Thread: Striper advice?

I have a lake that I fish religiously for crappie and bluegill, recently I have been picking up a couple stripers 2 to 3 lbs. while drifting minnows for crappie. I'am very shocked, because I have fished this lake every chance I have got for the last 6 years, and have never caught one or heard of the fish in the lake. So I did some asking around and a little research, and some real nice 30lb. fish have been caught in the last couple weeks. My question is, how do I fish for them? I have not really every targeted the fish, and don't know where to start. The lake has alot of deep open water, and alot of mid range cover. Should I drift some large shiners, or troll crankbaits? Any help to get me in the right direction.

a tactic that works down in S.C. is to freeline with live shad drifting or slow trolling . downrods at different depths work well. i pull planer boards with live bait a lot. i prefer (and this is only my preference) to use a small # 4 circle hook and small 1-3 in. bait. Good Luck on catchin a biggun.

If you can get on them when they are rising, a Storm swim bait is a killer. # in. shad . dropshot a shad in front of them will work. trolling is a killer. OH ! They dont like to get into the boat. Get a holt !

Planer boards pulling a live bait (herring or large shiners if herring aint available), freelines, and down lines work here. These are slow trolled barely keeping the boat moving. Good places to look are main river channels (over submerged timber if available, mouths of major creeks, and tailrace of dams. Good luck with thopse stripers.

Could not find any large shiners, and did not have time to go after bait, but wanted to give them a try any way while the bite is going on here. Trolled the main lake 25' to 40' with medium to deep diving crankbaits. Never got a bite. Saw another boat trolling around, and it looked like he was pulling balloons behind him????? I think the next time out I will try to drift some large live bait.

Well,if you fish at night at all use submersible lights and frozen anchovies.Works here.I like fishing for other things and right before dark they will school the shad up into little coves and you can get them there.It's a looking and watching game until you figure them out.

what gman said

hope u get a big one

You will need a good fish finder( or not so good) to locate them. I have been on them for the last month. They are holding on the points in standing tember. Mostly in the mouth of the creeks. I have put some 30 in. fish in the boat with crappie rods. 4# test line and #2 wire hooks. I got spooled several times last Wed. I will break out the heaver rods next week. Crappie minnows will work. Larger bait is better. Live bait works better than dead. Just cut a figure eight over the cover and get a holt. You should be able to catch fish all day long. When they are feeding that storm swim bait is a killer. Good luck and have funn. I am going too !

I'm also interested in learning to catch hybrid stripers. My favorite lake has lots of hybrids and white bass, but I don't want to mess with the whites. I bought several Storm WildEye Swim Shad in 9" length. Is this too large for hybrids? I want to discourage the smaller whites as much as possible. Thanks!

bob baldwin
bryan, texas