[tkwalker]

Originally Posted by TNBronzeback

I seen lately a few guys have been using live skipjacks for stripers and im curious about where/how to hook them.
Ive used gizzard & threadfins in the spring and ive hooked them through both nostrils with good results but i tried a live skipjack the same way and it was instant death for it once i did. Maybe i did it wrong or stressed the 'jack too much but he went lifeless stat!
i know with shad, certain steps need to be taken to avoid "red nose" which ive read stripers are not a fan of at certain times.
If your using big skip jacks do you run 2 hooks or just 1 big hook? Hooked in the mouth, back, tail?
So since big line sides are a fan of big meals i figure i need to learn the proper rigging so im using something stripers want instead of dragging dead skipjacks down the river! lol.
Thanks for the info!

John ... If you are looking for schoolies or large rogues ... Your method is correct ... Nostrils !! .. .. whether it be Gizzards, Skippies or trout , Planer board or free swim... Your Skippy death rate maybe do to natural death rather than the hooking method ... I also used treble stingers sometimes on my trout and Skippies ...

I used the Nostril method for 20 years ... In fact I would hook my trout this way and at the end of the day bring them home and put them in my refrigerated tanks and use them for later trips ... They were alive and happy ... (year round) ...

Skippies is one of the hardest baits to keep ... They discharge a toxic oil which is detrimental to themselves .. So a constant water flow thru their tank helps ... But I had over $1000 invested with the latest and greatest in a tank and system and the best I could do was keep them alive 5 hours ... And this was about the same my Friend and rival Ralph Hollis Dallas could do ... But yet I could drive a Eagle Claw #7 Shaunesy hook thru their nose and immediately throw them in the water .. and they would live all day ... The challenge here was to catch them at Cordell Hull ...Trailer out to Granville and Martins Creek ... No more than an hour ordeal before I could push fresh water thru my tanks again constantly but the death rate would be 40% ...

Also if I was really after Mama ... 16 to 18 inch bait is not out of the question ... I grew this size trout in my tanks ... Remember ...Rogues are lazy ... they follow the schools after they ravage ... They just can't turn down a slow, large , striper candy swimming by at one of their favorite ambush points ...Ambush points !! Now where are they

Your turn .. Tell me where they might be ... John ...not aimed at you but to all who are interested in going after trophy Stripers ... I will help ... But you have to go out and educate yourself ... Read all you can ... And then throw out 50% of it as BS. Then report what you have learned and I will guide you in the right direction ... Note: Priest holds no trophyies ... This is strictly the Cumberland River Chain ...

Hope this helps ...... <'TK><