VirginiaStripers
  • Home
  • Striper Fishing Opportunities
    • Buggs Island Lake
    • Claytor Lake
    • Lake Anna
    • Lake Gaston
    • Lake Prince
    • Leesville Lake
    • Little Creek Reservoir
    • Smith Mountain Lake
    • Western Branch Reservoir
  • Striper Fishing Virginia's Lakes
    • Buggs Island Lake Striper Fishing >
      • Hit Kerr for Winter Stripers
      • Buggs Island Winter Stripers
      • Kerr Lake Striper Anglers Are Now Targeting Big Blue Cats
      • Buggs Island Lake - Striper Hotspot
      • Finding Buggs Island Stripers
      • Cold Weather, Hot Stripers
      • Great Striper bite at Kerr/Buggs isn't slowing down
      • Buggs Island Fall Striped Bass Fishing
      • Striped bass fishing looking up at Kerr Lake
      • Striper fishing on Kerr Lake
      • Buggs Island Lake: Top Area Striper Water
    • Claytor Lake Striper Fishing >
      • Claytor Lake striper looking well
      • Claytor Lake sees largest fish kill in years
      • Natural Phenomenon killing Claytor Lake Striped Bass
      • 14.5 lb. Striped Bass (striper) caught
      • Warm, dry weather killing fish at Claytor Lake
      • Claytor Lake will bounce back from fish kill
      • New state record Hybrid Striped Bass recognized
    • Lake Anna Striper Fishing >
      • Lake Anna: Striper Hotspot
      • Lake Anna - Umbrella Rigs for Stripers
      • Lake Anna Reborn With Striped Bass
      • Guide Tactics for Winter Striper
      • Lake Anna Gains a New Species
      • Striper fishing heats up on Lake Anna as temps hit 90;s
      • Catch Lake Anna Stripers Now!
      • Umbrella Rig Stripers at Lake Anna
      • Lake Anna Seasonal Striper Patterns
      • Destination File: Lake Anna
    • Lake Gaston Striper Fishing >
      • Lake Gaston: Striper Hotspot
      • Guide Tactics for Winter Striper
      • Head up the lake for Gaston's striped bass
      • Hit Lake Gaston for Winter Stripers
      • Find warmer water in creeks for best Lake Gaston striper action
      • Gaston: Southside Striper Hotspot
    • Leesville Lake Striper Fishing >
      • Trolling for freshwater stripers at Leesville Reservoir
    • Smith Mountain Lake Striper Fishing >
      • New competition to limit SML summer striper harvest
      • Fishermen need to change habits to save striped bass population on Smith Mountain Lake
      • Guide Tactics for Winter Striper
      • Smith Mountain Lake: Top Area Striper Water
      • Big stripers reach 20-year high at Smith Mountain Lake
      • Smith Mountain Lake Striper Tips
      • Live Bait Fishing for SML Stripers
      • Two tactics for freshwater stripers
      • A-rigs catching stripers at Smith Mountain Lake. Here's how
      • Stripers starting a come back at Smith Mountain Lake
      • Earn Your Stripers
      • Seasonal Movements of Smith Mountain Lake Striped Bass
      • 5 Tips For Fishing Striped Bass In Smith Mountain Lake
      • Smith Mountain Lake striped bass fishery in decline
      • Smith Mountain Lake Is Striped Bass Heaven
      • Winter Time Jigging 101
      • Vertical Jigging for SML Striped Bass
      • Stripers Getting Bigger at Smith Mountain Lake
      • Smith Mountain Stripers — Making A Comeback
      • Smith Mountain Lake Seasonal Striper Patterns
      • Stripers By The Month
      • Parasites remain in Smith Mountain Lake Stripers
      • Different Fishing Seasons for Striped Bass
      • Smith Mountain Lake Seasonal Fishing Tactics
      • The Best Time to catch a Smith Mountain Lake Monster Striper
      • State Record Striped Bass / Hybrid Striped Bass
  • Virginia Striper Odds & Ends
    • Virginia's Baitfish for Stripers
    • Striped Bass Age - Length - Weight Chart
    • Virginia Striped Bass Creel Limits
    • Virginia Stripers News & Views >
      • Virginia Fish Consumption Advisories
      • 2018 SMSC Perch Jerk Tournament
      • Stripers on the Staunton River
      • Catch 2 & Quit
      • July 2018....Proposed State Regulation Changes for Virginia's Striped Bass
