Well I don’t get on here and post a whole lot but I’ve done my share of reading. I was hoping after last weekend’s embarrassing attempt at top water maybe someone might have some answers or solutions. I’ve been fishing the fall top water striper for several years now and have a blast the little bit of time it last. But I’ve never seen anything quite like what I did last Sunday morning. First of all, there were schools all over Z4 and #7. And when I say all over I mean there were several times we had a option of 4 or 5 different schools. It got to the point where we were picking out what seemed to be the biggest. But much to our surprise, we couldn’t get them to bite anything! We emptied 2 tackle boxes in 3 hours and might have had 7 hits total with 3 in the boat. From my experience in the past, it usually didn’t matter what you through, they would attack it. We tried Sammy’s, pencil poppers, jumping minnows, spooks, pointers, spoons, bucktails, flukes, gunfish and these striper couldn’t be less interested in any of them. My buddy said he might have noticed what looked like small minnows jumping. Are they chasing minnows? I guess I’ve still got a lot left to learn but I just always assumed they usually chased herring. Can anyone offer any suggestions?
You are correct sir! They are after minnows… Had a whole bait ball of minnows around the boat on Sat., and that’s exactly what they were after. We did OK on Shad Raps when we finally got around to tying them on. We emptied our tackle boxes as well.
Someone mentioned Striper Delights to me today again but they were talking about the ones with a little tube worm behind it. I have not tried those yet.
David Padgett
“Take 2”
191 Mako
try a bayou boogie
I would almost bet they were small Threadfin Shad, not minnows.
But what do I know!
Rick K
Definitely chasing little 1" Shad like fish … not sure if it is a 2nd spawn of whatever … We think either American of Hickory Shad … at least that’s what it looks like … I’ll post pics and you guys tell me … Anyways, we caught 9 keepers over the last 4 days … most of them in the back of … errr … Z5 … ALL OF THE STRIPER were chasing 1" fish … belly’s were full of them … We got everything on Pencil Poppers, but I’m positive that was a reaction bite more than anything else … Also noticed that the Z5 schools are schools of smaller Striper … our poppers were smacked dozens of times … I think … by smaller fish …
But, I won’t hijack your thread with a report … 
it’s my Wife’s fault we HAVE to fish now!!!
2005 Sea Pro 2100cc / Yamaha 150hp 4-Stroke
See my post below. And I agree the Bayou Boogie in white with black horizontal stripes is good too, as well as a Gay Blade if you can find one. The shad mine were spitting out looked to be small threadfin to me. About 1 1/2" long, just about the length of the 1/2 ounce Berry spoons.
All good stuff guys! Thanks a bunch for the great input. I have lost sleep over these dang striper! Gonna have to make my way to Lake World to pickup some fast food for these picky eaters.
Lawcrusher, u can hijack my thread any day over a fishing report. I pause football games to read those things!
I’ve never heard of American or hickory shad in the lake. They’re probably juvenile threadfins.
Xpress HB-22
175 Yammy Jammer
quote:
Originally posted by FogmanI’ve never heard of American or hickory shad in the lake. They’re probably juvenile threadfins.
Xpress HB-22
175 Yammy Jammer
Perhaps … it was a smaller version of this … I caught this July 31st in Beech Creek on the South side of the Beech Creek Bridge … which is … well you guys understand the proximity in relation to the Z areas …
I don’t know what this thing is … I always thought Threadfin had a long thread coming off the dorsal with an underhooked jaw … I always thought that Gizzard has a much smaller (sometimes none) thread coming off the dorsal but had a more rounded nose with an overbite …
This thing has NO thread and a pointed underhooked jaw … that looks more like a Hickory Shad to me … but I’m NO EXPERT … I’m just speculating … Ya’ll tell me what I’ve got …
Is it possible that these things spawned again? I know that Threadfin can spawn a couple times per year, but there was not “thread” coming off the dorsal …
it’s my Wife’s fault we HAVE to fish now!!!
2005 Sea Pro 2100cc / Yamaha 150hp 4-Stroke
Looks like a shiner to me. Maybe a golden shiner without the gold? Is that just a shiner? LOL Definitely not a threadfin or gizzard shad. I’m not sure that threads get that big but gizzards can get a lot bigger.
I’ve heard of hickory shad being caught on rare occasion in the lake but I don’t think there is a population of them. Maybe a case of mistaken identity? Others may know more as my history on the lake is only four or five years.
x2 for Shiner…at least that’s what I’ve always called them. I caught one about a month ago in Cloud’s Creek about 1.5 times that size but it looked the same. Did you use it for bait?
quote:
Originally posted by scgmcx2 for Shiner…at least that’s what I’ve always called them. I caught one about a month ago in Cloud’s Creek about 1.5 times that size but it looked the same. Did you use it for bait?
Nope … didn’t know what it was so I threw it back … Not worth running the risk of keeping something that I shouldn’t and then getting into trouble with DNR … In Florida they put people in jail for violating Fishing Regulations sooooooooooooooooooooooo … uh yeah, I threw it back
it’s my Wife’s fault we HAVE to fish now!!!
2005 Sea Pro 2100cc / Yamaha 150hp 4-Stroke
Understood. Better safe than sorry.
The “old folks” like my grandparents always called them “shiner minnows”. They seem to prefer small coves with cover near the bank. Something Murray doesn’t have as much of anymore.
That is a large golden shiner pictured Lawcrusher. That’s great bait! I sometimes prefer them in the winter to herring. They will live for weeks in a live well with no aeration-- even the larger specimens like you’re holding in the pic. Lakeworld and other fine tackle shops sell them for $6-8 a dozen.
Xpress HB-22
175 Yammy Jammer