Beer Belly Stripers
 

After not going fishing for almost a month, it was finally time to turn the phone off and hook up the boat. Holy Cow the amount of Shad that are just EVERYWHERE! We decided to give them another menu item and bring some creek chubs to the party. We caught several healthy fish in 35' of moving water fishing at between 17'-21'. They are in the Creek Mouths. Headed back out today to pick up a few more. Think I'll go scout the bluffs around the Steamplant to the 109 Bridge.



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Nice! How do you catch the creek chubs? I live near station camp, and was thinking of trying that.

I actually caught them in Station Camp Creek near the rock quarry. Just go there and look for some swift moving water and cast your net in there. I usually get a couple dozen with one toss.

Awesome, thanks!

Thanks for the report.

Beautiful looking fish, and healthy lookin' ... do you ever keep any?

I might keep one in the 5-10 pound range when the freezer gets low, but I always let the 15 year old ones go. They've lived this long without being taken home :)

Good policy .. it seems the younger ones are tastier , ... and it's nice to let the big one's get bigger ^

This one that the 'pajama bottom fisherman' caught is about perfect :D
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Right On. That's perfect size for the grill. I love to eat them. Second favorite fish after Crappie. Call me crazy...

I am with you Adrian. Those 10 pounder and under striper are delicious. I kept one 20 lb. fish and it wasn't as good. I wouldn't keep them anymore over 10 lbs.

Nice fish and I agree about the smaller ones. I have heard that the saltwater stripers taste great at larger size. Being that saltwater fish in general is much tastier than freshwater fish, I'd bet it's true. I have eaten a couple that were on the larger size, not trophy, but over 10 pounds for sure, and I've also eaten plenty in the 3-7 pound range and the latter are definitely better.

This April you need to head to JPP for the Hybrid run, now that is a tasty fish!

Yeah buddy! i think hybrids grill up as good as salmon from a cooking standpoint. The thick filets hold together really good so ya dont lose any between the grill grates.

I know y'all are trying to open that proverbial can of worms and you have...
So would you rather eat the fish or catch.
Here we go again!

I can answer that... YES!!!

As for me , I release alive over 99% of the fish I catch, but I sure do enjoy eating some also.... I don't get into freezing - prefer to catch and eat same day or next.

I can't find any information to confirm that fish were created for catching. I do find reference in the Bible of eating them.

I like being all powerful and deciding what fish lives and which die. Sometimes I will keep them in the livewell just to release them later so they appreciate life more. I can't tell you how many have died in my hands.........


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I got into a massive school of schooling striper on Monday afternoon. I was running back to the boat ramp and came around a turn in the river and they were busting everywhere. Funnest 45 minutes I've ever had fishing. Only reason I left was bc it was dark. Caught a few. Lost a bunch. And they destroyed every single hook on every single Topwater waking bait I had in the boat. I only bass fish but I would give it up in a second to chase that everyday. The ones I caught were in the 5-10 lb range. Had a few that were way bigger straighten out and break my hooks. I had one really big one right at the boat and I noticed several more were with it. It straightened the hook and the bait popped out and another one grabbed my sexy dog as soon as it came free. That fish immediately broke my line.

I was looking for the icon that signified slapping the ground and laughing but couldn't find it, ... so I had to type all of this :p

On a Side Note* I went out Yesterday and Got Spanked!!! It was so Hot they didn't want to commit. I had 4 little piddly strikes and spit outs. Went home with my head tucked...

Hope they are eating today. I'm headed out there now.

Spotted Bass, see above post :)

That's the joy of fishing, hero today, goat the next.
Somebody needs to teach these fish to stay where we left them the day before!

Before you release them you need to show them the fillet knife just so they know how close they came like those movie scenes where someone has the gun pointed at another person's head and is ready to pull the trigger but at the last second can't do it and let's him/her go alive.

I like to hold them down and have the "thump stick" held up in the air like I'm about to give them the life ending bop on the head before the cutting board and then at the last second just change my mind and release them.