      • Stripers Life Begins in Small Hatchery
      • Lake Gaston anglers change face of winter striper fishing in Chesapeake Bay
      • Tis the season for freshwater stripers
      • Freshwater Striper Fishing Booms
      • How to Measure a Fish
  • Professional Striper Guides
  • Virginia Saltwater Striper Fishing
    • Bigger Stripers on The Chunk
    • On these cool days, a stripers hot spot is Virginia Beach
    • Sheffield reaches striped bass goal and then some
    • Striped Bass in Virginia
    • Catch Virginia’s Trophy Saltwater Stripers!
    • Ocean Trolling for Stripers
  • The Striped Bass Manual
    • Chapter 1...Striper Fishing Tactics & Techniques >
      • 10 Tips For Catching Freshwater Striped Bass
      • Freshwater Striper Fishing Techniques
      • Freshwater Striped Bass Fishing Basics
      • Battle technique, putting' on the brakes...and wild fights
      • Bank Fishing for Stripers
      • Striped Bass Deep Water Fishing Facts and Information
      • Tips on Locating and Catching Striped Bass
      • 5 Striper Tips For Using Their Instincts To Your Advantage
      • Targeting Big Fish
      • Striper class 101
      • Striper Fishing Tips
      • Ready to catch more stripers?
      • Stripr School Fishing Fundamentals
      • ​Freshwater Striper Fishing Booms
      • Never Lose Another Striped Bass
    • Chapter 2...Striper Fishing With Live Bait & Cut Bait >
      • Fishing for Stripers with Cut Bait
      • Anchovy Rigging Techniques
      • 3 Deadly Bait Rigs For Stripers
      • ​Fishing with Cut Bait for Stripers
      • Live Baits for Freshwater Striped Bass Fishing
      • Using Cut Bait for Stripers
      • Downrod Fishing for Stripers
      • How to Rig Fishing Line Using Anchovies for Freshwater Striper
      • Chunk - Cut Bait Fishing
      • Trim the Fins on Your Live Bait
      • Bait and Bait Rigs For Stripers
      • How to Find Shad for Bait
      • Chicken Livers: Secret Striper Bait
      • Using Chicken Liver for Striped Bass
    • Chapter 3...Striper Fishing with Artificial Lures >
      • Striped Bass Plugging
      • Favorite Lures of the Striper Guides
      • ​Jigging: Basics
      • 3 Tips to help you catch more topwater stripers
      • Swimmer Plugs
      • Buck the Trend For Striped Bass
      • Striper Lures That Really Work
      • Stripped Bass Jigging
      • Vertical Jigging for Striped Bass
      • Striper Lures for Trolling
      • Striped Bass on Bucktails
      • Early Springtime Reservoir Stripers on Artificials
      • Lures for Striped Bass
      • ​A Deadly Fluke Rig for Striper
      • Crankbaits For Stripers
      • Topwater Lures for Stripers
      • Traditional Poppers
      • Striped Bass Fishing Lures
      • ​How to Choose Lures for Striped Bass
      • Refining Top-water Techniques for Big Stripers The Next Level
      • Fall Striped Bass: Soft Plastic Jerk Bait
      • How To Catch More and Bigger Freshwater Stripers
      • Striped Bass Detect Shades
      • How to Dead Stick Striped Bass and Hybrid Striper
      • ​Six Topwater Secrets
    • Chapter 4...Spring & Summer Striper Fishing >
      • 4 Live Fishing Bait Strategies for Summer Striped Bass
      • Spring tips for striped bass fishing
      • Early Spring Striper Fishing Tactics
      • Spawning-Run Stripers
      • Spring Striper Fishing Tactics
      • Tip - Bigger Fish in Summer Blitzes
      • ​How to Catch Summer Striped Bass
      • Night Time is Striper Time
      • Early Springtime Reservoir Stripers on Artificials
    • Chapter 5...Fall & Winter Fishing >
      • Catch Striped Bass All Winter Long
      • Fall Turnover
      • Fall Striped Bass: Soft Plastic Jerk Bait
      • Guide Tactics for Winter Striper
      • Winter Freshwater Striper tactics
      • Tactics for Wintertime Freshwater Stripers
      • Cold Weather Striper Tactics
      • Time to try winter striped bass fishing
      • ​Going Deep For Stripers
      • Striped Bass Provide Great Cold Weather Angling Action
    • Chapter 6...Fly Fishing For Stripers >
