Conference wahoo::fishing

    
    Don,
    
    I haven't gone out yet with Stripers only on my mind but they're in
    almost every TVA lake in the vicinity.  I have seen lots of folks out
    fishing for them and talked to a few at the ramps.  One popular
    scenario is to look for shad boiling on the surface, haul a** for
    that spot and pitch large topwaters at the edge.  Another is to look
    for them on a graph.  When they're deep, folks use big white leadheads
    (sometimes with pork) - fly and rind.  The local paper has a friday
    fishing report and often states what they're taking.  I'll pass that
    data along on friday.
    
    They seem to cover the whole lake.  I have seen them caught from piers
    in relatively shallow water and out in mid-lake in >100'.  In winter,
    folks set up downstream from the power plants.
    
    I'm sure you know that these suckers grow BIG.  Leave your ul and 2#
    test at home.
    
    -SSS-

    
    I will reply to this better from my office.  I am set host now.
    Have fished Tenn Lakes/Rivers from 68' to 86'
    Have two Striper Tail's to tell of Tennessee expierence.
    
    	-< Tuna Tail >- Dick

    I've been chasing them in Lake Lanier for the past 4-6 weeks. Get on
    the lake about 30 minutes before dark and start flinging the alligator
    sized bombers and redfins till about 10:00 or 11:00. We had real good
    luck our first time out first part of February. We started catching
    them off a point (cost me $80 to find) and caught them real fast for
    about an hour. We ended up with 7 fish with a total weight of 40+ lbs.
    Biggest one was about 15 lbs. Last several times we went, the water was
    real muddy. I'm going tonight.
    
    Bobby
     

    
    Well here I am back in my office to feed you some Fresh-H2O 
    Striper "Tail's" -< "My Tennessee Stripers" >- Note 1556.2
    
    Had opportunity to fish Tenn Lakes/Rivers from 68' to 86' as my
    ex-wife is from Cookville (mid-Tenn).  So we went every summer with
    our Sun.
    
    We rented a cabin for a week at the Norris Dam State Park just North 
    of Oak Ridge, TN (makers of the Atom Bomb) and Norhtwest of Knoxville.
    I had seen a picture in the local paper of a teenager who had recently
    caught a 30# or so Rock Bass.  All I saw was this biggo Striper
    and proceeded to ask about Boat rental's.  Got the usual....You
    can only rent them from dawn to dusk.  Naturally when the fish don't
    bite for us "out-a-staters".  I wanted to fish by the Dam down deep
    at night.  But with no running lights on these rental's that was
    a "no" "no'.
    
    I took it out from 6:00am till 7:00pm and no Stripers.  Just some
    small mouth/large mouth, Perch and pan fish none of which I kept.
    I told the attendant that "there's no Striper's (Rock Bass) in here"
    He said "there sure is" and he proceeded to show me two striper's
    in a freezer.  There was a 19# and a 25# fish stiff as a board in
    there.  I asked "where/when were they caught"
    He said: "By the Dam, Down Deep at 2:00am"
    I said thanks and never went back.....(I gotta get a boat!!!!)
    
    Another time my son and I were out at some river north of Cookville
    and rented the usual "day boat".  It was early afternoon when my
    son caught a "very" small Striper.  I'm talking "SMALL" and as evidence
    I have a picture of him and the Striper with Lure in my office.
    I have to point out to the novice which is the lure and which is
    the Striper.
    
    Anyway we contined till dusk and then we came upon 3 patches of
    Schoolies.  I did not have an electric trolling motor so I shut
    off the 35hp and paddled towards them.  We followed them this way
    and caught about 25 Stripers.  All released as all were below legal.
    "But" we did have an awesome time as the sunset was bright red and
    the river was creating a fog caused by the very hot August day and
    now dark coming with a cool breeze being created.
    
    I have been born and raised in Cambrige, MA yet will highly recommend
    the State of Tenn to any who wish to go.  I believe they have the
    best kept/managed State Parks in the US with very affordable
    accomodations.  It is not uncommon to find parks with Hotel's, Cabins,
    Trailer Parking,  Tent Sites, Lakes, Swimming Pools, Hiking Trails
    Boat Rentals (Some park's only allow Electric Motors)...etc etc. all
    in the same Park.  And best of all we know they have "Stripers".
    
    -< Tuna Tail >- dick 

    Now, dick, you done went and let the cat out of the bag.  Norris is the
    prettiest, cleanest lake in Tennessee and the Stripers grow big.  I've
    seen a 20 pounder in the water and a mount that was said to be 60# when
    caught.  In spring/early summer the deep water takes on an auqamarine
    color that reminds me of Lake George in NY or Silver Springs in Fla.
    
    The state parks are well maintained and equipped.  My favorite, so far,
    Cove Lake, is close by to Norris.  I plan to take a couple weeks this
    summer and spend them camping there.  A fellow rep in this office
    currently lives on a houseboat on Lake Norris ... I'm very jealous.
    One whole side of the lake is a 35,000 acre wildlife preserve.  You
    can't believe all the deer.
    
    Best of all, land on the Lake is still cheap.  I saw a 2 br cabin on
    a 2 acre lakefront lot advertised in the sunday paper for $35K.  Beat
    that.
    
