First time C-land striper fishing

[downtime]

Ok guys Im leaving tommorow for a night fish looking for striper... I've never actually tried to just fish for striper.. Any help on what kinds of artificial tackle I should take, what kind of rod setup all that stuff... Im used to largemouth.. new to this,,,, anything is appreciated

[fishincreek]

What part of the lake are you fishing? Finding them by yourself the first time might be frustrating. Try black shale banks where you hear the shad moving. Keep your bait as close to the bank as possible and plan to stay all night. Timing can be as important as the place you fish(meaning you can be at the right spot, but at the wrong time.) Some nights they want surface plugs, some nights sub-surface, some nights deep runners. Another tip that would be helpful for you in the long run is to report back how you did. I know of a few good striperfishermen that no long give reports due to some not having the courtesy of reporting back of how the trips went.

[downtime]

Thanks guys.. We do plan an all-nighter, Taking a pretty large assortment of bait, including redfins, rappala no7-9. we are going with another group of people that I believe know what they are doing...Im excited.. Leaving tonight at 5:30 might go again Fri if they are biting... And I will be sure to post up the happenings of tonight. Thanks again

[downtime]

Well... Didnt do any good.. I think it was our faults though. did get a few hit slow rollin a spinnerbait, But ciuldnt find the shad. Seemed like they were mostly hitting under the surface. We'll get em next time

[fishincreek]

Thanks for the report. Things will only get better with warmer water temps.

[apb]

This time of year, night can be hit or miss. Usually more consistant in May. If you want to catch stripers, put the spinnerbait away. While people do get a few from time to time, you'll do better on the more traditional striper lures: red fin, bomber, sliver, bucktail jig, etc. Was out this weekend myself. First time this year. Friday night we got 8, three on top. Found a few shad on a bank right after dark. Ended up staying on the same bank all night. Saturday night, only one. Fished a bunch of banks. More bait up, just less stripers with them.

Andrew

[downtime]

I only threw the spinnerbait when I got bored.. We were using redifin, Rapala's orther surface plugs... Cant wait to try again

[apb]

Don't over look subsurface plugs and jigs. If I am not hearing stripers bust on top, I'll work a subsurface bait. Might switch up every so often and throw a surface plug if I think I'm in a good area even if I do not hear blow ups. Friday night the first indication that stripers were in and feeding is when I had one slam a subsurface plug.

Andrew

[fishincreek]

Sometimes they won't hit surface. Also of note, best bet would to be start fishing around midnight till about 6am.

[panfish]

Fishing last night from midnight to 4:30. Started on mainlake the first bluff up the lake past waitsboro camp ground. Walleye were up when we got there. We boated one and a bigmouth bass and missed several more. Bit seemed to be even on sliver and redfin. We din't stay long due to the debris, it was difficult to fish the area. We went to pitman to try to find cleaner banks. Walleye were up there as well but not very heavy. We could not find many stripers, probably heard 4 to 6 striper blow ups all night. Does anyone have any tips for find the rocks? Also, does anyone know who we can buy some shad from? Thanks in advance.

[fishincreek]

Therein lies the mystery of striper fishing. Best bet is to just go out one night and try to find the best spots for the areas you prefer to fish. What one fella thinks is best for him may not be suitable for you. This time of year you ought to try to stay on black shale banks where you heard the shad spawning. If I heard no or little shad activity I move, even if it means pulling the boat out and trying another part of the lake. I also prefer low wind/low boat traffic areas that have deep water nearby. Another "clinker" is you could actually be fishing the right spot, but the fish haven't moved up to that spot at the time you are there. I'm also like you- I hate the debris stuff.

[jeremys]

I've never caught one myself but have been with some experienced anglers before, here is what I was told...
Bait wise Redfins in smokey joe, blue/silver or black/silver or Rapala slivers, looks for bluff walls close to deep drops off, and work the bait slowly just under the water.
I'm sure there MANY more experienced anglers on here that could do you more good but I like to "try" and help when I can.
Good luck and Good fishin'