Striped Bass

[Mike Worley]

Hey, here's a recipe that turns striped bass into some serious good eatin. Make a mustard sauce. A couple of table spoons of mustard (pretty much any kind brown spicy or Dijon) enough water to thin it down to liquid. A good squirt of lemon juice. About a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce. And a good shake or two of ground red pepper. Add some paprika. Mix it together to make a sauce.

2 cups of corn meal & flour(mix) add garlic powder, onion powder, Cavener's seasoning, red pepper & paprika or (I just used the New Orleans packaged fish fry from the market)

Be sure to trim any red meat or white grisle off the meat, cut the trimmed fish into about 1/2' thick slices (across the grain)

Dip the fish into the mustard sauce and shake in the flour mix. Fry in a moderatly hot hot skillet till golden brown or flaky white (about 3-4 minutes)

This made some serious good eatin' for a hungry hillbilly !!

[hogwall]

What is the striper population in the Bull as I didn't think they stocked them there?Over the years I have heard of some big stripers caught but always thought they were flukes.I'm from Wisconsin and usually fish stripers on Lake Ouachita.Thanks TOM

[Mike Worley]

The striped bass in BSL are mainly in the 20-40+ class. I think most of them were stocked about 10 years ago but there are a few different stories about exactly how they got there. I personally heard a AG&FC biologist say they got a truck load of stripers mislabeled and put into Bull Shoals instead of Norfork Lake. I have also heard some stripers were stocked to help get the gizzard shad population in check, which it does seem that the gizzard shad (which were too large to be utilized by most game fish) have not been as thick as they were a few years back. Most of the stripers caught in BSL are real impressive compared to other lakes that I know of. While it doesn't seem like there are large numbers of them they can really turn a slow winter time day into a lot of fun in a hurry.

[SgtChuck64]

Mike, how long does this striper bite last usually ? I have some time off in the middle of the month and am thinking about sneaking down there for a few days, Thanks, Chuck

[Larry Richards]

As a nonrenewable resource and with people eating them they wont be there to much longer.

[Martin]

I think most of the guys I know personally, Mike Worley included, would love to release these big stripers, but most are too stressed to release. ie: Can't get them to swim away or dive, even after working with them for a long time. No sense in letting the Gar and catfish eat them.

[Mike Worley]

I think most of the guys I know personally, Mike Worley included, would love to release these big stripers, but most are too stressed to release. ie: Can't get them to swim away or dive, even after working with them for a long time. No sense in letting the Gar and catfish eat them.

This is true most of the smaller (20LB'ers) seem to do alright when released but the 30-40+ are just too stressed out to do much at all when you net them and will just lay on the surface if you try to release them. Also keep in mind that we are seeing a few smaller ones in the lake this year (the 20LB'ers) so hopefully there has been more than one stocking. Hopefully the AGFC & Missouri will keep a few in the lake with future stockings.

[Mike Worley]

Mike, how long does this striper bite last usually ? I have some time off in the middle of the month and am thinking about sneaking down there for a few days, Thanks, Chuck

The middle of January looks good with the full moon on the 19th which if we get a little wind & cloud cover can get the middle of the day bite going. I think the stripers should still be up & biting till the water warms up this spring. Main problem this time of year is predicting the weather. It's not much fun lauching the boat with ice & snow and it gets real cold trying to fish much after dark in winter time but if we get a warm spell it really can be a blast. There's a photo of another 40LBer I caught last Thursday.

[lonkm]

Mike, You should have your own TV show!You catch more fish in all kinds of weather and at all times of the year than any one I have heard of. Keep up the good work. I look forward to your reports.

[Mike Worley]

Mike, You should have your own TV show!You catch more fish in all kinds of weather and at all times of the year than any one I have heard of. Keep up the good work. I look forward to your reports.

Thanks lonkm for the kind words. I tried to fish last night but I had to wuss out. My thumb hurt so bad I thought it was frostbite, I just can't take the cold like I used to. I guess I will have to switch over to a spinning reel on those cold nights it was 35 degrees when I got back to the rig at the ramp. I did not get a bite and was off the water about 7 PM.