Fish of the Week-Topic 3: Striped Bass

YaknYota
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Post by YaknYota »

Vlaude wrote:Yak'nYota, each river is different.
Thanks for the ecology lessons, Moron :roll:

Sorry, Beve :wink:.

I'm done with this weeks F.O.W.

PEACE OUT!!!!!!!!

:twisted: :twisted: :twisted:
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Post by horns »

:roll:
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Post by Strider »

Well....

We got a lot of good info and everybody got a chance to "spray". Now go get them strippers....er...stripers!

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Post by Gartooth »

I have been fly fishing for stripers on Canyon Lake for about 10 years. Sometimes out of a kayak, and sometimes in a boat. I fish this reservoir approx. 3 times per week.

One thing I have learned is that striper behavior can be unpredictable. No doubt they seek out temps on the cool to cold side. Sometimes, in fact, they will even suffocate by staying in deep, low O2 water.

My best catches on Canyon are typically in October and April when the temps are cool-to-cold, and on the move. I also have consistently done well on the tail end of strong northers with high pressure, north wind, and blue skies- conditions that are often frowned upon. Don't know why the stripers in Canyon are triggered by this, but they are.

Stripers, even large ones, will go into warm water if they can grab a quick meal and get out. Case in point- yesterday between 3 pm and 5 pm, there were fish sporatically breaking the surface on the main lake feeding on shad. The water where these schools were surfacing was approx. 110 ft. and very clear. Perhaps they were hanging on the thermocline and then rocketing up through for a quick snag on a visual... don't know, but some of these fish had some size (8-10 lbs). That is unusual for Canyon, and contrary to what one would expect to see, but the fish were doing it.

The point is, all fish will adapt to their environment to the degree their biology allows, and there is a lot of room within that framework for different behavior. There are very few givens, and nature often finds a way. If anyone thinks they have it all "figured out," they're dreamin.

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Post by bowgarguide »

The point is, all fish will adapt to their environment to the degree their biology allows, and there is a lot of room within that framework for different behavior. There are very few givens, and nature often finds a way. If anyone thinks they have it all "figured out," they're dreamin.

Casey[/quote]

What he said
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Post by Hambone911 »

I regret asking before I ask, but ... Is there any biological difference between river stipers and lake stripers? Is the river striper an adapted subspecies or is it simply a matter of acclimation (e.g., Yankees and Southerners with the heat and cold)? I have heard both opinions strongly argued, but I have never seen any science on the matter. I have caught Stripers during hot weather on the Sabine and on the Red, too, but in cold water. Guides averred that there were two species there. I have not targeted them at Whitney or anywhere west so I dont know the Brazos basin, other than reading reports.

I have only fished for true stripers a dozen or so times, and almost always with a well experienced or former guide/ deck hand. Hybrids are a little heartier and prevalent in my area, I therefore have had more experience with them. However, I know all that learning does not translate exactly to pure stripers.

Feel free to PM if you have data but dont wanna engage in a debate, or if you just wanna give a poor civil servant :cry: who is a striper novice a free expertly guided trip for trophy stipers! :wink:
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Post by Danny Williams »

Generally, and I emphasize "generally"(LOL), river striper originate in a stocked lake. They've either swam upriver from an impoundment (spring spawn) or they've escaped through the dam from an impoundment above. Once in the river, depending on the length and water quality of the river, they can reproduce there.

Keystone and Texoma feed the river systems considerably during floods. Huge amounts of fry, fingerling and sometimes even large fish wash through the dams.
It happened not long ago at Texoma and that's why fishing was so sensational there this spring.

Ocean striper, of course, is a totally different story. They migrate upstream to spawn but don't generally stay.

To me personally, a river striper, one that lives year-long in a river, seems to be stronger. Maybe it's because they swim the current more. I don't know. That's just my feeling. Again, that's just my personal feeling.

I've heard that there were 2 different groups of striper originally stocked in earlier years. From 2 totally different originating areas. One stock was purported to handle heat better.
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Post by Gartooth »

Seems like I remember reading the original stocks came from S. Carolina. If memory serves, biologist "discovered" the landlocked stripers caught during construction of several large reservoirs were thriving. Later, they found other populations that had been naturally landlocked and these were also thriving. They were able to distinguish one from the other through DNA. Sorry, don't remember all the details, but I know SC has been on the forefront of striper bio. and inland stocking for a long time.

Casey
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Post by Danny Williams »

I figured there were more knowledgable striper fans around here! :D

And If I remember right, it was Santee Cooper that was dammed trapping the first striper and where reproduction was first observed.
My memory isn't perfect, but you get the picture.

From:
http://www.georgiasportsmanmag.com/fish ... aa011204a/

"...two distinct strains have evolved over time. As the names suggest, Atlantic Coast fish are from stocks native to the river drainages flowing into the Atlantic Ocean, while Gulf Coast fish are from rivers flowing to the Gulf of Mexico. To preserve the unique genetic makeup of the imperiled Gulf Coast striped bass, only their offspring are now stocked into west Georgia reservoirs along the Chattahoochee and Flint River drainages.

