Didn’t launch till about 6 Saturday night out of koon, blew out a tire 100 yards from Koon landing. Launched and ran over to Crystal Lake. Water temp was 68 at koon and 71/72 at crystal lake. Saw some sporadic schooling and headed that direction. Missed quite a few planer hits before switching my hooks, I know they are popular but I keep missing fish on the owner hooks. We ended up with a 25 and 23 inch keeper and some shorts. Not a hit after dark, but had threadfin in the lights. Went and caught a few more shorts and a 23" at a lit dock near koon.
Edited to add that the bait was great, had some 7-8 inch herring mixed in with average sized ones. Fun watching them run from stripers on the planers.
X2 on the blow ups and bait size, that was a sight. We also missed an Osprey on a planner. I’m really glad it didn’t get hooked up, but he gave it a big pull.
Years ago we were fishing the Saluda right at dark and had an owl come down and grab a striper swiper right off the top of the water. He got all mangled up in it and wouldn’t have had a chance if we just cut the line so we tried to slowly get him close, but he wound up drowning. After getting a good look at those talons close up I don’t think there is anything we could have done anyway.
Fishing the Church area a week ago and saw a loon acting distressed…got closer and saw it trying to free itself of some fishing line. Kept trying to snag the line and ended up hooking the dam thing in the foot(been a long time since I’ve had that much drag peeled). We got it close and threw a towel over it and got the line from around the beak and free the “way to big for Lake Murray” hook stuck in it’s chest. Everyone, including us, survived.
That was one strong dam bird and it’s eyes were very cool.
Last fall I saw a bald eagle pickup a bait fish that a gull had dropped back. It was a cool sight to see. I know by law you can’t even pick up a bald eagle feather off the ground. What on earth do you do if you hook one? Cut the line, pull the plug on the boat and swim home.
the video clip on Cy’s website catching Stripers in the Coosa from his jet boat is insane…25 mins long but the quality of fish they catch, one after another is pretty cool…
Team Shad Up & Fish
If you’ve had fun catching fish on the transom bait, you are welcome…
I’ve spent about 85% of my life’s wages on fishing, the rest I just wasted…