Striper On A Fly Rod

[BlueWave]

Has anyone had any success catching stripers on with a fly rod on Beaver? I plan to give it a try this summer/fall when they are chasing shad on top. Need to buy a new rod for an upcoming Amazon trip and want to match it with what I need for Beaver. Thinking a 9 wt. Would appreciate any advice.

[CollegeFish86]

The man you should talk to is Micheal at Backcountry Outfitters in Springfield. Its right next to Fin and Feather.

[Zack Hoyt]

BW, let me know when you will be out on the water next and we can meet up. I have an 8wt St Croix setup for larger fish. I put Rio's Bass line on it. I have had a striper on twice and it was a humbling experience..........the only time when I had wished for a little heavier duty reel.

[coloradofly]

BW,

I have been chasing stripers on beaver lake for the past few weeks. Keep in mind as you start to "HUNT" for these fish that it will require countless hours on the water locating and hooking up with one of these illusive fish, but the reward is so sweet. What we have found out in the past few weeks is that stripers are more active in the tope 5 feet of the water column in the morning. It will require getting on the water before daylight and watching the surface for schooling stripers. This may sound easy.... but there is a lot of water to cover. In my opinion, all this is what makes fishing for these so fun. I would highly recommend an 8wt. A 9wt would be better suited for stripers, but you loose versatility to fish other smaller species. The key to landing stripers is having a quality reel, if you are trying to stay cost effective i would highly recommend the Lamson Konic. This reel has a great drag system and it is also sealed for salt water use. The reel only costs $140. the most appropriate line you can have on your Striper/black bass/white bass/smallmouth bass setup is an intermediate line. IT IS A CLEAR FLY LINE. Stripers are spooked very easy, the clear fly line leaves no color trial as you retrieve your fly.

another key to catching stripers is to tie GOOD FLIES.... these fish feed on gizzard shad and threadfin shad. there are many fly patterns that you can buy or tie that replicate these two shad. The most important key to choosing the fly is the size!!! MAKE SURE THE SIZE OF YOUR FLY MATCHES THE SIZE OF THE SHAD FOR THE TIME OF YEAR YOU ARE FISHING.

Good luck as you hunt these fish with the fly.

[BlueWave]

BW, let me know when you will be out on the water next and we can meet up. I have an 8wt St Croix setup for larger fish. I put Rio's Bass line on it. I have had a striper on twice and it was a humbling experience..........the only time when I had wished for a little heavier duty reel.

Z we should get together and chase them around. I probably wont be down until early May. I have a trip coming up to the Arkansas near Salida to hit the caddis hatch next month. I have a place on Mulder and I think I remember you saying your family had a place close.

[BlueWave]

BW,

I have been chasing stripers on beaver lake for the past few weeks. Keep in mind as you start to "HUNT" for these fish that it will require countless hours on the water locating and hooking up with one of these illusive fish, but the reward is so sweet. What we have found out in the past few weeks is that stripers are more active in the tope 5 feet of the water column in the morning. It will require getting on the water before daylight and watching the surface for schooling stripers. This may sound easy.... but there is a lot of water to cover. In my opinion, all this is what makes fishing for these so fun. I would highly recommend an 8wt. A 9wt would be better suited for stripers, but you loose versatility to fish other smaller species. The key to landing stripers is having a quality reel, if you are trying to stay cost effective i would highly recommend the Lamson Konic. This reel has a great drag system and it is also sealed for salt water use. The reel only costs $140. the most appropriate line you can have on your Striper/black bass/white bass/smallmouth bass setup is an intermediate line. IT IS A CLEAR FLY LINE. Stripers are spooked very easy, the clear fly line leaves no color trial as you retrieve your fly.

another key to catching stripers is to tie GOOD FLIES.... these fish feed on gizzard shad and threadfin shad. there are many fly patterns that you can buy or tie that replicate these two shad. The most important key to choosing the fly is the size!!! MAKE SURE THE SIZE OF YOUR FLY MATCHES THE SIZE OF THE SHAD FOR THE TIME OF YEAR YOU ARE FISHING.

Good luck as you hunt these fish with the fly.

