After a hot July, hopefully August is a little cooler. The water temperature is in the mid eighties and the water is clear. The size of fish showing up is even better than last year.
The best fishing is on the south end of the lake due to the deeper colder water which means higher oxygen levels for the stripers. Look in the creek channels near patches of timber. The thicker the timber, the better the odds the stripers will be there. As mentioned , the primary pattern is the downline. The primary setup for the downline is a Shakespeare Striper Rod paired with a Penn Fathom II 15 Linecounter reel spooled with 15 pound Trilene Big Game line, the Captain Mack 2 oz swivel sinker, a 6 foot section of Trilene 100 percent Flourocarbon and a 1/0 Gamakatsu Octopus hook. Add a live herring to the hook and you are good to go. Take plenty of herring as they will not live long on the hook. Great electronics like the Humminbird Solix are the keys for success right now. Also keep a spinning rod like a Penn 7’6” medium light battalion rod paired with a Penn Fierce Live Liner reel with 12 pound Trilene Big Game with the same Gamakatsu 1/0 Octopus hook ready at all times to pitch it put away from the boat and let it sink. On the dead calm or cloudy days, this pitching technique will out catch the standard downline.
The trolling bite is also picking up. Talk to your local tackle store like Hammonds or Oakwood Bait and Tackle for the specific rod and reel needed. Look for a Penn Fathom reel paired with a Shakespeare Tiger rod. Once you are setup, tie up one rod with a Ben Parker spoon, one with a Georgia Blade Spoon, and one with a 1 to 2 ounce white Berkley Fusion buck tail and troll at 2.8 mph. Tip the Berkley Fusion bucktail with a 6 inch Capt. Mack chartreuse trailer. Let the first couple bites tell you which one is hot. It can vary from day to day. Also keep white Capt. Mack trailers, pink trailers, and all sizes bucktail size on hand.
Be sure to release fish fast as possible. Every second out of the water in the hot Summer months increases mortality. If you are taking pictures, have everything ready for a quick release. See you on the water,