      • Beginner's Guide to Fly Fishing for Striped Bass: The Gear
      • Big Jerks
      • Sweetwater Stripers
      • Fly Fishing for Stripers is Fun in Freshwater
      • Spey Stripers
      • Versatility For Success!!
      • Spring Flyfishing for White Bass and Hybrid Striped Bass
      • Fly Fishing a Striper Boil/Blitz
    • Chapter 7...Bait Tanks & Keeping Bair >
      • What Do Gizzard Shad Eat - Feeding Shad
      • Shad Keeper - Keep Shad Alive
      • Salt and Shad
      • Dissolved Oxygen and Shad
      • Mechanical Live Bait Tank Water Filtration
      • Chemical Live Bait Tank Water Filtration
      • Live Bait Tank Water Filtration
      • Bait Tank - Water and Conditioning
      • ​Water Aeration in Live Bait Tanks
      • Keeping Live Bait - Alive and Active
      • Bio-Wheel Filtration System for Live Bait Tanks
    • Chapter 8...Striped Bass Conservation >
      • Hooking mortality and physiological responses
      • Striped Bass Catch and Release Guide
      • Live Wells For Stripers
      • Technique Leads to Circle Hook Success
      • Parasitic Copepod Affect Striped Bass in Virginia Lakes
      • Suggestions to Boost Survival Rates of Released Striped Bass
      • Some guidelines for catch-and-release angling
      • Lactic Acid Build up in Striped Bass
      • Striped Bass Release Survivability Increase
      • The Circle Hook
      • Circle Hooks
      • Handling & Releasing Stripers
    • Chapter 9....Trolling for Stripers >
      • Trolling for Landlocked Striped Bass
      • How to Troll Live Bait
      • Using Planer boards when trolling live bait
      • Slow-Trolling for Stripers
      • Trolling For Striped Bass
      • How to troll spoons in fresh water for Striped Bass
      • A New Look at Light Tackle Trolling
      • Technique for Trolling Artificial Lures
      • Leadcore Line Trolling
      • Flatline Trolling for Hybrid Striped Bass
      • Trolling for Big Stripers
      • Trolling for Stripers
    • Chapter 10...River Fishing for Stripers >
      • Spawning-Run Stripers
      • Striped Bass River Fishing Facts and Information
      • Spring River Striper Techniques
      • River Fishing Facts and Information
      • Nightime River Fishing for September Striped Bass
      • Tips for Striped Bass Fishing in Rivers
    • Chapter 11...Striped Bass Odds & Ends >
      • The Striped Bass
      • ​Tips to identify white bass, stripers and hybrid striped bass
      • World Record Striped Bass
      • Striped Bass Spawning Habits
      • Striper Myth Busting
      • Two of the Biggest Inland Stripers Ever Caught!
      • Stripers From Hook To Plate
    • Chapter 12...Striper Tackle & Equipment >
      • Refining Top-water Tackle Techniques for Big Stripers The Next Level
      • Choosing the Right Line: Mono Vs. Braid
      • How to Select a Fishing Line
      • Make Your Own Wooden Lures for Stripers
      • ​Six Tips for Choosing a Top-water Rod
      • Seven Tips for Selecting a Jigging Rod For Striper
      • Choosing the Right Rod For Light Tackle Stripers
      • Striper Fishing Boats
      • Striped Bass Boat Fishing Tackle
      • Selection of a Rod for Striper Fishing
      • What is the best fluorocarbon line? – Top 3 Guide
      • Circle Hooks
      • How to Choose Lures for Striped Bass
      • Striped Bass Fishing Lures
      • TopWater Lures for Stripers
    • Chapter 13...Striper Fishing With Planer Boards >
      • Flat Lines and Planer Boards 101
      • Planer Boards for Stripers
      • Carters Lake Planer-Board Winter Stripers
      • Planer boards can be adapted for wide variety of fishing applications
      • Planer boards adapt well for striped bass
      • Planer boards aren’t just for walleyes anymore
    • Chapter 14...Hybrid Striped Bass >
      • Heating it up with Hybrids
      • Something about Hybrids
      • The Hard Fighting Hybrid Striper
      • Hybrid Striped Bass Information
      • Night Stripes — Fishing tips for Lake St. John hybrid stripers
  • Links
Picture

