Nice Night For A Boat Ride

[nathanhooper]

Ok, honestly, I'm sick of saying that. Yea, it was nice out yesterday evening. However, I am ready to start catching fish again. I keep asking myself when it will all 'click' and I will catch on. Last year was my first year for having a boat on the water. Till that point it was always bank fishing. Bank fishing taught me a lot, more precisely that of feeling the bite of the fish. I did translate that to my boat fishing and started catching fish pretty quickly.

All of my time fishing was spent running up an arm of the lake and fishing a cove. I am not a fast fisher when it comes to doing that, I work an area pretty good before moving on. In that time I caught just about every species of fish except striper. It was nice because I never knew what I was going to catch. Sometimes it was just a bunch of blue gill, but they are some tasty critters.

Then this spring I watched as guys would be trolling for white bass and filling the boat in a matter of minutes. I tried, but just did not have the right equipment. Got the right equipment, but the run was over and they had moved on to greener pastures I guess. Then a friend shows me how to flatline the last part of May and into June I was doing pretty well with that. Catching two to three good fish, and a hand full of others each trip.

Now I am struggling. Might be because I am trying to hard, but I have set a goal to catch a striper on my own(not that I don't want others in the boat or anything). Man, I never thought it would be so tough. I am trying not to let it get to me, but its wearing me thin. The only thing I have not tried yet is the way my friend does it and what we caught that one striper on a few weeks back.

He uses downriggers exclusively. And with that he uses big jerkbaits exclusively. The size and color sometimes varies. I imagine he does so because he can repeat it without too much being different trip to trip. He knows exactly how far he trolls them behind the ball, and in return how deep they run. Of course, he also mainly targets them around this time of year when I guess they are more predictable in the depth range they run?

So I guess thats where I am at. I went last night and tried umbrella rigs(large alabama rigs) and then even tried some flickershad to see if I could at least pick up a white or hybrid. Never a bite. Of course, I only fished for a little over 3 hours, but I would think I could have had one bite.

Maybe I am seeing fish on the sonar that are not really there. Could be boat speed. Could be depth(actual fow I am in). I do know I am keeping the bait in the zone right above their heads, at least within 3-4 feet. I just wonder when it will click.

This is more of a rant I guess. I know there are so many variables and everything. I read and re-read the very helpful information available here and elsewhere. But in all honesty it all comes down to putting a lure in the water and hoping a fish bites. I guess that it is what makes it different than hunting. With hunting as long as I can locate game, then its just a matter of if I am a good enough shot with my equipment. Fishing, you have to locate them, have the right equipment, but then wait for them to decide to bite.

I almost have to say that fishing is harder than hunting. Which does not make me feel any better considering how long it took for things to click in my head when it came to hunting.

[Quillback]

Striper fishing can be tough this time of year, especially during the day. Send F&F a PM and see if he has any timely tips for you.

[Feathers and Fins]

Summer is very tough but if you can find the right place where they are schooling it can be great. Nathan you were on the phone with me last weekend as I was watching a striper on my cam, never touched the bait but followed it for a good time coming back several times. They can be that way.

What I look for is Mornign bites on shores that maintain the shade the longest with a point or gentle slope to them, after that I try and locate them just off those areas in deeper water. Live bait is King in summer. Trolling works but it takes a lot of time to learn how to troll them up and many people use way to large a bait IMO when trolling. Average sizxe shad is 2 to 4 inches and that is the size and color I would be concentrating on for a numbers bite. I troll much larger but im targeting the BIG Bite.

I said one time I love targeting the stripers in the White River below beaver dam. its a 1 in 100 or more bite and you have to have the mentality it will not always happen and a bite is more than you had hoped for. Musky fishermen and Striper fishermen are the biggest glutons for punishment lol.

[Stump bumper]

Another tip is to always have a 3/4 to 1 oz jigging spoon handy when you are on the lake this time of year. I was night fishing with a friend two weeks ago with live bait and the night would have been a bust if not for our spoons. When you see a lot of fish, learn to measure out your line or better yet use your electronics to see your spoon and drop it in their face.

Fish near the bottom seem to pick up spoons the fastest but if you can find fish under shad those will bite also, and most of the time when you hit active fish you will catch more on the spoon then the live bait.

White and silver, shad and minnow are the only two colors and shapes you really need to have BUT ALWAYS USE GOOD HOOKS. Eight spoons and you have a good box and ready for almost anything, though my spoon box has about 30..lol

Not saying this is the best way to target stripers but the best way to catch deep active fish and there doesn't seem to be a fish in Beaver that doesn't like to be spoon feed.

[nathanhooper]

Yea, I am a glutton for punishment. I remember now you telling me about that striper following your bait. I may be better off not getting a camera till next year or else I am liable to pull my hair out when I actually see them and they don't bite. At least on the sonar I can blow it off as some other fish...lol.

Its just my frustration. Actually, I sat there last night and wondered to myself "Where are all the striper guides...". There is a clue for me, duh.

I do not get to fish much in the mornings. I'm going to try this weekend though I think. I had thought about going to the river. How far down from the dam are they? I think I'll stick to main lake though. I know its my stubbornness, but I set a goal and I aim to reach it. I thought my goal of 10lbs was pretty reasonable, but makes me wonder if I should not have set it at ANY striper. lol.

[nathanhooper]

So, just to be redundant and get this to stick in my head. Just because there is a thermocline, that does not stop the fish from coming up and feeding top few feet of water early in the mornings and late at night?

I really like the idea of live bait fishing. I can imagine it would be a pretty neat thing to be sitting there and all of the sudden something big is on the end of your line. Kind of like regular bass fishing, but still different. I like trolling too, I do not find it mundane at all.

[Quillback]

I've heard that the Indian creek channel near the Lost Bridge North ramp is producing some stripers. Might be a guide boat or 2 in that area in the evenings or early morning.

[pomm muskie]

I KNOW THE FEELING ABOUT MUSKIES THEY WILL DRIVE YOU CRAZY. MIGHT AS WELL ADD ANOTHER FISH TO FISH FOR AND JUST STEP OFF THE EDGE.

[Feathers and Fins]

Nathan come the end of september early October Stripers get super stupid and much easier to find PRAIRIE CREEK simple as that. And if the shad are in the back of the creek they are even stupider simply launch at PC at 3pm go to back of creek and catch bait then go to the first doc past Old PC dirt ramp and drift to the back of the creek.

They stick around there till the end of Dec and usually some there all through winter, just beware geese tend to fall from the sky durring the same time for some non-toxic reasons

[nathanhooper]

I've heard that the Indian creek channel near the Lost Bridge North ramp is producing some stripers. Might be a guide boat or 2 in that area in the evenings or early morning.

Figures, I usually fish Indian Creek although its further north of that area. Decided to expand my horizons and go more toward point 3. Not as far as a drive as I had imagined. I do remember the day before I went fishing with my friend and caught that one striper, a guide was in the area we caught that dude. I guess there is something to say about following the guides around.