Lake Anna Stripers near Dike1 (cold side) - Feb 16, 2016

[ComeOnFish]

Finalizing Lake Anna Striper Lures

It was a tough day. I fished in a new area, Dike 1, in the cold side of Lake Anna. I launched from High Point Marina (208 Bridge) and trolled 2.5-3 miles to Dike 1. Between 8:30am-12:00pm, I did not see any striper images on the FF. I saw only once a small school of undersized striper less than 20". There, along the edges, 12'-17' drop-off from flats, I trolled and trolled. I didn't jig because I didn't see stipers. But I knew stripers were there along the edges.

I used two tandem trolling rigs one at a time. One was an umbrella (Alabama) rig with two lures. The other was homemade - made of stainless trolling wire (124# test). On both rigs, I used two different lures (different colors or different types)

A single rig was used on my port side. I used a 3/4oz lead jig with a 5" BA. The most Lake Anna anglers use 3.5 - 4 inch lures. The Lake Anna stripers behave quite differently from Chesapeake Bay stripers - according to the anglers fishing both lake Anna and Chesapeake Bay

Between 12:05pm and 03:30pm before I headed back to the marina, I caught 5 stripers at 17-18". Two hit the tandem rigs and three hit the single rig. One of the the purposes of the tandem rigs is to find the lures the stripers prefer on a given day.

Yesterday, the stripers preferred 5" BA (Salt&Pepper with chartreuse tail) over 5" BA (Pear with chartreuse tail). This can be reversed on any given day. Striper didn't hit a crank-bait (not on the video)

I think now I have go-to lures for the clear water in Lake Anna. I may not need tandem rigs any more.

BTW, I wore gloves first time this winter.

This fishing log is all about the lures:

[M_Duong60]

Great vid Joe very informative...When do you think that tog will be around at kiptopeke?

[DanMarino]

I love your videos. Looks like you have figured out how to catch those stripers. So how far down are you seeing them on your sonar unit? Are you open areas of the lake, or are you fishing certain points and drop offs? Do you troll around looking for fish on your sonar unit, or do you troll and try to stay at a particular depth?

I experimented with a bottom bouncer at the local reservoir near my house in 2012. I was trolling a worm harness and also a floating rapala crank bait. When I trolled, I tried to drag the lure at a constant depth and also tried to hit points and drop offs. It worked great for crappie, white perch and yellow perch. I also caught a few catfish, largemouth bass, and even a striper.

I belive in MD I can only use two hooks at once, so I'm contemplating using the bottom bouncer and putting out two lures to see if that increases my catch rate.

Keep up the good work.

One day I'll get a hobie revo 11 for trolling my reservoir. Gotta wait for the kids to get out of college first though.

13

[ComeOnFish]

Great vid Joe very informative...When do you think that tog will be around at kiptopeke?

March.
But the weather in march is pretty bad, especially on weekend.
joe

[ComeOnFish]

Dan Marino,

The depth of the deepest part of the water I fished in Lake Anna is 50-60'. Unlike Chesapeake Bay, the depth changes very rapidly. So depth finder is the must-have equipment for trolling

Here are my answers:

Dan) So how far down are you seeing them on your sonar unit?

Because I killed catfish and LM (bladder air expansion), I did not lower the lures on the bottom when I see few fish hugging on the bottom in 25-50'of water. They are catfish or LM. So far the stripers appeared in the shallow water 12-30'. When I see them, they appeared on the FF semi arch) and usually 10-15 of them. Sometimes I saw they were with baitfish. Stripers are 5-15 feet above the bottom. They appear suspended, not on the bottom.

Typically they were 13-17' down in 20'-50' of water

Dan) Are you open areas of the lake, or are you fishing certain points and drop offs?

I've been searching for the answer. Because I am not a LM fisherman, I don't understand LM fishing terminologies. What I found about stripers in the lake are (when there are no breaking fish or feeding birds): 1) I caught them on edges or drop-off, especially on the edge of a large flats. So I look for flats (10-17') and fish the drop-off between the flats and deep water in the open areas

Dan) Do you troll around looking for fish on your sonar unit, or do you troll and try to stay at a particular depth?

