Top 10 Best Lures for Striped Bass: An Expert's Guide

Catching striped bass is a thrilling pursuit, but consistent success hinges on one critical factor: lure selection. This isn't just another list; it's a collection of wisdom distilled from decades on the water. This guide is built upon the combined experience of myself and my father, a man whose fierce passion for striped bass has led him to conquer thousands of these incredible fish. Together, we've learned what it takes to find the best lures for striped bass, and it goes far beyond what's simply popular. We've discovered that an effective lure doesn't just look like food; it "speaks" the language of this cunning predator. This article in riversiderelics.com will delve into the principles of lure selection we've honed and introduce the 10 lures that have proven their worth in our tackle boxes time and time again.

The Golden Rules: How to Choose the Best Lures for Striped Bass

Choosing a lure isn't about finding a single "silver bullet." It's about selecting the optimal tool for a specific situation. Mastering these foundational principles is the key to understanding how to fish for striped bass effectively and will elevate your entire bass fishing game.

Match the Hatch: This is the most fundamental rule. You need to know what stripers are feeding on and choose a lure that mimics that prey in size, profile, and most importantly, action. Their primary diet includes menhaden (bunker), herring, sand eels, squid, and crabs.  

Exploit Their Senses: Striped bass hunt using both sight and their lateral line, a sensory organ that detects vibration with incredible precision.  

• Vision: In bright conditions, they see color and are particularly sensitive to greens and chartreuse. At night or in murky water, they rely on detecting contrast. A dark lure creates a better silhouette against a brighter night sky, while a white lure stands out against a dark bottom.  

• Vibration: Lures that create noise and water disturbance (like poppers and rattling plugs) directly trigger the lateral line, calling fish in from a distance even when they can't see the lure.  

Trigger Their Instincts: A strike isn't always about hunger; it's often about instinct.

• The Easy Meal: A lure with an erratic, unpredictable action perfectly mimics an injured baitfish, triggering a striper's instinct to attack a low-effort meal.  

• The Aggression Response: Large, loud lures can provoke a territorial strike from big, dominant fish-not out of hunger, but because it's an intruder in their space.  

Adapt to the Conditions: Always consider environmental factors. Time of day (dawn and dusk are prime), tide, current, and structure (rock piles, sand bars) all dictate which lure and technique will be most effective. 

Quick Guide: 10 Best Lures for Striped Bass at a Glance

Lure Name	Type	Best For	Target Bait
S&S John Skinner Bucktail Jig	Jig	All-around, Bottom Fishing	Sand Eels, Squid, General Baitfish
Musky Mania Doc	Topwater Walker	Topwater Walker	Adult Bunker, Herring
Daiwa SP Minnow	Swimming Plug	Night Fishing, Long Casts	Herring, Peanut Bunker
Super Strike Little Neck Popper	Topwater Popper	Surf, Windy Conditions	Panicked Baitfish (Sound/Splash)
Tsunami Pro Swim Shad	Paddle Tail Swimbait	Active Fish, Clear Water	Menhaden (Bunker), Herring
Lunker City Slug-Go	Soft Plastic Jerkbait	Finesse, Finicky Fish	Wounded Baitfish, Eels
Gibbs Danny Surface Swimmer	Topwater Swimmer	Calm Nights, Moving Current	Large, Slow-Moving Baitfish
Super Strike ZigZag Darter	Darter Plug	Night, Surf with Current	Eels, Large Baitfish
Tsunami Diamond Jig	Metal Jig	Deep Water, High Winds	Sand Eels
Cotton Cordell Pencil Popper	Topwater Popper	Daytime Surfcasting	Fleeing Baitfish

The Top 10 Best Lures for Striped Bass, Trusted by the Pros

Here is the definitive list of 10 lures that have proven their worth time and time again, complete with a detailed breakdown of how and why they work.

1. S&S John Skinner Bucktail Jig

• Natural Bait Imitated: This is the ultimate generalist, effectively mimicking a wide range of prey from small fish and shrimp to crabs and squid.  
• Why It's Effective: Considered by many experts to be one of the best bass fishing lures for any species, freshwater or salt, the bucktail jig is especially deadly for stripers
• Optimal Conditions: All conditions, but it truly excels when fished near the bottom or around structure like rock piles and bridge pilings.  
• Fishing Technique: Cast out and retrieve at a slow-to-moderate pace, keeping the jig swimming just above the bottom. Adding a soft plastic trailer, like a Fat Cow Jig Strip, will dramatically increase its appeal. For finicky fish, use a "snap-jigging" technique (a sharp upward lift of the rod, followed by a free fall) to imitate a dying baitfish. 

