[ Post a Response | StriperChaser Fishing News and Views ]
Posted by }<)))*> StriperChaser on November 3, 2005, 6:10 am C. C. McCotter Known to most that pursue them, stripers are the freshwater cousins to the saltwater Stripers are true bass, unlike largemouth and smallmouth bass, which are actually These powerful fish belong to the anadromous class — or fish that migrate to freshwater Come springtime they migrated up the Staunton and Dan Rivers and spawned. By mere chance, the combination of current, water quality and With this in mind, Virginia biologists stocked stripers in other area lakes in hopes they might duplicate the Buggs Island success story. In Top Virginia landlocked striper waters include Smith Mountain Lake, Lake Anna, Buggs Island, Lake Gaston, Claytor Lake, Little Creek What makes catching stripers so much fun is the way they feed and what they do when hooked. Generally, these fish travel in schools in open Landlocked stripers can often be taken as they feed on the surface, but anglers also catch them using a variety of subsurface tactics like When hooked, stripers rarely jump. This is the only thing the fight that follows lacks. Expect a hard, surging initial run, and several others from My favorite way to catch them is with a topwater plug. A large, cigar-shaped lure you can walk the dog with across the surface when stripers In the lakes this month, you can expect stripers to move into the upper reaches, where they can find large schools of baitfish migrating out of Until next time, remember to cherish, protect and conserve the outdoors, while sharing it with others.
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Striper season enters its prime time
Virginia Afield
While many of you are gearing up for the start of the Virginia trophy rockfish season on
the Chesapeake Bay, there's another rockfish season that is unofficially beginning in the
commonwealth's reservoirs and lakes.
rockfish. The next two months will be prime time to catch them around the region. In
certain state waters, populations of these saltwater transplants exist and thrive. While
they don't reach the 60-pound-plus proportions of saltwater versions, freshwater stripers
have attained impressive sizes. The current state record stands at 53 pounds, 7 ounces
caught March 16, 2000, from Leesville Lake by James Davis.
sunfish. If you've never seen a striper, it's easy to picture. Imagine an elongated body
with horizontal black stripes running from just behind the head all the way to the tail. The
belly is white and the top of the fish is black to dark green. The eyes are large and the
mouth opens like a largemouth's, but is a bit smaller in proportion to the body. Stripers
do not have teeth.
to spawn. One of the first known places that proved stripers could survive in a closed, all-freshwater system was Buggs Island. When the dam
was closed on the Roanoke River, migratory rockfish were trapped in the new lake.
distance are good enough to hatch the eggs, and a sustainable population of fish was created in Buggs. There are only a handful of lakes in
the country that have similar striper fisheries.
most lakes, the fish survived. Unfortunately they didn't spawn, so annual restockings are necessary. In the end, the result was a great new
fishery for Old Dominion anglers to pursue.
Reservoir and, though you don't hear much about it, Leesville Lake, where the state-record fish was caught. Good runs also develop in the
Staunton and Roanoke rivers, although these fish are essentially saltwater migrants
water. They do not hold on stumps or other shallow structure. Instead, stripers roam around their watery habitat, constantly searching for
something to eat. Favorite foods include gizzard and threadfin shad, herring, bluegills, white perch, crappie and pretty much anything else they
can fit in their mouths.
trolling plugs and drifting live baits. Happen upon a school of feeding stripers on a lake, and you won't soon forget how frenzied the action can
get. The fish are voracious eaters and strike their prey aggressively. Strikes can almost rip a rod from your hands.
even the little fellers. When they near the boat, don't get too anxious. These long-winded fighters will take off one more time.
are present is almost sure to attract a strike. This can resemble what happens when you drop a 5-gallon bucket full of cement in the water and
is guaranteed to get your heart pumping. Do this four times on a frosty morning this month and you've caught your limit, plus had enough
adrenaline to keep you excited for the rest of the day.
the cold, shallower water. With good amounts of October rain finally refilling and refreshing our lakes and reservoirs, the fish are now back on
track. They are a bit late. From all reports they appear to be about two to three weeks behind. Don't put off your visit to the lake, though; all it
takes is a week of below-40-degree nights, and the bigger fish will start to feed.
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