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New to forum and would like input to question.

8K views 7 replies 4 participants last post by  kichigai1 
#1 ·
I have been Striper fishing the TN River system for years and have just started fishing the Cumberland River system. My best has been a 35 pounder caught below Pickwick Dam in a boat...on 10 pound mono. I am now limited to bank fishing and regularly catch 12 to 14 pounders below Pickwick. A BPS employee suggested I try below Cordell Hull Dam as the Striper there are much bigger. I have had several hook ups with huge fish but the hook has straightened on all. I am now using a better hook but I got to thinking if it is possible to land a 40+ pound Striper below a dam trying to pull it back up to you in all that current. I am in my late 50's and am not that agile running down rip-rap to get parallel with the fish after it makes its initial run. Injured myself on the last hook up I had as I fell and am on blood thinner and had a huge hemotoma on my butt. The fish made the run...head shaking and stripped off about 140 yards of 50 pound braid and then laid down and it was a standoff for about 35 minutes. This is what got me to thinking that one would probably have to get parallel to a fish that big below a dam. I know in pumping in a 14 pounder below Pickwick I have started to cramp up a couple of times and it can take a while depending on the current....and one can run down a sidewalk below Pickwick most of the time. I have had a few to tell me go with 80 pound braid or better but I don't want to put that on my reel and not be able to cast. Anyone have any experience with this or any thoughts?


Regards
 
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#2 ·
Two thoughts:
- Welcome to the site.

- You lucky Bastid! Hooking up to quality fish and having 30 minute + fights! Well done. As far as tackle goes, if you are not bending or breaking hooks, snapping line or leaders, or frying the drag washers out of your reels, you must be doing something right. If the effort level required seems a bit much, maybe a reel with a better ratio will allow you to retrieve with less input effort. The tradeoff would be slower retrieve speeds.
As far as casting with 80 pound braid, I've used 65 and not had any problems, not sure that heavier line will improve this situation though.
You don't say whether you're bait fishing or plugging, spinning or conventional, more info would allow for better answers.
 
#3 ·
Ed,
Thanks for the reply. I am using a Daiwa SS 2600 spinning reel...great drag on this reel. I use 3 different rods. If I am throwing top water I will use a 7' 6" BPS Pro Qualifier MH fast tip. If I am jigging I will use BPS 7' 6" MH Power Rod...cheap rod but it gets the job done. I never fish live bait. Nothing against it just prefer using lures. Use a lot of Hoppy's Buck Tail Striper Jigs.....Storm 3 and 4 inch suspending jerk baits....Zoom flukes of all sizes. The reason I don't want to go to a bigger line is that there is nothing more frustrating to see those fish busting the water just out of your reach. With a one to two ounce lure I can throw this thing a country mile. The Storm 4 inch suspending jerk bait is only 3/8ths I think so I can't cast it too far. I do consider myself very fortunate to be able to fish where I do. I was heading up to Cordell Hull tomorrow but the rain will be there so will go to Pickwick and since the Yellow Tail minnows are running so thick the Striper's will be there even at high noon. But I want that 40 pounder and I need all the advice I can get. The fish are there but I have not heard of anyone getting one in that big up there from the bank. I am not from that area or would know more. I have to drive 100 miles one way to fish but I do this around 4 times a week. What people I have seen up there on my dozen trips have helped me as much as they could. The game warden checked me last time and I inquired as to why the Striper's were so much bigger at Cordell Hull than at Pickwick. His reply was the food source. I still don't understand that....Pickwick has a huge food source....but it seems trout and the colder water have a lot to do with this. Anyway I have gotten long winded but I see you are in NJ and I assume you are fishing for Striper's in saltwater. Do they taste the same or better than the ones that come out of fresh water? I am betting they taste better.

Regards
 
#4 ·
Aaaaaahhhhhh,
You are in the same boat we often find ourselves in here, you can see the fish but can't reach 'em. For your conditions you may be set up just right.....here fom the beaches and rockpiles, we tend to use long, slow rods and lighter lines to reach breaking fish. I use an 11' spinning setup with 40 pound braid in the Spring, when the fish are in and out and you have to reach them, which is probably totally unrealistic if you're trying to cast from the bank. I'm throwing 2-3 oz weight as well.
If you have room to throw, a longer rod will definitely improve your distance, at the cost of tiring you out a little quicker.
Even in the Fall, when the fish tend to be tighter to the beach here, I use a 9 footer to get out where I want to go.
As far as taste goes, saltwater striper is good eats, but I've never tried a freshie.
 
#5 ·
I would go with 50 # braided line and change out the hooks on any lures if I thought the hooks looked weak.If you're willing to drive 100 miles each way to fish then it should be no expense to buy Ultra Premium Hooks and Split Rings.I know lots of guys,when they buy lures,the first thing they do is change out the hooks.Very important.
 
#7 ·
You are absolutely right about that and I have already taken care of that as of two days ago. Now I am just waiting for the generating schedule to get right at Cordell hull to go back there. The Striper is an awesome fish...see new post. Thanks for input.
 
#8 ·
I've caught striper up to around 40lbs. out here ( Calif. ) on trout plugs that are 9"-12" long and weigh around 4oz. and up out of tailwaters here.

I use conventional reels with boat rods 7'-9' 15-40lb action and would bring in those fish fast 5-20 mins. I don't use spinning anymore as I feel it just doesn't have the power for the bigger fish.

hope that helps
 
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