Targeting Winter Stripers

[mike_meridian]

I am trolling spoons and crankbaits from my kayak. What is striper/wiper behavior in the winter? Does the lake stratify in the winter? Do baitfish still school and get attacked by stripers on the surface? or do you have to fish deep.

I've been trying Tims Ford, and Williamsport Lakes, I was thinking of trying upper Priest and Old Hickory.

Thanks,

[txnative]

Finding bait is key, like always. Old hick hasn't gotten to the point where bait is gathering at any specific area, so you'll be forced to move around and cover a lot of water. I'm not too savvy on priest right now, but I know where to find them once winter has really set in. It's up lake and may require a long paddle. Pm me for this info. Keep trying Williamsport, especially as it gets colder. You may want to try trolling heavy jigheads (1 oz) with a swimming fluke or the havoc 5" paddle tale. The 5" big hammer would be another option. Use bigger baits since the gizzard shad in blue cat lake run large. If you're trolling cranks, go big. Same with spoons, the 5" flutter spoon is good, just be sure to get the lure down (I find the hybrids down to 27').


Chris

[StriperFan]

Lakes stratify in the summer. Run of the river lakes like Old Hickory don't stratify at all in the main lake due to current flow, but may in some of the backwaters if there is not any flow. Tims Ford and Piercy Priest will have noticeable stratification detectable by sonar in summer. Once winter hits, and the water cools it is pretty much the same all over and stripers/hybrids can be very deep or very shallow. I have caught fish 70' deep on downriggers and busting topwater in the same afternoon in the winter. I even think these were the same school of fish.

I have been fishing OH lately and it has been weird. The places I have been finding large schools of gizzard shad, have been mostly absent of large predators, hardly marking anything on sonar of size. A large move upstream finds many more large arches, but not enough bait to catch. I think they are taking their time moving back down river from their summer hangouts this year.

[mike_meridian]

Thanks for the good info. I have just transitioned from fishing riffles and runs to a depth finder and rod holders. If Williamsport is good wiper fishing, I might develop my tactics there, since it is closest and a good manageable size, and certainly the closest. I really like Tims Ford, and I grew up on Priest, if I can get my act together will try OH and Cumberland.