Cofly, Good to hear some folks are having some success with a fly rod. I have a place on the Lwr end and fish stripers with bait cast/spin gear. I dont really need to worry about an all purpose set-up. I have a Winston 5 WT that I would not trade for any rod in the world. A G Loomis 7 wt and Orvis 3 wt, 4 wt, and 5 wt along with more Orvis, Ross, and Galvan reels than I deserve. I have a Peacock Bass trip booked and want to take a fly rod along with Casting/Spinning gear, and I am in process of booking a Golden Dorado fly fishing only trip in Bolivia. I don't want to drop another grand on a premium heavy out fit so I am going budget and want to get one I can use at the Lake for Stripers. Thanks for the advice on Lamson. I will look into them. Thinking about a 9 wt TFO rod. Would really appreciate you posting any reports.

[jay bird]

I have had some very limited success for Stripers with a fly rod. Nothing over 6-7 pounds, but did see a nice hybrid caught on my boat that was pushing ten. Even the small ones took some time getting in and the couple of times that I have had luck I am sure you could of thrown a bare hook into the mess of busting Stripers and hooked up. I keep both floating line and sinking line handy, but tend to stay with the floating line just because it is a little easier to pick up and cast when you have worked your line out and they start busting behind you. Still looking for one on the fly rod over 15#, but not sure if I could ever land one over 20# unless I had a lot of luck, open water, and some one on the trolling motor that could chase it down, but I would love to try. I do know that my best Striper on a fly rod would have been just a fun little fish with my baitcaster set-up, but had my arm cramping up by the time I got it in with the fly rod.

[Zack Hoyt]

Z we should get together and chase them around. I probably wont be down until early May. I have a trip coming up to the Arkansas near Salida to hit the caddis hatch next month. I have a place on Mulder and I think I remember you saying your family had a place close.

I believe so. We are just down the shore from the Yacht Club over by Indian Creek. PM incoming.

[BlueWave]

BW,

I have been chasing stripers on beaver lake for the past few weeks. Keep in mind as you start to "HUNT" for these fish that it will require countless hours on the water locating and hooking up with one of these illusive fish, but the reward is so sweet. What we have found out in the past few weeks is that stripers are more active in the tope 5 feet of the water column in the morning. It will require getting on the water before daylight and watching the surface for schooling stripers. This may sound easy.... but there is a lot of water to cover. In my opinion, all this is what makes fishing for these so fun. I would highly recommend an 8wt. A 9wt would be better suited for stripers, but you loose versatility to fish other smaller species. The key to landing stripers is having a quality reel, if you are trying to stay cost effective i would highly recommend the Lamson Konic. This reel has a great drag system and it is also sealed for salt water use. The reel only costs $140. the most appropriate line you can have on your Striper/black bass/white bass/smallmouth bass setup is an intermediate line. IT IS A CLEAR FLY LINE. Stripers are spooked very easy, the clear fly line leaves no color trial as you retrieve your fly.

another key to catching stripers is to tie GOOD FLIES.... these fish feed on gizzard shad and threadfin shad. there are many fly patterns that you can buy or tie that replicate these two shad. The most important key to choosing the fly is the size!!! MAKE SURE THE SIZE OF YOUR FLY MATCHES THE SIZE OF THE SHAD FOR THE TIME OF YEAR YOU ARE FISHING.

Good luck as you hunt these fish with the fly.

CoFly,

Was just about to push the button on a Lamson Konic 4 for my new 9 wt and saw that it weighs in at 8 oz. That sounds like a load. Do you find the weight an issue??

[RSBreth]

Wow, I missed this topic somehow. I have in-laws who live in Beaver Cove (between the two Cliftys'- east of Point 5) so I have had some fun chasing Stripers with the fly gear over the years. I tend to make it down at the worst time of year these days, but during warmer weather it isn't unusual to find some kind of action in the top dozen feet of water right at twilight, before the sun comes up.

I mostly use my custom 9-weight I built on a All Star Austin blank. Mostly known for Bass rods, I know, but I got a deal, and it's a great heavy-duty rod for throwing a 9-weight full-sink or intermediate line when using big Clousers. I sometimes use an 8-weight for fish near the surface with a floating line and long leader, but it doesn't get used as much as the 9. I've caught some real nice ones on the 8-weight and Medalist reel, but what can you break on a Medalist? I have a Scientific Anglers system 2 reel on the 9-weight rod, and it's held up nicely on the average "schoolie"- about 6- to 8-pounds. They can still almost spool you.

Awesome fish.

That reel (the 8/9 model) weighs about the same as the reel you're looking at, a tad over 8-ounces. I don't notice it when I'm casting, in fact, you can go too light, and have the weight of the line and rod make you're grip work harder, and wind up with almost constant tendinitis like I have. It sounds counter-intuitive, but a slightly heaver reel makes it easier for my casting style, maybe it's like a counter-weight, I don't know.