Feathers and Fins

If you want the Best system I have ever seen or been part of it is how the California Fish and Game handles the draw system or at least use to. 1. Hunters send in for area and date they wish to hunt $1.00 fee per day and per are ( it was common to put in for multiple areas for the same day) 2. Random computer generated numbers assigned to the hunter ( if hunter selected more than one area the computer insured they did not get the same number for each spot) This actually allowed for a hunter to submit for multiple refuges and then hunt the one he wanted or had best reservation number for. 3. No limit on amount of days you can apply for any refuge ( I typically applied for 2 refuges every Sat,Sun and Wend of the season) 4. Assigned a number to winners of the draw date from 1 to whatever 5. Number 1 picks first and so on until all reservations are filled 6. Sweat line is dealt out numbers the night before at 10pm by ping pong raffle or the morning of the hunt in first come first serve order depending on the refuge. 7. 3am blinds are issued, first to reservation then to sweat line 8. Fill in is from 1st party checking in till 2pm I seldom did not get a spot in the morning and the few times I did not I was within the first 10 to refill spots as people came out. This allowed for almost everyone to get to hunt. Nice thing about refill is if you had a bad spot in the AM you could refill later and try and get a better spot. Also Refills had the ability to cherry pick spots. #1 refill could opt out and allow others to go ahead of him. So long as he held #1 refill he was always given the opportunity to YEA or NEA the refill. This was a great boom for people who wanted a specific blind and also a way to hook up with other hunters. I wish MDOC would use this method. EVERYONE HUNTS and EVERYONE gets to use the facility.

There might be a few VERY few left up at the dam. Most stripers haved moved up lake by now. Everyone I talk to who is down at the dam is saying a few smallies and meanies and a couple nice Kentucks but no striper.

His G2 on the left side is the drop if that helps ID him

Waterfowl Opens Saturday finally. Ive been seeing a few ducks around. Good numbers of Wood Ducks still and hope the front Wend does not push them out they have been on acorns in the back of coves which = Tasty dinner. The geese are stupid no doubt about it. Probably will shoot ducks down by the dam Saturday morning then head back to PC for striper and drop a couple of geese with with the bow near the swim beach. Stupid things let you drift right next to them and 10ft with my bow is a gimme. I did see a real nice Buck swimmng across PC last night after dark. 10pt with a nice drop on him, to dark for pics but I know a lot of guys who would be shaking like a leaf in the wind to get a shot on him, But deer are safe from me this year couple kids I know did great on youth season and I got some of the meat so I put away my Tags no reason to kill just to kill. Coons were also out playing last night and 1 huge Beaver that slapped his tail at me a few times. All in all nice time out.

The prcie we pay sometimes hurts lol...

Same place they were today just much harder to come by lol... You watched me catch one of the three i scratched out... I told you if the wind died to be there at all cost, LOL I was and it cost me a trip to the Jewelry store today damit

You left out all the hunting. Heck all one has to do is download the KMZ file for google earth on the MDC site to see just how blessed we are. Now if we can only get a couple lakes down here stocked with Pike. Or better yet stock a few stripers and Musky in Taney with a slot for keeping say 40'' or bigger evertything else is Release only, Think of the size they would get in there and the potential for records. Not saying stock alot but just enough to give people a shot at one. hehe

I saw the weather report said the wind would let up about 4 so i ran out to the lake hoping to get at least 1 hook up but not expecting much if the wind stayed. At about 3:30 it let up and by 4 was calm in Prairie Creek and for the next two hours I was hooked up to 20lb stripers and Bigger with Whites and Hybrids all over the place. Totaled out on 18 stripers 12 hybrids and 4 whites. Bait of the night was LARGE gizzard shad and Pencil Poppers. The graph had fish all over the creek on it Momma always said go big or go home AND BAIT WAS BIG But big bait = big fish All in all a great evening and I left the fish biting to come home and cook my lovely wife some striper. But here is how it looked tonight as you can see they busted open That was the common look in the creek tonight and I had it all to my little self. And the good lord gave me an awesome sunset to go with it.

