How to catch striped bass by applying the 15 min. rule.
I utilize the fifteen minute rule usually when striped bass are shoaling, or spread out amidst a significant expanse of water. Perhaps I'm noticing striped bass which are suspended in deep water, or possibly they are hunting alongside a rather long stretch of beachfront. In any event, when striped bass are disseminated all over a substantial area, the 15 Minute Rule has proven itself as an useful tool for establishing a good trolling pattern. The rule is an essential component of an overarching strategy for finding and sticking with the striped bass biomass.
Upon marking just 1 bass I will then put lines in the water. I'll get started trolling in a chosen course, nearly always parallel to the beach. In this way I troll along the depth at which I marked that 1st striped bass. In other words, I am hoping that there are many more bass cruising through the stretch of water in front of me. I'm in a way placing a bet that the one bass I marked on the sonar, is but one of hundreds of striped bass in the direct vicinity.
I'll then troll for fifteen minutes, retaining a close eye on the sonar the entire time. If after fifteen minutes I have not tempted a bite, captured a striped bass, or seen any more striped bass on the sonar, I restart my search parallel to the beachfront along the same depth until eventually I begin marking striped bass once more.
If I do hook a bass during the first 15 minutes, lure a bite, or mark more striped bass on the sonar, then my 15 minute time clock is reset. Previously, a normal circumstance I have experienced is finding an expanse of ocean, up to a mile in total, which has had striped bass along the complete length. The water to the east, west, north and south of this expanse of water frequently have no striped bass in it at all.
The 15 minute rule allows me to identify the fish-filled stretch of ocean in the following way.
Let's say that throughout the previous half hour I've trolled a relatively straight course east through a 1/2 mile expanse of water catching striped bass the entire time. It's now been fifteen minutes since I have landed a striped bass, enticed a bite, and marked anything at all on my fish finder-indicating that I have come to the last part of the productive stretch of water.
The next step will be to reel the lines in, and cruise westward, back to where I started marking, and reeling in striped bass. I would keep a close eye on my sonar while driving, noticing any bass marks that may arise.
If I mark striped bass on my westerly cruise to where I originally began noticing striped bass then wonderful, the striped bass are still holding along the identical stretch of water which is obviously the ideal situation, particularly for anglers just learning how to catch striped bass.
Surely there will be those instances when I fail to locate striped bass during the journey westward. And after driving up to a mile west of the initial spot where I first commenced observing striped bass, I will still fail to mark any life on the fish finder. In situations like this I would preclude that the schools of bass have transitioned either shallower or deeper. I would then move into shallower or deeper water and commence a new search pattern.
Without a doubt knowing how to find bass with consistency is the initial step to understanding how to catch striped bass.
I utilize the fifteen minute rule usually when striped bass are shoaling, or spread out amidst a significant expanse of water. Perhaps I'm noticing striped bass which are suspended in deep water, or possibly they are hunting alongside a rather long stretch of beachfront. In any event, when striped bass are disseminated all over a substantial area, the 15 Minute Rule has proven itself as an useful tool for establishing a good trolling pattern. The rule is an essential component of an overarching strategy for finding and sticking with the striped bass biomass.
Upon marking just 1 bass I will then put lines in the water. I'll get started trolling in a chosen course, nearly always parallel to the beach. In this way I troll along the depth at which I marked that 1st striped bass. In other words, I am hoping that there are many more bass cruising through the stretch of water in front of me. I'm in a way placing a bet that the one bass I marked on the sonar, is but one of hundreds of striped bass in the direct vicinity.
I'll then troll for fifteen minutes, retaining a close eye on the sonar the entire time. If after fifteen minutes I have not tempted a bite, captured a striped bass, or seen any more striped bass on the sonar, I restart my search parallel to the beachfront along the same depth until eventually I begin marking striped bass once more.
If I do hook a bass during the first 15 minutes, lure a bite, or mark more striped bass on the sonar, then my 15 minute time clock is reset. Previously, a normal circumstance I have experienced is finding an expanse of ocean, up to a mile in total, which has had striped bass along the complete length. The water to the east, west, north and south of this expanse of water frequently have no striped bass in it at all.
The 15 minute rule allows me to identify the fish-filled stretch of ocean in the following way.
Let's say that throughout the previous half hour I've trolled a relatively straight course east through a 1/2 mile expanse of water catching striped bass the entire time. It's now been fifteen minutes since I have landed a striped bass, enticed a bite, and marked anything at all on my fish finder-indicating that I have come to the last part of the productive stretch of water.
The next step will be to reel the lines in, and cruise westward, back to where I started marking, and reeling in striped bass. I would keep a close eye on my sonar while driving, noticing any bass marks that may arise.
If I mark striped bass on my westerly cruise to where I originally began noticing striped bass then wonderful, the striped bass are still holding along the identical stretch of water which is obviously the ideal situation, particularly for anglers just learning how to catch striped bass.
Surely there will be those instances when I fail to locate striped bass during the journey westward. And after driving up to a mile west of the initial spot where I first commenced observing striped bass, I will still fail to mark any life on the fish finder. In situations like this I would preclude that the schools of bass have transitioned either shallower or deeper. I would then move into shallower or deeper water and commence a new search pattern.
Without a doubt knowing how to find bass with consistency is the initial step to understanding how to catch striped bass.
About the Author:
Captain Ryan Collins is a charter and commercial striped bass fisherman from Cape Cod, MA. His fishing blog, myfishingcapecod.com teaches novice and veteran fishermen the top techniques for big striped bass. Check out his blog for more secret tips, just click here today.
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