Striper Fishing year around with light tackle

[Spoon Feeder]

In August of 1997 I took my 17 year old son on a charter fishing trip off the coast of Massachusetts. We were told that we would be trolling for blue fish and striped bass. The rods were stiff saltwater rods and the bait cast reels were loaded with thin steel cable instead of monofilament line. They also gave us something to strap around our waist that had a steel cup in the center to insert the butt of the rod when we caught a fish.

We trolled all day with umbrella rigs and caught several stripers and blue fish. It was fun but a lot of work horsing those stripers in.

I owned a business in the 90’s that sold custom computer systems to call centers. I was telling one of my sales reps about our fishing trip and he told me about a fishing guide he knew in Arkansas that could give us the same experience except with bass rods instead of huge salt water rods. I had to check that out so in November  of 1997 we booked a trip with Darrell Binkley of Bink’s Guide Service. Darrell fishes Lake Norfork in Mountain Home, Arkansas.

We arrived in Mountain Home, met Darrell, and went out to see what this was all about. We worked banks that had flats protruding from them. We would cast stick baits a few feet from shore and slowly reel them back to the boat. We were told that if we felt even the slightest tick to set the hook. I’ll never forget my first hit. I felt a small tick and set the hook and the water exploded with a 25 plus pound striper. I was “hooked” immediately!  I became good friends with Darrell and over the next couple years I learned how to catch stripers year around without any live bait or trolling setups. The intent of this article is to share with you how to catch stripers using light weight equipment any time of the year.

The information in this article is based on Lake Norfork in Arkansas. The techniques discussed will work on other lakes but the timing may vary from lake to lake.

In the spring when the water temperature reaches 62 degrees the stripers move up into the creeks to spawn. Stripers don’t actually reproduce naturally in most fresh water lakes but they go through the motion. During this time top water action is prevalent, especially early in the morning and late in the evening.  This usually happens in late March to early April on Norfork.  During this time, top water baits like Heddon Spooks or Bass Assassins work great. It’s not hard to locate fish, just look for the action and use your trolling motor to get close enough to cast into it. There’s nothing more exciting than having hybrids or stripers exploding onto these top water baits.

This top water action usually lasts three to four weeks and then they start to go down deeper. On Lake Norfork you can’t get on top of these fish unless they are at least 30’ down because the lake is so clear your boat will spook them. During this time they can be caught with various swim baits. If they’re not too deep you can cast a Bass Assassin and let it sink for a while before you start to work it. This is my favorite technique but if they’re suspended around 15’ to 30’ a Mann’s Grub on a ¼ oz jig head with 6 lb test line works best.  Simply cast the grub as far as you can and let it drop for about 10 seconds and then reel it back to the boat with a medium retrieve. Watch your line when the grub is falling, many times you will get a strike as it is falling. If you see a twitch in your line, set the hook and hang on.

During this time when the fish are 30’ or higher in the spring there’s a good chance the night bite will be on. Start a couple hours before dark and fish until a couple hours after dark using stick baits like a Smithwick Floating Rattlin’ Rouge. Work the banks that have flats associated with them and cast your lure as close to shore as possible and retrieve extremely slowly. If you feel even the slightest tick, set the hook. Make sure you loosen the drag after setting the hook. These fish are so violent when they get hooked they can straighten out your hooks in seconds. Also make sure you use your trolling motor to move into the banks so you don’t spook the fish. It’s also a good idea to have several colors in your tackle box. Color really seems to make a difference. On dark nights with clouds or no moon the darker colors seem to work best and when you have a clear night with a moon the brighter colors work best.

When the water temperature goes above 72 degrees the fish start to move deeper. This usually happens sometime in June.  This is when striper fisherman that don’t like to troll or don’t like to use live bait usually hang it up for the year, but the summer months are usually the best time to catch trophy stripers. Jigging spoons, like the Bink’s Spoons, are the best way to catch deep fish and it’s easy to do. Early morning is usually the best time and also the most comfortable time to fish before it gets too hot. Plan on being on the lake at sun up and fishing until 10 to 11:00 AM.  

