With the refuge closed and the water even lower, we decided to check out Roger's Creek. After bumping the prop a time or two, my father-in-law said forget it and we headed back out. I have no idea if the activity was any good back in the creek, but the mouth was hot. We discovered (new to us, at least) that the little island at the mouth is littered with submerged stumps and logjams where the main channel swings in. Every piece of isolated wood had a hefty LM on it waiting to ambush shad coming into the creek. The first pass we used cranks (that 4- can't be beat in wood) and spinnerbaits. They were holding tight so you had to bang the cover to get bit. An hour later, we came back and hit it again with brushhogs and soft jerkbaits. If anyone knows the area I'm speaking of, it is not very big but we made a very successful afternoon out of it. The LM action wasn't the highlight of the day, though. Before the run to the ramp, we idled up to the deep, rocky bank on the opposite side of the channel. We marked large fish in 8-10 feet with shad just above them so I switched out the 4- for a Sisson wooden crankbait in splatterback...I think RangerRob mentioned them in an earlier thread. At the end of my first retrieve, a large striper shot right to the edge of the boat and hit the rear trebles. For a split second I had him and then he shook loose...or I simply freaked out and ripped it out of his mouth. My father-in-law starts yelling "That was a striper! A big striper!" On my next cast, I sped up the retrieve and boated a 12lbr. We both caught two more about the same size within minutes and then they vanished.
Striper on the HiawasseeemoScratch ? Has anyone else encountered them on this river?
Striper on the HiawasseeemoScratch ? Has anyone else encountered them on this river?