Only advice I can give is pray for the wind to quit short of that finding shad is very hard with the wind. I would try PC but as WC said its full of stumps and other obstacles and if you are not familiar with it you may be buying a new prop. The brooders are not a bad idea, run them at least 100 feet behind the boat on slpit shots and they should produce something. This wind is really harsh. Oh and if you lauch before dawn or pick up after dark BEWARE Bambi's mother and Aunts are all over PC entrance had one bounce off my trailer on my way out tonight.

Those would win some of the tournies nice bag for certain

Al, Skinner is one of the lakes I cut my teeth striper fishing on. Very nice lake back then and common to see Deer, Coyote and Mountain Lions around its shoreline. It been years since i was there so if you would be so kind to tell me, Is it still pretty wild or is it developed all around the lake? As I have said we are very lucky in this part of the country. I looked at many states laws and rules since the start of this thread and just shake my head at them. And all in all I think people care more about the resource here than in many places ive been. When i hear people talk about how trashy a public place looks here I smile and shake my head. You aint seen nothing till you seen FL, CA or NY public areas and dont get me started on Chi. I carry trash bags with me and instead of complaining I just pick up what i see. Everyone who cares should spend 10 minutes at the parking lot or ramp and then it wouldnt be a mess.

3 stripers a 10, 12 & 20. Surf hell I could have pulled a skier behind the boat with the motor off. TOUGH day with the wind blowing in PC made finding bait very hard and most the marks were on the bottom or near it. They aint left just slowed way down. If we get some windless days things should get good again.

Dont say stinking Geese im trying to convince a guy they smell good and taste even better. Im up late because no way im running the lake in these winds. Ill be over at PC around 9 or 10 swing on out and say Hi. Im in a Black Tracker with the 90 optimax on the back. It feels like a Live bait day which is getting annoying I want to get back on them with the fly-rod.

Al most my family is still there. Perris and Skinner are the two lakes near Diamond. Perris is State owned and Skinner and Diamond are Metro Water District. Its funny they are so worried about the mussle yet both are fed by the colorada river. Its all about money out there. Perris is an amazing Bass lake I have caught many LMB up to 16 pnds from it with 8pnd being very common. It has a wonderful summer fishery for Trout. It held the world record Alabama Spot for along time and still may i havent checked. Skinner is a striper lake with some nice smallmouth and trout in it. Skinner seldom had pressure on it because of Perris being so close. But winter striper fishing would see 100's of boats on skinner chasing them and Perris was always packed with Bass Anglers. The areas of the coast they have closed broke my heart when i heard about it I grew up fishing those areas and some of my best memories with my father and grandfather were there. But there is even a bigger kicker. Apparently Cal DFG is now in Working with HSUS or at least letting HSUS train wardens. Tell me how crazy that it to allow the biggest Animal Rights/ Extremist group around to be working with a Fish and Game. When I was told about it by my Uncle I about called him a liar till he showed me the article. Im so thankful for what we have here every day when i read stories around the country of whats going on in other places.

Its all about the "experiance" The balloon is a visual and makes for something to keep the clients attention. Jigging on a boat with 6 clients would be a mess, could you see 8 guys all hooked up at the same time? Most people on guided trips from my experiance are not use to crowd fishing and the crossed lines would be insane. Now give me 6 guys who are vetrans of party boat fishing and it wouldnt be a problem OVER UNDER OVER UNDER done it on sport boats with 60 guys all bent over the rail, but all it takes is one guy who doesnt know how. The other reason they ballon is to spread bait out and run multiple rods. 3 Ballons on surface set 100ft back then two rods off the stern on 2oz weights and two out the side on 6oz weights. they cover the water colum pretty good. Problem I dont like about it is you cant be precise. If I run balloons my preffered way is to anchor up and send them to where the sifh are and keep them in the area. The longer they are there the higher the odds. Covering water is good but like you said if you got them targets why move?

