Indian Creek, July 20

[Quillback]

Got there at first light again today, as I was walking down to the boat, saw a striper about a long cast away from the dock, knock a few shad in the air.  Would've dropped the TM and made a few casts but there was a guide boat maybe 50 yards away from it when it came up and they were on it.

Motored about a 1/4 mile away and started fishing.  Stripers and black bass would come up on top chasing shad, no schooling action and pretty scattered but it lets you know they are in the area, along with some shad.  

Spend the morning throwing a 3.3 Keitech on a 1/4 oz head.  If I had one come on top I'd cast at it, otherwise I would fan cast around the boat, moving a little every once in a while on the TM.  I caught 3 stripers and a couple of smallmouth.  Saw the guide boat one (they were pulling bait) and lose another.

2 of my stripers were in the 3-4 lb. range, however the last one I caught went a little over 10 lbs.  

I fished a gravel point and decided to move over to the other point across the cove.  Rather than fire up the big motor, I ran on the TM and slowly trolled the Keitech.   Had a little bump, didn't think much of it, moved about 20 feet and that striper hit that thing and just about pulled the rod out of my hands.  

So the boat was going forward, the striper going the other way, drag was just singing and before I could get turned around, my 50 yards of braid and leader where gone and I was into the backing.  Made me a little nervous as I don't spend much time testing the backing to leader knot as this setup I primarily use for black bass and no bass is going to pull 50 yards of braid on me.  Well I was able to catch up to the fish and get back some braid on the spool.  Just as I did that fish got hung on something, don't know what it was but it felt like a piece of line, had some give to it, well all of a sudden I felt a little thunk, the line went weightless just like it does when you break off, so feeling somewhat dejected I started reeling in my line, the slack came out and the fish as still on.

at this point the fish was done, came to the boat, laid on it's side, and I slid it into my somewhat inadequate net for a fish this size.  I did keep this one as I doubt it would've survived.

This guy was on the water before me:

 

So top picture is one that's 10 lbs..  Next pic is one of the 3-3.5 lb. fish I caught,  but they both look the same - bad camera work.  

 

And my best smallmouth:

[Johnsfolly]

34 minutes ago, Quillback said:

and I slid it into my somewhat inadequate net for a fish this size. 

Nice fish buddy! You will have to get with @JestersHK on getting a seamonster net. @BilletHead has a net that you can boat deer fawns ! They should be able to lead you to an adequate striper net!

[BilletHead]

34 minutes ago, Johnsfolly said:

. @BilletHead has a net that you can boat deer fawns !

              I do now for sure!

[ness]

2 hours ago, Quillback said:

This guy was on the water before me:

 

That's a great shot!

[Quillback]

Returned to Indian this morning, the fish were not as active as far as chasing shad, didn't have much to cast at so I started dragging the keitech around using the trolling motor, caught 4 stripers trolling, biggest was around 5 lbs, the other three were in the 2-4 lb. range.  

Same guide that was in the area yesterday was close by again today, saw them boat a couple dragging bait.

[BilletHead]

48 minutes ago, Quillback said:

Returned to Indian this morning, the fish were not as active as far as chasing shad, didn't have much to cast at so I started dragging the keitech around using the trolling motor, caught 4 stripers trolling, biggest was around 5 lbs, the other three were in the 2-4 lb. range.  

Same guide that was in the area yesterday was close by again today, saw them boat a couple dragging bait.

                        How deep Jeff do you think your jig was ?

[Quillback]

33 minutes ago, BilletHead said:

                        How deep Jeff do you think your jig was ?

I can't say for sure, but maybe 10 feet down?  Had a lot of line out, 100 feet or so, 1/4 oz head, GPS said I was trolling about 1.5 MPH, but I think I was moving a little faster than that.   15 lb. braid and an 8 lb. leader.

[Johnsfolly]

2 hours ago, Quillback said:

Returned to Indian this morning, the fish were not as active as far as chasing shad, didn't have much to cast at so I started dragging the keitech around using the trolling motor, caught 4 stripers trolling, biggest was around 5 lbs, the other three were in the 2-4 lb. range.  

Same guide that was in the area yesterday was close by again today, saw them boat a couple dragging bait.

Just stop it already! I live by the Chesapeake, the national nursery for the Atlantic coast striper population, and have not caught as many stripers as you have this year buddy! 

Seriously you have locked in on those guys!

You and @Lance34 have me thinking that I may have to fish Beaver if I want to catch stripers.

[Quillback]

1 hour ago, Johnsfolly said:

Just stop it already! I live by the Chesapeake, the national nursery for the Atlantic coast striper population, and have not caught as many stripers as you have this year buddy! 

Seriously you have locked in on those guys!

You and @Lance34 have me thinking that I may have to fish Beaver if I want to catch stripers.

Be happy to take you out chasing them anytime.  I never have fished for them this time of year so I don't know if this is just a fluke to get on them now, or a seasonal pattern.  Usually once the top water bite slows down around early June, I'm done with them until it cools down in the fall.

[Greg B.]

Nice work.  Glad you’re able to stay on em.