8 Ways to Catch Big Striped Bass Feeding on Adult Pogies

By Cyril Tveit

 

Pogies, Bunker, Menhaden.  These large bait fish have a variety of names depending on who you talk to and where you are on the coast.  Whatever you call them, there’s one thing everyone can agree on.  Big striped bass love eating them.  Pogie bites come in many forms, ranging from frothing surface blitzes to quick subsurface assaults that go largely unnoticed.  Pogies prefer to travel in large schools but these schools can easily become scattered.  During the most aggressive feeds, bass are willing to eat almost anything that you put in front of them.  However, usually when the pogies are in town you need the right presentation to consistently catch striped bass.

 

When there’s a lot of bait around, fish can become very selective.  It’s important that your presentation closely matches the bait that is present.  Pogies are deep-bodied baitfish that typically range from 8 to 15 inches long.  When spooked they make fast and erratic movements.  Mimicking these features is the key to getting more bites and catching larger fish.  The following techniques excel when pogies are on the menu.

Flutter Spoons

 

Flutter Spoons have emerged as a top tactic around pogie schools.  Their shape is a great match for the side profile of a pogie and their reflective coatings call fish in from a distance.  There are many ways to fish them.  Some anglers drop them down to the bottom and slowly jig them in place, others quickly retrieve them back to the boat.  Casting the spoon and slowly jigging it back in is another popular technique.  Using this tactic to target the water directly below, above, or on the edges of a pogie school can be very effective.  Spoons ranging from 9-12 inches work best when pogies are nearby.

 

Large Topwaters

 

A large topwater lure imitates an injured or fleeing baitfish that has been forced to the surface. In recent years, the Musky Mania Doc has become a staple for anglers throughout the Northeast.  It’s large size and erratic side to side action make it a great choice for anglers aiming to mimic pogies.  Other large spooks like the 24/7 Mully and the JoeBaggs Skipper offer similar qualities with smaller profiles.  For surf anglers who may need extra distance to reach the fish, a large pencil popper can fill this role.  The 7” Tsunami Talkin Popper casts well and creates plenty of commotion on the surface.

Livelining

 

It’s hard to beat the real thing.  Pogies are easy to snag and can be sent back out on an inline circle hook.  Ideal hook size is dependent on the size of pogie you’re using, usually a 9/0 will get the job done.  Pogies can be bridled or hooked through the mouth or back.  Most anglers find success by allowing the pogie to swim naturally on a slack line.  When bridled, they can also be slowly trolled behind a boat or kayak.  An inline trolling weight can be added in front of the pogie to get them down into the strike zone at higher speeds.  Surf anglers should not rule out livelining. I often carry a weighted treble and circle hooks in my bag incase I find picky bass pushing pogies against the shoreline.

Metal Lip Swimmers

 

Metal lip swimmers are great tools when there are pogies around.  They offer large profiles and create loud vibrations that can catch the attention of a bunker crazed bass.  Deep diving metal lips can be cast or trolled to effectively cover deeper water.  Surface or slightly subsurface metal lips are great tools for working higher levels of the water column and enticing bass who are staged up waiting for bait to pass over them.  View our selection of metal lip swimmers here.

 

 

Chunking

Chunking is an age-old technique that can be done in a variety of ways.  In its simplest form a chunk of bait is put on your hook and a sinker holds the bait in place.  Fish finder rigs with 8/0 inline circle hooks are very popular in this scenario.  Chunkers fishing around pogie schools often theorize that they are targeting the big lazy bass that feed on the scraps left behind by smaller more aggressive fish.  Chunks can also be freelined/drifted in areas with current.  A big bass would have a hard time turning down a chunk of bunker naturally drifted by its nose. 

Magic Swimmers

These plugs perfectly match the size and profile of an adult bunker.  This makes them a top choice for convincing finicky bass.  The 9 inch model is slow sinking and will wake on a fast retrieve.  It is a great option for casting into blitzing fish and is also effective when retrieved over fish-holding structure.  The 7 ½ inch model is smaller and faster sinking, but works great when retrieved very quickly or trolled through areas that hold bait.  

Big Soft Plastics

Large soft plastics are an excellent choice for mimicking pogies.  Weightless or lightly-weighted soft plastics can be worked fast and erratically to imitate a spooked pogie near the surface.  Two lures that excel in this situation are the 12” Rigged Sluggo and the 9” Super Snax rigged on a 8/0-10/0 BBK TitanRider or TitanDiver hook.  Large paddle tails like the 8” NLBN or the 6.5” Tsunami Deep Shad can be used to target deeper structure where bass are waiting for pogies to pass by. 

 

 

Needlefish

 

I can understand why some people may view the needlefish as an unwarranted addition to this list.  From a broadside view, needlefish typically aren't great profile matches to a deep bodied pogie.  Despite this, I have found that large needlefish like the 9” 24/7 perform well when pogies are the primary forage.  When viewed from below, large needlefish plugs have a silhouette that’s similar to a pogie.  When the pogies are in town, surf anglers should consider carrying a large needlefish to reach distant structure and cover more water.

 

Targeting Striped Bass on Pogies

 

Big baits attract big fish and pogies are no exception.  Pogie bites offer anglers the opportunity to connect with quality fish and experience epic blitzes.  However, an influx of pogies can also lead to picky fish and frustrating bites.  You can increase your odds of catching by putting your time in and being prepared when an opportunity arises.  The techniques listed above are proven producers when big bass are feeding on pogies.