Balloons for stripers Not exactly the way you hear about or get shown by a guide, but saltwater style. This is simple yet 100x’s more affective then tying on a balloon and watching it get bounced to not have anything there. First let’s talk about the Ballooning that people read about in freshwater so you can understand the major reason what I’m about to say is more affective. We have all seen the write-ups on the internet and probably seen a few shows where people will tie a balloon to their line and send it out behind the boat. Yes this will work! But the drawback is there is friction when a fish takes it and more times than not the fish will feel it and release the bait. This is not uncommon and I see a lot of boats pulling balloons and I see them go down or run off all to watch the fisherman set up and nothing is there or watch the balloon pop back up and nothing there. Simply put the fish felt it and released it. The next issue with this is unless you are pulling them directly behind your boat there will be slack in the line or a big bow and when the fish grabs the bait it feels the friction again and releases it long before you can wind tight and set up on it. The solution is simple and one I learned fishing for Kingfish and Tarpon. First my disclaimer ( BUY THE TOOLS NEEDED DON’T USE YOUR WIVES I DON’T WANT ANYONE BLAMING ME FOR MAKING MOMMA MAD) Ok you need a Balloon obviously and then you need a short length of monofilament 20lbs test I suggest a nap swivel and then a Clothes Pin (not mommas) lol. Drill out the clothes pin and attach the mono line through the hole leaving about 1ft of line loose. Then tie on the snap swivel and synch it down tight to the clothes pin and cut off the rest of the line. Make about a dozen of them 3/0 snap swivel is best. Now when you get out to the lake blow up the balloon and make it big. Insert the snap swivel through the balloon leaving the pin hanging below it. Now let out the desired amount of line I make sure its set so if the bait swims down it can’t get to bottom EXAMPLE: 25FT BOTTOM let out 23ft of line. Then make 3 loops in the line and pinch them together and put them in the mouth of the safety pin. When a fish hits it they will pop out with no resistance at all. Fish won’t feel a thing and will start swimming off, and make the line tight himself and using circle hooks when he goes tight he is hooked and you got him on. This method allows for precise depth control and no need to hassle with a balloon on your line when fighting a fish. Balloons at rod tips can be a break off and let’s be honest they can chaff up a line when reeling it through the balloon or Kink it when you tie it on your line. So when a fish hits this rig the balloon is just left bobbing at the surface of the water and when you land the fish go get it and start over no having to blow up another balloon and re-rig. Just loop the lines pinch and re-attach. Kink it when you tie it on your line. So when a fish hits this rig the balloon is just left bobbing at the surface of the water and when you land the fish go get it and start over no having to blow up another balloon and re-rig. Just loop the lines pinch and re-attach.

Sounds like you were chasing one of my favorite fish, the FAMED HOUR JACK!!!! Lord i miss getting in a school of a couple thousand 40lb'ers and watching the attacks. Cobia did the same thing great fun untill you hang into the Bat they were with, say bye bye at a speed that would have made Captain Kirk jelous.

Very Cool. Im launching at 7:30 or so at PC and making a hard run up toward the dam scouting for Ducks and then back to PC to look for the stripers. Hows the shad looking in there?

We are blessed in this area of the country to have so many great lakes, rivers and streams. Carp are what I call freshwater Bonefish, powerful fighters, great for fly fishing. They are a species I enjoy fishing for because they do remind me of days spent on the flats looking for bonefish because they are just like them in so many ways. But why we are blessed is not because of the Carp, Trout, Bass, Stripers or the host of so many other game fish species, nor the bountiful hunting opportunity. In our own country we have areas with sever restriction on where you can fish and worse the price it cost to fish and hunt. Take Diamond Valley Reservoir in California for example: To get in you have to pay $7.00 To launch your boat its $12.00 To Fish you have to pay $3.00 That’s $22.00 each time you go just to get in and fish! I pay $30.00 for my Army Corps pass and that’s it for the year. I wouldn’t even need to pay it if I just launched at a public ramp. Now each time they go to the lake they have to have the boat inspected and if any amount of moisture is in the boat or motor they are rejected and can’t fish it! There are now areas of the Coast of California you can no longer fish from the surf because people trashed it and they said it was fishermen, lord forbid it couldn’t have been the 100,000 people that use the beach daily in summer. Florida there is so many areas the Condo Commandos now have control of you can’t gain beach access to because they put a condo there and run people off. We are lucky here because the people you and I wouldn’t allow it or tolerate it. Because we band together to protect the resource and police ourselves! But also because our Conservation Departments despite the short comings do try and make the outdoors accessible to everyone. We may not always agree with them and certainly criticize them, but they are out ally and try. We are blessed to be able to pull up to a lake and fish it or a stream and enjoy it and even more so the price doesn’t drive people away from the opportunities.

