Threadfin shad need you help. They have had an above average spawn and are
present in large numbers. But shad size is very small. Two-pound stripers
have now found an easy meal and are relentlessly pursuing tiny shad.
Stripers easily eat 100 shad per day. That can make short work of the shad
population. But while stripers are chowing down they can be seen by all
passers by.
Alex Harper plays his
first ever striper
This is where you come in. Fishing for boiling stripers is perhaps the most
exciting and rewarding sport fishing in freshwater. Boils are seen in almost
every canyon and bay this week. We are asking you to take a few minutes out
of your busy schedule to catch a striper. Each wave runner can have a rod
attached. Ski boats can have rods rigged with surface lures just waiting for
the boil to pop up in front of the skier. Houseboats can pause in the main
channel to cast into a mid channel boil. Put one of the group on the top
deck to act as lookout for the next surface disturbance.
The most reliable baits are "walking" surface lures like Jumpin Minnows, and
Super Spook Jr. With shad being small the best bait that is small enough to
match shad size and heavy enough to cast is a spoon like Hopkins, CC spoon,
Wallylure and Kastmaster. Perhaps the most versatile choice is the rattle
trap lipless vibrator. Better yet rig 3 rods with these three choices to see
which works best.
This morning I saw 10 boils early and could not get any fish to do more than
bump the lure. When stripers are in this mood it may take a special
technique like a full sized surface lure with a tiny curly tail jig tied on
a dropper line to the back hook. The big lure delivers the package and fish
eat the tiny lure. A small crappie jig on light line and a 1/8 ounce lead
head will cast far enough to hit the school and be small enough to eat.
Patience may be better than changing lures. After 9 AM surfacing schools
changed personality and began to eat full size lures. A rattletrap cast well
beyond the lead fish and retrieved quickly caught a fish each time. A silver
or blue spoon cast into a sounding school would catch a fish as they went
under the boat. A mini walking bait got hit each time it as placed in front
of the leading fish in the school. So time of day makes a difference. It
seems the boils are going all day long but fish may be most catchable from
8-10 AM.
Bass are in the brush and getting more catchable every day. Walleye are
perhaps at their peak right now. Troll the edge of long points braking into
the main channel or cast plastic grubs into shade pockets on steep structure
breaking into deep water.
Catfish are providing great action from your houseboat or campsite each
night at dusk. Catching is improving but chasing and seeing fish is
excellent.