The Current Hot Bite

[Feathers and Fins]

Striper, White Bass and Hybrid fishing Does and Donts.

The fish the last two weeks have been on one of the best bites I have seen on the lake in a long time for Monster size fish and sheer numbers. But I have seen some things people are doing that negatively impact the bite.

Many of the fish have been directly under bird flocks working them over hard. The birds are eating the bait that has been pushed up to the surface by the fish in large balls, this makes finding the fish easy but if not fished correctly will also mess up the fishing very fast.

DO NOTS

1^st if you see the birds working DO NOT run you big motor in to them it will scatter both the bait and the fish.

2nd Do not run your trolling motor or any motor if the fish start blowing up around you, this will also scatter it.

3rd If you are going to fish in the area even after the commotion has stopped keep you big motor off the noise alone will keep the fish down.

In other words pull your key out of the ignition and keep that big motor off. Use your electric motor to SLOWLY move around and best yet drift and only use the electric motor go against the wind or keep you boat straight when going with it.

DO NOT run your boat wide open or waking though the Creek arms and Coves when you see other people fishing in there THERE ARE KAYAKERS ON THE LAKE and swamping them is NOT funny SHOW SOME RESPECT.

SILENT IS THE KEY.

DOES

When you are in the area use free lined bait, this could be shad if you can find them or brooder minnows if you need to buy bait. Hook it from the roof of the mouth through the nose hole and let out 40 to 60ft of line and drift with the wind or slow .1 to .3mph max with the occasional quick bump up to 1.0 to raise the bait off the bottom .

When you do have fish come up throw SMALL crank baits, PJ Finesse or top water plugs at the boils and work them slowly even pausing the cranks and by small im talking size 5 to 7 flicker shad and 1/4oz PJ’s

Allow the fish to have the shore! The fish if near shore are trying to push the bait to it so it has no escape root, Let them have the shore you should stay out in open water to keep the fish from moving along a shore for 100’s of yards if you let them have the shore they will ball the bait up in one spot and you won’t need to play chase the fish.

This is a great bite but it takes a stealthy approach to really take advantage of what is possible and a little finesse goes a long way.

If you are using circle hooks remember DO NOT SET THE HOOK they are designed the set themselves and you doing it will cause a missed fish. Alsoif someone hooks up give them room these are very large stripers and the best bites have been on light line so the angler will need to play the fish for some time. Enjoy watching them put give them the room to fight it.

ALSO be sure you properly Identify the species the whites and hybrids are mixed in together and you are only allowed 3 Hybrids/stripers combined.

[J-Doc]

You forgot an important item.............

Don't send your friends pics of giant stripers when they are not there with you.

It's just NOT funny.......

Yes definately respect the kayakers. Having experienced wakes from ski boaters in a small jon-boat myself, this is a very un-nerving feeling to have your vessel feeling like it's going to tip over. Much less in water that's 50 degrees and falling. Hypothermia is no joke and death due to it is definately not worth the extra few minutes you could have saved going to your next fishing spot so if you see a small vessel........share the lake and give them some respect. They should be able to enjoy the same recreation you do in your big boat. We all want to share and help each other fishing. Well......I hope anyway. So be sure to watch out of the smaller vessels.

For that matter, be nice to each other in big boats too. No one wants to be waked.

[pomm muskie]

thanks for the info and the time you put in helping everyone on this forum....

[wc1063]

You know when I started fishing on Beaver about 3 years ago, I knew there are stripers in this lake, but I thought it would take years of experience and extreme luck to get one of them. I never thought I could catch one until I met Fin, he taught me everything about them, now anyone could do that if you read his posts carefully!

We as fishermen tend to keep a few secrets with us since we don't want everyone to know everything that we do to catch fish, and that goes double for the guides. I don't blame them, they do this for a living. Do remember something is that you get what you put into it, for someone like Fin, he is out on the water more than anyone I know, maybe except the guides, maybe not. I am just happy that I met someone who is willing to show you the ropes!!

So, if anyone wants to catch more fish, go on by HLS in Rogers and talk to Scott, Aaron, or other staff. they always point you in the right direction and I think they are starting to guide as well but no BS. Tight lines!!

[bobby b.]

So does that bait boil tend to happen on the main lake area or more up in the rivers and feeder creeks?

[J-Doc]

There is no tendency to happen I'm creeks or main lake that I know of. I've seen both. It's completely dependent upon where the bait is. They were pushed into a flat from 8-20ft and moving around. Then the cold front came in and they moved out to 50ft towards main lake. Bait boils can happen pretty much anywhere.