Find out where the bass are. Before launching your boat, talk to the local fisherman to see if they can offer any clues where you might find where the stripers are hiding. Most fishermen don’t want to tell where their secret fishing spots are, so you may need to find out on your own. If you don’t have a fish finder on your boat, which can tell you what is going on underneath your boat, including fish activity, then you should get a map of the lake and look for coves or other tucked-away parts of the lake. Fish tend to hang out where there is a lot of vegetation. They can also often be found in the northwest part of the lake.

Use the right rig and bait. Different styles of fishing lend themselves to different styles of rig — how the bait is attached to the fishing line. The speed of the boat will determine how deep the bait falls into the water, and you want to tie it in such a way as to make it look both lifelike and enticing to the stripers. Once you have determined whether you are going to use live bait or crank bait, attach the bait to the fishing line in a way so that the bait looks like it is swimming behind your boat. Live bait will need to be tied with a weight attached to one of the rigs in order to keep the bait from skimming on the surface. Crank bait is generally designed to keep the lure beneath the water’s surface.

Fish during the right time. Trolling for stripers can be done during any time of day or night, but the optimal times would be an hour before sunrise until an hour after sunrise, then again an hour before sunset until an hour after sunset. This is when the most feeding is occurring and when stripers are most likely to strike your bait.

Troll slowly and quietly. If your boat comes equipped with a trolling motor — a small motor separate from the main engine or engines — use that to push the boat slowly and quietly through the water. If not, set your motor on the lowest speed possible. Move through the water quietly in the places where you think the stripers might be. Occasionally pull up your line to see if you are getting any hits. You may periodically need to change live bait if it has been stolen or nibbled on or lost.