According to Rob Weller, a senior fisheries biologist in the WRD Albany fisheries office, "Gulf Coast striped bass once ranged all the way from the Florida Panhandle to east Texas. Currently, though, the Flint River has the only naturally reproducing Gulf Coast striped bass population of any significance left in the region. Even the Apalachicola River population is not doing well at all. The Flint has more coolwater refuges remaining, which likely explains why the population is doing better than most..."

--------------------------

Keystone was stocked with both. Biologists figure they have intermingled completely by now. There was a thought that one version spawned in the Cimarron river and the other version spawned in the Arkansas river above Keystone, but that was on the hypothesus that the two varieties were released in these 2 different rivers.

Right now, on Keystone Lake, the best fishing is early morns, 15-20 foot deep at the top of the thermocline on main lake points, using shad for bait. Keystone is stockpot full of shad. My favorite spot is below Highway 412 bridge when there is a current being drawn under the bridge during dam generation.

But generally Keystone water's are getting hot at this time of year and fishing slows this month. When you do catch a striper in this tepid lake water, they barely hit a bait and don't have nearly as much fight. That'll change in September.

I'll be kayaking below Keystone Dam tomorrow morning. I'll be pleasantly surprised if any striper will hit artificials at this time, but I'm going anyhow.
:D With the generators off, the fish will be tight against the dam out of my reach or just below the rocks in 5 or 6 foot of water at the top of the first deep pool - early morn.
Later, they'll pull into deeper water. (I don't advertise this up here. I don't like crowds. Enough people have it figured out. LOL) Fortunately, this area is not easily accessible by waders, or bigger boats. Too dang many boulders lurking under those shallow waters when the generators are off.

I don't generally write this much, but I feel like part of this ruckus was brought on by me and I'd like to see this string grow on.
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Post by Do It »

Don't know much 'bout biology,
Don't know much sychology
but I do know I love to fish
and I wish that Beve could get his wish
lotta good info on this thread
to bad some let it go to their head.
Sorry couldn't resist with heat on this thread :) :) :) :)

Good info you had there Gartooth,
I'm not a Striper expert by any means but I was fishing on Canyon in the middle of Aug. 5 or 6 years back in a PB :( (sorry) about a mile from the dam, I turned around and it looked like it was raining upside down Striper were bustin' the surface so hard. I went over and threw everything I had and finally caught a small one, when it hit the deck it spit out a tiny clear minnow. Luckily I had my sons tackle box and I tied on a small white Crappie jig. After that it was a hookup almost everycast.
They would leave and then pop up again a few hundred yards away, I would run over and get right back in the action. I couldn't believe they were feasting on such small bait. It was a blast :) :) , I would compare the fight of a striper to that of a good Red in the flats.
Foot Note: When I was kid (30+ years ago) fishing on Bob Hall pier in CC a guy caught a big fish and didn't know what it was so he gave it to me, I took it home to my Dad and it was a Striper, It was huge, the tail drug the ground when I carried it. :)
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Post by Vlaude »

LOL, Bluemobie... Good jingle...

Similar situation you describe on Texoma right now... and typical summer pattern for the smaller fish. They are chasing smaller 1" to 2" shad to the top and popping on them. Fun action and a guy can catch a number of good eating fish. Best times are in the morning, but will get some topwater activity in the evenings. That said things have slowed down a bit with these consecutive 100+ days. Can be a bit challenging at times in a yak though as the schools can move quite fast! I was out Saturday morning chasing them. My favorite time to striper fish is during the fall and winter months!
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Post by Do It »

It's funny what will pop into head sometimes. :shock: :o :)

Yeah I don't think I could have kept up with them in a yak ( not with my lack of paddling skills) they were moving pretty quick but it was a blast while it lasted. :) :)
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Post by Beve »

Bluemobie wrote:Don't know much 'bout biology,
Don't know much sychology
but I do know I love to fish
and I wish that Beve could get his wish
lotta good info on this thread
to bad some let it go to their head.
Sorry couldn't resist with heat on this thread :) :) :) :)

Good info you had there Gartooth,
I'm not a Striper expert by any means but I was fishing on Canyon in the middle of Aug. 5 or 6 years back in a PB :( (sorry) about a mile from the dam, I turned around and it looked like it was raining upside down Striper were bustin' the surface so hard. I went over and threw everything I had and finally caught a small one, when it hit the deck it spit out a tiny clear minnow. Luckily I had my sons tackle box and I tied on a small white Crappie jig. After that it was a hookup almost everycast.
They would leave and then pop up again a few hundred yards away, I would run over and get right back in the action. I couldn't believe they were feasting on such small bait. It was a blast :) :) , I would compare the fight of a striper to that of a good Red in the flats.
Foot Note: When I was kid (30+ years ago) fishing on Bob Hall pier in CC a guy caught a big fish and didn't know what it was so he gave it to me, I took it home to my Dad and it was a Striper, It was huge, the tail drug the ground when I carried it. :)
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That's funny. Quite the poet Bluemobie. :D
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Post by Beve »

Trophy Size: What is your trophy size for this specie? :?:

To qualify for TPWD Big Fish Award: 35"
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Post by YaknYota »

41.5" is my Personal Best, Certified from the Brazos back in 1994. However, historically, my customers catch way more big stripers than I have caught. I think Skeet Hooks 42.5 pounder was 44" long and James Jacksons 46.78 pounder was, well.......................... You know the story :roll: :wink: .