    -SSS-

    
    Down here is South Jersey every spring from Mid-March till Mid-June
    Stripers come up the Delaware River from the Atlantic Ocean to spawn,
    and every year its seems the fish get bigger and more plentiful. The
    prime time is at night on a incoming tide in about 9 to 13 foot of
    water using Blood Worms, Last years during its peak which is usually
    biggining of April its not uncommon to catch any thing under 15lbs.
    Last years during it's peak there were two 60lbs'rs caught in the same
    week.  I don't no why Blood Worms work the best because they are not found
    in the Delaware, But every big fish caught is caught on Blood Worms. 
    Also I am told that 3 to 4 days after a full moon at night is one of
    the best time to fish for Monster Stripers.
    
    
    Jack Flood
    
    
     
    
    
    

    -SSS-,
    		"Woops" on me for letting the Cat(fish) outta the bag
    about all those neato places down in Tenn.  I was thinking of renting
    one of those houseboats on the Cumberland but was spending too much
    time working on the "farm" so had to be near the In-Laws.  I will
    be taking my new family down there one of these summers so will
    let you know.  Maybe we can drop a line from the Dam with a 32oz
    Norway Jig and Snag some Striper's???
    
    By the way.  Where are you from originally?
    
    It's not -< Don't all come at once :-) >-
    
    It's -< "Yawl" Don't all come at once "Now Heyah" :-) >-

    -< Tuna Tail >- dick

    I have gone specifically chasing stripers on Lanier with little luck,
    but have caught a few while bass fishing and even crappie fishing.  Last
    November I was out crappie fishing at night when I tied into two (2) 7+ 
    pounders.  All heck broke loose when the first one struck on my light
    tackle, 6lb test outfit.  I just held on for about 15 minutes and just
    barely got him on board when the other rod in the rod hold doubled over.
    Crappie fishing was bad that night but stripers were hitting.  I've also 
    caught them on Lanier in April while bass fishing.  Caught a few at various
    times off of the same points where they were ambushing shad.  These
    were not very large fish 3-5 lbs, but put up an impressive fight.  In
    fact the first time I thought I had a trophy bass.
       

    RE:.8  This striper fever is catching.  I'm starting to give it some
    consideration. Were you crappie fishing with jigs or shiners or ???
    Live bait is popular on Norris.  I spotted several mesh cages full of
    shad hanging off the houseboat docks.
    
    RE:.7  So, dick, I guess I still sound like a yankee.  I was raised in
    the berkshires in Mass and have lived in EMass, WMass, SC, CO and TN. 
    I've only been here a little over a year but just might stay here for
    good.  Y'all are welcome to fish East Tenn. with me innytime.
    
    -SSS-

    Chew otta com don to Lake Texhoma. Dey got stripers dere dat are as big
    as a Texyuns imagination an as dumb as Okies. Most ob dem way ober
    25-30 pounds. Mostly dey troll for dem wit spoons an donriggers op an
    don de channel an close to de shore durin sprawlin season, jes before
    de bigmouth one.
    
    Dey don fight as much as bigmouth, but jes de wate ob dem makes it
    exciting.
    
    Coonass

    I was crappie fishing at night with a coleman lantern over the side and
    drowning minnows.  The light drew in tons of shad and I drifted the
    minnows down just below the shad with a split shot.  I have scooped
    up the shad in the pasty and used them for bait, but never caught any
    stripers and they die real quick.

    
    -SSS-  Yehay I guess it raised in the Berkshire's huh?
    	   Fantastic place in the Fall.  I worked in WFO for 9 years
    	   back in the good ole day's (70'-79') after startin in the
           Mill in 69'.  Lived in Southampton.  Small rural town and
    	   really enjoyed livin in the Berkshires but always looked
    	   forward to my yearly visits to Tenn.  Don't forget to put
    	   your picture in the Album when you get it.	
    	   Thanks for invite down.  If possible we hunt for those
    	   Giant Night Stripers.....Awesome
 
    -< Tuna Tail >- dick

    Well, I realize this will appear too late for Don to read it before he
    leaves but it won't contain any real help or information anyway :-)
    
    I stopped off at Watts Bar Dam on my way home from a customer site
    yesterday afternoon and fished for stripers or whatever.  Last visit to
    this spot was fall and I caught several smallmouth here.  The lot was
    pretty full of cars/trailers but the shore was deserted.  I gravbed an
    ultralite (2# test on the reel) from the trunk and tied on a size 1
    white dressed (what is that stuff anyway, deerhair?) vibrax in silver.
    
    At a small creekmouth, I caught my first striper; about a pound.  I
    proceeded to catch another half dozen  1 to 2 pounders from the immediate 
    vicinity.  I was not unimpressed with their fight on ultrlight tackle - 
    they ran, they jumped (well, one did), they pulled - but they gave up a
    lot faster than a comparably sized smallmouth, or largemouth for that
    matter.  All were hooked solidly in the mouth.  In between the
    stripers, I caught shad - about 10" long - no fight at all.  It would
    appear that the shad were too large to be food for these stripers and
    were mixed within the school.
    
    I moved up toward the dam and had several more fish on but broke off
    before I could land or even see them.  I went back to the car and
    switched reels to one spooled with 6# or 8# test.  I tied on a
    mini rat-l-trap in silver and cast back to where I had broken off
    twice.  After a couple casts, I had a decent fish on.  Now I still had
    work clothes on - suit, tie, wingtips.  So, I stayed a few feet back
    from shore to keep out of the mud.  So instead of lipping the fish, I
    lifted.  I heard a snap and the fish slipped back into the water. 
    Apparently the line was strong enough but the rod was not.  I'd
    estimate the last striper at about 5#.
    
    I'm not sure I learned much about striper fishing but I had fun and
    learned that I'm gonna hafta bring a change of clothes if I do this 
    again and put a stouter rod in the trunk.
    
    -SSS-