Earn Your Stripers
by Mary Ellen Slayter at The Washington Post / April 5, 2006

The lake looked calm.

Forty feet down, however, the sonar told a different story.

Schools of fish teemed, appearing as orange darts streaking among the ghosts of the intact houses and trees left behind when this once-inhabited area was flooded by damming the Roanoke and Blackwater rivers 40 years ago to create the 20,000-acre Smith Mountain Lake.

You never know what you might snag when you drop your line among the broken-out windows and pine branches of someone's former front yard. Is that tug a record-setting bass, good enough to earn you an appearance on the Outdoor Channel -- or, as sometimes happens, just someone's left-behind shirt?

The region's fishermen have found the odds decidedly in their favor. Spooky as it is to fish above a flooded town, all that debris -- and the hiding places it creates -- make for one of the best striped bass spots on the East Coast.

Nestled between Roanoke and Lynchburg, Smith Mountain Lake is 41 miles long, with about 500 miles of shoreline. The movie "What About Bob?" was filmed here; "Dirty Dancing," contrary to popular belief, wasn't (that was Mountain Lake Resort, 88 miles to the west in Pembroke). In the summer season, the lake is bustling with tourists. But now, when the water is too cold for swimming or other water sports, you can go all day without passing another boat or, most important, a Jet Ski. There are plenty of moderately priced, comfortable places to stay, ranging from house rentals to simple motels such as Westlake Waterfront Inn, where I stayed with my boyfriend, Wade, on a recent weekend. Each of the rooms has a spectacular view of the lake.
The area overall is booming, attracting vacationing families from Northern Virginia as well as retirees looking for reasonably priced lake-view homes and easy access to a little rest and relaxation on the water. And it attracts fisherfolk. As sport fishing has achieved near-NASCAR status, with shows on ESPN and multimillion-dollar tournaments, Smith Mountain Lake has emerged a hotbed in the subspecialty of striped bass.

Anyone with a boat and a license can fish, but Smith Mountain Lake is brimming with outfitters to make it easier for the rest of us. Wade and I hired one of them, Todd Keith, for a recent Sunday afternoon. His company, the Shad Taxi, is one of many operations on the lake that take anglers out for a few hours or a day. All you have to bring is a cooler (if you plan to keep your fish) and a valid Virginia fishing license (which you can buy online, at Wal-Mart or at many of the area's outdoor supply stores and marinas). The guide provides the boat, bait and tackle, and most important, his or her knowledge about the lake's fishing hot spots.

Striper fishing is no cane-pole-from-a-rowboat affair. Keith picked us up at the dock in a 21-foot Hurricane so high-tech it could have been the marine version of KITT, the tricked-out car on the '80s TV show "Knight Rider." Even cooler than the onboard sonar was the wristwatch remote control he uses to steer the electric trolling motor. (Apparently, he couldn't quite let go of his pre-fishing guide life: At 29, he has a computer science degree from James Madison University and spent four years working as a government contractor.)

