Joy Hansen
11-25-2008, 05:01 PM
Hi Pards and Pardettes,
Who else but JTB and his daughter (screaming "I don't wanna go") would venture into the gale force winds for striper fishing. Armed with a half dozen shiners, a new brace for the trolling motor and a plan, we ventured from Occ 2 at about 2:30 PM. Immediately saw a zillion birds up by Occ 1 and headed that way. The TM wouldn't handle the wind, so we tried to make a wide circle up by the new bridge using the big motor and then drift back to Occ 2. Still tough even with the TM on and in the copilot mode.
Whew, what wind. Finally got it right and just let the boat drift through the zillion birds. Tried doing some casting, but too many birds kept picking up either my bait or the line - had to stop. Lots of broken up bait and many marks at 15 -25 feet. Finally, one dumb striper decided to gobble up a free line bass minnow. Daughter eventually landed a 25 1/2 inch striper. JTB got zip, but lost several baits. Tried getting the planer boards out, but couldn't hold the boat slow enough in the wind. Eventually decided that we could only handle two lines and the boat.
Guess the stripers were just circling between Occ 1 and Occ 2 as I've never seen so many birds all in one location. Some might question JTB about not being too smart as there was only one boat on the lake - the Neptune struggling in the wind.
For those more learned in striper fishing, the fish were there, the bait was there, and the birds were there. As we think back, getting one fish in the boat under the worst of conditions ( as far as I'm concerned ) says that we are learning something. If we'd had shad rather bass minnows, I'd be willing to bet we would have had a boat load of stripers even with only two lines out.
Wednesday is supposed to be just as windy. Maybe we'll try again. Charging the batteries just in case. We came close to being in the drink, but we even learned how to stay in a rocking/bucking boat! :) Still having fun even if my daughter isn't sure that she's having fun. Then, she actually caught her own fish! :)
Well, that's my story and I'm sticking to it. Don't do as I do, just read and chuckle!
Regards, Joy T Brew
Who else but JTB and his daughter (screaming "I don't wanna go") would venture into the gale force winds for striper fishing. Armed with a half dozen shiners, a new brace for the trolling motor and a plan, we ventured from Occ 2 at about 2:30 PM. Immediately saw a zillion birds up by Occ 1 and headed that way. The TM wouldn't handle the wind, so we tried to make a wide circle up by the new bridge using the big motor and then drift back to Occ 2. Still tough even with the TM on and in the copilot mode.
Whew, what wind. Finally got it right and just let the boat drift through the zillion birds. Tried doing some casting, but too many birds kept picking up either my bait or the line - had to stop. Lots of broken up bait and many marks at 15 -25 feet. Finally, one dumb striper decided to gobble up a free line bass minnow. Daughter eventually landed a 25 1/2 inch striper. JTB got zip, but lost several baits. Tried getting the planer boards out, but couldn't hold the boat slow enough in the wind. Eventually decided that we could only handle two lines and the boat.
Guess the stripers were just circling between Occ 1 and Occ 2 as I've never seen so many birds all in one location. Some might question JTB about not being too smart as there was only one boat on the lake - the Neptune struggling in the wind.
For those more learned in striper fishing, the fish were there, the bait was there, and the birds were there. As we think back, getting one fish in the boat under the worst of conditions ( as far as I'm concerned ) says that we are learning something. If we'd had shad rather bass minnows, I'd be willing to bet we would have had a boat load of stripers even with only two lines out.
Wednesday is supposed to be just as windy. Maybe we'll try again. Charging the batteries just in case. We came close to being in the drink, but we even learned how to stay in a rocking/bucking boat! :) Still having fun even if my daughter isn't sure that she's having fun. Then, she actually caught her own fish! :)
Well, that's my story and I'm sticking to it. Don't do as I do, just read and chuckle!
Regards, Joy T Brew