Aggressive conservation efforts in past years have benefited some species. The Cape Lookout striped bass is such a species. Enormous in size and ready to hit most anything that’s thrown at them, from flies and lures to live or dead bait, this is a fish that you want to target and catch.
Cape Lookout stripers range from 15 to 50 pounds
Seagoing stripers have received the benefit from a management plan mandated at the federal level. They are also receiving a boost from a long-lived management plan in the Roanoke River and Albemarle Sound, the source of the adult fish that run in the ocean.
Some of The Best Striper Action
When a small striper is 15 pounds, you know that you have fantastic fishing. That’s what you can find when fishing Cape Lookout.
A trip for stripers can begin as close to land as the sandbars at Beaufort Inlet. A falling tide concentrates baitfish. You never can tell when the fish may–or may not– be in the area.
Inside the inlet, the water is protected from most winds. Small boats can get in on the action when the fish are schooling inside the inlet. The best way to find them is to watch for baitfish. Most of the time, the birds will show you the location of the fish.
If the baitfish are scattered, you only see the fish hitting the top of the water. If you’re fishing inside the inlet, keep an eye on the depth finder to find fish and bait.
Cow stripers can show up anywhere from Core Banks all the way south to Shackleford Banks at the Dead Tree Hole.
Mojos Can Make Magic
A Mojo is a trolling weight. Three way swivels attach lures to the mojo’s line with leaers. This rig is trolled and enables anglers to catch fish at different depths.
Anglers will also land big stripers by trolling big diving plugs such as Stretch 25s. When the weather is cold, deep divers help minimize rod handling yet put you into big bass.
Although these techniques both work for stripers, casting jigs, lures and baits to schooling bass will also work. There’s nothing like a 50-pound bass hitting a Storm Wildeye Shad or other unweighted lure.