The bait of choice, however, is still distinctly low-tech: little fishies called alewives, a favorite snack of striped bass. As Keith began setting up the rods along both sides of the boat, he explained that at this time of year, the best way to catch stripers is by using planer boards, lightweight fins that help carry the bait away from the boat. We deployed two of the bright orange boards off each side of the boat and four lines off the rear, for a total of eight hooks in the water. Once the planers had floated into position, we were ready to fish.

Now don't let all those fishing shows fool you, with their slick editing and pulse-pounding thrills. The big strikes are exciting, but in between? Fishing might as well be a synonym for waiting. It's mainly sipping beer and swapping stories about the ones that got away -- and the odd old shirt or other artifacts from the small-town Atlantis below.

But once you do attract the attention of a striped bass, your heart will start pounding. They can get quite large -- the world record is 78 pounds 8 ounces -- and they are fierce fighters, strong and wily.

And they're everywhere on the East Coast, including the Chesapeake Bay, where they are more commonly called rockfish -- which is also what they are more often called when they turn up on your dinner plate. (The fish at Smith Mountain Lake are stocked annually.)

And so we waited, watching the planer boards and rod tips for movement.

Midway into another round of complaints about the cold -- early spring days are windy out on the lake -- we saw the back right planer board take off.

Wade jumped up and grabbed the rod from its rest, yanked it to set the hook in the fish's mouth and reeled it in, navigating carefully so as not to get tangled up in the other lines. And on the other end of the line -- an old shoe? stray curtain? Nah, it was a big-bellied striper. Keith pulled it into the boat with a net so we could get a closer look and take some measurements -- 27 inches, 8 1/2 pounds. We then released it back into the water, sending the fish off to get even fatter on someone else's bait. At that size, it wasn't exactly a record, but it had put up a good fight.

Had it been summer, when the warm temperatures and the diseases they foster would have made a just-caught fish's survival less likely anyway, we would have kept it, maybe even cooking it for dinner that evening. A few of the guides have arrangements to take your catch straight from the dock to Vieira's, where the chef will cook the striper and serve it family-style for your party.

With sundown approaching, the fishing would soon be picking up, but hours of cruising on the lake had left us cold and hungry. Fortunately, the fun at Smith Mountain Lake doesn't end at the docks. The cluster of towns near the marina boast a variety of restaurants, from informal coffeehouses to steakhouses. We chose Vieira's, next to the marina. Dinner and drinks at the bar -- along with some good-natured ribbing about how we were missing the peak fishing time -- capped off the day.
Early on, Keith had quipped that persistence was the best bait.

