The eel is perhaps the most iconic bait used when targeting stripers. Big, soft plastics are the ultimate eel imitations for striped bass and have been fooling trophy class fish for decades. Many anglers will tandem rig a large soft bait much the same way traditional anglers would tandem rig a dead eel but we find that if big softbaits are fished at a fast retrieve, the vast majority of strikes are targeted at the head.
- Hogy Top Imitator
- 10” Hogy Original and 14” Hogy Original fished on a swimbait hook: Fish this bait fast. The added action and speed will draw reaction strikes from hesitant fish and also make more of a commotion, drawing attention. It’s hard to beat a fast-fished softbait as an eel imitator.
14″ Original is a perfect eel imitation. - 13″ Slappy: This long, slender bait has eel-like movement, even when fished at the slowest speeds. Don’t be afraid to use even the lightest jig heads — we recommend the Barbarian jig head. A very subtle fall is super life-like with these long, slender, eel-like baits.
- 10” Hogy Original and 14” Hogy Original fished on a swimbait hook: Fish this bait fast. The added action and speed will draw reaction strikes from hesitant fish and also make more of a commotion, drawing attention. It’s hard to beat a fast-fished softbait as an eel imitator.