How simple does it get a Jig head with hair tied to it or feathers or Mylar even yarn! You can have more fun making them and trying different material and seeing what works. Oh and dont forget road kill deer lol jk of not. Size: 1oz to 4oz Colors: Day, White, White with Red, White with Blue, White with Green. Night, Black, Black and Purple, Red and Purple, Purple and Glow Head White. When to use them? When stripers are in shallow water 15ft and less on flats, cast them out and slow swim them back to you near the bottom occasionally gently lifting your rod tip up and down. When stripers are surface feeding, Cast them right to the fish and reel them as fast as you can. Trolling them, this is when I will add a swim tail to them and troll them 100yrds behind the boat using different head sizes for depth control. Jigging, Depending on current or drift speed I use from a 1oz on a no wind no drift boat to a 4oz on a good wind or drift. They key is short snaps of the rod tip no more than 18 inches and position it 2ft above where you mark them on your sonar. I suggest setting sensitivity high so you can see the bait in relation to the fish. Stripers will feed up. Now if they are on the bottom pop it on the bottom 6 inch snaps like a wounded fish and they will go down to get it. I really suggest buying the Jig-heads and make your own it’s a lot of fun and you can experiment with colors Never know when you will come across a color for the lake you are on that is a hot producer. Also Bass and Flat-heads like them so don’t be surprised to get one of them. Finally Use a shock leader. When I use the 3 and 4oz size I always tie on a 2ft section of 50lbs shock leader. The repeated casting and a big fish can be tough on line not to mention the take on a cast and retrieve could easily break you off.

Thank you hope it helps. Funny i was looking over old pictures from 20+ years ago and im still catching them doing the exact same thing and same baits. I re-read the post and there is so much more I wish i would have added but guess I can just keep making new post about things in more detail. Alot of fun seeing people using the info to catch big fish.

11-10-2010 Best guess’s for Stripers this weekend. We have a Bad Moon rising this weekend and for Day fishermen that can be a death sentence to striper fishing. The night bite should be very good on Rattle-traps and Pencil Poppers. If you have only the day to be fishing I would get shad for bait and pay attention to the graphs and try and scratch out a fish or two. I have reports of many boats in War Eagle Creek striper fishing but no reports of them catching fish sounds like guide boats but the report came from a bass fishing buddy of mine so he was more concentrated on what he was doing then actually staying to see if they were catching anything. So the question is where to start? I would start at Prairie Creek and work my way toward War Eagle looking for clean water and long flats extending off Points. If I located striper marks I wouldn’t leave and expect a late afternoon early evening bite. Try: Prairie Creek, Beaver Shores, The Island in front of Horseshoe Bend, Montne near the ramp and War Eagle Creek. Remember when trolling UNDER 25ft of water GET OFF THE BIG MOTOR all you will do is spook fish and if others are drift fishing live bait you will ruin their chances. Be mobile and be ready for a long day, that full moon messes with the daylight bite.

Not upset one bit so dont think about it. Ok Bottom run, that helps a little. But you will need a good swift current. More than likely the stripers will be sitting down current some distance from the dam unless its generating. I would launch and close to Powersite as possible then troll down current about 3 miles with planers set out to the within yard of the bank and one directly behind the boat and one weighted straight down. Then back up toward the dam. If you know when they will generate I would time it so I launched 3 hours before generation head down current so i would be at the 2 mile mark when they generated, Keep going untill yoiu notice the current change and then turn and head back up to powersite and fish it. Stripers will move up when they start generating and feeding. You should get into them on the way up and get into the big ones when you arrive. Not knowing the area im going off whats worked in similar looking areas as all i had to view it was google earth. This weekend Beaver should be good if no more weather comes in. Going to be hard to say if they will be upriver or not so if you come to beaver be ready to move alot.

Thats good news, thanks

Thats a Good one without a doubt. Glad you got her.