Striper Fishing advice

[easy45]

I've always fished below Pickwick Dam for Striped Bass (rockfish for those who use the slang term), and have always done well. We always catch fish from 5-15 pounds but have rarely caught anything bigger even though you occasionally see a pic of a bigger fish. I would like to go to some of the other tailwaters to try for bigger stripes. Any advice would be great on which ones are better or which ones to try. I'm not asking for your secret bait or exactly how you do it, just some general advice, I'm looking to take my wife and hopefully let her hook into something big.

 

[Setterman]

Live threadfin, 2/0 circle hook and a #1 split shot 6" above the hook

 

[easy45]

Live threadfin, 2/0 circle hook and a #1 split shot 6" above the hook

I'm not sure that rig will hold a striper in a tailwater of any size.

 

[Setterman]

I'm not sure that rig will hold a striper in a tailwater of any size.

Does just fine here on some pretty significant water

 

[megalomaniac]

I only have experience below Percy Priest in Nashville and below Ross Barnett in Jackson, MS.

Both places it's 100% about heavy flow from gates. In Nashville, I would get the generation schedules from TVA and get there to claim a spot as close to the dam as possible 15-30m before generations starts. I prefer large bucktail jigs with a soft plastic trailer. Throw right where the crazy swift water meets an eddy or calmer water. Heavy line, lots of it, because when you hang into a big striper, he is going into the swift water and will spool you pretty quickly. Be prepared to fight him and walk downstream along the rip rap. Try to get him in quick so he has a chance to survive after release. My biggest landed was 35lbs, but I was spooled by a couple that had to be in the upper 40s. There are also some big hybrids there, my biggest was 15lbs.

Below Ross Barnett, it's all about rainfall in the spring. Get 8-10 inches from an event, and all the gates open. I would put on chest waders, the parking lot was underwater, park on the dam, walk down into the flooded parking lot then go to the submerged picnic table on the west side and stand on top of it. Cast toward the dam through the closest eddy, I used 4-6in soft plastic swimbaits with half ounce heads I poured myself (fish there were much smaller than Nashville). My PB striper was 22lbs there, PB hybrid 10lbs. But it wasn't unusual to catch 100 fish a trip. I had a run back in 2001 where I caught over 500 hybrids and stripers in just 5 days. My thumb was a bloody scraped up stump from lipping so many.

After I retire, I will def hit the trailraces in east TN. Big stripers in tailwaters are a BLAST.

 

[jlanecr500]

We fish for them August thru October on Norris lake and Cherokee lake. We fish at dusk/night trolling 9" Grandma lures at approx. 50 feet deep, at 2.5 to 2.9 mph on 30 series baitcasters. Very similar to the wicked tuna show on TV only a smaller scale.

 

[30-06 type of guy]

Idk if you're into YouTube videos but I'll share a guy that fishes East Tennessee stripes and hammers them.

 

[Wooden Arrow]

they catch some big ones using rainbow trout for bait on Boone & Ft. Patrick Henry... most of my good ones hit live bluegill or Saltwater Redfins on the Holston...

 

[Rabbitkil]

I've caught a few in my day biggest was 44ish lbs if I remember right haven't fished for them in several years was thinking about going soon

All mine was caught below dams with a white fluke or a top water swim bait

 

[Smo]

I've always fished below Pickwick Dam for Striped Bass (rockfish for those who use the slang term), and have always done well. We always catch fish from 5-15 pounds but have rarely caught anything bigger even though you occasionally see a pic of a bigger fish. I would like to go to some of the other tailwaters to try for bigger stripes. Any advice would be great on which ones are better or which ones to try. I'm not asking for your secret bait or exactly how you do it, just some general advice, I'm looking to take my wife and hopefully let her hook into something big.

If I were you I would just go upstream to Wilson and fish like you do at Pickwick.


It's been several years since I've fished it and I never really fished for striped bass, but saw a lot of people who did.

They would run up too the wing wall by the new turbines ( left side of dam) cut the engine and drift with the current using live yellow tails when they could get them.

I was always fishing for catfish with jugs in the discharge (hole) so I spent a lot of time watching others fish.

Good Luck

There is one rock pile about 75 yards off the South bank just over half way too the dam from the Rock Pile boat dock on the Colbert Co side.

If you've never been there just watch where the local guys run and you'll be ok.

 

[Huntaholic]

Below Cordell Hull dam all the way down to lock 7. Freeline a live shad and drift. My biggest fish, 53.5 lbs came from way above the dam in roaring river though. We caught a few 40s below the dam but 1 morning on roaring river we had 5 fish that weighed 211lbs.

 

[Kevin Snook]

they catch some big ones using rainbow trout for bait on Boone & Ft. Patrick Henry... most of my good ones hit live bluegill or Saltwater Redfins on the Holston...

At one time Boone was one of the best lakes in the country..

 

[Crow Terminator]

Melton Hill dam IF they are running water. Stay home if they aren't. Fort Loudon dam has some good ones but you need to be careful with shallow rocks that are just inches under the surface. Watts Bar is ok but the other two are better. Current flow is a must. And forget about etiquette from other anglers. The guides will set up to intentionally keep other boats from getting near the better places. And if you are drift fishing and hook up on a fish, you can forget doing it again if anybody sees you. They'll run over and sit right in the way. Wife and I were catching "schoolers" the other evening…the little 3-5 pounders along with white bass. We finally just left because of the other boats that ran over and sat right on top of where we were drifting.

