I Think The Stripers Are Biting...

[Quillback]

Today was one of those days that happens maybe once a year for a weekend fisherman like me, I wasn't even that fired up about going fishing but I really needed to get the boat out and burn off some gas as it had been sitting in the garage since November.

So I get to Beaver, launch out of Horseshoe bend and head over to a main lake flat that I like to fish. With the water up like it is, it had quite a bit of brush that extends about 50 feet out in the water and runs for about 300 yards along the bank. At the edge of the brush the water is about 6 feet deep and gradually shelves out deeper. I had a clown colored Spro Mcstick tied on, and I start casting it to the edge of the brush and bringing it back in in a twitch, twitch, pause a second sequence. About my fifth cast, I feel a little tick on the line on the pause, then my rod loads up, I feel some serious head shaking going on and then the drag is screaming, I'm fishing with a medium action 6'6" spinning rod and 10 lb test so the issue is in doubt, but I manage to keep the fish out of the brush, get him out to the open water and maybe 5 minutes later get him in my puny net. (That little gold looking thing in his mouth is the McStick).

So I retie and make a couple of more casts, and again on the pause hook another striper, this one takes me into a tree and breaks me off. So I tie another one on and maybe 5 minutes later catch another striper, this one about 8 lbs. The action stayed like this for a few more hours, I lost track of time, I started about noon and next thing I know it's 4 PM and the bite stops or the fish moved off, but it just stopped. Anyway I caught seven stripers, most about 8-10 lbs. the smallest being 5 lbs, and the biggest about 12, I lost 2 others that broke me off, and 2 others that got off the hook. I could not tell you what was so special about today, but these fish were aggressive, they would hit it, and if they missed it they would come back again. I had one fish that hit it on the pause, missed, I jerked it twice more and paused and he hit it again and missed, jerked it twice more and he finally got it on the next pause. Every fish I hooked hit it on the pause.

So the fish in the net is the first one I caught, the two on the counter are the two I brought home, one is 32" the other is 29". I kept three, one did not make the last shot, I gave it to an oldtimer that lives down the street from me, he's a fisherman but his hips are so bad he can't sit in a boat anymore. But he still likes to eat fish.

I need to buy some more McSticks, I lost two and broke another one while unhooking a fish. Of course I'll probably never have a day like this again, if I go out and purposely fish for stripers I'll probably get skunked. But I'll sure give it another try.

Supposedly they are going to drop the water starting Tuesday, so where caught these fish will be dry land. I'll have to find another spot.

[mclothier1]

Nice catch!!

I bet that was a ton of fun, kinda like catching a decent bass on an ultralight rod.

[jay bird]

Almost took the boat out today to do the same thing, burn off some gas. Guess I should have tried it. Good job

[zarraspook]

Today was one of those days that happens maybe once a year for a weekend fisherman like me, I wasn't even that fired up about going fishing but I really needed to get the boat out and burn off some gas as it had been sitting in the garage since November.

I need to buy some more McSticks, I lost two and broke another one while unhooking a fish. Of course I'll probably never have a day like this again, if I go out and purposely fish for stripers I'll probably get skunked. But I'll sure give it another try.

The wife and I had the same thing happen on MLK day in 2004.. The only difference was we were using Clown Rogues...

This is the first time I have heard of it happening to some one else...

I know you will have this memory for ever...

Mike

[Quillback]

When I cleaned them, I looked at one fishes stomach contents, a couple of 4 inch shad and a bunch of little one-one and a half inch shad. While I was fishing I noticed a few of the little shad here and there dying on the surface. I bet you could have caught a striper using a fly rod with a sinking tip and working a streamer like you work a stick bait, strip, strip, pause.

You're right Zaraspook, this is one of those days I'll always remember.

[jeb]

Wow, great day! I was out most of the day yesterday, but the opposite direction. Didn't catch anything. Black bass are pretty slow right now, at least for me! Lots of boats out yesterday, though. Was there a fishing contest yesterday?

[Quillback]

There was a lot of boats out yesterday, more than I thought there would be. I was wondering the same thing, if there was a tournament going on.

I did not catch any black bass either.

[Quillback]

BPS has suspending Rogues on sale now for $3.74, I picked some up, I hear that the only drawback with Rogues is that some need to be tuned out of the box. But you can get three of them for the price of one of those McSticks.

They also have Johnny Morris spinning reels on sale for $63 and some change. I was using a 2000 JM when I caught htose fish, it worked well. Outdoor Life recommended them last year as a high quality value reel, and that was before they dropped the price to $63. My only complaint about them is that the line capacity is not high.

[jeb]

McSticks need tuning, too. I had to put quite a few of those stick on lead strips on one the other day to get it to suspend. The LC Staysee was perfect right out of the box, though.

[Quillback]

By tuning, I mean getting it to run right, not run on it's side or roll. From what I have heard some of the Rogues are like that. I'll find out.