One of the memorable, and irritating, Montauk blitzes I ever skilled befell in Turtle Cove, the seaside simply southwest of the long-lasting lighthouse. The scene will need to have been much like the one which, in 1614, impressed Captain John Smith to put in writing of the abundance of stripers, “one may stroll dryshod throughout their backs.”
But, for the dozen or extra surfcasters launching into the melee, few fish have been caught—and one in every of them had been foul-hooked within the dorsal. The bass had eyes just for the tiny bay anchovies they’d balled up, and none of our “traditional” Montauk lures, just like the pencil popper, darter, or bucktail, was a detailed sufficient match to the 2-inch lengthy, almost clear baitfish.
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Within the fall, many stripers, even bigger ones, set their sights on these super-abundant however micro-sized baitfish. These embrace juvenile fish which were compelled out of their estuarine nurseries by falling temperatures, sand eels invading the surf after summering offshore and balling up for his or her swim south, and silversides grouping up and heading offshore to their wintering grounds.
Striped bass may be surprisingly choosy when scarfing down these 1- to 4-inch baitfish, and the lures that almost all successfully imitate them may be not possible to forged on spinning gear. Fortunately, the striper fishermen of yore figured that out by including a small fly forward of a heavier lure they matched to the hatch and nonetheless reached the fish.
An efficient teaser may be so simple as a couple of hackle feathers lashed to a Siwash hook or a bit of colourful surgical tubing threaded onto a Tru-Flip hook, with a barrel swivel added to the attention. Teasers may be as ornate as flies tied to resemble particular baitfish and as specialised because the Purple Gill or Tsunami Sand Eel teasers made particularly for this goal.
Forms of Teasers
Rigging Teasers
I’ve toyed with some ways to connect a teaser to my line and have landed on what I believe is essentially the most handy. I need to should choice to take away the teaser solely with out having to rerig, and the easiest way to try this is to pre-tie my teasers on six-inch lengths of chief with a small, 50-pound-test clip on the reverse finish of the road. This makes for a straightforward and quick addition, removing, or change of the teaser.
In his guide, The Trophy Striper, Frank Daignault really useful protecting sufficient area between teaser and plug for a trophy striper to suit, however this could result in some unwieldy casting. I like not less than 30 inches between teaser and plug; most frequently, I’ve between 36 and 40 inches of separation between the attachment level for my teaser and the clip for my plug.
When stripers are dialed into small baitfish, the plug or lure is little greater than a car for the teaser. Select a lure that casts effectively, even with the added drag of the teaser, and sinks at an applicable price for the situation within the water column the place the bass are feeding. If the stripers are scrounging for sand eels over a distant sand bar, a metallic diamond jig is an effective selection. If they’re sipping spearing off the floor, a needlefish or minnow plug will maintain the teaser within the strike zone.
An outdated trick for anglers attempting to ship a teaser a good distance in stormy circumstances is to forego the lure altogether and use a financial institution sinker as an alternative.
Associated Content material
Six Important Lures for Fall Run Surfcasting
Surfcasting with Metallic Lures
WATCH: Tips on how to Use Teasers for Striped Bass within the Surf
