first striper

[smallie53]

I am going to try to catch my first one this year. I have a very small boat and a somewhat large pole(ten ft surf rod). would i have a better chance in boat in backs of creeks or fishing off bank?
'Dad lives between jamestown and pleasant hill,so pleasant hill or lily creek ramp are easy to get to. also at what water temp would be best time to fish in backs of creeks. either lily or caney fork.thanks,steve

[HURRICANEBOB]

Steve-o:
Close to Pleasant Hill? You be on it dude. Just hold off till we get to the March, or April, or May time frame. Start checking down at the dock there late at night. If the shad are up on the banks spawning, spinning at the surface or you here louds pops from stripers hitting them, its time to get busy. All ya need is a fairly large bobber, no weight, smallish hook, 3 foot of leader from bobber to hook, hang a shiner or a little shad on it, and cast it out about 5-10 feet from the bank. I know it sounds stupid, but it works. And, you can do it right off the dock so all you have do is carry a small bait bucket, the rod with the bobber a folding chair, and a little coffee to keep ya warm. I know this works cause I once got fogged in, tied up to that dock for the night, and caught 6 from 1 am to 5 am do just this. (My wife beat the booboo out of me for getting her stuck in the fog and stuck on the dock all night......but....I got the fish!

[findincrappie]

well im game to go down to that Pleasant hill. Id love to try that out. question do you have to be on the dock to catch them. I know the dock people can get kinda unhappy.

[Duayne]

If you are only gonna use one pole, then cast for them. You don't need (or want to use) huge equipment to cast for them. If you have a 12 pound test bait cast bass rig you're in good shape. Its highly under rated on Cumberland. Any time now (as soon as the water gets straightened out) you can cast the flats in the backs of the creeks with a buck tail jig out of a small boat.

You'll also stand a much better chance at getting a monster in the Feb/early March time frame. I landed a 28# striper in March last year casting this rig. My trolling motor batteries died just when the fight began so it took forever to land but what a blast!

[nonamesleft47]

I've had good luck out of Lilly Creek doing the same thing Bob suggested, from the bank. I load all of my rods up and take off in my canoe or kayak, find a nice point where I can sit in a chair and drag the canoe up on the bank or get several feet away from it. I set my rods up with live bait with a couple of each on floats, free lined and tail hooked so they swim right on the surface and cause alot of comotion or on the bottom in shallow water carolina rigged. Then I walk around and cast a spinner bait or bucktail until one of the bait clickers go off. You don't want a fire or light of any kind from the bank. I usually wait till April/May when the ailwives are running. This way we've caught stringers full of stripers, walleye and some massive flatheads.

[smallie53]

thanks for all the info. sounds too easy .lol
dads birthday is mid april so always try to get down around then
will try all these suggestions and let u know.
thanks again

[HURRICANEBOB]

[QUOTE=findincrappie;402283]well im game to go down to that Pleasant hill. Id love to try that out. question do you have to be on the dock to catch them. I know the dock people can get kinda unhappy.[/QUOTE

From teh dock or shoreline works. You're point is well takne, I stand corrected, never fish from a private dock with out checking with the dock or boat owners first.

[leakinwader]

Thank you HB.

Steve-o:
Close to Pleasant Hill? You be on it dude. Just hold off till we get to the March, or April, or May time frame. Start checking down at the dock there late at night. If the shad are up on the banks spawning, spinning at the surface or you here louds pops from stripers hitting them, its time to get busy. All ya need is a fairly large bobber, no weight, smallish hook, 3 foot of leader from bobber to hook, hang a shiner or a little shad on it, and cast it out about 5-10 feet from the bank. I know it sounds stupid, but it works. And, you can do it right off the dock so all you have do is carry a small bait bucket, the rod with the bobber a folding chair, and a little coffee to keep ya warm. I know this works cause I once got fogged in, tied up to that dock for the night, and caught 6 from 1 am to 5 am do just this. (My wife beat the booboo out of me for getting her stuck in the fog and stuck on the dock all night......but....I got the fish!

[HURRICANEBOB]

Thank you HB.

Glad to help....we're all in this together!

[smallie53]

so would a 3/0 circle hook be ok?

[HURRICANEBOB]

so would a 3/0 circle hook be ok?

Yep! Just remember, if using the bobber rig, when the bobber either starts to go down, or starts to move pretty fast across the surface, to just bring up teh slack and give a good slow constant pull.......no super fast hard hook set with circle hooks!

[smallie53]

thank ufor info on setting circle hook
has heard that before but wasnt sure