This morning was great for striper fishing! I fished cut bait around Dreher Island from 8:15 am until I ran out of bait at 11:00 am. Dont know how many I caught but it was around 25. I would say 75% of them were keeper size fish. I was in 25 foot water and I can say the whole time I was there I never saw my screen blank there was always fish showing on it,the water temp was 72. I kept 3 that were gut hooked and bleeding badly, and released all the rest. I had one really good fish that took about 70 yards of line before I got it slowed down but it wrapped me up in something on the bottom and broke the leader. There were a couple times I had 5 fish at one time. I hope this bite stays through the weekend. So if you are gonna give it a try this weekend I would consider using cut bait on a hump or point . Also I caught a couple on a 1oz CC spoon right under the boat.
Key West 1720 Sportsman
FISH: An animal that grows the fastest between the time it’s caught and the time you tell your friends about it!
Nice report … We’ve never fished cut bait before … Might have to give it a try … 
… it’s my Wife’s fault we HAVE to fish !!!
2005 Sea Pro 2100cc / Yamaha 150hp 4-Stroke
Have to ask as I often see where folks talk about “double anchoring” when they fish cutbait. Is that necessary or make a big difference? Does “spotlock” work as well?
I believe for optimal results you need to be double anchored since you’re casting out a spread and chumming the center … spot lock would allow for too much boat travel to do anything other than drop rods … but what do I know - we’ve never done it before … LOL
Spot lock would not work for cut bait. You are casting lines way out on the bottom. The boat twists too much in spot lock. Same thing with the single anchor, the boat swinging will pull your lines into snags. I fished cut bait with a guide on Raystown lake in PA, he just beached the boat on a point and we fished out of the back.
Wellcraft V-20 sportfish with a 200 Evinrude
If you please, I have a few questions regarding the ‘cut bait’.
Are you taking the live bait and cutting it, or are you obtaining frozen bait to cut up? How large/small do you cut the bait? Lastly, I assuming you are using herring or shad. Is that correct?
Thank you
Sea Hunt BX22 Br
WS Tarpon 140
JCZ … I’ve posted this article before but here it is again … http://www.tnstripers.com/chumming.htm … take from it what you want
You can also search this forum for “cut bait” there have been a lot of recent discussions on this topic
I’ve only been cut bait fishing once, about 5 yrs. ago when I was still a member of MSC. I went on a ride along tourney at Clarks Hill with Capt. Warren Turner. The man really knows striper fishing. We used live bait with the tail cut off. Probably about 1/4 of the herring. I wish I could remember more, but old timers disease has kicked in. I’d like to try it again, but I need to get another anchor & rope 1st.
Bob Van Gundy
Marine Designs,Inc.
Custom Aluminum Fabrication
803-727-4069
jcz, as far as the bait goes I cut it at a angle from just behind the gut cavity to the dorsal fin which I would say would be using 75% of the bait and use the left over tail section as chum. I never put the tail section on a hook, it may work but that was not the way I was taught so I stick with what I know works. I then slit the gut cavity to expose the guts. They will stay in the herring if you cast carefully. The guts will sometimes help float the bait just off the bottom which I think is one of the keys to doing this successfully. Last just hook the bait right through the nostrials just like you do with down rods. Also I do buy the bait fresh in the morning place it in a bag and pack in ice it will stay firm all day firm bait is also a key to this type of fishing. The link lawcrusher posted is great and should give you all the rest of the info.
Key West 1720 Sportsman
FISH: An animal that grows the fastest between the time it’s caught and the time you tell your friends about it!
I’ve found that live bait fresh cut will out fish coolered dead bait!