Report 5-1

[striperjohn]

Headed out in spite of forecasted thunderstorm and rain. (Striper weather) Bait was a bit difficult but managed a couple of big gizzards and a tank of peanuts. Headed south in a downpour, the rain felt like BB's being shot at you.
AT about 62, WT 67 at first then the further south it was 64.
Not too windy, just a slight breeze but the heavy rain didn't allow you to notice it much.
We turned a corner into a small cove and it was nothing but breaking fish in about a 100 yard square area. We caught two quickly before they went down. Chased them in heavy rain and fog and ended up with 10 total before they just quit. Word of caution, when teaching your kids/grandkids how to cast a baitcaster-all that knowledge goes away when they're in a school of stripers. He got a birdsnest that I will take my knife too today. He shifted back to his big spincast with 20lb test line.
Put out a bait spread where they'd been breaking and of course with 4 planers out, one free line and one float they came up breaking again 400 yards away. So we got all that up and took off again. I'd rather catch one ten pounder on topwater then 20 bigger fish on bait--love the action.
Later as the rain was letting up we hit one big school of big fish breaking in the back of a cove in 6 feet of water. The fish had cornered a huge school of alewives in the cove, and my grandson caught one nice fish, I'm guessing was around 15 lbs. Then I hung an even bigger one, after getting it to the boat a bass fisherman from North Carolina nearby wanted to weigh it. (my bogas I left at home after a boat cleaning-duh) So he came over and it was 25lbs 7 oz on his bogas. Thanks whoever you were, we tried to talk, but difficult to have friendly discussion when your boats are being blown into the bank. That school was so large that we spotted it from a long way away without binos. Oh, the bass fisherman casted a shadrap into the school with 10lb test line and the fish spooled him.

That fish was the best I've caught on SML in quite a few years.
So we ended the day with a 15 fish total, I think, memory doesn't serve me too much these days. I tried to get pictures of the two big fish and I think in doing so I've destroyed my phone, it's in a bag of rice as I type this hoping it's going to be okay. Looking for a waterproof camera now, can't have that happen again.
Days like this are why I'm a Striper Addict, and I'm teaching another one.  FYI we saw like 4 boats the entire time we were fishing, it was awesome.
Cheers,
John

[Jason54]

Wow what a day! Congrats on the big fish. I would love to get on some breaking fish. I have only had it happen once and that was in the fall a few years ago.

[mwardncsu]

Nice morning John - I listened to the rain from the bed yesterday

[coheasion]

Man - nice report!!!

[smlfishing]

Sounds like a great day of fishing. I will take the rain over wind any day. If you cast the bait caster as far as you can and put a round of blue painters tape the birds nest will not get down into the spool and usually easy to straighten out. The painters tape will easily rip if getting spooled. This worked well for us.

[hillbilly]

Sounds like a great day. I bet the surface feeding was exciting for your grandson.

[striperjohn]

Except when you get a big fish on pulling 100yds plus of drag out.

[Deleted]

 

   Awesome report John!!!!

[Gator]

Sweet!! I want to go fishing with you John!!

[striperjohn]

Next crappy, foggy rainy day I will call you Mike. Thats the biggest fish I have ever caught on Sml on topwater. We were actually shocked to see the big ones chasing bait they are usually so lazy. Both were loaded with eggs.

[stripercrazy]

Nice report , sounds like yall had alot of fun !

[striperjohn]

I have had two days the last three years that were like a lot of days in the 70s and 80s, Im just glad my grandson was able to be with me on one of them. Thats how you get the fever. Lol.

[seajay]

Sweet report ! Brings back memories from years ago when we use to sit down in the big water near the dam real early in the morning with the motor running and just wait until we saw acres of fish breaking and run towards them , drop off plane outside of them and cast . When they would go down we would wait until they broke again and do it all over again. Good times. Glad your grandson was able to witness it and enjoy the fun. My son has not seen that yet but I hope he will one day.

[jh6826]

May 2, 2016 5:48:08 GMT -5 striperjohn said:

Headed out in spite of forecasted thunderstorm and rain. (Striper weather) Bait was a bit difficult but managed a couple of big gizzards and a tank of peanuts. Headed south in a downpour, the rain felt like BB's being shot at you.
AT about 62, WT 67 at first then the further south it was 64.
Not too windy, just a slight breeze but the heavy rain didn't allow you to notice it much.
We turned a corner into a small cove and it was nothing but breaking fish in about a 100 yard square area. We caught two quickly before they went down. Chased them in heavy rain and fog and ended up with 10 total before they just quit. Word of caution, when teaching your kids/grandkids how to cast a baitcaster-all that knowledge goes away when they're in a school of stripers. He got a birdsnest that I will take my knife too today. He shifted back to his big spincast with 20lb test line.
Put out a bait spread where they'd been breaking and of course with 4 planers out, one free line and one float they came up breaking again 400 yards away. So we got all that up and took off again. I'd rather catch one ten pounder on topwater then 20 bigger fish on bait--love the action.
Later as the rain was letting up we hit one big school of big fish breaking in the back of a cove in 6 feet of water. The fish had cornered a huge school of alewives in the cove, and my grandson caught one nice fish, I'm guessing was around 15 lbs. Then I hung an even bigger one, after getting it to the boat a bass fisherman from North Carolina nearby wanted to weigh it. (my bogas I left at home after a boat cleaning-duh) So he came over and it was 25lbs 7 oz on his bogas. Thanks whoever you were, we tried to talk, but difficult to have friendly discussion when your boats are being blown into the bank. That school was so large that we spotted it from a long way away without binos. Oh, the bass fisherman casted a shadrap into the school with 10lb test line and the fish spooled him.

That fish was the best I've caught on SML in quite a few years.
So we ended the day with a 15 fish total, I think, memory doesn't serve me too much these days. I tried to get pictures of the two big fish and I think in doing so I've destroyed my phone, it's in a bag of rice as I type this hoping it's going to be okay. Looking for a waterproof camera now, can't have that happen again.
Days like this are why I'm a Striper Addict, and I'm teaching another one.  FYI we saw like 4 boats the entire time we were fishing, it was awesome.
Cheers,
John

[jh6826]

I am very new to striper fishing. Thanks to this forum, I have learned some techniques and had some success. But let me ask a dumb question. When fish are breaking like that, what do you use. Do you cast bait with your usual rig, or do you switch to something different. If you have kids, should you keep a spinning rod on board to prevent the birds nest. Thanks for any tips.
JH