Each year, anglers eagerly anticipate the arrival of striped bass on the east coast. They flock to the ocean for a chance to catch one of these iconic gamefish. The run is now in full swing, with fish being caught up and down the East Coast of the US. If you haven’t chased stripers before but are thinking about trying, you’ve come to the right place. To help you in your quest to catch striped bass this season, here is a list of our top 10 striped bass flies.
1. Salty Clouser
The Clouser Minnow is one of the greatest flies of all time. Simply put, if there’s one fly you take striper fishing, it has to be this. Redesigned with hooks and materials suited to saltwater, these are durable and deadly. Whether you’re fishing a full floating, intermediate, or fast sinking fly line, this easy to cast fly is applicable all season long as it can imitate a range of forage for striped bass like sand eels and small baitfish.
2. Deceivers
Originated by the great Lefty Kreh back in the late 1950s, this style of streamer is considered one of the world’s top saltwater game fish flies. Our interpretations continue the tradition and no striper anglers box is complete without at least one color variant of a deceiver. This pattern is best fished on an intermediate or fast sinking fly line.
3. Whalley’s Chain Breaker
This is another excellent baitfish imitation. Using a combination of natural and synthetic materials, this medium sized baitfish pattern has fooled wary fish up and down the East Coast. Swim this fly around rocky structure, in the troths off the beach or around tidal river outflows and this fly is sure to turn the heads of striped bass and other saltwater gamefish.
4. Sparkle Minnow
Another great baitfish imitation that is incredibly eye catching to feeding bass. This pattern is built with tons of flash, so it’s a great option to have in your rotation on those sunny days when the iridescent of baitfish light up water. While flashy patterns don’t always do the trick, they often will call attention to your fly from a distance. When the fish are in the right mood, this flashy baitfish imitation is irresistible to striped bass.
5. Whalley’s Money Minnow
This small baitfish pattern has caught fish up and down the east coast of the US. Signature Tyer Ben Whalley says “Whether targeting blitzing striped bass in June, fishing albies in the fall or snook in the dock lights, this durable and flexible baitfish pattern certainly grabs the attention of predators nearby.”
6. Two Tone Brushy
The Two Tone Brushy is an exceptional big fish fly. Designed originally for GTs, we have adapted this pattern and now offer it in a range of sizes and colors. This makes it perfect for striped bass as well. We recommend you fish this pattern on an intermediate or fast sinking fly line.
7. Ostri-ceiver
We worked closely with some die-hard New England salt anglers when developing this unique pattern. A larger baitfish profile for those extra large Stripers when you know they’re just looking for a bigger meal. We recommend fishing the Ostri-ceiver on an intermediate or fast sinking fly line to get that fly below the water’s surface.
8. Softy Sand Eel
Sand eels are a primary forage for striped bass in many parts of the East Coast. While the a clouser fly is a fine sand eel imitation, sometimes you need to match the hatch a little more. This realistic pattern is our go to when the bass are keyed in on sand eels. You always want some in your fly box incase they’re keyed in on this, as they often won’t go for larger bait when that’s relevant. These also work well when the striped bass are on smaller baitfish like bay anchovies.
When Crustaceans are on the Menu
Bass feed on a variety of crustaceans up and down the coastline. Finding the right habitat where crabs exist is key if you want to capitalize on this bite. Crabbing for striped bass requires a patient presentation. By using weighted flies on full sink lines, slowly drag the fly along the bottom in areas where crabs inhabit. Crab flies have produced amazing fish in highly pressured areas where stripers might otherwise reject baitfish patterns. Give crabbing a try this season with the flies below!
9. Whalley’s Crack Crab
In Signature Tyer Ben Whalley’s words, the Crack Crab is “arguably the most effective pattern to catch stripers on the fly for the wade angler. Durable and lifelike, weighted with heavy dumbbell eyes to keep on bottom and kick up sand.” All the materials used in this pattern have been carefully thought through by Ben. The synthetic body materials holds a shell-like profile really nicely while the rubber legs and rabbit strip claws provide lifelike movement. Tied on a jig hook, the Crack Crab is purpose built to fish effectively on bottom.
10. Flexo Crab
The Flexo Crab is the go-to crab imitation around the world. This is no different on the East Coast. Durable with an extremely strong hook, this comes in lots of colors and sizes.
Gear Recommendations
Striped bass have a huge range in size depending on time of year and location, but one thing is certain: you don’t want to be under-prepared when that fish of a lifetime takes your fly. Generally, an 8-10 weight fly rod paired with a weight forward intermediate fly line covers the bases for striped bass. If all you have is a floating line, don’t fret. We encourage those with float lines to fish flies with weight, that being tungsten or brass eyes. For near-weightless flies a sinking fly line is ideal for getting your presentation in the strike zone. When bass are busting on bait at the surface, some anglers prefer a full floating line over the standard full intermediate.
When pairing a reel with your rod, be sure it is suitable for saltwater fishing. We recommend a fully sealed, high quality drag system with plenty breaking power to handle the powerful runs that bass are known for. In addition, bass anglers should have 250 yards of backing on the reel, for it’s quite common for larger bass to take you well into your backing. As for the leader system, one should start with an 8-10ft leader and 20lbs tippet section. That pound test works well for most applications, but there are reasons to rope-up if you anticipate large fish or even down size in the case of very selective fish in clear, skinny water.
Lastly, if you plan to fish from shore, having a stripping basket for line management is critical. Sure it can feel awkward if you’re not used to wearing one, but it makes a huge difference when wading rocky shorelines or fishing in the surf. Even for the beach angler, a stipping basket is just as important as a good fly line and rod pairing, and selecting the right fly.
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