Indian Creek - Dam area

[Quillback]

Launched at dawn at Indian creek along with a couple of other boats.  Looked for striper activity around the launch, didn't see a whole lot, made a few casts with the top water but no takers.  Decided to try a few spots for smallies, couldn't find those guys either.  Noticed some terns circling and diving, motored over to them, and spotted some stripers boiling.  2nd cast at them with the top water, had a fish blow up on it twice, but it missed it both times.  Couldn't get any more pops and the top water activity died down, so back I went on the black bass hunt.

Just could not find the bass, I covered a lot of water, caught 4 spotted bass of no account on a ned rig, for what it is worth they were around cedar trees in 10-20 FOW.

About noon I was ready to call it a day, got about a 1/2 mile from the launch and once again saw boiling stripers.  Chased them around for a while with the top water, just could not get them to hit on top even though they were eating shad on top.  I decided to try and match the hatch, tied on a one ounce tail spinner on my spinning tackle and started burning it around the boils when I could get near them.  I could really toss that chunk of lead a long way which sure is a help to get to those fish that are always on the move and hard to get near.

Anyway, about cast #6 I hooked a freight train, I was using a medium action spinning rod with 8 lb. mono, so not much I could do but hang on and follow the fish around using my trolling motor.  That fish made some long, deep runs - I was in 125 FOW and a 1/4 mile from shore so had plenty of water to work with, so I'd let it run when it wanted to.  Sometimes it would stop, I'd try and move it towards me and I couldn't move that fish.  Had it on for several minutes and the line broke - looked at it where it broke and noticed some frays, my guess is that fish moving away from me rubbed the line on its back or spine, who knows, but line fray did me in.

Tied on another tail spinner, started chasing fish, got another hook up, after a lengthy fight, put an 8 lber in the boat - it was a hard fighting fish, made several good runs, but I could tell it was not in the class of the one that got off.

That was enough for me, I was out of there at 2 PM.

Lots of terns in the area, they weren't there 10 days ago, those birds see the stripers and they'll start diving on them to get the shad they push to the top.  

Surface temp was 53.

 

 

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[Johnsfolly]

That's s beauty Quill! Congrats on the one you landed and sorry about the one that broke off!

[Jaguar 97]

I was there also. Ended up with 3 11lbs being the best on a topwater. Like you said had some blow ups and they missed it. Left around 10. Went back today and nothing but cold hands. 

[Quillback]

Way to go Jaguar!

My theory for Friday is that when the sun came out it brought the shad up, followed by the stripers going after them.  

[jolicious]

I went for a bit Saturday morning to Monte Ne. Couple of 13" chunky spots white jerk bait tossing around timber. Only out a couple hours. 

[Johnsfolly]

7 hours ago, Jaguar 97 said:

I was there also. Ended up with 3 11lbs being the best on a topwater. Like you said had some blow ups and they missed it. Left around 10. Went back today and nothing but cold hands. 

That's a great looking striper! Congrats!