Sort of like the nickle tour of jigworld
Read at your own risk
I know the season is over or wrapping up for many on the coast. Down here, it’s just getting started. We can catch stripers all year round. However, summer time they tend to stay deep and the surface temps of the lakes are in the upper 80’s. It’s pretty much catch and keep your limit during those times. During the early fall I’ve actually caught them as deep as 80 feet using jigs off downriggers. The last few years I have avoided fishing during these times. Once the water cools and the lake turns over, stripers are up shallow again and plugging at night becomes possible. With the cooler weather/water, there is also the added benefit of no jet skis and other pleasure boats and a lot fewer fishermen. Go at night and you’ll see may be a hand full of boats, if any. Nice having 1000 miles of shoreline and 52,000 acres of lake to yourself
Fishing wise, there is the occasional topwater bite, but night time is mostly a sub-surface bite this time of year. Crankbaits and jigs are big time producers. You don’t really need to get fancy either. Bait is Alewifes (some of you call them river herring) and Gizzard Shad (remind me of Bunker, actually in the same family). A shallow running plug, a medium diver (4-6 feet) and a deep diver (10+ feet) are the plugs of choice. Add a bucktail for when they are holding on the bottom. Plug colors are pretty simple too. White with red head is a big time producer, so I tend to stock up on those. Add a black plug for those dark nights and of course one cannot go wrong with jiggy blue
The last couple of months I’ve been spending some time working on new plugs. I have the shallow and medium runners covered, but was in need of a good deep runner. It’s been a case of some trial and error, but I think I’ve gotten a couple down how I need them. At least a couple stripers and smallies have given their two fins up on them so far Anyway, a couple plug shots of the stuff I’ve been working on (rest in the next couple of posts). I’ve done real well the last four years on the thin jointed swimmers (a little over 1 oz). In fact, my first surf caught striper was on one of these at the Cape four years ago. My first Rhody striper last year (a keeper too!) was on one of these. As you can see from the bottom one, its gotten some lovin Various crankbaits/handcarves (1-2 oz) that have produced for me. Different lips for different depths and actions. They also have rattles in them. Mostly the same shape (hey, the stripers told me that they like them that way!), though did up a few deeper bodied ones (1 1/2 oz) to better imitate Gizzard Shad. The deep divers (long lips) are new. The medium running cranks have produced for me both in fresh and salt for the last couple of years.
One of the other nice things about this time of year, you have a good shot at a large fish. The last two state records (currently 58 pounds) were both caught in December. Last weekend I was out with a friend for an all nighter on the lake. Fifteen minutes into the trip and the thin jointed swimmer I’m throwing gets nailed. Set the hook and the drag starts screaming. Hooked a good one! Several good runs and a few minutes later I’m looking at my biggest striper to date: 40 inches and 26-27 pounds. I built the rod too! A quick photo and she is back in the water. Didn’t even have to revive her. Once her head was below surface, she pulled loose of my thumb right away and swam off. One of the joys of mid 50’s water temps. Hit a few short stripers over the next couple of hours, then another decent one on a crankbait: 16 pounds. The other cool thing about throwing plugs this time of year is that the lake has a good population of smallmouth bass. A smallie that hits a striper plug is usually a good one. This one hit the new deep crank.
Ahh yes, I like this time of year!
Jigman