Stripers

[nomad60]

After watching videos like this one, I have striper fever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMZoUaCuYvk

I probably don't even have the gear for stripers; the only rig I own that I'd even venture to try is a G. Loomis 7' heavy with a Revo Winch reel but I have a feeling that would last about 5 seconds with a fish that size.

Anyway, I'm wondering if these stripers can be caught anywhere on the Cumberland, like in the Clarksville/Dover areas or do they mainly hang around other parts of the river, like near the dams? Can you fish for them with artificial lures and if so, what's good? Or is live bait the best? What a rush it must be to hook into a fish like that, or heck, even half that size.

[Travis C.]

Check this out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyhLxHFWslI

[jad2t]

I'm dying to catch one of these things. I've made a few attempts below Center Hill Dam but I'm seeing that it actually isn't that common to catch them there. OH Dam is a great place to catch them. My girlfriend is actually moving to Hendersonville about 10 minutes from the dam. Guess where I'll be fishing a lot soon? I'm determined.

As far as lures, just think big. I have some big swimbaits, shad pattern, with 6/0 hooks and that is my striper setup. I know those things will catch one if I keep trying.

[lupanfreitag]

From now till September you can catch stripers at the dam.
I'm gong on Wed. I'll let you know.

[Buccaneer]

I fished below OH Dam on Saturday, launched at the new ramp on the Stones river and ran up to catch the two hour release from 6-8AM. I started catching stripers on a spinner bait from the sewer pipe all the way down to the island below OH Blvd bridge. What a blast! When the current cut off, there was flow in the Stones river so I got on the bass for another couple of hours.

[Dakota]

I'd love to get a report from you for wed. I like to get to the dam for stripers, too. I've probably seen you out there but didnt know it. DakotaFrom now till September you can catch stripers at the dam.
I'm gong on Wed. I'll let you know.

[nomad60]

Ok, so pretty much, if I want to catch one of these, I need to be near a dam? They don't run the entire river, like LM bass? Again, I'm relatively new to this area so I apologize for asking what some of you may think of as dumb questions.

[Buccaneer]

As the water warms up they will move towards the dams to be nearest to the oxygen enriched water created by the generation or the sluice gate flow. When the water is cooler as in fall through spring they will be spread out in the river system. As with all river fish, current flow is the key to their urge to actively feed.

[Travis C.]

Ok, so pretty much, if I want to catch one of these, I need to be near a dam? They don't run the entire river, like LM bass? Again, I'm relatively new to this area so I apologize for asking what some of you may think of as dumb questions.

This time of year through end of summer it wouldn't hurt. If they are running or spilling the more the better.

They do not tend to hang around say a log on a point for long periods of time like a LM bass.

"Striper may be one place in the morning 2 miles down the lake by afternoon, and somewhere else entirely by tomorrow. Unlike largemouths, Striped Bass gorge themselves full, then won't feed again until their stomachs are empty. Also, Striped Bass are more light-sensitive and easier to spook than largemouth. You can put down an entire feeding school of Striped Bass for hours just by motoring over them or dropping something against the hull." http://www.arkansasstripers.com/arkansas-striped-bass.htm

[nomad60]

Thanks guys. One of these days! (or so I hope ;))

[MNfisher]

Check this out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyhLxHFWslI

This is a great video Travis, but i could not stop laughing at the second guy catching a fish with the reel upside down and reeling backwards! To me that would be so much more of a challenge!

[titansfan2104]

This is a great video Travis, but i could not stop laughing at the second guy catching a fish with the reel upside down and reeling backwards! To me that would be so much more of a challenge!

Easy does it . That is the host of ky afield. He is missing his right hand. That's the only way he can do it !!

[Travis C.]

Tim Farmer has been that way for a long time. I believe a motorcycle wreck was the culprit but not sure. However he can shoot and fish better than most. You should see him fly fish out of a kayak. KY Afield is the longest running outdoors show in the country.

But to part of you point MNfisher, it is funny when people do that. Something about that just doesn't seem right...

[titansfan2104]

Get on you tube and find the episode of him bowfishing.. pulls the bow back with his teeth and shot amazingly well although I know it didn't show all of the misses!!! I wish tn had a good outdoors show like that one!! There used to be a tn outdoorsman back in the day but.don't know if there are any current shows or not

[titansfan2104]

Tim Farmer has been that way for a long time. I believe a motorcycle wreck was the culprit but not sure. However he can shoot and fish better than most. You should see him fly fish out of a kayak. KY Afield is the longest running outdoors show in the country.

But to part of you point MNfisher, it is funny when people do that. Something about that just doesn't seem right...
Usually though its a spinning reel and they have it rolled up ... That's the funny ones. I watched a big guy on YouTube bank fishing with a huge zebco spin cast and fought a big cat the whole time upside down.
:o

[Travis C.]

Get on you tube and find the episode of him bowfishing.. pulls the bow back with his teeth and shot amazingly well although I know it didn't show all of the misses!!! I wish tn had a good outdoors show like that one!! There used to be a tn outdoorsman back in the day but.don't know if there are any current shows or not

Fishin Affliction is on and good.

Infact, they spent a couple days in Dave's guide boat (fishfindergeneral) shooting a smallmouth episode on Dale Hollow.

