Wipers

[earschplitinloudenboomer]

Need reccomendations on bait, lures and methods. Lake is shallow (deepest water I've found is 40' at summer pool), approximately 3500 acres, top draw (been her since the 50's so there is quite a bit of silt). Have caught several but not really knowledgable about these hybrids (white bass/stripers). With bait, should you fish deep, suspended or shallow? I know it depends on where the fish are but what are some good methods to try?

[Andy L]

Well, I can tell you how we catch wipers (we call them hybrids) here. I assume they are not that much different there.....

This time of the year, Feb and March, seem to be the best times for big ones around here. You can find them suspended over creek channels. Usually they are easier located if you look at a map and find where a channel swings into the bank. It will make it easier for you to keep your bearings and to catch them. Also, if you can find one of these channel swings close to pea gravel, (pocket, cove or bank), its even better. As the water warms a bit, they will move into that pea gravel to attempt to spawn, even though they cant, the bugs still there.

Ive done really well this time of year with suspending jerkbaits, (Luckycraft Pointers, Smithwick Rouges), and small crankbaits that dive 8-12ft (Fat Free Shad, Norman Deep Little N). All baits in shad color, grey or grey and black or white. Just have to figger out the mood of the fish. Some days they want to be aggressive and others, you have to fish it slow, pausing the bait to trigger a bite. One thing about hybrids though, once you catch one, it seems to light em all up for a period of time. I have a little place described above that I fish in the early spring here. Last year we were down there and found the fish on a graph. I worked for a couple of hours trying to get them to bite. Finally caught one and it was Katie Bar the Door for the next hour or so. We caught 40+, just like that.

A little later in the spring, they will move into those pea gravel flats to attempt to spawn. They generally are a bit harder to catch then. They wont stay there long though.

Then, follow that same creek channel out to the first big flat point or hump or other structure that allows them to suspend over deep water and quickly get to shallow water to chase shad and other bait. They will stay there most of the summer. Action will be either unbelievably good or very slow. Just depends on their feeding times and when they herd baitfish onto the point or hump to feed. Same baits as listed above work well.

My favorite time to catch them is in the fall. October to November. You can follow the creek channels, watching with binoculars the flats that come up off the channel. You will have no trouble seeing the explosions from a distance with binocs. When you see them surfacing, get there ASAP, but dont run into them fast, they will spook. Topwater baits such as Pop Rs, Zara Spooks and Redfins work great. I also like to have a Rogue tied on. Sometimes after they quit surfacing and biting the topwater, you can pick up another one or two with the jerkbait. Also, if you can see them on the graph when you are searching for surfacing fish, you can catch them with live shiners, shad or spoons.

They will surface in April some too, but not nearly as well as in the fall, in my experience. Never hurts to have a topwater tied on, just in case, anytime the water temp is above 55 degrees. You never know.

I havent fished for the spring or summer fish with live bait, but I assume it can be done. A graph is a big help if you really want to catch these fish, but not a must. Just may be harder to find them and the structure they should be on. Like I said, watch for the drops where shallow flats meet deep creek or river channels. These may be points, humps or just big flats (old fields before flooding).

Good luck, hope this helps some.

Andy

[earschplitinloudenboomer]

AndyL;
We call 'em hybrids here too but every time I post someone tells me they are Wipers. Don't care much what they're called, just like to catch, smoke and eat 'em. Have you tried them smoked? Like the 2 to 3 pounders for ease of filleting.
Thanx a million for ALL the info. I have a locater, know the lake pretty well and know where some of those pea gravel inlets are.
Have some variation of most of the lures you mentioned. Here, if they "jump" it's mid July to August. A white, 1/4 oz. Rooster tail in line spinner with silver blade is the "go to" here. Fish it pretty fast, near the surface through the feeding fish.
I'm going to print out your post, it really is loaded with the info I was looking for. I think that some of your technique will work for me. Next trip...I hope you catch a whole pocket full.

best to you and yours...
ears-

[Andy L]

Hope it works for ya. :)

Rooster tails work good when they bust here too. Usually use them more on whites than hybrids. Ive caught alot of hybrids that would destroy a rooster tail or shyster. :D

Good luck and let me know if I can help. I love to fish.]

Andy

BTW, if you like catchin hybrids, and it sounds like you do, I got a story for ya. In October 03, me and a couple of buddies went to Lake Ouachita, just outside Hot Springs Arkansas. We fished for three days for stripers.

The first two days were miserable. No surfacing action, caught a few graphing fish and fishing live shad and spoons vertical. Pretty boring, but did catch a few.

