Reply With QuoteI would guess you found some fish feeding on fry and what you were throwing didn't match the hatch. Sometimes it doesn't matter, sometimes I think it does.Originally Posted by dabassking
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Senior Member
Jumps were more often and sustained longer when the lake was primarily threads and gizzards so I think this is the hammer hitting the nail dead on the head. Keep in mind, these feeding battles usually start down in deep deep water and work its way to the surface. I don't think stripers can herd alewives from underneath as well as they can herd threads. I think they have more success herding alewives from the side better. Many of the jump action today comes as predatory fish pin the bait next to a bank pocket or bluff. Used to, it would happen over open water and many times it was the size of a football field. I have seen that a few times but I would think it happens when threads are schooled. As a side note, I've found that sometimes you can get largemouth, Kys and smallies all mixed in with the stripers this time of year when the bait is pinned to the bank mid creek back or better.
I have found that casting to an area that recently had pinned jumps can still get bites for another few minutes this time of year. Two years ago I picked up four fish on a red fin by continuing to cast after the jumps went down. Mind you it was four fish from four different jumps so I got one each time. And they were all smaller, but it was still a blast!
Senior Member
I would guess you found some fish feeding on fry and what you were throwing didn't match the hatch. Sometimes it doesn't matter, sometimes I think it does.
Senior Member
the best way to ruin a nite bite is to leave the graph on.....its a head shot in my opinion. i dont worry so much about it during the daytime because im on the move. but when im sitting stationary i leave the graph off
mhall liked this post
Senior Member
Alright wise guy...LOL....Hey if I think I am near them and they may come up I will ALWAYS turn off my depth finder as I am thoroughly convinced they can hear it.Definitely possible. Talked to a guide years ago who told me that he had times when only some guides in their group were catching fish. Fishing the same place, same depth, same baits. Only difference: guides catching were fishing from boats with 4 stroke motors.
Also talked to another guide who would turn his depth finder off when he located a school of fish. He felt that they could hear the ping from the depth finder.
Oh, and Mark, we may be laughing at you, but its for completely different reasons
I think this certainly is playing a part. Different baits, so different patterns. Gizzards and Threadfins like open water, and will go shallow early and late in the day. Unlike Alewifes, they will head to the surface when chased by a school of stripers. Alewifes stay down. Gizzards and Threadfins also will typically stay shallower than alewifes. They like different parts of the lake too.
Administrator
"It's like chasing a rainbow"
Hello wizard, Dorothy and Gypsy fortune teller. "Somewhere" is right!
Ya just don't seem to get quite there and its often just a bit further than you can throw and they are gone just a little bit too soon.
....no intention of being negative but the reality I guess is...
Sorry but I have work intensified and fishing deprived.
Administrator
To catch the hawk, study the mouse.Definitely possible. Talked to a guide years ago who told me that he had times when only some guides in their group were catching fish. Fishing the same place, same depth, same baits. Only difference: guides catching were fishing from boats with 4 stroke motors.
Also talked to another guide who would turn his depth finder off when he located a school of fish. He felt that they could hear the ping from the depth finder.
Oh, and Mark, we may be laughing at you, but its for completely different reasons
I think this certainly is playing a part. Different baits, so different patterns. Gizzards and Threadfins like open water, and will go shallow early and late in the day. Unlike Alewifes, they will head to the surface when chased by a school of stripers. Alewifes stay down. Gizzards and Threadfins also will typically stay shallower than alewifes. They like different parts of the lake too.
Senior Member
If you study them a while, you can usually see a pattern in the creeks. They come up here then go down. They come up over there, then go down. Then they may come up at the first location again. I watch for key locations and just hang out in the best one. It's nerve racking sitting here and watching them bust over there, but you have to develop a plan and stick to it. Good luck in the main lake.
Sometimes you CAN still get lucky. Last year, on the last day of fishing for 2014, my brother in law and I went out. We had some bait but not a lot and were just going to stay out an hour or so. We were marking but the fish were moving fast and not hitting bait. Next thing you know, we found out why. They were herding and came up about two cast away. We were able to move over to them and picked up four nice keepers in just a few minutes. Disclaimer that one of the fish came on a down rod as we drifted right in them and I wasn't making any sort of boat sound even with the trolling motor. They had the bait pinned in a pocket and just kept them there. So it is still possible. You just have to adjust how and where you fish for the jumps. This was the day before Thanksgiving and we found them pretty far back in the creek.
Senior Member
Speaking of jumps, I saw my most and longest jumps in November of last year up in Indian creek. And no, there was not a sign of the mysterious fleet of 79 striper boats anywhere in the area. Each year can be different, time, water temperature and fish population. But if you are a fisherman, would you trade one bad day on the water for a good day at work? PS: are there any recent publications from KDFWR on fish surveys for LC? I know they have to be down from pre Wolf Creel Dam work.
Senior Member
Dup...
Senior Member
As stated in a earlier post the KDFWR did a gill net survey in the last two years. They feel the lake is brimming with Stripers and the numbers are as good as ever. Most experienced and CLand veteran fisherman disagree however there are still plenty of Stripers in the lake and the average size is increasing again. I also agree with Scott, ''Mean Morone'' that the lake could take more than 550 thousand a year especially now that the lake is receiving so much extra pressure. If you don't think the lake is getting extra pressure then get your eyes checked.
BTW, do you understand humor, its really a cool concept intended on light hearted banter back and forth to make things fun.
Member
A lot of good comments and information.
Reading these comments has me thinking about what I usually throw at "jumps." I remember numerous times I have been in jumps and could not get anything to bite. I could feel the lure hitting the bodies of the fish but no bites. Do you all try to match the lure to the bait? I tend to throw a jointed red fin (red and white) or silver jointed sliver. I have throw a Gizzit 4 to get deeper--if the jumps stay up long.
It gets frustrating when you think this time of the year "jumps" are few and far between but equally upsetting is when you are fortunate to be siting in an area with fish jumping all around and you can't get any bites. I have never thrown anything small but when I see baitfish this time of the year--the baitfish looks smaller. Do most of you try to match the size of lure to the baitfish or find the biggest or heavy lure, so you can cast it far?
Senior Member
Yep, that's how my buddy and I fish. Everything off. Had a guy show us in his boat how he does it and it was like a stinkin city all lit up. He kept looking at his fish finder to see bait, and in the water because he had a light shining in the water. Very strange. Just can't make myself do it.
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