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I made a run up to the Shoals this weekend throwing large top water lures in the white water for Striper. Didn't get a single hit, but saw a ton of boats and canoes up there. Many seemed to be after Striper as well, and some looked like they were fishing for white bass or crappie. Didn't see anyone really catching much. Although we did see one Striper brought in by a boat that was slowing trolling shad in the flat water below the shoals out in front Jaybird.
This is the 2nd weekend I have seen folks having success doing this, so I tried it for the first time myself on Saturday afternoon, and actually landed a small one myself. Figure I'll try it some more! I don't have all the normal gear/bait (fish finder/planers, shad,etc), so its a bit tougher but still can be done, just by slow trolling jumbo minnows.
Any Striper fisherman out there, want to give me some pointers to try and increase my success, but limit the cost? Budget planers? Best place to find large bait around Alex City and North end of lake?
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| Name: |
yellowcat
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| Subject: |
Striper Up River
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Date:
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3/24/2008 4:05:12 PM
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i usually have my success with stripe at night or early in the morning...dawn...stripe are finicky so if you are fishing shallow creeks and the shoals at jaybird do not fish the full moon and try to limit the use of a flash light.........if you do not want to buy shad/large minnows big branch minnows work just as well....go to wal-mart and get you some minnow traps and then find you some branches with a deep hole....bait the traps with bread/crackers and you should catch minnows for crappie,bass, cats, and stripers...then you dont have to spend money on big shad...the big horny head branch minnows will catch stripers...
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| Name: |
Pontoonfisher
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| Subject: |
Striper Up River
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Date:
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3/25/2008 7:19:11 AM
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Here is a link to some planer boards to use for stripe.
http://www.waterbugz.com
Fish two planer boards, one each side with live bait. One or two corks or ballons out the back of the boat with live bait. Depth depends on where you are marking fish on the fishfinder. Fish above the depth the fish are holding at. Striper will only hit a bait that is above them, like crappie. 12'-15' is a good starting point this time of year. Troll the baits around with the trolling motor while throwing a bucktail or smiliar shad mimicking bait. A Redfin for topwater works the best. If you don't see any fish jumping topwater is a waste of time.
If you can't use shad, bream is the next best thing. The key with stripers is finding the schools of shad. If you can't find shad balled up then you will have a hard time catching stripers.
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Thanks for the information! I new about fishing very early morning at the shoals and keeping the lights off, but wasn't sure about the full moon being a good or a bad thing. The only one I've caught up there was during the first hour of daylight, so we usually switch over to spinners for white bass after that time.
Will Striper hit a top water lure even before daylight?
Also what month/months are good for Striper at the Shoals, I've only tried March, does it depend on water temperature?
Also I hear people talk about fishing for Striper at night during the year down river. What is the approach there? Put out a light and anchor down? Or can you actually slow troll for them?
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| Name: |
Pontoonfisher
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| Subject: |
Striper Up River
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Date:
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3/25/2008 12:04:08 PM
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Stripers will follow the shad. People always want to ask where the stripers are. The real question is where are the schools of shad. The stripers will stay shallow when the water is in the sixties and maybe low seventies. Once it starts warming up the shad will head deeper and so will the stripers. I have never fished in the summer months (too busy with the family). Most of my fishing is done in the fall, winter/spring. I have heard that the technique in the summer is to put live bait at the 30' to 40' range at night by the dam and the bridge. You can also troll deep for them in the summer down by the dam. They like the dam because the shad are there. The shad like the flow and cooler water ahead of the dam.
If the stripers are busting the surface at night then they will hit a topwater bait. They will hit topwater anytime day or night as long as they are feeding on the surface.
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| Name: |
yellowcat
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| Subject: |
Striper Up River
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Date:
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3/26/2008 11:06:55 AM
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i have caught them in july in the shoals only at night....all we fish with is big red fins on top.....like pontoon said you must find the shad to catch fish...if you fish the main lake deep water with current when the weather gets hot.
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| Name: |
mckaygmc
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| Subject: |
Striper Up River
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Date:
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3/26/2008 9:11:16 PM
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when you are trolling for striper what speed is good? Have any of you had anyluck trolling artificial lures?
I do some slow trolling in the gulf but slow there is about 6-8mph.
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| Name: |
Pontoonfisher
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| Subject: |
Striper Up River
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Date:
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3/27/2008 7:10:56 AM
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Troll at idle speed. Use bucktails. Troll them deep. Troll the depth you are sounding fish at. Some people will use downriggers. Umbrella rigs work well too. Check out these websites for some pics. Any bait that mimics a shad will work.
http://www.striperfishingtackle.com/
http://www.striperaddiction.com/
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| Name: |
mckaygmc
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| Subject: |
Striper Up River
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Date:
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3/27/2008 7:27:10 AM
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I do have down riggers and out riggers on my boat. I picked up some white and white and green bucktail trolling lures at bass pro last weekend. the only thing is my boat idles at about 2-3 mph I just didn't know if that was too fast?
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| Name: |
Pontoonfisher
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| Subject: |
Striper Up River
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Date:
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3/27/2008 9:08:24 AM
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2-3 mph is fine.
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| Name: |
mckaygmc
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| Subject: |
Striper Up River
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Date:
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3/28/2008 9:44:35 PM
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great, I can't wait to give it a try. I will let ya'll know if i do any good..lol
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| Name: |
linesider
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| Subject: |
Striper Up River
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Date:
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5/12/2008 2:59:03 PM
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Obviously the bait is the key, and although the gizzard shad is probably the bait of choice, it is hard to come by, as it requires some effort to catch. I have been using Black Saltys which can be purchased at a couple of bait shops in the area. Mikes Bait Shop in Alex City has them as well as The bait shop in Opelika. They are a cross between a carp and a goldfish, and they can be bought is larger sizes.
This bait is very hardy...I actually use them, then just keep them in a tub in my garage with an aerator, so they are always ready. I will admit that they do not have the action that shad would have, but I have had good success with them...sometimes catching around 20 schoolies in the 10 to 15 pound range. The baits cost aroun $1 each.
I typically rig them with a 2/0 to 3/0 circle hook below a 2 oz swiveled sinker with about 6 ft of leader (flourocarbon).
Find a good point or hump and fish 20 to 25 feet below the boat.
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