Fishing for both striped bass and bluefish can be done along most of the Atlantic coast of the North American continent. Stripers and bluefish alike can both be found off the coast of almost every state in the eastern United States, from the southern tip of Florida all the way north to New Hampshire.
Catching both of these fish can sometimes be a little bit of a challenge, but a striper and bluefish rig will help you effectively catch these species of fish. The best part is that it is a very simple rig that only requires a few basic parts. While this rig is used primarily from the surf or beach fishing perspective, it can also be effectively used off of a pier or even a boat.
What You Will Need for this Rig
In order to make this rig, you will only need a few basic items that you might already have in your tackle.
You will need some fishing line for a leader, and we recommend a 30-pound test fluorocarbon line for this purpose.
Next, you will need either a 1-ounce white bucktail or a 6-inch wooden pencil popper to use as a lure.
Lastly, we recommend a 40-pound test braided line for your main fishing line, as these fish can be tough!
Related post: Best Braided Fishing Line
How to Assemble Striped Bass and Bluefish Fishing Rig
The first step in tying this rig is to attach your 30-pound fluorocarbon line leader to your main fishing line. You will want to make this leader long enough to tie knots at both ends and still have around a foot or two left afterward. You could also use a swivel to attach your main line to your leader line, but this is optional and entirely up to you.
Next, you will attach your leader to your lure, whether you chose the 1-ounce white bucktail or a pencil popper lure. Make sure all of your knots are extremely well tied and strong, as you do not want a fish to break them.
How to Fish with This Rig
If you decided to use a bucktail as a lure, you will want to cast it out, let it sink a little bit, and then start reeling it back to you while giving it periodic jerks in order to mimic a fishing motion. This same technique can be applied to using a popper as well, although you will not need to let it sink down at all.
A striper and bluefish rig is a great choice for either one of these species and is plenty simple and strong enough to pull them in. It is a basic rig that is easy to tie and you will be amazed at just how effective it is!
Updated: November 14, 2022