull the deeper 250 over the lake channel.
We will swap the 250 and the 200 when we troll back down the ledge.
Once we establish a hot lure and a hot depth, we switch all poles to the same lure.
Deep cranking
If a big school is holding in one spot along a drop or other structure, we toss out a buoy, turn off the motor and quit trolling.
Usually, it’s going to be deep, at least 10 feet, so the Bandit 250 is ideal.
A slab spoon or a tail-spinner bait like a Tail-Kicker, Wing-Ding or Mr. George yo-yoed off the bottom is very effective and fun to use. A lipless crankbait yo-yoed is also effective.
On top of a shallow hump, a suspending jerk bait is a good option.
In the past 12 months, the Alabama rig or similar umbrella-type rigs with multiple soft-plastic swim baits have emerged as a popular choice. However, they can be expensive and tiring.
“The problem I ran into is that I rarely ever hooked just one or just two on the rig,” Andrews said. “Rest assured: One is enough and two is too many, so you can imagine what it’s like to have three or four hit (an Alabama rig). I went through about five or six rigs last year at like $30 a pop, so I quit.
“It works, that’s for sure, and it works anywhere you’d troll or anywhere you find them schooling on the surface or anytime they lock up on a ledge.”
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