By this time the thermocline is established. In most lakes the fish are suspended just above the thermocline but in deep clear lakes like Norfork,  photosynthesis can occur below the thermocline. When you have phytoplankton growth and oxygen levels high because of photosynthesis, fish will seek out deeper water.  It’s not uncommon on Norkork to catch stripers in 90’ of water. The hardest part of catching these summer fish is finding them. Use your depth finder to locate active fish and then deliver the spoon to them. If the fish are active you will catch fish. As a general rule use ¾ oz spoons down to 40’. Anything deeper than that switch to a 1 oz spoon. The 1 oz  Many Shad is the most popular spoon for catching deep fish. On clear lakes use the White Many Shad  and on stained lakes use the Silver Many Shad. Other popular spoons on clear lakes are the white colors with different color backs. On stained lakes try the blue metallic, fire tiger, gold, or silver. The best equipment for spooning is a 5’6” medium heavy bait cast rod with a pistol grip. The pistol grip is not used much anymore but it makes a huge difference when you spend four or five hours snapping a jigging spoon.  The wrong rod will wear you out in a hurry. A bait cast reel with at least a 6:1 gear ratio is essential. When you get a fish on in deep water you need a reel that will take up line in a hurry. My preference is the  Abu Garcia Revo Rocket. The new models have a 9:1 gear ratio and recover 37” of line in one turn. Another reason to use a bait cast reel is because it’s easier to place your spoon at a specific depth. Most of the time the fish are suspended. If they are close to the bottom you simply let the spoon go all the way to the bottom and turn the reel as many cranks as you need to get the spoon to the fish. With the Revo Rocket the spoon will come up 37” for every turn of the reel. If you are fishing above submerged trees and you don’t want to risk snagging your spoon you can count how many times the line guide goes back and forth to determine how deep the spoon is going. On most reels back and forth one times equals 10’ but check your reel so you know. I also recommend low stretch fluorocarbon line like Berkley Vanish. It’s almost invisible to the fish which is important in clear lakes and the low stretch line allows you to get a solid hook set in deep water. I normally use 10 or 12 lb test. The normal method for working the Bink’s Spoons is to snap the spoon and let it free fall. The strikes come when the spoon is falling so you’re actually setting the hook when you’re snapping the spoon. If action is slow try changing your presentation. Try bouncing the spoon a bit before snapping  the spoon. Rum Binkley, Bink’s wife has mastered this technique. I doubt that there is anyone who has caught more 30lb plus fish in deep water than Rum.

This deep water spooning technique works until the lake turns over. This is usually during the month of October. When the lake is turning over fishing is tough, you will probably have more fun going hunting. After the lake turns over it’s time to get out the ¼ and 1/8 oz Bink Spoons and work the brush piles. Not only will you catch stripers and hybrids, you will catch every species in the lake. On Norfork, this includes monster crappie, large and small mouth bass, white bass, and walleye. Position your boat above the brush piles and drop the spoon into the brush. To avoid hanging up on the brush slowly move the spoon up and then let it free fall. The hit will come on the fall. If you feel resistance bringing the spoon up it’s likely a branch so simply let the line back down to avoid getting snagged.

Fishing the brush piles usually lasts three to four weeks and then the fish start going deeper again for the winter. During the three to four weeks in November you also usually get the night bite where you fish the banks with the stick baits.

In December through February the stripers are deep and jigging spoons are again the lure of choice. The presentation during this time is different. Instead of snapping the spoon like you would in the summer simply slowly move the spoon up and down.

To sum it up you can catch stripers year around without using live bait or trolling setups. The only exception is when the lake’s turning over and you won’t catch them with any technique during this time. I would strongly encourage you to book a few trips with Bink’s Guide Service to learn these techniques. Darrell is usually pretty booked so get your reservations in early.

[thumper]

Excellent information. thank you, sir!