Clams
Without spending too much time on this food source, I have not been able to find a lure, bait, etc. that can beat the real thing when it comes to clams. When using clams real early in the season I prefer to use 12-15 lb (lighter line allows further casts, but should be changed out annually) Berkley Big Game on my reels due to its abrasion resistance and low level of stretch and then place a slide weight above a barrel swivel to make a fish finder rig. After connecting the barrel swivel, I like to use about 3 feet of Seaguar 20# fluorocarbon and a 5/0 J Hook with bait holder barbs as striped bass will tap and pick at a clam early in the season making circle hooks less effective. Also, keeping the clam chunks on your hook small this time of year can really help. Remember anytime when you are fishing clams, the bass is really looking for the sack in the clam and not the tough foot. If they take the part they like, time to bait up again.
Sand Eels
The next food source which is an important part of a Striped Bass’ diet is the sand eel a.k.a. the American sand lance (it is really not an eel). The sand eel is about 3” – 5” long and has a silvery side and swims similar to an eel in the water in a snake like fashion. Because the sand eel can not be used effectively as bait, the only option is to try to replicate this food source by flies, tins and lures. For this article, I will focus on the spin/conventional fishing.
AVA Tins with tails are an effective means of fishing for bass when sand eels are present, especially if worked in a jigging manner, because sand eels burrow as a defense mechanism when they see a bass. This small puff of sand that an AVA tin replicates when jigged off the bottom and can make for some really fun bites. As well, you can switch to a Deadly Dick and fish it in a steady retrieve or troll the lure to mimic the same flash and motion of a sand eel making this lure both effective from shore or from a boat. AVA tins can really be found anywhere you walk into, usually hanging from racks by the dozen. While Deadly Dick’s can be found almost anywhere, finding the right weight can be tough. I have included a link below for reference.
http://www.edgeangling.com/DD03-2L.html
The next effective way to fish for bass is with plastic lures. The lure I have found that best mimics the movement of a sand eel, casts great without fouling, and can take a bluefish beating is the Bomber Lure Company’s 17A. This lure is great when casting in conditions that have current. Whether on a rip line or fishing a current, this lure looks just like the real thing struggling to get across the water. I fish these in yellow and white, all black, and purple and black with great results. In fact, the biggest striped bass I ever caught was in a blitz on one of these lures. What I have also found over the years is that even if bigger baits are around, these lures still produce making it a must have in my surf bag year round. In my opinion, in fishing for striped bass from the beach, this lure is the best. You can find these lures at almost any tackle shop although I am including the below link for reference:
http://www.edgeangling.com/Fishing-Lures2.html?brand.value=Bomber&v=table&n=24
Another great way to fish with sand eels is with plastics. Hogy and Vision lures make great replications of sand eels. These lures rigged in weedless fashion on a Carolina rig can produce fish too especially when erratically worked between swimming the bait and jigged off the bottom. I have found these are good on beaches with low levels of current and sand without much structure. Island Beach ocean side is really a great place to work these with the clearer water and sandy base. Here are links to their websites:
http://www.hogylures.net/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=80000143-1252964729
http://visionhooksandtackle.com/products/soft-baits/sand-eel/
