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    • Buggs Island Lake
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    • Little Creek Reservoir
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    • Western Branch Reservoir
  • Striper Fishing Virginia's Waters
    • 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
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Spey Stripers
by Zach Matthews @ http://www.itinerantangler.com

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My rod surged and bucked, and for a moment it threatened to shatter like dry spaghetti.

That’s what happens when you are under-gunned. I debated slamming my hand onto the reel to break the fish off, when suddenly it changed direction and brought my fly line swooshing straight at me. A quick backwards scramble onto the sandbar was the only thing that allowed me to land the fish. Minutes before, I had been sliding down the steep sides of Atlanta’s Chattahoochee River, leaving the roar of traffic behind as I carefully threaded my thirteen-foot Spey rod between rhododendron branches.

That’s right: a two-hander, in this case a light 6-weight designed for trout. But as I soon learned, two-handed or not, a 6-weight is not enough stick for the hardest fighting fish in fresh water: striped bass. Native to a surprising number of inland drainages, the modern-day range of Morone saxatilis now extends from coast to coast. The Atlantic strain is the version most anglers are familiar with. These fish run the seaboard from northern Florida all the way to Maine, and they will enter just about every river along the way if the time is right for spawning. These are the fish of Montauk, the kind which used to grace the table of the Mayor of New York. There is also a Gulf of Mexico strain of striped bass, which biologists believe entered the Gulf during the last Ice Age when the circumnavigation of Florida was still possible for them. Today, they are cut off by thermal barriers and reproduce separately from their Atlantic brethren, historically running up the rivers of the Deep South.

And finally, of course, there are America’s stocked stripers. From California to Ohio, Texas to Tennessee, stripers have been placed in just about every suitable reservoir or impoundment in the country. All of these far-flung members of the striped bass family have one thing in common: They run up rivers from time to time, and that means shallow water. In Middle America, the stripers’ run out of man-made reservoirs is the equivalent of a full-blown salmon run in fly-over country. Once they get in the river, stripers have similar behaviors to salmon and steelhead: they hold to structure in predictable ways; they eat streamers; and they often travel in pods.

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One day, it occurred to me that these characteristics make stripers a perfect target for two-handed rods and modern Spey tactics. Of course, as soon as I had the thought, I realized that others would surely be ahead of me, and so they were. Anglers like biologist and artist Mark Yuhina had already begun targeting stripers in Alabama with Spey rods. I heard rumors of secret Spey sects on the Red River in Texas and California’s Central Valley, and right on my home water on Atlanta’s “Hooch,” there were anglers like American Angler contributor James Buice, who had perfected the local tactics. Once I had run these far-flung Spey anglers to ground, a few of them agreed to share their techniques.

Getting Rigged

The most shocking thing about the striper that nearly shattered my 6-weight was its size: it was relatively tiny, only about five pounds. I remember glancing at my slender, 13-foot 6-weight, then back to the fish, as Chief Brody’s famous line from Jaws echoed in my head: “We’re gonna need a bigger boat.”

Atlanta’s James Buice agrees: “I use a 13-foot 8-weight for most of my striped bass Spey fishing. You want a modern, fast-action two-hander, not one of the older European-style [meaning slower] rods like we used to use in the Pacific Northwest for steelhead.” Alabama’s Mark Yuhina, fishing the Tallapoosa drainage, also sticks to 7- and 8-weight rods, and he’ll go so far as to carry a second, heavier-actioned two-hander for bigger, weighted flies. As a general rule, two-handed rods are significantly beefier than their one-handed cousins. The butt section on an 8-weight Spey rod is at least as thick as a 12-weight single hander. Of course, all of that extra mass carries a toll: You can’t just stick any old 8-weight line on one of these rods. “For a beginning Spey caster,” says Scientific Anglers’ chief line designer Tim Pommer, “we recommend a Skagit line or a Scandi line, depending on what you’re trying to accomplish.”

Skagit lines were developed for steelheading in the deep, wide rivers of the Pacific Northwest. They are shooting heads at the most basic level, typically with very short front tapers and equally short heads. This means even an un-accomplished Spey caster can use them from the very first day. If you can form up a thirty foot roll cast, the extreme weight-forward profile of a Skagit system allows you to power out sixty to eighty foot casts almost without trying, because the head will carry the running line behind it once you let fly. “You just don’t want to over-power it,” explains Buice, an old hand at Skagit fishing from his steelhead days. “Keep your tip high, go slow, and let the rod do the work.” Skagit lines have enough mass to turn over heavy sink tips as well, letting you get the fly to where the fish are: “I use Skagit lines for my heaviest or biggest flies, or those with dumbbell sinkers,” says Alabama’s Mark Yuhina. The downside of a Skagit system is obvious from the first cast: it can be ugly. Like, really ugly.

