Join Capt. Mike and Capt. Cullen Lundholm as they dive into the tips and tricks to catch striped bass out of the rips! Learn the art of positioning yourself in the right spot to maximize your chances of landing more fish. We’ll share valuable tips and techniques on lure selection, presentation, and retrieval methods that have proven to be successful in targeting topwater striped bass in the rips. Whether you’re a seasoned angler or a beginner, this how-to video offers valuable insights and practical advice to use on your next trip on the water!
Approach
- Early season fishing in the rips of Vineyard Sound can be extremely productive. The various rips are a great place for bait and striped bass to congregate in the early months of the season. I tend to alway kick start my year looking for fish in the rips.
- Squid were prolific on this given day, which means that the amber colored lures came out to play! Matching the hatch of the squid these striped bass were feeding on was key and there’s no better color than amber in doing so!
- Stemming the tide was the name of the game to eliminate any disturbance to the ecosystem of the rip. Striped bass tend to hand right on the rip line, and by continuously motoring over this area you are likely to spook the fish.
Technique
- The squid are being flushed over top the rip, exactly where the striped bass are staging to ambush them. That means that creating an offering that looks as natural as possible is key. This can be done by fishing “the swing”. Cast up tide into the smooth water and let your bait drift with the tide into the rip. You will find you get a majority of hits as soon as your plug enters the rip line.
- The Hogy XL Dog Walker in amber was a perfect bait for matching the size and color of the squid in the area. We were fishing this lure with a “walk the dog” style retrieve. This retrieve is easily done by simply pumping your rod with short pumps and reeling in the slack line.
- We were catch and release fishing today. That mens all barbs were crushed on our hooks and we removed any rear facing treble hooks to ensure healthy releases of each fish.
Outfit
*This is definitely your heavier duty inshore outfit. Keep in mind I switch hit this outfit with my lighter duty offshore fishing as well!
- Rod: 7′ Hogy Hybrid Spinning Rod
- Reel: Van Staal VSX2 200
- Line: 65lb Cortland Master Braid
- Leader: 30lb Fluorocarbon
- Lure: Hogy XL DogWalker
Tips
1. Stem the tide in front of the rip. This will avoid blowing out and spooking any fish nearby.
2. Mix up the cadence of your “walk the dog” retrieve. Start slow with long pauses or fast and erratic. This will aid in determining the ideal retrieve for that day.
3. A heavier setup with beefed up gear is ideal when fishing heavy current. This will help with landing the fish faster before, ensuring a healthy release.
