Another Night On The Water

[nathanhooper]

Got out again last night. I knew it would be a few days at least before I could get back out so I tried new areas and such. Got my rods spooled back up with some 10lb test. Boy does it let the lures get down further. I still have not figured out just how deep they are running, but it seemed to be anywhere from 25'-30'. I got hung up a lot and the last of the night was in what I would consider relatively clean water at around 29'. There were some times I would see it tick on 30' range. Maybe just hitting big boulders? Other times I got a little shallow by accident in the 25' range and would not see my lures tick. But that could just be the bottom being sand/mud? I went back to flat lining them. There were a lot of times I eased into the shallow, bringing it up to 27' ish feet, and did not see anything. So it seems that I can achieve some pretty good outcomes now if I so choose.

I spent 3 1/2 hours out there and nothing but one lost lure to show for it. This happens to me each time this year when I try to target stripers. I remember it pretty well last year. In fact, I think I gave up the first week in August. I'm not giving up this year though. I am picking up a set of normal downriggers today that I got a sweet deal on and I am going to learn the ways of a friend of mine who uses them exclusively this time of year.

All the fishing I did was at the mouth of Indian Creek. I did drag up to the Marina once, but did not stay long. Actually, I fished 4 different spots, and while I saw some fish, there just wasn't the size/amount that I had seen before. They must have been chasing elsewhere. Fish seemed to show up most around the 30' FOW again, but hanging right at the bottom. I am used to watching my friends sonar when we are fishing, and when we see the fish we catch on sonar they are almost always suspended up off the bottom some.

I would welcome any advice for the upcoming week. I might convince my wife that we need to get out one night this weekend, sure would like to see her reel in a big one. Anyone been seeing the guides lately or heard where some good action is? I cant say I saw but maybe one guide last night. And that's a maybe. Of course, when I start trolling most of the time my eyes are on my screen and rods.

[kjackson]

^{Can't help with stripers as I've only caught one in Beaver, and that was a dink way out west. I was wondering what lures you're using to get down to 20 feet. Care to share? I have some that will hit that depth, but the little I've pulled them I've not caught a fish. I will get a few that can go deeper, but I think running a diver or a downrigger might be easier say with a spoon or a jointed minnow bait.}

[nathanhooper]

Strike King 6XD. There are some good articles on it and how guys "sproll"(longline) with them in bass tournaments. As I found out, line weight is a big issue with depth on these things. It took me a while to find the sweet spot with them earlier this year with the line I was using, so I am sure it will just take a bit more now that I am using different line. I am hoping that I can adjust the depth they run by how much line is behind the boat. Might have to use them at a different rod angle also. They also sell a 10XD, but I have a hard time paying that much for a lure. It is said to dive 25+ feet with just regular casting, and up to 40' with long lining. I would buy the app data if Precision Trolling would ever work up some on this bait. Right now its just trial and error.

I am picking up some Scotty's today. With my homemade rigs it was just too much hassle to get the poles set up. I am going to be trying some of those stick baits again. I know they work well. I have fished and know of guys who fish with them all the time and come home with good fish. I just found out a little bit ago that one of the area's I was fishing last night did indeed produce some good fish either last night or the night before. They came from up in the 25' range though. And only after 10pm. Makes sense. I was starting to see more fish when I came up to 30', but had it stuck in my head that I should stay between 30'-40'. Oh well, one day I'll figure it out.

[kjackson]

Thanks. The 10XD scares me... but the good thing is you're not casting and retrieving as that could wear a person out. I've got some deep-diving stick baits that might work at that depth; I guess I'll have to give them a try.

Have you tried any of the lighted lures? Seems like they might trigger a bite in low-light conditions, and UV-treted lures might as well. But what I know of stripers, you could put in a very small teacup.

[nathanhooper]

You could throw my knowledge in that tea cup as well.

I have not tried anything other than regular lures. I might be wrong, but for the most part I would think stripers to be a lateral line hunting fish. In that they sense vibration/noise more so than sight. Which, in theory, makes sense. They are a low light feeder for sure to begin with, and they hunt for food rather than wait for it - from what I have been told. So unless they have some super sight that is out of the norm, at 30' below the surface of the water things disappear rather quickly the further you get away - even more so in the dark.

That's not to say that those sight based lures would not work well, they could help the fish focus in for sure.

I would try some deep stick divers if I had some. Cant find many that have much size to them though. I'll be doing some experimenting for sure. I am not giving up this year so quickly. Just have to adjust to the learning curve.