2. Musky Mania Doc

• Natural Bait Imitated: Its large 7 to 9-inch profile is a perfect imitation of big baitfish like adult menhaden (bunker) or herring.  
• Why It's Effective: This is the secret weapon for trophy-sized fish. Its massive size and unique internal rattle don't just imitate a meal; they trigger a territorial aggression response from the largest, most dominant bass in the area.  
• Optimal Conditions: Calm to moderately choppy water. Ideal for searching large flats or casting into surface blitzes.  
• Fishing Technique: Use a "walk-the-dog" retrieve by keeping your rod tip low and making rhythmic twitches. Pro tip: If a fish strikes and misses,  do not stop. Continue the retrieve to trigger its chase instinct for a second attack. 

3. Daiwa SP Minnow

• Natural Bait Imitated: An excellent imitation of slender baitfish like herring and peanut bunker.  
• Why It's Effective: Famous for its exceptional casting distance thanks to an internal weight-transfer system, allowing you to reach distant schools of fish. Its versatile swimming action and the ability to "kill" the retrieve with a pause perfectly mimics a wounded baitfish.  
• Optimal Conditions: Perfect for night fishing, relatively calm water, or any situation where long casts are necessary.  
• Fishing Technique: Can be retrieved steadily or with sharp twitches of the rod tip to create a slashing action, followed by short pauses to trigger strikes. 

4. Super Strike Little Neck Popper

• Natural Bait Imitated: This lure doesn't imitate a specific fish, but rather the sound and commotion of a panicked baitfish on the surface.  
• Why It's Effective: When you need to create maximum disturbance to attract attention, this is the go-to choice. Its large, cupped face throws a huge amount of water and creates a loud "pop" that calls fish up from the depths.  
• Optimal Conditions: Most effective in the surf, in windy conditions, or when fish are feeding on top.  
• Fishing Technique: Use a "pop-pause" retrieve. A sharp jerk of the rod creates the pop, followed by a pause of a few seconds. The strike almost always comes during the pause. 

5. Tsunami Pro Swim Shad

• Natural Bait Imitated: One of the most realistic imitations of menhaden (bunker) and herring on the market.  
• Why It's Effective: Its hyper-realistic swimming action comes from a paddle tail that produces a strong, rhythmic thump in the water. It's incredibly easy to use and effective right out of the package.  
• Optimal Conditions: Clear to slightly stained water, especially when stripers are actively chasing schools of baitfish.  
• Fishing Technique: The simplest retrieve works best: just cast and reel at a steady pace. The lure does all the work for you. 

6. Lunker City Slug-Go

• Natural Bait Imitated: Perfectly mimics a wounded, dying baitfish or a small eel with its erratic, lurching action.  
• Why It's Effective: This is the secret weapon for when fish are finicky and ignoring everything else. Its magic lies in having no built-in action; the angler creates the entire movement, resulting in a random, realistic presentation that predators can't resist.  
• Optimal Conditions: Clear water and finesse situations when fish are not actively feeding.  
• Fishing Technique: Rig it weightless on an offset hook. Use soft, uneven twitches of the rod tip, with pauses in between, to make the lure dart and sink enticingly. 

7. Gibbs Danny Surface Swimmer

• Natural Bait Imitated: Mimics a large, lazy baitfish like a bunker or herring swimming slowly on the surface.  
• Why It's Effective: Creates a wide, rhythmic, and incredibly natural wobble that can be maintained even with a very slow retrieve or just by holding it in the current.
• Optimal Conditions: Especially deadly on calm nights when cast into an area with moving current.  
• Fishing Technique: Let the current do most of the work. Retrieve just fast enough to feel the plug "working" at your rod tip.  

8. Super Strike ZigZag Darter

• Natural Bait Imitated: Mimics large baitfish or eels moving naturally in the current at night.  
• Why It's Effective: A nighttime legend, credited with more large, surf-caught stripers after dark than perhaps any other plug. Its lazy side-to-side darting action is incredibly effective on large, wary fish.  
• Optimal Conditions: At night, in areas with current or moderate waves.  
• Fishing Technique: After casting, give a few fast cranks to get the lure to "dig" into the water, then immediately switch to a very slow, steady retrieve.

9. Tsunami Diamond Jig

• Natural Bait Imitated: The single best imitation of a sand eel.
• Why It's Effective: Offers unparalleled casting distance, sinks fast, and performs well in the harshest conditions like strong wind and heavy surf.  
• Optimal Conditions: Deep water, strong current, high winds, or any time you need extreme casting distance.  
• Fishing Technique: Highly versatile. You can retrieve it quickly near the surface, let it sink to the bottom for a "yo-yo" retrieve (jerking it up and letting it fall), or drag it slowly along the bottom. 

10. Cotton Cordell Pencil Popper

• Natural Bait Imitated: Mimics a fleeing baitfish on the surface with a combined walk-the-dog and splashing action.  
• Why It's Effective: The best value lure on the market, with decades of proven effectiveness. It has a loud rattle and is easy to work into an enticing action.  
• Optimal Conditions: An excellent choice for daytime surfcasting, especially when you need to create a commotion to attract active fish.  
• Fishing Technique: Use a "push-and-pull" or rhythmic twitching retrieve to create the side-to-side walking and splashing action. Strikes often come on the pause.