Striper Baits: Best Eel Imitations #124

 The eel is perhaps the most iconic bait used when targeting stripers. Big soft plastics are the ultimate imitator of eels for big stripers and have been fooling trophy class fish for decades. Many anglers will tandem rig a large soft bait much the same way traditional anglers would tandem rig a dead eel but we find that if big softbaits are fished at a fast retrieve, the vast majority of strikes are targeted at the head.

Hogy Top Imitators

• 10" Hogy Originals and 14" Hogy Originals fished on a Swimbait Hook: Fish this bait fast. The added action and speed will draw reaction strikes from hesitant fish and also make more attention drawing commotion. It’s hard to beat a fast-fished softbait as an eel imitator.
• 10.5" Tandem Pro Tail: Unlike the single hook version, we like to fish this version slowly on the bottom for fish that want a less aggressive presentation or in the surf where you don’t have a lot of distance to work the bait before it is at your feet and needs to be cast again.
• 13" Slappy Jiggin' Eel: This long, slender bait has eel-like movement, even when fished at the slowest speeds. Don't be afraid to use even the lightest jig heads. A very subtle fall is super life-like with these long, slender, eel-like baits.