quote:Originally posted by Even-tide
Can anyone explain how to rig herring strip. I hear about it all the time but have never used it. But I think when I find small bait fish around smaller then the 5-6" chovies I normally use cutting strip sound like a good method.
Questions:
-is it easy to fish, does it keep a roll ?
-can you cut your own from whole herring and if so what shape.
-what kind of head do you put them in and what size to use for different size strip.
- are there any essential tips to keep in mind.
Fish it just the way Rhys-Davis recommends---no point in cutting the strip yourself. I think you get 6 a pack which is awesome for a days's fishing--and it's cheap too...$3 ? . Buy the Rhys-Davis Strip, put it in the Super Herring Strip Teaser or Large Strip Teaser. 6 foot leader with 25 lb test. Tie it with a 5/0 Single J hook or a BIG # 1 Treble pulled down so that it hangs down to the end of the strip--do NOT imbed the hook. Make SURE that the toothpick holds firm--very important. Also make sure you DO NOT snell the hook on--very important---you should use an improved clinch not and go through the eye twice---you want the hook to stay directly near the end of the roll close to the tail of the bait. I've seen some people use a 3/0 single followed by a big size 1 treble as well. Check your leader after each large fish---usually they get hooked right in the middle of the mouth or in the snout.
You're not trolling dead slow with this strip---you're going to be going quite quickly so 2.3 to 2.4 MPH should be giving you a good roll---and it looks deadly! Do NOT go slow with this or it won't work the way it's supposed to. This way you also avoid the doggies. I always use it behind a flasher. You'll notice that you get quite a good roll with the bend in the teaser head just the way it comes.
Rhys Davis puts instructions on the herring strip package.
Rigging Strip takes less time than an anchovy--is quite carefree---and generates the BIG results.
I always found the best teaser head to be the chartreuse or glow---and they work VERY well for large springs as you are moving fast and covering area---and it's a larger presentation than anchovies. One of the old tricks was to get a clear or glow head and paint a HOT PINK stripe down each side (hot pink nailpolish) or on the one small edge of the head.
With the advent of Anchovies and the use of the Anchovy Special heads---if a shaker gets on, your bait is TOAST. The Herring Strip works great and smaller fish won't destroy the strip---and you just put it right down after adjusting the hook down to the end of the bait.
The other thing that is great about Strip is...NO BRINING---if you want you can after you've opened and thawed it. But you're hopefully going to catch a load of springs in a hurry.
Overall, I'd say it offers good value for the money and it's a shame that more anglers don't use it still. It used to be VERY popular to soup up a favorite bucktail, spoon or hootchy in days gone by with a piece of herring strip---and it used to work awesome---particularly with the bucktails.
Speaking of herring strip---for old times sake I'm going to run some in late spring---just cuz it's so easy and gets results.
In the time it takes to rig a 'chovy, you can rig 2 or 3 Herring strips!!!!
That's what I remember.
Tight lines.