To me I grew up with Tn Outdoorsman. There will always be a soft place in me for the sound of "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" by flat and scruggs as it was the shows intro music.

[Saltwaterwalt]

Tim Farmer is one of my best friends, in fact I was best man at his wedding. He has ALL of his right arm, it was just so damaged in his motorcycle wreck that sleeve filler is about all they could do for him. But he does fine as some of you have mentioned. There is a book out on him, (I wrote the forward in it) that tells his live story, pretty good read. I'm sure Amazon still carries it. I've done several shows with him over the years, including this one on bowfishing bigheads. I only recently moved to Tn after my retirement from the Army. Tim keeps telling me he's coming down for a visit. I keep telling him the fishing in Tn is great! Here's the link for those interested http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_tae_H7W5s

[bd-]

I agree with Travis's post above about stripers moving many miles in a day. Other than their spawning run, their movements are generally dictated by shad movement and thermal refuges.

I disagree about them not relating to structure like logs. At least in a river where there is a lot of current, they will cluster up around rock piles and log jams. A lot of people don't realize this because they see stripers as open-water fish. I didn't believe it for a long time.

But I discovered the stripers on the Cordell Hull tailwater section of the Cumberland will absolutely relate to structure almost like a largemouth in a river. In fact, when you see people pulling planer boards for stripers, one of the big dividing lines between people who struggle and those who are really successful at it is how close they get their bait to the brush piles along the edge of the river. When you get a planer really tight to cover and bring that skipjack right past a big cluster of rocks and logs, that's when a big striper will hit. If you're even a few feet too far out, you may never get a bite.

Travis's quote is right about them being boat shy though. If you motor over them, it's all over, especially in clear water. I see this at the Steam Plant in winter all the time. One idiot roaring through the discharge canal can ruin the striper fishing for every single boat there that day.

bd

[tkwalker]

I agree with Travis's post above about stripers moving many miles in a day. Other than their spawning run, their movements are generally dictated by shad movement and thermal refuges.

I disagree about them not relating to structure like logs. At least in a river where there is a lot of current, they will cluster up around rock piles and log jams. A lot of people don't realize this because they see stripers as open-water fish. I didn't believe it for a long time.

But I discovered the stripers on the Cordell Hull tailwater section of the Cumberland will absolutely relate to structure almost like a largemouth in a river. In fact, when you see people pulling planer boards for stripers, one of the big dividing lines between people who struggle and those who are really successful at it is how close they get their bait to the brush piles along the edge of the river. When you get a planer really tight to cover and bring that skipjack right past a big cluster of rocks and logs, that's when a big striper will hit. If you're even a few feet too far out, you may never get a bite.

Travis's quote is right about them being boat shy though. If you motor over them, it's all over, especially in clear water. I see this at the Steam Plant in winter all the time. One idiot roaring through the discharge canal can ruin the striper fishing for every single boat there that day.

bd

Especially about the structure ... <'TK>< :)

[titansfan2104]

Especially about the structure ... <'TK>< :)

Hey TK, you ready to come out of retirement?? :)

[MNfisher]

Easy does it . That is the host of ky afield. He is missing his right hand. That's the only way he can do it !!

oops!! Now i feel bad! I guess I just assumed he was a novice. I see people all the time holding there spinning reels upside down below dams and such. I always chuckle:-) You know what assuming does!!

[MNfisher]

I agree with Travis's post above about stripers moving many miles in a day. Other than their spawning run, their movements are generally dictated by shad movement and thermal refuges.

bd

When do stripers make their spawning run???

[titansfan2104]

no big deal , i was thinking the same thing and just figured with him being the host ofn outdoor show there had to be something wrong and thats when i noticed his arm. he has a really good show that you can see some clips on youtube as well as myoutdoortv,com

[tkwalker]

When do stripers make their spawning run???

In the Cumberland River chain they start in Jan ... the premo times is in April and May ... they won't go through the spawn until the water temps hit 60 deg's ... By that time they have swam as far as they can go ... Check out heads and tails of Islands ... AROUND STRUCTURE !!! ... sorry I can't come out of retirement to fish Stripers ... Done that and have the Tee Shirt ... Enjoying catching hand size gills and Crackers for supper with my flyrod now ... And trolling with my bride of 47 years for Walleyes ... .... after a days work with repairing and restoring old outboards ... Life is good for me ... Going to leave soon for a cruise for our Anniversary on the Royal Caribbean "Oasis of the Seas" to celebrate ... (our 4th cruise ) <'TK>< :)

[Saltwaterwalt]

I fished below OH Dam on Saturday, launched at the new ramp on the Stones river and ran up to catch the two hour release from 6-8AM. I started catching stripers on a spinner bait from the sewer pipe all the way down to the island below OH Blvd bridge. What a blast! When the current cut off, there was flow in the Stones river so I got on the bass for another couple of hours.

Hey Buccaneer...where is that new ramp on the Stones?

[nofish]

Hey Buccaneer...where is that new ramp on the Stones?

http://www.timesofoldhickory.com/page/DOUGS-OUTDOORS-.aspx

[Saltwaterwalt]

Thanks Nofish...rode over there this evening and checked it out...nice ramp!

[nofish]

Thanks Nofish...rode over there this evening and checked it out...nice ramp!

You're welcome