First time hybrid fishing in the morning

[Fatpat_33]

Gentlemen,
Been bass fishing my entire life and had a great summer slaying (not actually slaying) em but I have been reading a lot about the renowned hybrid stripers on here, from what I have read jpp is the place to be and live lining is the thing to use. Problem is that my fish finder crapped out and wont be able to find the schools like you guys say to do. Any help for a newbie to the striper world would be appreciated. Thank you yall.

[FloatNFish]

Originally Posted by Fatpat_33

Gentlemen,
Been bass fishing my entire life and had a great summer slaying (not actually slaying) em but I have been reading a lot about the renowned hybrid stripers on here, from what I have read jpp is the place to be and live lining is the thing to use. Problem is that my fish finder crapped out and wont be able to find the schools like you guys say to do. Any help for a newbie to the striper world would be appreciated. Thank you yall.

Best advice I can give you is get that thing fixed! I wouldn't know where to begin without GPS to make sure I'm hitting their likely haunts. They're hanging right at or above the thermocline on points and humps adjacent to the river channel.

[TNBronzeback]

Originally Posted by FloatNFish

Best advice I can give you is get that thing fixed! I wouldn't know where to begin without GPS to make sure I'm hitting their likely haunts. They're hanging right at or above the thermocline on points and humps adjacent to the river channel.

X2...i havent fished for em yet as ive not tried netting shad on JPP yet but i cruise over schools of hybrids with my sonar in the types of areas mentioned. It would be just blind luck to find em without any kind of sonar. If money is tight, just the $99 Piranah is all ya need to find em.

[Reel Tune]

Without electronics it would be very difficult, unless you were at the right place, just at the right time. Even finding bait without electronics is very difficult.

[agelesssone]

Right now, the hybrids and stripers are seeking the highest dissolved oxygen infused water they can find in a temperature they can tolerate.

They will give up food and comfort for dissolved oxygen, which is very low below the thermocline.

Since the COE was pulling a lot of water for the last three weeks, the thermocline hadn't set up in the main channel yet. The bays and coves were showing the thermocline at 12-15 ft.

The gates have been closed for a week now, so I would think the thermocline is back in place, especially since we are having all this hot weather.

I was all over the lake last Friday (with very good electronics) and never did find a concentration of them and found very few at all.

Where did I look?

We started fishing at 5 AM.

Outside Elm Hill Marina...Cook's point...Seven Points...Suggs Creek...Hamilton Creek...the Roadbed...Smith Springs...Point 4 1/2...point 5...Schoolhouse area...around Goose Island...right at the dam...between the dam and Goose Island.

Rarely did I mark two fish in close proximity to one another. Never found the school or cluster that will give up a lot of action.

In 6 hours of trolling 6 jigs and 2 crankbaits (8 rods total simultaneously) we caught 3 hybrids, one striper, one catfish and one largemouth.

Biggest fish was 7.75 lb hybrid, next was 6 lb striper. the rest were small.

Good luck finding them without electronics!

[Fatpat_33]

Much appreciated yall, struck out hybrid fishing and headed to cheatham damn to catfish that night and had a hell of a night, bunch of great eaters and a lunker every now and then. I really do appreciate everyones input on here, yall are teaching me to be a better fisherman.

[brewer88]

Originally Posted by Fatpat_33

Much appreciated yall, struck out hybrid fishing and headed to cheatham damn to catfish that night and had a hell of a night, bunch of great eaters and a lunker every now and then. I really do appreciate everyones input on here, yall are teaching me to be a better fisherman.

Hey fatpat, I was also at cheatham dam sat/sun night. We caught 4 or 5 eater catfish and a few drum each day. Can I ask what you were fishing? We were using sabiki rigs to catch small skipjack and hooking them live, a few on cut skipjack and shrimp as well. Fishing the lockside around 12 to 17ft dropoffs off the main current. Water discharge seemed to be pretty calm at 25k CFS and I thought it was pretty enjoyable out there albeit a little hot haha

I was in the tracker 160, not sure if you saw me out there!

[Heiny57]

Originally Posted by agelesssone

Right now, the hybrids and stripers are seeking the highest dissolved oxygen infused water they can find in a temperature they can tolerate.

They will give up food and comfort for dissolved oxygen, which is very low below the thermocline.

Since the COE was pulling a lot of water for the last three weeks, the thermocline hadn't set up in the main channel yet. The bays and coves were showing the thermocline at 12-15 ft.

The gates have been closed for a week now, so I would think the thermocline is back in place, especially since we are having all this hot weather.

I was all over the lake last Friday (with very good electronics) and never did find a concentration of them and found very few at all.

Where did I look?

We started fishing at 5 AM.

Outside Elm Hill Marina...Cook's point...Seven Points...Suggs Creek...Hamilton Creek...the Roadbed...Smith Springs...Point 4 1/2...point 5...Schoolhouse area...around Goose Island...right at the dam...between the dam and Goose Island.

Rarely did I mark two fish in close proximity to one another. Never found the school or cluster that will give up a lot of action.

In 6 hours of trolling 6 jigs and 2 crankbaits (8 rods total simultaneously) we caught 3 hybrids, one striper, one catfish and one largemouth.

Biggest fish was 7.75 lb hybrid, next was 6 lb striper. the rest were small.

Good luck finding them without electronics!

I don't feel so bad then, I went Friday also and pulled some U rigs and swim baits and caught a sunburn. LOL

Tried catching bait in Suggs creek and no go there either.