Strippers and other things gray.

Skinnywater · Jan 19, 2003

It's been soooo rainy, windy, and foggy here in N. California. Every weekend since before Christmas. The river is swollen and muddy, 50' Cottonwood trees tumbleing down river. I've cleaned and rearranged all my tackle boxes three times now. Cleaned and lubed all my reels and put new line on them all. I've done some boredom shopping, bought a couple new rods/reels to update my arsenal. I know it's hard to beleive that I've even had time to post a political opinion here and there. In between straightening out those tangled gobbs of spinner hooks, leaders and dried roe.

Last summer my learning curve was put to Salmon. Had a blast, caught well over 100 pounds. I made a smoker useing an old refrigerator, sent the filets back east (Florida) to all my family/pals for Christmas. In a couple of months Stripper will be heading up river. Most come to spawn, some stay and head further upriver and stay for most of the year. While most of these average 8-12 lbs., many are over 30 lbs. With in 5 miles of this keyboard a 50 plus pounder was taken last Aug. So, are there any Stripper fisherpersons that would like to share your experiences, stories, knowledge, on these bad boys. You're encouraged to be start off basic, since it is a new quarry to me. All the wood is cut/split and stacked and it's soooooo gray outside.

Red Rider · Jan 19, 2003

Re: Strippers and other things gray.

I have always heard that you people do things different out there on the left coast, but spawning strippers in the rivers is something else. Around here, once a guy gets a stripper out of a club or bar they usually go to the nearest Motel for spawning. Although there have been some reports of spawning in the backseat of a parked car.

BassMan283 · Jan 20, 2003

Re: Strippers and other things gray.

Spawning tends to have many regional peculiarities.

crab bait · Jan 20, 2003

Re: Strippers and other things gray.

that's my love..!! in the spring.. i fish the susquehanna flats in the upper chesapeake bay..the east coasts # 1 main spawnin' grounds.. # 2 , is the hudson river ny..it's all sandy bottom & ranges from morooned to 4 foot deep.. love to use top water & just sub surface plugs.. my favorite is a 'slap stick' for L M bass... hooks can't take many 36 inch rock,tho...an at times,, it's a rock a cast.. every cast.. it's all c & r,, tho.. in the fall ,, i fish the lower delaware bay/ atlantic ocean an troll the'rips' with 'manns stretch 25's.. an tear 'em up.. 'rips' are water disturbances where it goes deep to shallow to deep... it's a fun day,, but in my little boat,, i gotta pick my day...

Skinnywater · Jan 20, 2003

Re: Strippers and other things gray.

Man! I wasn't getting it! STRIPER

That was three posts, one on another thread, refering to women of the human kind. Dang, I'm surprised JB didn't throw this into the Nothing to do with fishing topic.

Skinnywater · Jan 20, 2003

Re: Strippers and other things gray.

crab bait! crab bait,my man with the best sense of humor on the hole dang board! So is it that your basically using whatever tactics, plugs and tackle, that are used for Largemouth? What do you mean by "slap stick"? How about night fishing for them? The #1 way it's done here, and I've only been told. They take an anchovy, almost split it lenghtwise. Fold it skin side to skin side. Place the hook in between and wrap it with miracle thread. Like I was saying I like to catch fish but I'd rather use artificial bait. Do some Striper there head way up river in the summertime? Now the guys know I'm not talkin' wemen.

Fishbusters · Jan 20, 2003

Re: Strippers and other things gray.

Personally I striper fish with live bait either rigged with just a hook on the line or with some sort of weight like a carolina rig. Usually I am fishing the lake but I do fish the river run occasionally and using a live bait weightless tossed out into the current and drifted down is a good way to do things. If you can find an area that necks down or has a defined chanel through say a natural rock dam or shallow area anything that slows or blocks fish moving upstream fishing the lower end of it is a good idea. The fish will stack up some in the lower end of such an area. You can also fish jigs, casting spoons and big rapalas in the same areas but drifting a live herring or shad will almost always draw a strike when the fish are there. Use circle hooks for catch and release with live baits as the gut hooking ratio goes way down while number of hookups goes way up. BTW I did not know that California has a river run of stripers I thought they were an east coast fish until we found out you could stock them in impoundments. SC was the birthplace of landlocked striper fishing and almost every inland striper can trace it's genetics to those accidentally trapped fish in Santee Cooper.

Skinnywater · Jan 20, 2003

Re: Strippers and other things gray.

Thanks Pete,

The reason I keep refering to the "Rogue" Striper is they seem different then the Striper that spawn then head back out to the salt water of SF bay or the brackish of the delta. I'm a couple hundred miles from the SF bay and the prime spawning area is 50 miles from here. However, these "rogue" fish leave the schools and continue to travel upstream. They are said to be sparse, yet every year more and more are caught. Five years ago it was thought these fish didn't exist this far upriver. Some said it was a pure fluke. All I can personally attest to is that they are big. I've seen a half a dozen caught over 35lbs. One over 50lb. As might be understandable these fishermen are being very tightlipped. Especially so if they are using 6-10" live rainbow trout for (illegal)bait. BTW, if I remember correctly the water temp. is around 58-60 df. during spawn. During the summer it will get 60-65 df. during the hot part of the day (100-110 df). Do you have these "rogue" in your rivers also?

Fishbusters · Jan 21, 2003

Re: Strippers and other things gray.

Nope usually a dam stops progress but we have the luxury of reservoir stocked fish that spend all year in a reservoir and even will make runs up the rivers that feed the lakes. If you are fishing where trout live then you have one of the best baits I know of. Many tailrace trout fisheries are decimated by stripers. A good bait to try since live ones are illegal would be anything that represents a trout. I know they make "swim" baits in trout colors. These are like over-sized plastic leeches. They don't have them around here but I read about them somewhere being used in your part of the country for big largemouth in lakes.

crab bait · Jan 21, 2003

Re: Strippers and other things gray.

you see that DERWOOD,, your slippin' in the polls.. you better stop messin' around an get & stay onboard.. yeah, SKINNY,, pretty much anythin' a l m bass likes a rock likes ,too. 'cept for fat body crankbaits.. yeah, 'slap sticks' are in bass pro catalog .. i think 'rattle trap ' makes 'em..?? anyways,, there a stick bait,, that hangs almost verticale in the water mid way at it's belly.. so half is submerged ,half stickin' out at rest..just sittin'there.. than you jerk the line ,, i always you 'PRO LINE',, braid but not braid.. an the lure 'slaps' the water.. jerk jerk jerk / slap slap slap... than let it rest in that 'stupid' verticale postion... than reel in some.. it acts like a widewobble stick bait.. then stop ,, let rest,, & slap slap slap... it drives 'em crazy.. alot of lures simulate prey.. an cater to hungrey fish.. but this one's job works by pissin' them off ... all they to do is kill it..!! it's fun..!! no ,, can't say big ones go & stay up stream... the small ones do ,, i know that..

Skinnywater · Jan 21, 2003

Re: Strippers and other things gray.

Thanks guys, I found slap sticks in the catalouge. They were very reasonably priced. It's a few months away yet. I'll bring this post back up again if I catch any good enough to gloat over.

Strippers and other things gray.

Commander

Petty Officer 2nd Class

Petty Officer 1st Class

Captain

Commander

Commander

Ensign

Commander

Ensign

Captain

Commander