Last year was another banner year for big stripers. The pogies/menhaden have come back from a thirty year drought and the big bass have followed. The past 2 years have been stunning when it comes to live lining pogies for big stripers. The pogies generally move in around end of May beginning of June and with them come the big bass. All you have to do is find the menhaden, snag them, keep them alive and live line them. It's not always obvious when the big stripers are under them so it's wirth a try at live lining. It's amazing how a big fish can disturb so little water when chasing bait on top. I like to hook the menhaden right through the nostrils. I've tried hooking them through the upper lip but when stripers swallow them it's almost always head first and hooked through the upper lip the hook doesn't lay down and enter the bass's mouth properly. The other effective way to hook menhaden is through the back just behind the dorsal fin. This causes them to swim erratically resembling a wounded fish. If you suspect the stripers are deeper you can always add a cigar weight about 3 ft above the hook. I usually put a barrel swivel and snap at that point so I can add a cigar weight quickly. I'll usually lay out 2 poles one shallow one deep I'll then switch to which ever one gets hit first. It's not unusual to get 6-8, 25-40 lb fish in an afternoon.
Click play on the video below to see how to properly hook a menhaden:
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