I guess next time we'll have to bring more bait.
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • Striper Fishing Opportunities
    • Buggs Island Lake
    • Claytor Lake
    • Lake Anna
    • Lake Gaston
    • Lake Prince
    • Leesville Lake
    • Little Creek Reservoir
    • Smith Mountain Lake
    • Western Branch Reservoir
  • Striper Fishing Virginia's Lakes
    • Buggs Island Lake Striper Fishing >
      • Hit Kerr for Winter Stripers
      • Buggs Island Winter Stripers
      • Kerr Lake Striper Anglers Are Now Targeting Big Blue Cats
      • Buggs Island Lake - Striper Hotspot
      • Finding Buggs Island Stripers
      • Cold Weather, Hot Stripers
      • Great Striper bite at Kerr/Buggs isn't slowing down
      • Buggs Island Fall Striped Bass Fishing
      • Striped bass fishing looking up at Kerr Lake
      • Striper fishing on Kerr Lake
      • Buggs Island Lake: Top Area Striper Water
    • Claytor Lake Striper Fishing >
      • Claytor Lake striper looking well
      • Claytor Lake sees largest fish kill in years
      • Natural Phenomenon killing Claytor Lake Striped Bass
      • 14.5 lb. Striped Bass (striper) caught
      • Warm, dry weather killing fish at Claytor Lake
      • Claytor Lake will bounce back from fish kill
      • New state record Hybrid Striped Bass recognized
    • Lake Anna Striper Fishing >
      • Lake Anna: Striper Hotspot
      • Lake Anna - Umbrella Rigs for Stripers
      • Lake Anna Reborn With Striped Bass
      • Guide Tactics for Winter Striper
      • Lake Anna Gains a New Species
      • Striper fishing heats up on Lake Anna as temps hit 90;s
      • Catch Lake Anna Stripers Now!
      • Umbrella Rig Stripers at Lake Anna
      • Lake Anna Seasonal Striper Patterns
      • Destination File: Lake Anna
    • Lake Gaston Striper Fishing >
      • Lake Gaston: Striper Hotspot
      • Guide Tactics for Winter Striper
      • Head up the lake for Gaston's striped bass
      • Hit Lake Gaston for Winter Stripers
      • Find warmer water in creeks for best Lake Gaston striper action
      • Gaston: Southside Striper Hotspot
    • Leesville Lake Striper Fishing >
      • Trolling for freshwater stripers at Leesville Reservoir
    • Smith Mountain Lake Striper Fishing >
      • New competition to limit SML summer striper harvest
      • Fishermen need to change habits to save striped bass population on Smith Mountain Lake
      • Guide Tactics for Winter Striper
      • Smith Mountain Lake: Top Area Striper Water
      • Big stripers reach 20-year high at Smith Mountain Lake
      • Smith Mountain Lake Striper Tips
      • Live Bait Fishing for SML Stripers
      • Two tactics for freshwater stripers
      • A-rigs catching stripers at Smith Mountain Lake. Here's how
      • Stripers starting a come back at Smith Mountain Lake
      • Earn Your Stripers
      • Seasonal Movements of Smith Mountain Lake Striped Bass
      • 5 Tips For Fishing Striped Bass In Smith Mountain Lake
      • Smith Mountain Lake striped bass fishery in decline
      • Smith Mountain Lake Is Striped Bass Heaven
      • Winter Time Jigging 101
      • Vertical Jigging for SML Striped Bass
      • Stripers Getting Bigger at Smith Mountain Lake
      • Smith Mountain Stripers — Making A Comeback
      • Smith Mountain Lake Seasonal Striper Patterns
      • Stripers By The Month
      • Parasites remain in Smith Mountain Lake Stripers
      • Different Fishing Seasons for Striped Bass
      • Smith Mountain Lake Seasonal Fishing Tactics
      • The Best Time to catch a Smith Mountain Lake Monster Striper
      • State Record Striped Bass / Hybrid Striped Bass
  • Virginia Striper Odds & Ends
    • Virginia's Baitfish for Stripers
    • Striped Bass Age - Length - Weight Chart
    • Virginia Striped Bass Creel Limits
    • Virginia Stripers News & Views >
      • Virginia Fish Consumption Advisories
      • 2018 SMSC Perch Jerk Tournament
      • Stripers on the Staunton River
      • Catch 2 & Quit
      • July 2018....Proposed State Regulation Changes for Virginia's Striped Bass
