Chasing Striper Boils At The Lake

Have you ever caught so much fish, you’re wrist started to hurt?  The only thing that kept you going was the sight of fish blowing up on the surface. 

Your adrenaline is running so high, you ignore the pain and the high takes over.  And you keep casting.  Chasing boils will do this to you.

It’s the excitement that drives you.  Pain is merely a distraction from reality.  The reality right before you. 

You may never get the opportunity to catch fish like this again.  The feel of your rod bent over as the drag is screaming.  It’s something most avid fishermen have experienced.

In this post, I’ll highlight a recent trip I had with my son when we spotted a massive striper boil.  I’ll also talk about how you can find them, best times for boils and what to do when you find one.

On A Recent Trip

Sometimes when you feel you’ve missed the bite or show up late to the lake.  It turns out to be a blessing.

That’s what happened on a recent trip to O’Neill Forebay.  I had a few setbacks making it early to the lake. 

My son and I got there an hour after the park opened and as I was unloading the boat I could barely make out ripples on the water surface through the suns glare.

Strange I thought to myself.  The wind was dead calm when we arrived.  It must be picking up.

The boat was now in the water, I had just pulled the trailer out and parked the car.  We were walking back to the dock.  The sun is higher over the horizon at this point.  That’s when I noticed it wasn’t the wind blowing.

Striper boils 100 yards from the boat launch!

Then I heard a little voice behind me yell, “Dad, I need to pee!”

Crinching at another delay as the boil grew ever more massive.  I took my son to the restroom.

Back to the boat launch and finally we’re off.  

I got the boat within casting distance with rod in hand.  I threw out my first cast.  The lure touches the water.  I didn’t even have a chance to reel in my slack before a fish hammers my SpeedLure 110MD

Cast after cast with fish.  Now the stripers were all around us feeding on the surface.  After catching a few, we noticed the school began moving away from the ramp area.  They were scattering as well.

The main school was moving away from the boat launch area and into the deeper flats.  You can still see surface activity as I began chasing them.  

For the next 30 minutes or so, stripers were boiling on and off.

Boils can be some of the best fishing.  If you can find one.  Although I found this one almost by chance, here are some tips that will increase your chances of finding one.

How To Find Boils

While you’re fishing.  Stop and take the time to observe your surroundings.  With your polarized glasses on, look out into the distance. 

Watch for birds circle or diving.  Bird commotion is the easiest way to spot striper boils.  You can spot boils on the surface from a distance. 

They are easier to spot on calmer days but the best giveaways are the splashing from stripers on the surface.  Sometimes it can be quite subtle.  Almost like ripples on the waters surface.  Tricky even to the trained eye. 

 

Pay attention to wind direction and wave action.  Anything out of the ordinary could be sign of a striper boil.

Look for areas where bait fish are abundant.  Stripers don’t boils for fun.  They’re actively feeding on smaller fish.  Bait fish will relate to any cover they can find such as cove, weeds or man-made structure. 

If they’re boiling out in the open, they’ve flushed out bait fish into the open and are feeding on them.  Where there is no cover for the bait fish to hide. Stripers can be even more aggressive here.

Best Time For Boils

The best time to find boils are when they’re feeding near the surface.  They typically feed in low light conditions or when there’s disturbance on the waters surface.

Boil action can vary.  They can be exploding on the baitfish causing a lot of commotion.  They can be feeding subsurface creating the most subtle ripples on the surface. 

Whatever it is, it’s an active state they’re in.  Prime time for catching hungry stripers.

But a striper boil consists of multiple fish in a feeding frenzy near the waters surface.  This is where the stripers corral the baitfish.  The water surface acts as a barrier making it easier for striped bass to pick them off.

 

Some of my best times for boils are in the morning or evening hours.  One of the most spectacular boils I’ve ever seen at O’Neill Forebay was in late fall about an hour before the sunset. 

I was fishing a striper boil about 20 yards in length.  I was catching fish after fish on a top water lure.  I finally looked up.  To my right for miles and to my suprise, I saw the entire shoreline lit up with spray from stripers blowing up.  

The whole shoreline literally turned on.  We hammered the shoreline.  It didn’t matter where we were throwing, they were everywhere.  

We left them biting as the sun began to set.  The park was closing. 

What To Do In A Boil

Throw anything!  They’ll hammer it.  Most of the time atleast.

When stripers are in a feeding frenzy they’ll react to almost anything you throw at them.  Now is the best time to break in that lure that’s been collecting dust. 

One of the most effective type of lures I like to use are jerkbaits.  Find the most erratic jerkbait you can get. 

I like using the SpeedLure 110MD or Duo Realis 120 in boils.  These are suspending lures.  These lures will dart left n right and everywhere else in between.  It doesn’t take much movement from your rod to make them twitch.

 

Jerk the lure as fast as you can.  Reel in the slack and repeat.  You’ll hook into the most active fish in the school.  Keep doing this till the bite slows down then slow down your retrieve.

I love fishing boils because it’s one of the most exciting ways to catch fish.  Especially with blow ups in the distance or all around you, the excitement really gets to you. 

Somehow your body and mind are in overdrive and you power up 10x.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tangled my line, got a bird nest or lost a lure.

Where Did They Go

Often times, when you hook into a striper, they seem to disappear.  It’s almost as if the fish sent out a distress signal warning the other stripers. 

Whatever the reason, change lures.  Yep, throw a different color, change your retrieve or slap the water with your rod tip to mimic striper activity.  If they’re still there chances are you’ll hook up again.

Stripers won’t hang out in one spot all day.  They’ll chase the bait fish.  You have to stay ahead and predict where the school is heading. 

The best way to locate which direction they’re heading is to find the solo ripples or splashes.  When more than one fish begins to disturb the surface in the same area, you know the school is heading in that direction. 

Cast your lure ahead of them and give them time to catch up.  Retrieve it back and wait for that hook up.  Keep chasing them until activity slows. 

See how I was able to hook into them on my trip.  Hopefully you can find your own striper boil to hammer.

Time To Hit The Water

Striper boils are short lived.  When you find one, take advantage of the opportunity. 

Don’t expect them to boil all day.  It’s one of those events you just have to catch before it goes away.

Sometimes, it just boils down to being at the right place at the right time.  Go get em FAm.