Southern Striper Photo Essay

[Zach Matthews]

What say you, fellow Southern river striper fishermen?  Do you think this cold weather is going to push them back down into the lakes?  I fear it will, although highs are supposed to be back in the high 80s next week.

It has been a good season.

Zach

[dave hosler]

I really need to get down south for a few weeks and get one of these on a fly.

[Mike Anderson]

Twas a great year for us. Many fish beyond 20 and a few approaching 40. I’m after the 50 mark but have been getting bored with the chase lately. Musky season is about to be upon us and with the rains I’m thinking I can once again gain access to the remote sections of rivers I love to fish. I’m thinking what the Striper do from now on is not going to concern me much!

[Corey Kruitbosch]

Nice job! Looks like a ton of fun!

[Mike Lewis]

Very nice work Zach.

I’ve had a mixed season which has greatly improved in the last two months for me.

Water temps kicked down to 62 this morning, but should hold for a few more weeks. The end seems somewhat near though.

Got some good memories as well.

[Jay Malyon]

It definitely has been a great season. I think the change in water temp already has caused most of the fish to move, as far as where Im not sure, but the bite has seriously slowed down from what it has been. I did great for numbers this year, but lost my chance at the big ones. I hooked into 4 that I never could stop…

[brian pilcher]

Hey Zack, how is fighting one of those from a canoe?

[wraysinclair]

sweet photos. Love the stripers!

[Zach Matthews]

Brian –

Anything over 10 lbs. will tow you around.

[Gary Sundin]

I don’t think a short run of cooler temps will suddenly shift most of the fish back to the lake, though it may start things off.  I’m not too familiar with that fishery, but fish migrating to spawn don’t respond that way.  They filter in, then out, of the river over periods of weeks.  I would think a super quick response in this type of situation would not be adaptive–the situation they are trying to avoid in the impoundment will persist for weeks.

I had an unremarkable river striper year, and summer was the unremarkablest portion of it.  Here’s a bad self-portrait.

G

[Zach Matthews]

Nighttime!

[henryc]

Time to make a shift toward the “western” mountain lake…… 😉
you know….the one off of I75. They’re chowing off the top

HC

[Jack Kos]

They’re an impressive looking fish. Definitely something to add to the bucket list.

[Author]

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