      • Stripers Life Begins in Small Hatchery
      • Lake Gaston anglers change face of winter striper fishing in Chesapeake Bay
      • Tis the season for freshwater stripers
      • Freshwater Striper Fishing Booms
      • How to Measure a Fish
  • Professional Striper Guides
  • Virginia Saltwater Striper Fishing
    • Bigger Stripers on The Chunk
    • On these cool days, a stripers hot spot is Virginia Beach
    • Sheffield reaches striped bass goal and then some
    • Striped Bass in Virginia
    • Catch Virginia’s Trophy Saltwater Stripers!
    • Ocean Trolling for Stripers
  • The Striped Bass Manual
    • Chapter 1...Striper Fishing Tactics & Techniques >
      • 10 Tips For Catching Freshwater Striped Bass
      • Freshwater Striper Fishing Techniques
      • Freshwater Striped Bass Fishing Basics
      • Battle technique, putting' on the brakes...and wild fights
      • Bank Fishing for Stripers
      • Striped Bass Deep Water Fishing Facts and Information
      • Tips on Locating and Catching Striped Bass
      • 5 Striper Tips For Using Their Instincts To Your Advantage
      • Targeting Big Fish
      • Striper class 101
      • Striper Fishing Tips
      • Ready to catch more stripers?
      • Stripr School Fishing Fundamentals
      • ​Freshwater Striper Fishing Booms
      • Never Lose Another Striped Bass
    • Chapter 2...Striper Fishing With Live Bait & Cut Bait >
      • Fishing for Stripers with Cut Bait
      • Anchovy Rigging Techniques
      • 3 Deadly Bait Rigs For Stripers
      • ​Fishing with Cut Bait for Stripers
      • Live Baits for Freshwater Striped Bass Fishing
      • Using Cut Bait for Stripers
      • Downrod Fishing for Stripers
      • How to Rig Fishing Line Using Anchovies for Freshwater Striper
      • Chunk - Cut Bait Fishing
      • Trim the Fins on Your Live Bait
      • Bait and Bait Rigs For Stripers
      • How to Find Shad for Bait
      • Chicken Livers: Secret Striper Bait
      • Using Chicken Liver for Striped Bass
    • Chapter 3...Striper Fishing with Artificial Lures >
      • Striped Bass Plugging
      • Favorite Lures of the Striper Guides
      • ​Jigging: Basics
      • 3 Tips to help you catch more topwater stripers
      • Swimmer Plugs
      • Buck the Trend For Striped Bass
      • Striper Lures That Really Work
      • Stripped Bass Jigging
      • Vertical Jigging for Striped Bass
      • Striper Lures for Trolling
      • Striped Bass on Bucktails
      • Early Springtime Reservoir Stripers on Artificials
      • Lures for Striped Bass
      • ​A Deadly Fluke Rig for Striper
      • Crankbaits For Stripers
      • Topwater Lures for Stripers
      • Traditional Poppers
      • Striped Bass Fishing Lures
      • ​How to Choose Lures for Striped Bass
      • Refining Top-water Techniques for Big Stripers The Next Level
      • Fall Striped Bass: Soft Plastic Jerk Bait
      • How To Catch More and Bigger Freshwater Stripers
      • Striped Bass Detect Shades
      • How to Dead Stick Striped Bass and Hybrid Striper
      • ​Six Topwater Secrets
    • Chapter 4...Spring & Summer Striper Fishing >
      • 4 Live Fishing Bait Strategies for Summer Striped Bass
      • Spring tips for striped bass fishing
      • Early Spring Striper Fishing Tactics
      • Spawning-Run Stripers
      • Spring Striper Fishing Tactics
      • Tip - Bigger Fish in Summer Blitzes
      • ​How to Catch Summer Striped Bass
      • Night Time is Striper Time
      • Early Springtime Reservoir Stripers on Artificials
    • Chapter 5...Fall & Winter Fishing >
      • Catch Striped Bass All Winter Long
      • Fall Turnover
      • Fall Striped Bass: Soft Plastic Jerk Bait
      • Guide Tactics for Winter Striper
      • Winter Freshwater Striper tactics
      • Tactics for Wintertime Freshwater Stripers
      • Cold Weather Striper Tactics
      • Time to try winter striped bass fishing
      • ​Going Deep For Stripers
      • Striped Bass Provide Great Cold Weather Angling Action
