The only thing more intense than a striped bass feeding frenzy is a feeding frenzy of striped bass anglers. When the bite is on and the crowd is chaotic, Hobie pro Eric Harrison (New England Kayak Fishing) goes into stealth mode, often fishing late hours to get on the fish and away from the masses. Harrison fishes striper year round to develop the skills that big cows can’t combat.
Make ‘em Bite
What do you do with striper that won’t bite? “Nothing,” Harrison says. Many times, he marks big bass on his fish finder, but can’t get a reaction. “I’ll drop a soft plastic jig to the bottom and crank up two feet,” he explains. Then he holds the rod and lets the current and waves do the rest. “You have to be quick on the hookset,” he insists, “the fish will suck in the lure and spit it out in a second.”
Psych-fish-ology
To choose his lure and develop his retrieve, Harrison looks into the mind of the striper. “I have to measure the mood,” he says, “and adjust my technique.” Fishing a tide change that ranges up to 10 feet, Harrison varies between a slow bounce to a burning-fast retrieve. “When the bite is on, ripping the jig in will get the fish fired up,” he says, “and a slow bottom bounce can spark a bite from finicky striper.”
Bounce Bounce
Striper often hang over rough bottom making it tough for anglers to work the strike zone without losing tackle. “I cast out and let the lure hit bottom,” Harrison instructs, “then reel quickly to make the lure jump up a couple feet.” He retrieves the lure fast enough to keep it just above the rocks and grass.
“Period- ically stop reeling and let the jig drop to the bottom for a second.” Any longer, he explains, and the lure can hang up. “Striper often hit the jig as it drops or as soon as it pops up.”
Gear & Gadgets
Kokatat Otter Jacket
Harrison often fishes at night, and the water temperature rarely gets out of the fifties. “Shorts are out of the question,” he says. Instead he uses Kokatat’s Tempest paddling pants and a matching Otter paddling jacket. “The pants are light and breathable and I can fit the sock foot into a pair of wading shoes or sandals,” he says.
The system is designed to mate with the jacket for a water-resistant seal. “And the pants keep me from getting striper rash after pulling big bass on my lap all night.” Kokatat.com
Hogy
Harrison can tempt a striper’s many moods with a soft plastic. “I can rig a 13-inch tail on a three-ounce jig head to fish deep water and hard current, or rig the same softplastic tail weight- less to hit the topwater bite.” He car- ries three fishing rods, each rigged with a different size/style jig. HogyLures.com.
This article was first published in the Summer/Fall 2015 issue of Kayak Angler. Subscribe to Kayak Angler Magazine’s print and digital editions, or browse the archives.
