Stripers- Any experts

[brianvolt7]

I am planning Striped Bass fishing trip to the Sacramento river, between Sacramento and the East side of Suisun bay.

I am fishing for Striped Bass and this is the first time. I have never fished for Stripers before. The fish are between seasons now but I want to be ready for the fall run with tips for how to catch them. I talked with a Sherriff the other day as he was trailering his boat and he says Stripers are still being caught in the river in small numbers and he recommended a couple of good holes.

Can anyone help with:
? what type of bottom structure or deep holes to they hold in?
? what type of bait is good, its legal to use live bait here
? what type of lures work
? trolling tips


This will be for river medium to high flow and bay fishing. Also if anyone has specific locations on the river I would defiantly be grateful.

 

[tuffshot]

Re: Stripers- Any experts

brianvolt7,

I'm no expert, but sent you a PM for a place to go where the experts are.

 

[Bricball]

Re: Stripers- Any experts

I'm from Indiana and we have HUGE land locked stripers(35-45lb'ers). We rig live bluegills and slow troll them with planer boards about 70 to 80 ft. behind the boat. Our stripers are feeding on big baitball's of shad...so when they see a bluegill in the middle of the shad ball....they ENGULF the bluegill.
I know some people that troll some rivers in Tennessee and they use the same method but they use live threadfin shad. Troll the planer boards right by wood snags and logs..where the stripers are holing up. They also use long stick baits that dive down to 15'.

Good luck and HOLD ON!

 

[brianvolt7]

Re: Stripers- Any experts

Thanks- I have some private ponds in my home owner association that are full of little bluegill. I will stock up on them the night before we go.

Also thanks for he PM.

 

[tuffshot]

Re: Stripers- Any experts

Thanks- I have some private ponds in my home owner association that are full of little bluegill. I will stock up on them the night before we go.

Also thanks for he PM.

You may want to check your state fishing regs.
In some states bluegills are concidered a game fish and it is illegal to use them as bait fish.

 

[brianvolt7]

Re: Stripers- Any experts

Good tip, you could be right about not using the bluegill as bait. I will make sure whatever I do is legal.

 

[jim372]

Re: Stripers- Any experts

in the eastern pa we have a lake ( Raystown Lake ) that the bait shops sell trout for land lock striper bait , they give you a bill of sell to use them as bait

 

[brianvolt7]

Re: Stripers- Any experts

I vaguely remember reading that bluegill were ok to use where I am going but I am going to read the regs.

If they are legal to use, then I have an endless supply of bait. You can literally see hundreds of bluegill on the edge of these ponds. My daughter catches them all the time on a little black fly.

Any other tips on catching these fish?

 

[xeddog]

Re: Stripers- Any experts

If I remember correctly, you can use live bait in California, but you cannot transport it. Meaning that it has to be caught locally where you are fishing and I think also has to be native (which it should be if caught locally). I'm not sure what the radius is (or if there even is one), but you can put a lot of miles on a boat in a day out here.

Wayne

 

[MaddysDaddy]

Re: Stripers- Any experts

i like eels and clams for cats and stripers. when i go cat fishing i just take nightcrawlers. what ever i catch on the worms i cut and use for bait. usuly white perch and am. eels. every once in while we catch a nice striper.

clams are cheap and availble at food stores, if you cook them (no old bay)they will stay on the hook better.

I have also heard of guys chumin' the area with huge clams, they crack the shells just enough for the jiuce to leak, then chuck them in to the surf.
the idea is the fish can smell it but cant get the meat out. when they find your hook its on!

 

[starcraftstriper]

Re: Stripers- Any experts

Well i can help you for what i do here. We use alewive shad or gizzard. A good set up for them is this is in order starting with hook. Hook 3 feet leader double barrel swivel. then on your main line put 1/2 sinker. thats called down line. Or if you gave planers use them Or you can jut put on a hook with split shot and the shad and throw it out it keeps it about 4 feet down and still allows them to swim. They are deeper right now. Some good lures is rapala f 18 in any color i use vampire. When you first see the lure you will say to big but it isnt it works. Or go and get football jig heads and super flukes. Color choice is yours i use white but i fish at night. Good luck any more questions just ask or if i confused you ask. Go slay some stripers

 

[brianvolt7]

Re: Stripers- Any experts

What kind of gizzard, just what you buy at the market?

When using the Rapella, can I troll with them or is it an anchor up and cast technique? If trolling should I use a flasher?

 

[Bricball]

Re: Stripers- Any experts

Trust me....Use the bluegills and troll with planer boards. Hook them thru the nose and tail to control their swimming. Here are some pics from my buddies website. I know they are landlocked stripers...but the state record just got broken this summer at the same lake my buddy charters out of using the same method (42lbs). These are just some small ones.

 

[FishyFish]

Re: Stripers- Any experts

Bullheads, Stripers luv them! Find them at most bait shops or catch your own.

 

[Bricball]

Re: Stripers- Any experts

What kind of gizzard, just what you buy at the market?

When using the Rapella, can I troll with them or is it an anchor up and cast technique? If trolling should I use a flasher?

You can troll with them or cast them...we have better luck trolling in freshwater and casting if they are in a particular hole. Be sure to use the proper depth Rapala and make sure they are the big ones...not the smaller ones. We use deep diving stick baits that hang and suspend in the 10-15' water column when trolling. Anything that will suspend within the bait ball they stripers are feeding on. Slow troll or slow retrieve, unless your in the spring time.

 

[starcraftstriper]

Re: Stripers- Any experts

A gizzaed shad we catch them. And i like throwing them to the bank and slowly retrieve. Its easier to troll

 

[eavega]

Re: Stripers- Any experts

Always be courteous and tip generously, and...

Oh, wait a minute

You said STRIPERS!!!!

:redface:

-E

 

[tnstriper]

Re: Stripers- Any experts

I fish the Tennesse river for stripers often. I use shad caught with a cast net for bait. Bluegill are O.K. also. I usually just "free-line" and drift or slow troll. Areas above and below bridges seem to be productive. If you need to get the bait deeper, use the drop line method mentioned above. Use lighter test line for the sinker so only the sinker will break off when you get snagged. I also recommend that if you hook up, have another person ready with a bait. I see 2 and 3 fish follow hooked up fish almost all the way to the boat on a regular basis.

 

[rascal_rascal_99]

Re: Stripers- Any experts

I fish the Tennesse river for stripers often. I use shad caught with a cast net for bait. Bluegill are O.K. also. I usually just "free-line" and drift or slow troll. Areas above and below bridges seem to be productive. If you need to get the bait deeper, use the drop line method mentioned above. Use lighter test line for the sinker so only the sinker will break off when you get snagged. I also recommend that if you hook up, have another person ready with a bait. I see 2 and 3 fish follow hooked up fish almost all the way to the boat on a regular basis.

Mind if I ask what part of the TN river you do this in? I'm right in the middle of the state and usually fish Tims Ford Lake kind of like this although I'd really like to start doing a little more fishing around the Nickajack Lake area of the TN river.

 

[tnstriper]

Re: Stripers- Any experts

rascal,

I'm in Loudon (between Knoxville and Chattanooga) Several miles below Ft. Loudon dam.