    • Chapter 6...Fly Fishing For Stripers >
      • Beginner's Guide to Fly Fishing for Striped Bass: The Gear
      • Big Jerks
      • Sweetwater Stripers
      • Fly Fishing for Stripers is Fun in Freshwater
      • Spey Stripers
      • Versatility For Success!!
      • Spring Flyfishing for White Bass and Hybrid Striped Bass
      • Fly Fishing a Striper Boil/Blitz
    • Chapter 7...Bait Tanks & Keeping Bair >
      • What Do Gizzard Shad Eat - Feeding Shad
      • Shad Keeper - Keep Shad Alive
      • Salt and Shad
      • Dissolved Oxygen and Shad
      • Mechanical Live Bait Tank Water Filtration
      • Chemical Live Bait Tank Water Filtration
      • Live Bait Tank Water Filtration
      • Bait Tank - Water and Conditioning
      • ​Water Aeration in Live Bait Tanks
      • Keeping Live Bait - Alive and Active
      • Bio-Wheel Filtration System for Live Bait Tanks
    • Chapter 8...Striped Bass Conservation >
      • Hooking mortality and physiological responses
      • Striped Bass Catch and Release Guide
      • Live Wells For Stripers
      • Technique Leads to Circle Hook Success
      • Parasitic Copepod Affect Striped Bass in Virginia Lakes
      • Suggestions to Boost Survival Rates of Released Striped Bass
      • Some guidelines for catch-and-release angling
      • Lactic Acid Build up in Striped Bass
      • Striped Bass Release Survivability Increase
      • The Circle Hook
      • Circle Hooks
      • Handling & Releasing Stripers
    • Chapter 9....Trolling for Stripers >
      • Trolling for Landlocked Striped Bass
      • How to Troll Live Bait
      • Using Planer boards when trolling live bait
      • Slow-Trolling for Stripers
      • Trolling For Striped Bass
      • How to troll spoons in fresh water for Striped Bass
      • A New Look at Light Tackle Trolling
      • Technique for Trolling Artificial Lures
      • Leadcore Line Trolling
      • Flatline Trolling for Hybrid Striped Bass
      • Trolling for Big Stripers
      • Trolling for Stripers
    • Chapter 10...River Fishing for Stripers >
      • Spawning-Run Stripers
      • Striped Bass River Fishing Facts and Information
      • Spring River Striper Techniques
      • River Fishing Facts and Information
      • Nightime River Fishing for September Striped Bass
      • Tips for Striped Bass Fishing in Rivers
    • Chapter 11...Striped Bass Odds & Ends >
      • The Striped Bass
      • ​Tips to identify white bass, stripers and hybrid striped bass
      • World Record Striped Bass
      • Striped Bass Spawning Habits
      • Striper Myth Busting
      • Two of the Biggest Inland Stripers Ever Caught!
      • Stripers From Hook To Plate
    • Chapter 12...Striper Tackle & Equipment >
      • Refining Top-water Tackle Techniques for Big Stripers The Next Level
      • Choosing the Right Line: Mono Vs. Braid
      • How to Select a Fishing Line
      • Make Your Own Wooden Lures for Stripers
      • ​Six Tips for Choosing a Top-water Rod
      • Seven Tips for Selecting a Jigging Rod For Striper
      • Choosing the Right Rod For Light Tackle Stripers
      • Striper Fishing Boats
      • Striped Bass Boat Fishing Tackle
      • Selection of a Rod for Striper Fishing
      • What is the best fluorocarbon line? – Top 3 Guide
      • Circle Hooks
      • How to Choose Lures for Striped Bass
      • Striped Bass Fishing Lures
      • TopWater Lures for Stripers
    • Chapter 13...Striper Fishing With Planer Boards >
      • Flat Lines and Planer Boards 101
      • Planer Boards for Stripers
      • Carters Lake Planer-Board Winter Stripers
      • Planer boards can be adapted for wide variety of fishing applications
      • Planer boards adapt well for striped bass
      • Planer boards aren’t just for walleyes anymore
    • Chapter 14...Hybrid Striped Bass >
      • Heating it up with Hybrids
      • Something about Hybrids
      • The Hard Fighting Hybrid Striper
      • Hybrid Striped Bass Information
      • Night Stripes — Fishing tips for Lake St. John hybrid stripers
  • Links