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Post by ljenks on Jul 11, 2015 20:57:33 GMT -5
Gonna be on vacation at sml starting tomorrow for a week. Would love to see the kids catch a few stripers. I bought a cast net believe it's a 3/8 mesh 6' net. As far as getting bait am I gonna bring a spotlight and put it on at the dock. How long do you typically wait after it gets dark with the light on to try and start throwing for them? Also do you think they'll stay alive in a minnow bucket left out in the lake tied to the dock? How about rigging? I don't have any planers. Mainly a largemouth fisher. I am thinking try to find the fish then just rig the hopefully caught ales on a circle hook with about a 1/2oz weight to the depth we marked them at? I also have a couple Alabama rigs. These are basically small umbrella rigs for bass with swim baits on them. Worth a shot? How about color? we will be renting a house near the dam. Is that a good place to try? thanks for any and all help
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Post by mwardncsu on Jul 11, 2015 22:15:20 GMT -5
If you haven't already - check out the "How To" section posts - smlfishingforums.proboards.com/board/34/striper-fishing-tosYou'll most likely get ales to come to your light - and. 3/8" / 6' net should catch them of thick enough but you might have to work at it. However don't expect them to live in surface water temperature right now. You'll be better off going and getting a few dozen jumbo minnows and keeping in a aerated minnow bucket. No need for planer boards. Rig some downlines and light-lines - basically a Carolina rig - hook - 3/4' of leader - swivel - mainline with egg weight above swivel. 2 oz for downline - 3/8 for lightline. Pull with trolling motor at 0.3-0.7 mph. Keep the downlines as close to straight down as you can - light lines around 45-55' behind boat. Remember SML has lots of timber that comes up to 20' (or occasionally a bit higher). Fish are going to mostly be 20'-50' deep now. Could try trolling your a-rigs - or casting and letting sink then retrieve. White pearl is a major go-to color. White Pearl flukes on a 3/8-3/4 oz jig head, casted and retrieved or vertically jigged on schools of fish are a major producer. Again - spend some time reading the "how to" posts - lots of very useful info in there - also skim various post in the sections on live bait equipment, lures, etc. Best of luck - we all had our first Striper trip to SML - mine was this week in 2009 - it became a VERY expensive week......
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Post by ljenks on Jul 12, 2015 20:41:00 GMT -5
If you haven't already - check out the "How To" section posts - smlfishingforums.proboards.com/board/34/striper-fishing-tosYou'll most likely get ales to come to your light - and. 3/8" / 6' net should catch them of thick enough but you might have to work at it. However don't expect them to live in surface water temperature right now. You'll be better off going and getting a few dozen jumbo minnows and keeping in a aerated minnow bucket. No need for planer boards. Rig some downlines and light-lines - basically a Carolina rig - hook - 3/4' of leader - swivel - mainline with egg weight above swivel. 2 oz for downline - 3/8 for lightline. Pull with trolling motor at 0.3-0.7 mph. Keep the downlines as close to straight down as you can - light lines around 45-55' behind boat. Remember SML has lots of timber that comes up to 20' (or occasionally a bit higher). Fish are going to mostly be 20'-50' deep now. Could try trolling your a-rigs - or casting and letting sink then retrieve. White pearl is a major go-to color. White Pearl flukes on a 3/8-3/4 oz jig head, casted and retrieved or vertically jigged on schools of fish are a major producer. Again - spend some time reading the "how to" posts - lots of very useful info in there - also skim various post in the sections on live bait equipment, lures, etc. Best of luck - we all had our first Striper trip to SML - mine was this week in 2009 - it became a VERY expensive week...... hey thanks a ton for the info. I have browsed some of the how to's but didn't see any about how much weight they run or if anyone has tried a rigs. Again thanks for the reply and we will see what happensĀ
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Post by Deleted on Jul 12, 2015 21:08:20 GMT -5
umm, mward, you didn't say anything about the 104 you caught at R22..... ljenks, get out early, lines in by 6am.... and fish the creeks...... by 9am they have moved back out of the creeks... work the mouths really hard...... fish mornings and enjoy your time at the lake the rest of the day.....
