Species guide

Striped Bass Fishing: Gear and Setups

The main inshore and surf gamefish of the US Atlantic coast, and a serious reservoir fish inland. Everything about striper tackle is built around current and around fish that can run.

Also known as Striper, rockfish, linesider, schoolie (small fish).

Build a striped bass setup Hook size for surf fishing

Striped Bass setups by technique

Generated by our recommendation engine for an average fish in water typical for the species. Adjust for your water with the Setup Builder.

Recommended striped bass setups by technique
Technique	Rod	Reel	Main line	Leader	Hook
Surf fishing	10'–12' Medium Heavy power · Moderate Fast action	6000–8000 Spinning reel	30–50 lb Braided line	50–60 lb Monofilament	5/0–6/0 Circle hook
Spinning	7'–7'6" Medium Heavy power · Fast action	4000–5000 Spinning reel	20–30 lb Braided line	25–40 lb Fluorocarbon	5/0–6/0 Circle hook
Trolling	7'6"–9' Medium power · Moderate action	20–30 Conventional reel	25–40 lb Monofilament	40–50 lb Fluorocarbon	6/0–7/0 Circle hook

Scroll the table sideways to see every column.

Where to find striped bass

Along the Atlantic coast from Maine to North Carolina, moving north in spring and south in fall. They are also established in West Coast waters around San Francisco Bay and the Delta, and landlocked in reservoirs across the South and Midwest. Coastal fish hold where current concentrates bait: inlets, rips, rock piles, jetty tips and the trough behind a sandbar.

How they feed

Ambush feeders that face into moving water and let the current bring bait to them. Slack water usually means no fish. They feed hardest at dawn, dusk and at night, and a moving tide matters more than the time on the clock.

Typical size

Schoolies run 18 to 28 inches and 2 to 8 pounds and make up most of what you catch. Thirty inch fish are common enough to plan tackle around, and fish over 40 inches are trophies anywhere in the range. What you may keep is a separate question from what you may catch: slot limits are narrow and they change, so check the current rule rather than assuming.

Through the year

Coastal fishing follows the migration: spring as fish move north and feed on herring and bunker, then a heavy fall run as they push south behind bait. Through midsummer they hold in deeper, cooler water and feed mostly at night. Reservoir stripers follow shad rather than a migration.

What to put on the end of the line

Baits and lures our engine has rules for, for the techniques striped bass are most often caught on.

Live eel

The classic night bait for large striped bass, fished on a slow retrieve or drifted in current.

Hook size for this

Cut bait

Chunks of bunker, mullet, herring, shad or other fresh baitfish.

Hook size for this

Bucktail jig

A leadhead dressed with hair, often with a soft plastic trailer. The most versatile lure in the surf and around inlets.

Hook size for this

Topwater lure

Poppers, walking baits and buzzbaits worked on the surface.

Hook size for this

Casting or trolling spoon

A curved metal blade with a wobbling flash, effective on almost every predator.

Hook size for this

Common striped bass mistakes

Using a J hook with bait

On the Atlantic coast, non-offset circle hooks are required when fishing with bait for striped bass under the interstate management plan. Beyond the rule, a J hook on a bait a striper has swallowed usually kills a fish you meant to release.

Fishing slack water

Stripers set up on moving water. If the tide has stopped, move or wait rather than casting harder.

Leader too light for the structure

Jetty rock, mussel beds and bridge pilings cut line far more often than fish break it. Step up the leader before you step up the main line.

Regulations

Two different sets of rules cover this species. On the Atlantic coast, the migratory stock is managed under an interstate plan through the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, which each state then implements: that plan requires non-offset circle hooks when fishing with bait in the recreational fishery, and it sets slot limits and seasons that have changed several times in recent years. Inland reservoir and West Coast fisheries are managed separately by their own states and the circle hook requirement does not automatically apply. Check the agency for the water you are fishing before every trip. Last checked August 2026.

Build a complete striped bass setup

Answer five short questions and get a complete setup: rod length, power and action, reel size, main line, leader and hook, each with the reasoning behind it.

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Reference charts

Fishing Hook Size ChartEvery size from #28 to 12/0 with what each one is used for, and why the same number differs between brands.
Fishing Reel Size ChartSpinning, baitcasting, conventional and fly reel classes with typical line capacity and what each size is for.
Fishing Line Size ChartPound test against typical diameter for mono, fluorocarbon and braid, and how to compare them fairly.
Fishing Rod Size GuideWhat length, power and action each control, and how to read the specs printed on a blank.

Other species

Species information here describes general behavior and habitat across the species' US range. Local populations differ; your state fish and wildlife agency is the authority on regulations and on the fishery in front of you. How we build recommendations.