Wintertime Stripers
- This topic has 15 replies, 10 voices, and was last updated May 2, 2014 at 1:22 pm by
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Ok Atlanta people, let’s talk a little bit about winter striper fishing in the Chattahoochee.
I’ve got the summer fishery, if not dialed, then at least figured out enough that I know what plays to run.
I’ve actually never caught one in the haunts you are talking about in Nov-Feb. And that’s not fibbing to keep you out of my spots either. 😛
I have seen a splash here and there that gets me wondering. Basically, it’s a water temp thing that is hard to overcome. There are some in the lakes for sure this time though.
I have heard ghost stories of stripers eating stockers behind the truck and stealing snits off the end of lines. I have fished through the winter in the hooch only further south above West Point. I have caught them there up to 18lbs. in 3 feet of water.
I believe there is a large migration of the majority of the fish every year but there have to be some residents. I have seen plenty of pics of guys catching them in the rivers above Lanier through the winter so I don’t know why West Point wouldn’t be any different, especially with the food being stocked regularly.
FYI……you have a boat ramp at Franklin, a new one at Chattahoochee Bend State Park (about 15 miles north of the lake) and the ramp at Whitesburg (Hwy 27). I have never tried it this time of year. The action usually heats up around April 1st when the white bass and hybrids begin to move out of the lake.
I’d suggest taking Kent Edmonds to dinner.
I want to chase them as well this winter. I’ve only hit lakes like Lake Martin, Logan Martin, Smith Lake here in the Alabam a few years back. I have heard good things around Franklin, GA, but who knows.
I see a few exploratory shoal bass trips in my winter plans. I want to track the down here on the Georgia-Alabama border.
sounds like a good time to go do some searching with a bait caster and rainbow trout swim bait.
http://society6.com/grainfarmer Fly Fishing and Landscape open edition Photography prints.
http://grainfarmer.vsco.co/ iPhone photos
http://instagram.com/chad_simcox InstagramClay I really think it’s unlikely based on what I’ve gathered. There are definitely residents there, but I just don’t think they’re very targetable on flies this time of year. You might stake out a section with cutbait Judah Clark style, but it would be pretty cold and boring.
Thefly fishers up my way wait for windless cloudy gray days on the reservoirs. From what I’ve hear…on the flat surface, you can spot giant fish casually gulping the dying winter threadfins, with some nice brown trout in the mix. 1-2″ crippled shad patterns have produced 20 to 40lb stripers and browns over 10 lbs..I’ve seen some nice photos to prove it.
A buddy and I tried to find these winter stripers 2 weeks ago, and this was an unexpected 5 lb bycatch.
Travis you are just a fishy dude, you know that?
I think the Lanier striper fishermen pretty much follow that same plan. Jay Malyon on here knows about that. But that’s a big boy boat lake, not Gheenoe water. Lanier is a big reservoir.
Zach
Zach,
Kent’s website seemed to indicate a little winter action on the river.
I was also thinking it might be educational to take a couple runs on the river down near Franklin just to get familiar with the area before the spring spawning runs start.
AKA I don’t have a boat with a motor and/or I don’t want to float the hooch down here by myself 🙂
(insert call & book with Kent response here)
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