Anything over 36" is a real nice fish. The weight on a 36" striper can vary greatly from season to season.
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Post by RealBigReel »

Beve wrote:Trophy Size: What is your trophy size for this specie? :?:

To qualify for TPWD Big Fish Award: 35"
About 1 or 2 inches shy of that.
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Good fight. CPR
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Re: Fish of the Week-Topic 3: Striped Bass

Post by Lakemonster »

About 10 years ago I used to fish Stripers and Hybrids exclusively.

I'll try to tell you about the habits and tips I have figured out fishing in East Texas Lakes... mostly Palestine.

Typically I have found that Stripers hold in deepest water during the hottest summer months and are slow to nothing during midday. They can be reached if you find the river channels in the lake and run downriggers to get your lure to them. Otherwise you are limited to fishing the points in the early morning and just before sundown.

During late winter into June, as well as October into November the Stripers will head into "the middle of the lake", basically making their way up the river channels to deeper inlets and bays.

Finding Stripers is actually pretty easy, if its hot, find the river channels in the deep end of the lake with your sonar or troll.

During the cooler months, watch the birds. The stripers chase shad schools with the white bass. Look for water "boils" caused by the stirred baitschool. The birds are there to feed on them as well. Thats a dead give-away.

Baits that I used for Stripers are:


Chrome Traps: I use these on shallower waters where I find baitfish schools, boils and birds.

5" or better Pearl "Sassy Shad" with a 1/2 oz white leadhead: These I use for deeper water and trolling.

Chrome Spoons/Slabs: For vertical jigging in a riverbed

Some people also have alot of luck using Bass Assassin silver glitter and white pearl jerk shad.... not me for some reason.
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Post by cougmantx »

Beve wrote:This thread got beat up with a lot of extracurricular non-striper activity.. :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:

Eventually I am going to try for stripers under one of these dams along the highland lakes chain. Good sized ones have been caught from all the dams over the years. Longhorn is closest to me, so I'll give it a shot one day when the conditions are right, but would be willing to try Tom Miller or Mansfield too.
I grew up about a mile below Inks Damn and use to fish below Buchanan Damn pretty regularly before they shut down the road to get there. After 9/11 they made it very difficult to get around the damns. I have got a ton of Strippers over the trees north east of Black Rock Park in about 40-50 foot of water. Best baits for me have been 3/4 ounce gigs with 8 inch yellow tails or live perch. Perch tend to catch the bigger fish.
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Re: Fish of the Week-Topic 3: Striped Bass

Post by Brazos Kayak »

Use spoons
http://youtu.be/e9z-04J6bgY" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Fish of the Week-Topic 3: Striped Bass

Post by Brazos Kayak »

Does anybody think stripers reproduce below whitney . I know TPWD says no but any ideas.
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Re: Fish of the Week-Topic 3: Striped Bass

Post by RealBigReel »

Brazos Kayak wrote:Does anybody think stripers reproduce below whitney . I know TPWD says no but any ideas.
There were some Stripers in there, not many though. About a year ago there was one caught and released by several people on the forums that was quite large. Pretty sure it was the same fish caught in the same area. But I haven't heard anything about it lately and the water is quite low so it may have either been kept or moved. Haven't heard of a Striper being caught below Whitney in quite some time. They used to plant in that area and you could catch them below Lake Waco as well but I don't know of any being caught there either. The Dam on Lake Brazos in Waco pretty well limits the area that they could roam, and with the Algae kill offs there may not be any in there at all.
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Re: Fish of the Week-Topic 3: Striped Bass

Post by Brazos Kayak »

:D Thanks RealBigReel but I wasn't asking if there is stripers below whitney . Because there is still stripers below whitney . We caught about ten of them the last two weeks of October and we only kept one ,So we put 9 back .I was asking if they might reproduce there? But as you said the water is to low so probably not and they only have 30 miles to roam down to lake brazos dam by I35. If that's the case the river only gets stocked with them every time the water comes over the gates . Its been 20 months since that happened at whitney.
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Re: Fish of the Week-Topic 3: Striped Bass

Post by Cuervo Jones »

Thanks to the ghosts of TKF past for all the great information on catching stripers (and some helpful tidbits on landing strippers). Hope you guys are all still fishing, kayaking, and riling each other up.
I’m pulling together a striper box and eyeballing some good looking spots to drag some lures to tempt the line-siders. I’ve never caught one and I aims to put a stop to that mode of existence.
Image
I’m also going to tie up some bucktail jigs to see what the fish might think about them. Perhaps the strippers too.
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