So this past Friday night my son and I head out to give it another go. We bought shiners again so we didn't have to wait until dark to get started. It was another perfect evening as we began scanning my familiar spot. Sure enough, just like the past few trips, the bait and fish are again right where I left them. After a big loop of scanning, we dropped back to where the fish began and put our lines out. This process is thankfully getting quicker each trip, especially since my son is getting good at setting lines.
With everything set it was time to kick back and watch the graph...and wait. Oh, but we didn't wait long! Not much more than 100 yards from where we started, one of the rods bounced then bowed toward the water! My son was quick to grab the rod, but didn't know exactly what to do as the the line was drug from the reel. I believe that first 5 seconds of feeling how hard the fish pulled, and watching the line peel away, was enough to have him hooked on striper fishing!
He got the fish turned and got it close to the boat, where it made one last run before we finally saw those pretty black stripes. In the net and in the boat, he had finally caught our first keeper, and he was so excited he was actually shaking! I wasn't shaking, but I was pretty excited myself. Finally, 32" of beautiful striper on ice! After some pictures, a text to his Mom, my Dad, and a few minutes to just chill, we set the line back to see if 3 more were possible tonight.
We trolled until dark without getting another hit. After a start like that, we were both disappointed but knowing that one was in the cooler kept the mood light. We anchored on a point and put our light out, still hoping for another 3. After nearly an hour, and plenty of bait under us we still hadn't got a hit. Out of nowhere, a 14 1/2" crappie came up by the boat swimming on it's side. I first thought it might be hooked, but our lines were straight so I passed it off as just odd and carried on.
Getting bored of seeing fish pushing the bait up under us and not getting a hit, I decided bigger, better bait was in order. A cast of the net and we had plenty of four to five inch threadfin. When we began re-baiting, guess what came up on one of the float lines out the back? Yep, that nice crappie! It had swallowed the hook, so it became the stripers new room-mate. I'm used to crappie fishing Green River with minnows, but I think I'm going to start fishing Cumberland with shiners!
Baited with the threadfin, there were no more crappie...but there were five more striper! Unfortunately they were all short, but at least we were having fun and catching fish. Finally things slowed down, it was late, and getting a bit chilly so we called it a night. We still had to drive home and clean fish before getting to sleep, which finally happened at about 3:30 in the morning.
After sleeping until nearly noon, it was time to do some running around that needed to be done and out to eat in Danville. While we were eating, taking the brother-in-law fishing went from a thought, to "see you in about 45 minutes." Here I go again, off to the lake just before sunset.
We hit the same spot as the night before after grabbing more shiners, which seem to be getting smaller each time I buy them. The BIL had had a new baitcaster he wanted to try out so he was up front casting while I set all the striper lines. Lines out and away we went...for about 200 yards this time!
The rod yanked down and I pounced. This time, what was on the other end of the line pulled harder than any fish I had caught before. The BIL netted it and laid it down by the ruler where I had to do a quick check. Finally I had caught a keeper! My first since around 1990! I was so excited, yet so accustomed to catching short fish, I just had to measure it again to make sure. Yep, 28", the same it measured the first time.
Again we had a keeper in the boat within the first few minutes, but failed to get another hit trolling. So back to anchoring on the point with the light out. This time I didn't bother with netting bait and just fished our little shiners. We were getting a lot of light hits, coming up with nothing on the hook. Thinking about the crappie from the night before I began watching the rods close, and pulling up on every light bounce. Doing so I picked up two more crappie between 14 and 15" by the time we left. If I wanted to catch striper, I really should have netted bigger bait. From a conversation I had with someone earlier today, I should have gotten a LOT BIGGER bait!
One weekend, two striper, three crappie...with the way my fishing has been going, I'm going to call that a success! While it's nothing to brag about, I'm happy to finally get keeper fish. And boy were they tasty last night!
I've got a ways to go but I'm slowly learning. Right now I've got to figure out bait. I need to figure out how to net bait in the daylight, or find somewhere with big shiners for a Plan B. I need a bait tank that fits the size of my boat too, and holy cow are they pricey! And I've got to figure out how to keep bait alive and feisty in said tank.
Thanks for the encouraging posts, the PMs, and even a helpful phone conversation this afternoon. Nobody has bluntly told me to fish here, at this depth, at this speed, with this bait, but I've been nudged in the right direction to start making my own choices and that's how I'm going to learn...by figuring it out.
The story will continue...
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