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Post by 2013skiff on Jun 4, 2013 18:55:05 GMT -5
don't get to fish very often was wondering if you guys give me some hints on when the stripers will move from the damn area and what determines when they will move...water tempature ?...thanks for any advice
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Post by CorneliaGale on Jun 4, 2013 19:13:50 GMT -5
Water tempature, food, they should start breaking up and moveing back up in the next couple of weeks, once they find they can not get back to salt water. Some did not go all the way down, seems like since they started putting them in a different spots not all of them try to go back to salt water. Also they are going to be where they can find food, so once the shad and alwives start to hatch them will move to them, and as the tempature goes up they will try and stay in cooler water.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 4, 2013 19:51:45 GMT -5
Good info CorneliaGale, and you are right,things have changed as to the movements of the fish. When I started fishing SML in 1980, most (if not all) of the fish used to go down to the damn area, cedar keys for the spawn. Heck, last year...full moon, middle of may, there was a huge school in one of the creeks above the bridge. The fish are already scattered mid-roanoke to the damn. Usually first-second week of june they have moved above the bridge in good numbers. When the water temps get bout 79 they'll move back below the bridge. At bout 83 degrees they're moving in and out of everyones favorite creek below the bridge.
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Post by mwardncsu on Jun 4, 2013 21:54:30 GMT -5
Great info Bigun!
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BentRod
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Post by BentRod on Jun 4, 2013 22:25:23 GMT -5
It's been that way for the past 6-8yrs at least. Probably always has but with better electronics now you can find em. You'll get your massive schools at the dam and you'll have some big schools here n there up the lake but a lot harder to follow. Generally late spawn you can pick up a school coming down outta the river area around Moormans or Tns Cts. I remember 6 or 7 years ago everybody was going to the dam and Indian was loaded the entire spawn. But people keep that stuff on the DL! The dam area is usually a sure bet, but if you look hard enough, you can do relatively well up the lake. Most (myself included) don't have the patience or time to find em when it's guaranteed somewhere else.
I think bait is the biggest factor in them moving back up the lake. Water temp may force them to complete the spawn, but the forage brings them back up. But don't let people fool you. A lot will stay down at the dam all summer. Most don't realize it cause if they don't see other boats around then they panic and go searching for boats, but they'll be schools around down there. I'm convinced there's resident fish there and Craddock year round.
What's this about them trying to go to saltwater? I thought they ran to freshwater to spawn?
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Post by Deleted on Jun 4, 2013 22:45:13 GMT -5
I think bait is the biggest factor in them moving back up the lake. Water temp may force them to complete the spawn, but the forage brings them back up. What forces them back below the bridge in the summer time??
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BentRod
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Post by BentRod on Jun 5, 2013 5:45:50 GMT -5
Water temps, thermocline, and O2. He asked what makes them move up the lake after spawn is complete. To me, the water temps are fairly consistent throughout the lake still outside of way up the lake, but the forage is greater up the rivers.
What makes them go to the dam to spawn? Water temp may be a trigger in pre-spawn but it's equal throughout the lake so why head south all the sudden?
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Post by Deleted on Jun 5, 2013 6:04:32 GMT -5
I don't know, I'm not a fish biologist. lol!!......but water temp, thermocline, 02 are one and the same, with thermocline and 02 being the direct cause and effect of water temps.
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BentRod
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Post by BentRod on Jun 5, 2013 6:51:38 GMT -5
Yeah no doubt those play the major role in pushing them down for summer, but I don't see how it affects postspawn movement unless they just don't know their up from down and run back up lake like river fish would run back down. Only difference is they'd be moving to warmer water vs colder ocean water. Who knows? Mward knows...
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Post by mwardncsu on Jun 5, 2013 7:52:56 GMT -5
Talk with 10 folks and get 20 different theories For some the difference has to do with the fact that the Dam is not on the same manual release/pump schedule, but auto-controlled by computer out of Ohio or something - for others it is the fact that the big, old fish died in the fish kill and are not around to "teach" the new fish where to go before and after the spawn - for others its other theories. I forget for how long now, but for some # of years now striper fingerlings have been stocked in multiple locations around the lake vs. all in one spot like they used to do. Late last week 76K were stocked up the lake on Pleasure Point & Moormans - more coming to the lower/mid lake / Blackwater side later this week I believe. That puts groups of fish originating in different parts of the lake from the start - maybe those groups pull back to their "initial" waters. From the tagging surveys, we also know that the fish will move all around the dang lake - have seen info on fish tagged way up the Roanoke caught down lake and even over on the Blackwater. My guess is there is some natural bias for "migration" - striper also have to stay on the move to live - now, I guess they could swim in circles or do laps in the same cove if they wanted and not have to go anywhere, or they could do sprints up and down the lake - seems they do both. Chasing forage makes sense to me, and densities of forage seem to be different at parts of the lake different times of the year. The water temp profile across the depths is pretty consistent across the lake other than inside of the shallower creeks, but we know the Dissolved Oxygen profile is different and that the thermocline sets up in the upper ends as Summer pushes on - which would push bait and prey down if the DO gets too low. We don't have a lot of DO data on SML for multiple locations on an on-going trend and I know there have been good groups of fish up the lake arms in areas where the thermocline has setup during the summer. When ya'll figure out why those dang stripers do what they do, let us all know - amazing how something with such a tiny brain can elude us all so much (just for clarification, I'm talking about the stripers and their tiny brains..... )
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Post by CorneliaGale on Jun 5, 2013 10:26:41 GMT -5
I always heard that its called fishing not catching. Seems like some days you can go out and catch them on anything and on every cast, and the next time they won't hit anything, the rod tips will just dance when you go through a school that lights the locator up like a Christmas tree. Still if you can find bait and catch them eating its a lot of fun. As for why they go to the dam, they are a saltwater fish that will live in freshwater, when they put the dam in at Santee-cooper the stripers got caught in the new lake. The fish lived and did good, so they started stocking them in lakes. I think somewhere in their little brain they still think they have to go back to saltwater.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 5, 2013 19:17:00 GMT -5
Hey BentRod, mward told me to never agree with you on anything j/k....but just so you know, I don't see how in the world the water temps could have anything to do with the fish moving back up the lake after the spawn either. Pre spawn, summer, fall and winter are whole nother story as to where the fish are in regards to the water temps.
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BentRod
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Post by BentRod on Jun 6, 2013 6:36:33 GMT -5
Bigun, You love that water temp! I honestly don't even pay attn to it much..fished a year and half one time without a temp gauge. I won't lie though, I sent out a "what's the water temp?" text a few times! There's a lot to it if you study it.
I told you Mward knew the answer. I like the migration theory and I think with that they naturally seek current and water movement during the spawn. Only have two options on SML for that and one offers a whole lot more room and feeding options..the dam.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 6, 2013 7:17:12 GMT -5
Honestly BentRod, I am a water temp nut. That's the first thing I want to know when I hit the water. After all these years of keeping a fishing log, seems like it has a lot to do with where the fish will (should) be at different times of the year.
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Post by grasscutter on Jun 6, 2013 7:44:52 GMT -5
I think pumping back the water from leesville has a lot to do with them congregating at the dam.....the stripers at leesville don't seem to hang out near the dam......
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