Big Fake Eels on the Bottom
Salt Water Sportsman|November - December 2022
Catch trophy stripers holding tight to structure with giant soft-plastic baits.
Big Fake Eels on the Bottom

Some 20 feet separated Cory Crochetiere and me aboard MARC VI while jigging for striped bass off Rhode Island this past July. Using identical tacklePenn rods and Battle III 5000 reels, 20-pound Sufix 832 braid, 40-pound fluoro leader, GT plastic eels and Atlas jig heads-Crochetiere was pitching a shutout.

After Cory released his sixth big striper, I studied what he was doing differently. This intel provided a boost toward getting strikes and finally into the groove. We went on to release a dozen bass upward of 40 pounds in four hours, and four more releases within a few hours during the following afternoon's tide. Success came down to subtleties.

Drift and Drop

Artificial eels are especially cherished throughout the mid-Atlantic and Northeast for trophy striped bass. As basic as they appear pinned on a jig head, they demand a lot of attention to make them look alive. A master of manipulating the long plastic, Crochetiere practices this art nearly exclusively during New England's trophy bass migration. Bassing out of Westerly, Rhode Island, we were jigging along the Southwest Ledge, concentrating on its 35-to 55-foot-deep crown. It was here where striped bass were marked blanketing the bottom. Each pass began a few hundred feet up-current of the fish and culminated a hundred or so feet down-current of the crown, usually with a single- or doubleheader score.

A Quick Study

My first lesson learned: Give these bass what they're keyed into eating. Crochetiere fished Gravity Tackle's Calamari. I began with flutter-style irons. When he pulled out to a five-fish lead, I had to switch over.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM SALT WATER SPORTSMANView all
Jupiter 40
Salt Water Sportsman

Jupiter 40

The new Jupiter 40 shines brightly amid an increasingly crowded orbit of similar-size offshore center-console fishing machines.

time-read
3 mins  |
August - September 2023
Pursuit S 248 Sport
Salt Water Sportsman

Pursuit S 248 Sport

The new S 248 Sport offers a versatile alternative to the growing number of mega-size, multi-outboard center-console fishing boats.

time-read
3 mins  |
August - September 2023
Pressing Pause
Salt Water Sportsman

Pressing Pause

MAKING THE MOST OF THE TIDE'S RUNNING-SLACK PERIODS WILL UP YOUR GAME.

time-read
6 mins  |
August - September 2023
NEED FOR SPEED
Salt Water Sportsman

NEED FOR SPEED

SPEED-TROLLING WITH DIVING LIPLESS PLUGS HAS EMERGED AS THE NEXT BIG THING FOR FINICKY PACIFIC BLUEFIN TUNA.

time-read
6 mins  |
August - September 2023
FISH WIDE OPEN
Salt Water Sportsman

FISH WIDE OPEN

TODAY'S NEW BREED OF HIGH-PERFORMANCE OUTBOARD BOATS EXPANDS ANGLING HORIZONS

time-read
5 mins  |
August - September 2023
FLORIDA KEYS OVERNIGHTER
Salt Water Sportsman

FLORIDA KEYS OVERNIGHTER

THE DRY TORTUGAS IS NO LONGER THE FINAL FRONTIER, BUT THE BOTTOMFISHING IS STILL WORTH THE TRIP.

time-read
6 mins  |
August - September 2023
A Quiet Revolution
Salt Water Sportsman

A Quiet Revolution

Brushless saltwater trolling motors turn up the efficiency and turn down the noise.

time-read
6 mins  |
August - September 2023
The Right Propeller
Salt Water Sportsman

The Right Propeller

Changing out your props? Here are five things to know first, straight from the experts.

time-read
4 mins  |
August - September 2023
Topwaters for Every Speed
Salt Water Sportsman

Topwaters for Every Speed

There's nothing better than watching a fish slam a plug as it rips across the water's surface.

time-read
3 mins  |
August - September 2023
Don't Let Current Ruin Your Bottom-Fishing Trip
Salt Water Sportsman

Don't Let Current Ruin Your Bottom-Fishing Trip

Lengthen your soak time with this fast-current bottom rig.

time-read
4 mins  |
August - September 2023