The third day, we were planning on fishing til noon and headin home. Well, it was a calm morning, the rain and wind had stopped, and was overcast. We went out to a channel with alot of long flat points and started graphing. While my buddies were fishing, I was lookin through the binocs. About 7:30 am, across the lake on a flat point, it looked like somebody was throwin concrete blocks out of an airplane. Literally 2-3' splashes, and lots of em!!!

We shot over there and eased into them and started throwing Trout colored Redfins and Spooks. It was unreal. We would catch 2-5 and they would spook and go down. But, we would pull out a ways and watch and it may be a mile or more down the lake but they would come up again. We did this ALL DAY LONG!! We ended up catching 65 fish between us, all on topwater. Smallest was 8lb and the largest 38lb!!! Incredible day. Ive never had so much fun catchin fish in my life. Non stop action.

Ive gotten into whites and hybrids when they were bustin shad, but this was a totally different ballgame. Big fish. I want to go do that again, maybe this fall, if I can find the time.

My home lake here is pretty large. It has 1200 miles of shoreline. The main channel is 92 miles long and has numerous rivers and creeks as tributaries. Lots of room to find fish.

You got me with the itch now. I juicin up my batteries tomorrow. Its supposed to warm up here by the weekend. Im going to check some channel swings. ;) I have a friend that has the biggest hybrid I have personally seen on his wall, taken from this lake. Its just shy of 21lb. And, was taken right where I was tellin you in the last post I normally find them this time of year. Ill take some pics and let you know if we get into them. You do the same.

Good Luck
Andy

[earschplitinloudenboomer]

AndyL;
That sounds like a great day, sure you won't forget it for a while.
Thanx for mentioning Redfins, have a couple, haven't thrown them for a while, might be the time this spring.
Only ever caught one Striper that I could positively identify as a striper. A buddy and I were trying out an outboard and trolling motor I had bought from him, I didn't even take a pole. He insisted I use one of his (a Browning Micro rod/reel, 6 lb mono).
Had run the motor, pulled into a cove and was fiddeling with the trolling motor. He insisted that I fish, so I cast out with one of his home made, 1/8 oz, white, rubber skirted jig. While it was sinking, I finished hooking the trolling motor to the battery (good thing I did). I turned around, picked up the rod and immediately realized something was on it...gave a couple quick jerks to ensure hook set and it was on. When my buddy realized that I had a SOLID hookup, he came across those boat seats like a hurdler!...ran the trolling motor for me and when I got the fish pretty worn out, he grabbed it and hoisted it over the gunnel. (No net, only trying the motor). Weighed on certified scales, 17 pounds, male striper, had spewed out steady stream of fertilize since boated. At that time only missed state record by a few ounces. My biggest...so far!!! Not the day you had but I'd say we've both been fortunate enough to have a very good day.

best to you and yours...
ears-

[Andy L]

ears,
Thats a good one for sure. They are definitely fighters. Im not too sure that those hybrids, pound for pound, dont fight harder than the stripers though. They are built for fighting, just look at em.

Ill give you a little tip on your Redfins. Dont be mad at me if you ruin one the first time you try it though. :D I did.

When the fish are surfacing, its best if the Redfin is making a v-wake across the surface. They tend to want to dive, making it hard to keep your rod tip the right height during the retrieve to keep it from going under, especially when theres a 15lb fish swattin at it and you need to keep it workin. :D

Take your Redfin and put a bigger hook on the back. Helps with hookups and makes it a little more tail heavy. Then, just in front of the back hook, put some of those lead suspend strips. Depends on the bait, but 3-7 of them. Just enough to keep the tail down and helps keep it from diving on retrieve.

You can stop there, but one other thing makes it even easier to work, but this is what can ruin one if your not careful. Take a cigarette lighter and heat the molded bill up and bend it where its almost 90 degrees. That way it will stay on top better without trying to dive. Also adds some action to it.

Good Luck
Andy

[earschplitinloudenboomer]

AndyL;
Don't mind tinkering with my lures at all. Will definately give it a try. Have for years been whitteling and painting some home made cedar bass plugs, top water, diving and popping. It's just as big of a hoot to catch one on a home made lure as a hand tied fly. Also made some HUGE spinners from spoons (table spoons), call 'em spooners, gave one to a friend he's catching some nice muskies on it, needs repainted though.
Again, thank you so much for all the information, I'm gettin' the bug really bad now. Can't wait for the weather to break a little.

best to you and yours...
ears-