drfeno, My old Uncle taught me to use a Gunny Sack, or maybe that loose weave sack that Onions or Potatos come in, with some rocks in it. Filled with Oily old fish stuff. Heads, guts, etc. Now days you can soak some of that stuff in Anise Extract and add an ounce or so of Vinella Extract when you are just about to drop it overboard. Do this after you anchor so you'll be fishing right over your own Sugar sack.
Always anchor a little down-current from another guy who's chumming. Cuhmming is putting fish in another guys boat.
Cast up toward his boat and let your flashy bait sink down through his cloud of Chum.
In Fresh water, a live bait would be Minnows or Shad. I dont know what you'd use over on that 'Other' coast.
One good artificial bait is a Fly called a Clouser minnow. Use a 20" leader and 1/4 Oz sliding weight. Cast and retrieve with your Bass Rig and have faith.
I did this kind of stuff when Salmon fishing. It may work with Stripers.
I used two kinds methods of trolling Herring for Salmon.
Cut Bait, where you cut the head off the bait, put two hooks down thru the bait. The big hook up near the head and the little hook nearer the tail, but carefull inserted so the point of the hook comes out right at the color line. I dont know why that's so important, but years of success says to do it just that way.
You get more fish on that tail hook.
The other way is 'whole Herring' and its never been wildly successful like Cut Bait. We use it when the Herring is not fresh, sorta soft, and wont hold a hook if you cut it.
You can look both those methods up on Google or some bait sellers website.
It's hard for any fish to resist that 'Cut plug' method.
Another way to troll a sorta flashy, but live smelling bait is to take a slice out of the Hide of a larger fish and thread it on your hook in such a way it looks like a swimming fish. A slice of a larger Striper would be excellent for this. About 10" would be a big piece. 6" might be better.
I think the theory is the Sight will bring another fish over for a look, the smell will lock im' in and the Greed, or the thought that another fish might get it, will cause im' to bite.
We used that one when prospecting for a good 'bottom' fish location.
Perry, I'd bet your gess is right, there is a difference between Salt n' Fresh Stripers. Food and water temp are certainly different.
I ate three of them (all were two or three lbs) fixed in the traditionally Southern way (Baked I think) by my Wife and all three were sorta tastless, and textureless fish.
She did them the same way she does Bass. Bass were good, Striper NOT! I quit bringing them home.
She does Crappie differnt. They are all Deep fried in oil.
In the way of eating game fish I compare these Fresh water Stripers to the 'pink salmon (or Humpies) which are Salmon but just about the only way they are edible is made up in patties with lots of other stuff in the patty for taste and texture.
That's all for today Grasshopper. Now go out and catch some fish!
