Since I've put up much of anything. I thought I would share a few pictures over the last short while. I've been fishing whenever I get the chance. I have caught a couple fish in the last month or so on bait, but mostly on umbrella rigs and most of the time I've been fishing the heavy rig about 110 feet back. Just about all of the fish have been caught on the Capt Mack Farr white bucktails with chartruese trailers, but I have caught a number of fish on Farr shad head jigs with shad bodies.

It wasn't long ago and there were plenty of fish and bait stacked up in various areas of the main channel on the North end, but that is practically over and I've noticed that the fish lately have been more in the mouths of the North end creeks to about half way back.

There's been a couple of days fairly recently that the birds were working the areas I've been and man that has helped a lot. Just like the good ole times of winter time striper fishing....where ever the birds were working, the fish have been there pushing the bait up to them.

To me, if you can get out there and find working birds and fish, it's about as fun as it gets, but on the flip side of the coin, I've been just about as many times and couldn't find a fish. So for my fishing...it's been either feast or famine - either we're catching doubles, or we ain't catching nothing. Some of the schools of stripers we have seen on the graph while fishing have been phenomenal in size. It's a great feeling seeing those and catching them just seconds later...

I am pleased with how mild the temperatures have been so far this year, giving me the opportunity to get out on the water more often. If it keeps raining like this, our home lake will be full before we know it and that would be a blessing coming into Spring this year - it would put water back over all of those flats that we're used to fishing and catching on. That's my hope anyway. Here we go:












Water temps are fluctuating a little, but mostly in the upper 40's where I have been fishing lately. Fish have been from about 20 to 50 or more feet deep. I haven't fished the downrod as much as I should because the umbrella bite has been good, but I do know there's plenty of folks catching them that way. I guess you find a groove and stay with it best you can.

Good luck fishing!

Great report. See you out there,

Looks like you have been all over them.....Thanks for the update.....

WTG Corey, Glad your finally got some time to enjoy yourself. Thanks for the report

Great report!

Thanks for the report!! Based on the grins in the photos, it looks like you have kept one young man happy fishing this past month.

My oldest son loves to fish, there's no doubt about it. He's been with me on the water 14 + hrs without a bite and never had a complaint about it. He's in it for the long haul for sure.

As an update: this winter, the fishing remains the same as yesterday. However, it was fammine not feasting! I was able to locate plenty (massive amounts) of bait toward the mid areas of the North end creeks and did see a striper here or there in the bait. Very seldom did I find a striper far away from bait.

When I attempted to stop and downline, the bait would move out from under me and the stripers did the same thing.

I cannot believe that I did not foul hook a striper or two in the head with a umbrella, because I passed over several (I did foul hook threadfins).

The bite was just off yesterday as to be expected, but that's the great thing about going out this time of year....today might be the day! And I am stuck working and won't ever know!!!

Ya can't catch em if you don't go and you can believe me, the good days have been really good. I wish I was there right now.

The live bait at Oakwood Bait and Tackle looks absolutely great. The small trout are the perfect size (which most years it is difficult to get what I look for) and the blue backs are perfect. Better stock up on u-rig components, because that ain't over yet. I am a huge fan of the Capt Mack's rigs and I have plenty of them, but I have recently purchased a couple of Chaser umbrellas that I am going to put some time and effort into.

If you have not looked at the Chaser brand bucktails, hooks, etc lately, go by the bait shop and check the stuff out. It looks good and I think Bob may have a good thing going. Nothing like supporting our local friends, especially when they are offering top notch products to us.

Thank's for the input. I hope to be wetting some hooks come Sat. or Sun. Was out there on the 7th and the 14th, putting in at Little Hall and heading Southward to the bridge and also toward G'ville, following the deep channels. No fish for me. I was running 2 down lines at 30 to 40 feet over structure and 1 free line all with bluebacks. 1 good hit on my free line, but I did not have my drag set so no hook set. I gotta pay more attention to my stuff!

I'm trying to learn how to be productive as a Striper fisherman and I thank all you for sharing your information on this forum. I also support and encourage responsible fishing (and boating)!

I love cpt mack u rigs...but if you go to Bass pro and don't want to pay 30 bucks for a 5 jig umbrella rig and are on a budget I wanted to give a little tip. I was looking around around BPS and found a full sized umbrella frame in the saltwater section...not with the other rigs. It's was 3.77 I found a ten pack of 3/8 oz jig heads 3.99. wire leaders. 1.39 for 6 pack and cpt mack curly tails for 2.99 do the math...you can put together a bad ass custom urig and fool around with different color combos for a steal. I simply add 50 lb mono for my center bait with something I already have in my box. Just a tip for those who are fishing on a budget.

Let me be very clear. I do not pull 5 bait umbrellas. I use the 4 arm, 3 oz umbrella rigs with 8, 3/4 oz jigs and a 1 oz jig in the center (typically on a longer leader but sometimes not).

To me, that is the "heavy" rig that I referenced earlier.

Good luck!

I guess I was just giving an alternative. I couldn't believe that BPS was getting 30 bucks for a rig that only had 5 jigs on it.

Corey--
wow-- That's a heavy rig-- almost 3/4 pound of lead! What do you estimate is the depth that's running at 110 ft back?
(You might want to circle back and see if there's any stunned floaters that your rigs ran into )

I'll guess you're pulling the rigs with high strength braided, which is also suppose to increase depth a bit, right?

Striper rook-- thanks for the tip!

Thats not heavy. I was throwing a 15 ounce swimbait the other day for the muskies.

Holy smokes---Are you using an australian surf rod or a shoulder held launcher to cast that thing?

I'd be careful on the backcast that you don't take off a client's head or put a hole in your T-top

The chart for the heavy rig on Mack Farr's model is included at the time of purchase. Seems like he says the rig is running 18 feet (?) when its 110 feet back. With 130 braid, I can bump the bottom at 20-21 feet deep or so, but that is probably because the braid diameter equals 25 lb test mono (instead of the 40 lb mono that Mack list on the chart).

5 bait umbrellas are not worth pulling in my opinion. Put nine on that bad boy and cross your fingers you catch nine fish or nine branches off a tree.

Clay, whatta we talkin about here? A lil' pounder (or pounder...or whatever their called)?

Musky fishing is for people that like to cast (and hardly ever catch). I hate casting (and love catching). I thought we shared that common hatred. You have changed into someone I don't even know anymore.

New name you ask? Yes, I have one for you...."Casting not Fishing". Whatchoo thank???

Yes, it was the pounder and I don't think I will ever be a true blood musky fishermen. Just want to catch one to add to the been there done that list. I will always be a striper fisherman. Put bait out and relax.

Who are you kidding? I've been out with you before and you do anything BUT relax.

Thanks Corey-- i'd have thought that the 9 bait rig would pull it deeper.
Casting for muskies is too much work for me down here where they're not as plentiful. A friend of mine targets them in TN and does get one or two every other leap year, but his biggest catch was his buddy's head on a backcast....which is why I'd be flat on the deck with someone trying to lob a 1 lb bait in a 22 ft boat!

Thanks Corey-- i'd have thought that the 9 bait rig would pull it deeper.
Casting for muskies is too much work for me down here where they're not as plentiful. A friend of mine targets them in TN and does get one or two every other leap year, but his biggest catch was his buddy's head on a backcast....which is why I'd be flat on the deck with someone trying to lob a 1 lb bait in a 22 ft boat!