Stripers in extremely skinny water can be just as spooky as largemouth bass or trout, and they will flee if you crash a cast on their heads. That’s where Scandi lines come in. Scandi is short for Scandinavian, where these tapers were developed, and they work on the same principle as the Skagit system but are less extreme. Where a typical Skagit head might be only twenty-four to twenty-six feet long, a Scandi head could stretch up to forty feet. The longer a line’s head is, as a general rule, the more line the angler will carry in the air (as opposed to shooting) and thus the line’s “turn over” will be more gradual. Scandi heads also have less aggressive front tapers than Skagit heads, meaning when the line does turn over, it will do so much more softly. Consequently, Scandi lines are best for conditions where fish are running in clear water with depths less than six feet.

Stripers in extremely skinny water can be just as spooky as largemouth bass or trout.

In sum, use Skagit lines for booming big heavy flies a long way where stealth is not an issue, but use Scandi lines in low, clear water. “If I’m using small flies in the summer, I’ll go with my Scandi setup,” says Mark Yuhina, “but when it comes to big dumb-belled leeches, it’s Skagit all the way.” Scandi and Skagit lines are available both as “heads,” which can be interchanged on a shared running line using loop-to-loop knots, or as “integrated shooting lines,” meaning the head is fused permanently to the running line and cannot be swapped out. For a rank beginner, an integrated Skagit line will probably be the easiest system to manage. Once you’ve got the flavor, if you really want to learn to Spey cast properly, it would be a good idea to pick up a Scandi or even a mid-belly line (most typically used for steelhead and salmon), which will allow the broadest range of true Spey casts.

Casts and Tactics

It’s been said that writing about music is like dancing about architecture. Unfortunately, writing about casting is about the same: Spey casting is best learned from a live teacher, not a book or magazine. If a book is all you’ve got, Simon Gawesworth’s Spey Casting is the definitive authority. For striper fishing with Spey rods, I’ve primarily relied on two casts: the Snap-T and the Double Spey. As with all Spey casting, these are simply fancy names for the setup moves necessary to get yourself and your line into a standard roll-cast position. All Spey casts are roll casts at their core. Both of these casts have the advantage of lifting your flies right up to the surface before you begin moving forward, which is helpful when trying to pluck a heavy striper fly off the water. Meanwhile, I’ve found that Single Spey and Snake Roll casts can be more difficult to execute with a six-inch long, wet mop of a fly, though there are certainly casters who can handle it.

River fishing for stripers gets truly interesting when it comes to patterning and fooling the fish. Most stripers spend the majority of their year out in deep water, either in a reservoir or in the lower stretches of a deep river. In places where it gets truly hot, like Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, or Georgia, some lake-dwelling stripers will run into rivers seeking thermal refuge in the summer months. (The rest just go below the thermocline and stay on the bottom of the lake where it is cool). Typically this run occurs around the first of June, and those stripers which make the move tend to stay in the rivers until the end of August. Moving water contains more dissolved oxygen, which is leeched out by hot weather, and which may be why some stripers prefer rivers to the lake bottom. Alternatively, they may just be following baitfish, which are themselves looking to beat the heat. Either way, once in the rivers, they tend to stay put for the summer.

In places where heat is not as much of an issue, such as Tennessee, Arkansas, or parts of California, stripers will still run the rivers in the Spring in order to spawn. Typically, stripers are the last of the temperate basses to run up from a given lake. Around the first of March the white bass will run, followed a couple weeks later by their hybrid or “wiper” cousins, and then finally a couple weeks after that by pure-strain striped bass. Striped bass are often a by-catch of late season white bass anglers, for instance on the upper White River in Arkansas. Thus, depending on the part of the country you live in, chances are good that your local reservoir stripers will swim into shallow water for at least a few weeks a year.

The first push of fish is usually the best fishing. Watch for a “fresh,” which can be either a rain event or a period of extended generation from a tailwater that raises river levels by at least six inches. Stripers (and other fish, for that matter), will move and assume new positions when the waters are high, then stay there when the waters recede. Initially, before they get a lot of pressure, you are likely to see pods of stripers camped out on sand or gravel in water sometimes shallower than two feet. This can be an intense fishing time as the stripers will be heavily feeding and may even compete for your fly. After the fish have been in the river for a couple weeks, the pods will often break up into smaller groups or even individuals. As a rule these smaller groupings orient themselves around structure; you can find them holding just out of the current in a log jam, or on the front side of large boulders or rock shelves. Stripers seem to prefer the cushion of water on the front of a rock far more than trout or other basses, which are more likely to hide behind or to the side of the same structure. Later “freshes” may also bring up new fish, and the cycle repeats itself.

The End of the Line

Fly selection depends entirely on the local forage fish; the only constant is that stripers invariably eat some kind of baitfish. In places like Tennessee’s lower Caney Fork or Clinch River tailwaters, stripers have easy access to stocker-sized trout. (Bait anglers actually catch and use trout as striper bait in those waters). Consequently, large-profile trout-colored patterns, such as Enrico Puglisi’s baitfish, in size 5/0 and lengths up to nine inches, are worth trying.

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  • 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 Waters
    • 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
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