Stripers are on!

[JerDog]

Was able to fish with a college buddy of mine and his brother last night an hour and a half (real quick trip)...Got to the ramp at riverpark @4:45 and fished until 6pm....Got the redfins out and trolled and within 2 min. we had our first fish on...it was a 5lbs hybrid...next pass...another fish...same size 5lbs....birds were working everywhere...in all we boated 5 fish and lost 2( all fish in the 5-7lb. range)...the fish we lost hit the redfin on the top while the boat was turning causing the line to go slack....it was cloudy...water temp. 49F...generators 1, 2, and 3, were running pushing out 25,000...the rock pile was visible! In all we made 8 passes and had fish hooked on all but one pass. We had to end the night early because my buddies wife went into labor...We were all pumped and will truly be a night to remember! I have pics of the fish but just did not get a chance to post them yet...I was cleaning fish and have fish sandwiches for a month! ALL THIS IN A LITTLE OVER AN HOUR!

 

[polo-dog]

That sounds like a blast JerDog!!!! I love it when the fish are in a biting mood and I'm in the right place at the right time. Were you using the 1oz redfin or the smaller size? Was there a particular pass that you ran consistently? I don't need particulars but am just wondering if they were relating to the current/slack water or were they right in the boils?

 

[DHaun]

Great news Jerdog! I am planning on going this Friday. Hopefully the rain won't turn them off too bad.

 

[JerDog]

DHaun, if you can get out there, even for a couple of hours, go for it...that was one of my top 5 fishing trips ever! It was non-stop action...as I cleaned the fish they were all fat and full of threadfins! All were hybrids and were off the wing wall. I was using the biggest redfin I had, the 8" or 10" ones...all hits came on black and silver and the blue and silver. Caught them in the slack water off the wing wall..there was perfect flow and could almost hold the boat over that area for 5-10 seconds letting the current do the action for the lure untill we got a hook-up...even caught a striper in the calm water next to the flood gates!

 

[G-MAN]

I take it that a redfin is an artificial bait.. Is this the "Cotton Cordell" Redfin bait? If so, is there anything special you need to do besides tying it on? I've only fished that area once and it was with shinners at night about a month ago and had a blast. That trip was in my top 5 ever also. First time I had ever fished for stripe and used D-Haun's hook up with a circle hook about 12" up my line and a egg weight held on with a small spit shot. Haven't been back since, but can't wait to take another go at it.

 

[JerDog]

you are correct, the redfin is made by Cordell...the biggest redfin they make, I think...when they are there, they are there! Just tie them on, throw back about 50-75 feet, and hang on!

 

[polo-dog]

That wing wall eddie concentrates fish like a magnet. The big redfin it I believe 1 oz. It's really huge compared to what I usuallly throw but it's what gets the stripers going and I guess the hybrids too.

 

[JerDog]

I guess that it could be the 1 oz. just seems heavier than that. And yes, they love them.

 

[drc]

Jerdog, when you troll for stripers with redfins how many rods do you have out at one time? Are you using your outboard or electric trolling motor? Can you do just as good making long casts?

 

[JerDog]

I use two rods and run the outboard. Any more than two rods will cause a mess because you do too much turning...As far as casting, it can be done but trolling allows the bait to stay down in the Fishing Zone...when you cast, the bait only gets down to the bottom for a few seconds and then comes back up to the boat..by trolling you keep it down there all the time...Stripers tend to be always close to the bottom...You can cast in the boils and is productive but baits get hung up quite a bit. Make sure you get the lines back quite a ways...I have read that stripers can be a bit spooked by the boat.

 

[rsimms]

For what it's worth, I'm a Redfin lover! But I like to fish 'em on top... cutting a wake across the surface. There's no such thing as "always" or "never," but there are times you can crank a redfin subsurface all day long without a bite. But let that sucker wiggle-waggle across the top like a wounded shad, and it'll get smashed! Below Chickamauga water is fairly shallow... 7 to 9 feet below the turbine hole. I guarantee a striper can be laying smackdab on the bottom, but throw a redfin over his head and he'll know it's there. He may not eat it, but he'll know it's there. And if he does want to eat it he'll cover that 9 feet of water with one tiny flick of the tail. Below Nickajack water is much deeper... 16 to 23 feet below turbine hole. I've never had much succes with redfins down there.

 

[drc]

rsimms, I usually fish below WattsBar dam, it's about the same depth as Nickajack. What kind of lures would you use below Nickajack?

 

[rsimms]

Either drift live bait... threadfins or skipjack, when available. Or I'm a fan of 1-oz. white bucktail jigs, with a 6-inch white curly tail. At Watts Bar I know many folks like using smaller jigs as well... 3/8th and 1/2 oz., depending upon current.

 

[JerDog]

I finally had sometime before I leave town today to post my pics from Monday...got to show the evidence! It really was a great trip..hope to get out again monday.