OH Crappie/ Striper

[hotwielen65]

Got out for a couple hours to see if I could put a few slabs in the well for supper. Its been over a month since getting out so I started out shooing some docks in deep water with little success, caught a bunch of yellow bellies. Moved to a big old tree in the water at the back of a cove and managed a few shorts and two keepers. The real show was behind me though. I noticed some shad scattering on the water, hot on their tails were a couple rock (striper) that looked to be about 24 to 30 inches. The water was clear and you could see the shad group back up, thats when the bad boys would rip into them again. I put the brightest twister tail I had in the box and flipped it out there, I ran the twister through the schooled shad about four times when I got a thrill I haven't had long time. You could actually feel the mouth pop on the jig when it, I had the fight of a lifetime for about 3 or 4 minutes, on four pound test I thought I hung in there pretty well, if I had took the time to set the drag I would have enjoyed the battle little longer. When it was over I was shaking from the excitement. WOW what a fish, I might be hooked on these bad boys! Last night I rigged up a pole to go back this weekend

To all a great day,
Ray

[txnative]

You have my condolences on the new striper addiction...I've had it for years. That pattern seems to happen every spring, and many a crappie fisherman has had their spider rig set-up trashed by stripers that hit a minnow or small jig. Good luck trying to replicate it, though...stripers are notorious for the "here one day, gone the next" behavior. Hope you get into them again.


Chris

[lupanfreitag]

I was at the dam one November chucking swim baits at the spillway doors and became exhausted so I switched to 4lbs test, medium lite rod and a Berkley Power Minnow. First cast I hooked a huge striper. I fought it for 45 minutes and landed it. 15lbs. After 30 minutes I was yelling (to myself I guess) break off! Break off! It is all I do all summer. Cast in the froth and hang on.

[txnative]

I've fished that scenario myself and it is an absolute blast. My best stretch was 7 casts producing 7 stripers between 7 and 20 lbs. I lost a beast that almost spooled my 30 lb braid before the hook pulled. We were anchored in a seam and my co-angler didn't pull the anchor in time. I had to tighten the drag WAY more than I normally would in order to try to slow the fish down. Good times, but experience and caution are an absolute requirement, along with a sea-worthy vessel.


Chris

I was fishing for white bass (stripe as I've always called them) a few years back below Priest during generation. I was casting a floating Rapala on a 6# outfit out into the current and letting it swing back to the bank while giving it a twitching action.

On one cast, as the Rapala got almost back to me, a HUGE Striper exploded on it throwing water everywhere.

The fight lasted long enough for it to spool me.....about 20 seconds in that current.....

It WILL get you addicted.