As the sun rose high in the sky, the boat just sat waiting as storms got close before we parted. That’s the way it went this last week with getting the boat back together, then chasing bait to get back on the water for some striper fishing on Sunday.
The daylight bite passed us by as they called to move it up to 7.30. So I set to wait and watched as others caught fish. Then at 8:30 they pull up, two hours after sunrise, and along with them came the north wind blowing hard.
The fish turned off and it wasn’t long before cold rain followed. I do believe if you want to catch striped bass it may not be to wise to stay up to enjoy the nightlife until the town shuts down.
Yes, getting the boat fixed left me with just this one trip at the end of the week and that’s how it went. Sorry no big fish pic this week but all’s running good now and I’ve got another shot at it Friday with some who have been with me before, so they know what the sunrise can bring. Especially when I have a tank full of 7-inch frisky shad.
The water temp is now down to 76° on Beaver Lake and also up the river where I’m netting bait, so the bait is finally holding up in the big tank at home.
Stripers are still up here by the dam, but I do believe after the next cold front the bait will start moving south and stripers will follow. We will still be putting in from the dam but will probably be finding the fish closer to Point 5 as that seems to be where bait likes to hang out until the water cools down more and they move on down to the Hwy. 12 and Prairie Creek area for the winter.
We are getting pretty close for the top water bite to return and I’m ready to get the lead off the line, but for now most the stripers are being caught closer to that 20-ft. deep spot and was even marking a lot of bait and fish close to 40 ft. Sunday, but believe that was because that norther blew in on us.
Here at Holiday Island all is good with the best fishing from here and heading upriver in the shallow water, so fish the points, flats and closer to the back of the creeks for bass, walleye, crappie and even trout as you get further up river. Water from 4 – 12 ft. deep should put a bit of all in the boat, and if you’re not out at sunrise it’s no big deal, but if striper is what you want, think as he does with the sun low in the sky. If there’s wind, try a day when the northeast is far away.
Enjoy this nice fall weather with the good fishing it brings. Share with a child for the memories it can bring, and me, I will give my people the best I can, so hopefully next week I will also have a good memory to share and not a boat just sitting as it passes us by.
Johnson Guide Service www.fishofexcellence.com (479) 253-2258