Until I memorize the depth changes (bottom), I heavily rely on the FF in the new water. Yes, I troll around looking for fish on the FF and also memorize the depths. Once I locate the target fish, I stay and put lures where fish are/were. If I don't see the fish any more, then I don't jig. I troll the area. I make sure my lures travel the same depth where fish were.

Dan) I experimented with a bottom bouncer at the local reservoir near my house in 2012. I was trolling a worm harness and also a floating rapala crank bait. When I trolled, I tried to drag the lure at a constant depth and also tried to hit points and drop offs.

I will put the lures where my target fish are. When I troll crank-bait, I prefer floating ones not sinking or suspending ones. The reason is that When I hook a fish on one line, a sinking crank bait sinks and snags something on the bottom. I troll one tandem rig with two crank-bait instead of trolling two crank-baits on two lines. For example, When I fish for striper in the Bay, I troll two crank-bait on one line. I use a 3-way swivel to connect the upper lure and the lower lure. the upper lure can be shallow water crank-bait and the lower lure can be Stretch 25, 20, 18. I no longer troll Stretch 30. I am too old for trolling Stretch 30. In the fresh water I troll the same tandem rig with smaller lures

If I can maintain good speed to lower the deep diving crank-bait, I use thinner braided line to lower the crank-bait. With thin braided line, the most of deep diving lures can travel below the depths rated. For example, one of my Norman deep diver is rated 9-12' down. But I can lower to 15' down by using 15# test braided and higher speed at 4mph

I zigzag when I troll over the edge, never along the edge. Two reasons here. First, fish can be on the shallow side or on the deep side. Secondly when I zigzag, the lure depths changes. For example, When I make right turn, the starboard side crank-bait rises because the speed on the port side drops. At the same time, the crank-bait on the port side dives because the speed of the port side increases. The lures travel up and down. The difference can be 3-7' depending on the models

Dan) I belive in MD I can only use two hooks at once, so I'm contemplating using the bottom bouncer and putting out two lures to see if that increases my catch rate.

I use two sets of hooks. More than two is unnecessary and dangerous. Yes tandem lures will improve catch. One of the purposes of tandem lures is finding which lure works. So I use two different lures (colors or shape) to find what works on a given day. On the video, I changed lure from Pearl color to Salt & Pepper. because somehow stripers preferred Salt & Pepper

Dan) One day I'll get a hobie revo 11 for trolling my reservoir. Gotta wait for the kids to get out of college first though.

I don't know why you said Revo 11 not 13. When I fish open water, I take Adventure (16 footer on the video), not Revo 13. The longer kayak tracks better especially when you have a fish on one line while trolling two lines. The only bad thing of the 16 footer is hard to turn when fishing very close to pilings and docks

Joe

[AbuMasgouf]

Awesome Video Joe! Again the underwater footage is fantastic! You really have to give your video crew (self) a raise! LOL!

Question for ya:

What are those clips that you are using on your jigs? Tactical Angler power clips? Did you buy them locally(Dick's or BPS)?
More importantly, how do you like them so far?

[Kiko]

Please put May 8 (Wednesday) on your calendars....Joe will be speaking at the NoVA CCA meeting at 7:00 pm.

We meet in Vienna VA at the Grace Presbyterian Church, 2381 Cedar Lane.

For those who can get there early, we will meet up at Neighbor's Restaurant (about a mile south of church) around 5:45 for dinner.

Let me know if you have any questions. You do not need to be a member to attend.....

Ernie

[ComeOnFish]

Awesome Video Joe! Again the underwater footage is fantastic! You really have to give your video crew (self) a raise! LOL!

Question for ya:

What are those clips that you are using on your jigs? Tactical Angler power clips? Did you buy them locally(Dick's or BPS)?
More importantly, how do you like them so far?

Yes they are Tactical Angler power clips. I bought them (50# test) from Dick's. They are OK in the Bay, and I will use hem in the bay.

For the freshwater striper, I won't use it any more (in Lake Anna). Here are the reasons:

I used the clips to change the lures fast because I have been experimented the lures. But now I narrow down to a few lures (shapes and colors). I know what I am going to bring and use.
The Lake Anna stripers are skittish. I am trying to streamline the rigs and lures. I will remove everything from the rigs except one or two lures and leader lines

Joe