Decisions, Decisions...

[kjackson]

Heading out tomorrow at zero-dark-thirty somewhere. But I've not been on the water for a month, although it seems like years (work is not my favorite thing). So I'm out of touch with what is happening on Beaver. If it was just me fishing, I'd pick a spot and go figure it out. However, Number Two Son is finally home from college and would like to catch fish. He doesn't care what, nor do I for that matter.

I'm thinking of heading to the Highway 12 bridge and doing the trolling thing there, but the dam area is closer. So is the upper end of Table Rock. But since the idea is to actually catch fish, not just chase walleyes, I'm thinking the 12 Bridge area is the best shot. The dam area is something we can do later on shorter trips.

The weather says scattered storms in the morning, so that might be a limitation.

I'm open for any and all suggestions.

Thanks for any help you can offer.

[Feathers and Fins]

12 bridge would be my top choice, there is plenty of whites, crappie, catfish and some walleye in the zone along with small stripers. For numbers it would be my go to spot.

The dam area I would be chasing stripers.

The river it would be hard not to pass up the trout action to catch fish but other species are an unknown variable right now.

[vuekid]

12 bridge would be my top choice, there is plenty of whites, crappie, catfish and some walleye in the zone along with small stripers. For numbers it would be my go to spot.

The dam area I would be chasing stripers.

The river it would be hard not to pass up the trout action to catch fish but other species are an unknown variable right now.

I say what he said ^^^^. Best bet.

[J-Doc]

I was just going to say what F&F said (minus the trout). For numbers, use live bait (brooders and crappie minnows) on light line and drift fish. Similar to crawler harness but free swimming bait with a weight about 4-6ft up from the hook.

[nathanhooper]

Do you all find more luck with getting them away from the boat when drift fishing live bait, like setting them back 50' or so with balloons or something?

k, I am going out this evening with my neighbor. I'll give you a shout on what I find. I am going specifically for stripers though, so numbers are more than likely not going to be very high....if any at all.

[Feathers and Fins]

Nathan in the fall to early spring I have had stripers come up 50ft behind the boat when I speed up to move to a different point and nail the bait and even had them come up within 10ft. When I live bait drift I really don't use balloons that often I prefer the natural look of the drift. I set one at the previously mentioned 50ft and one at 75ft typically with a light split shot.

Balloons are when I find them in coves or working a point. I try to set up 150 ft off the 20ft mark of the point and use the wind to send the balloons to the 20ft point and use a clothes pin to release the bait when hit typically suspended 5 10 and 15ft deep.

[nathanhooper]

Hmmmm, guess I am missing something here then or just misunderstanding. So drifting you just put the bait out, light split shot(to keep them down?), and let them go wherever? Then I guess what I have been doing is downlining? I just assumed that at this time of the year you need to put the bait down to the 20'-30' mark. I couldn't see how I could accomplish that with just drifting, so I've been putting 1oz weight about 5' above the hook to keep them down.

Well, I guess though I am targeting just stripers though. So I guess that if you were going after a variety of fish, which you sound like you want to do k, then just drifting is the ticket?

[Feathers and Fins]

No that is me directly targeting stripers.... Only time I go with C-Rig baits is when its very windy, I prefer the bait to look as natural as possible and swim as free as possible also why I use 10 and 12lb lines.

In the clear water of the dam area a bait 50ft back will swim down toward the thermocline which is about 22 to 27 ft right now.. guess what else is there? The split shot bait will also do it but give off a ton of vibration struggling to swim and that gets attention and finally that clear water a Fish will see a long way so even a bait that's swimming 10ft deep will be targeted and better yet when it is it will swim to surface. Now I have seen guys think something is wrong when they do that and reel them in MISTAKE it did that because something was wanting to eat it and scared it up.

[J.M.]

I haven't striper fished in the last 3 years but I have been planning on doing some this fall. I don't know what the law is on bringing bait to beaver could you enlighten me on the present laws Thanks

[nathanhooper]

Ah, if you could see me in cartoon form a lit up light bulb would be over my head.

Ok, not trying to hijack your thread k, but maybe all this will be helping you make decisions?

So, if k were to go fishing tomorrow morning....lol....and he was using live bait, drifting, and using more than two rods, is it hard to keep them from tangling up?