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Post by ljenks on Jul 12, 2015 21:12:00 GMT -5
umm, you didn't say anything about the 104 you caught at R22..... ljenks, get out early, lines in by 6am.... and fish the creeks...... by 9am they have moved back out of the creeks... work the mouths really hard...... fish mornings and enjoy your time at the lake the rest of the day..... Thanks big gun. I am staying in like the last cove by the dam. Would the creeks out this way work? Also I don't have a light to get bait til my brother gets here tuesday night. Would I be wastin my time going out with just artificial? thnaks again!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 12, 2015 21:20:42 GMT -5
Really can't say as to the creeks down that way.....I fish mid-lake this time of year. If I were you I would concentrate on Bull Run really hard... not to far of a run..... If I didn't have bait, I wouldn't stop looking till a found a good school...get some spoons (I like 2 oz, gets down fast) or white ice flukes and 3/4 oz jig heads.....if you can stay on top of them, you can do really good jigging......
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Post by ljenks on Jul 12, 2015 21:24:24 GMT -5
Really can't say as to the creeks down that way.....I fish mid-lake this time of year. If I were you I would concentrate on Bull Run really hard... not to far of a run..... If I didn't have bait, I wouldn't stop looking till a found a good school...get some spoons (I like 2 oz, gets down fast) or white ice flukes and 3/4 oz jig heads.....if you can stay on top of them, you can do really good jigging...... Where about is bull run
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Post by mwardncsu on Jul 12, 2015 22:16:19 GMT -5
On the left side as you go up the Blackwater. BU markers. If you haven't, pick up a map at the visitors center - I think it shows channel markers and major creek names. If not, Dewayne at Captains Quarters at the bridge or the shop at Saunders / Parkway Marina should have one.
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Post by mwardncsu on Jul 12, 2015 22:17:24 GMT -5
Do some checking around the dam - the fish like that cold water - but it can be hit or miss. From one of the other reports today it seems fish were being caught at Craddock Creek - not far from you either.
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Post by mwardncsu on Jul 12, 2015 22:20:02 GMT -5
umm, mward, you didn't say anything about the 104 you caught at R22..... I can honestly say I've not been down that far in about 2 months - except the afternoon we were hunting down the Ice Cream Boat
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Post by Deleted on Jul 12, 2015 22:30:52 GMT -5
umm, mward, you didn't say anything about the 104 you caught at R22..... I can honestly say I've not been down that far in about 2 months - except the afternoon we were hunting down the Ice Cream Boat Hmmm, I can honestly say, I've heard a lot of politicians start a sentence with "I can honestly say".....
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Post by striperjohn on Jul 13, 2015 8:04:49 GMT -5
Thats redneck for "this ain't no s#$t"!;D
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Post by ljenks on Jul 13, 2015 20:33:45 GMT -5
So i tried my luck today but not for long. The little was tired cause he got no sleep last night. Haha tried throwing a cast net for the first time today and not as easy as it seems. I can not get the net to spread out good before it hits the water Did manage to catch 3 "fish" in it. Hahah. Assuming they were alewives but we're only about as long as my middle finger. Tried drifting them around the dam with no luck. Did seem to make some fish at mouth of craddock but did not fish there. Kid was done. Maybe try there tomorrow.
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Post by mwardncsu on Jul 13, 2015 20:44:06 GMT -5
We say it a lot, but there is also a lot of truth to this..... if you want to enjoy catching a striper on SML, hire a guide for a 1/2 trip a time or two as you learn. I know there is a lot of satisfaction to doing it on your own, but if you want to have some fun and your kids to as well, then it's worth a 1/2 day trip. Many of the guides may be booked up for the week, but you might find one that has a weekday opening. If interested drop me a PM and I'll point you the way of several ones that I've fished with in the past and recommend......
Alternatively - go by Captain's Quarters at the 122 Bridge and get a dozen or two jumbo minnows - will save you the trouble of learning to throw that net while on Lake Time. And, if you're not setup with a proper bait-tank for it, the alewifes you catch likely won't live long - but those jumbo minnows are a lot hardier.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 24, 2015 15:56:04 GMT -5
Really can't say as to the creeks down that way.....I fish mid-lake this time of year. If I were you I would concentrate on Bull Run really hard... not to far of a run..... If I didn't have bait, I wouldn't stop looking till a found a good school...get some spoons (I like 2 oz, gets down fast) or white ice flukes and 3/4 oz jig heads.....if you can stay on top of them, you can do really good jigging...... I thought I was the only 2oz jig guy. Good to know I ain't alone.
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