 

[Smo]

Plus one on the moving current

As too the "etiquette " …
Just another reason I don't fish on the weekends.
I'm too old and grumpy too deal with others stupidity…

 

[Doecrusher]

Skip jack herring

 

[easy45]

We will be boat fishing and probably will limit the trip to the Nashville area instead of going really far east. I'm looking at Old Hickory Dam pretty hard.

 

[easy45]

I only have experience below Percy Priest in Nashville and below Ross Barnett in Jackson, MS.

Both places it's 100% about heavy flow from gates. In Nashville, I would get the generation schedules from TVA and get there to claim a spot as close to the dam as possible 15-30m before generations starts. I prefer large bucktail jigs with a soft plastic trailer. Throw right where the crazy swift water meets an eddy or calmer water. Heavy line, lots of it, because when you hang into a big striper, he is going into the swift water and will spool you pretty quickly. Be prepared to fight him and walk downstream along the rip rap. Try to get him in quick so he has a chance to survive after release. My biggest landed was 35lbs, but I was spooled by a couple that had to be in the upper 40s. There are also some big hybrids there, my biggest was 15lbs.

Below Ross Barnett, it's all about rainfall in the spring. Get 8-10 inches from an event, and all the gates open. I would put on chest waders, the parking lot was underwater, park on the dam, walk down into the flooded parking lot then go to the submerged picnic table on the west side and stand on top of it. Cast toward the dam through the closest eddy, I used 4-6in soft plastic swimbaits with half ounce heads I poured myself (fish there were much smaller than Nashville). My PB striper was 22lbs there, PB hybrid 10lbs. But it wasn't unusual to catch 100 fish a trip. I had a run back in 2001 where I caught over 500 hybrids and stripers in just 5 days. My thumb was a bloody scraped up stump from lipping so many.

After I retire, I will def hit the trailraces in east TN. Big stripers in tailwaters are a BLAST.

We will be is a boat I don't think I could fish Priest Dam.

 

[Crow Terminator]

Plus one on the moving current

As too the "etiquette " …
Just another reason I don't fish on the weekends.
I'm too old and grumpy too deal with others stupidity…

It's like that through the week here. There's no escaping the fishing pressure or boats. The ramp parking lots are actually more full of fishing boats through the week vs the weekend with pleasure craft.

 

[Gravey]

Below Cordell Hull dam all the way down to lock 7. Freeline a live shad and drift. My biggest fish, 53.5 lbs came from way above the dam in roaring river though. We caught a few 40s below the dam but 1 morning on roaring river we had 5 fish that weighed 211lbs.

Went with a buddy several weeks back as I know nothing about striper fishing. Caught a bunch of skipjack at the dam and then trolled with planer boards and a couple down lines. Caught a couple with this being the biggest. Didn't have scales but we guesstimated it at 35-40 lbs.

 

[easy45]

Went with a buddy several weeks back as I know nothing about striper fishing. Caught a bunch of skipjack at the dam and then trolled with planer boards and a couple down lines. Caught a couple with this being the biggest. Didn't have scales but we guesstimated it at 35-40 lbs.
View attachment 324356

That would be my biggest by a long shot. The plan is to fish large swimbaits, hopefully topwater if it presents itself, and possibly large A rigs. I wouldn't turn down the chance to fish live bait if I could catch some but I don't have planer boards or or the knowledge of how to use them lol.

 

[Gravey]

That would be my biggest by a long shot. The plan is to fish large swimbaits, hopefully topwater if it presents itself, and possibly large A rigs. I wouldn't turn down the chance to fish live bait if I could catch some but I don't have planer boards or or the knowledge of how to use them lol.

I don't either. I just show up and do what I'm told.

 

[MickThompson]

That would be my biggest by a long shot. The plan is to fish large swimbaits, hopefully topwater if it presents itself, and possibly large A rigs. I wouldn't turn down the chance to fish live bait if I could catch some but I don't have planer boards or or the knowledge of how to use them lol.

Depending on where you go you could probably float a gizzard shad or skipjack under a balloon

 

[Lt.Dan]

Went with a buddy several weeks back as I know nothing about striper fishing. Caught a bunch of skipjack at the dam and then trolled with planer boards and a couple down lines. Caught a couple with this being the biggest. Didn't have scales but we guesstimated it at 35-40 lbs.

Tell me about how you rig the skipjack for trolling please. Are they live or fresh dead? That's mostly my way of fishing. I use planer boards for walleye. What speeds and such. If you don't mind.

Great catch. That's a "spooler" right there.

 

[Gravey]

Tell me about how you rig the skipjack for trolling please. Are they live or fresh dead? That's mostly my way of fishing. I use planer boards for walleye. What speeds and such. If you don't mind.

Great catch. That's a "spooler" right there.

I've only done it a handful of times and just do what my buddy tells me to. The skipjack are live. He will have 2 planer boards out on each side and then 1 or 2 down lines as well. Using the trolling motor we were probably going a couple mph. Not too fast. When we came out that day got to talking to another guy and they had been there all day as a group of 3 boats and had caught 40-something. Said they were going to the bottom and then back up 1'. Would hang up some and break lines but for 40 fish was worth it.

 

[Chiflyguy]

We fish for them August thru October on Norris lake and Cherokee lake. We fish at dusk/night trolling 9" Grandma lures at approx. 50 feet deep, at 2.5 to 2.9 mph on 30 series baitcasters. Very similar to the wicked tuna show on TV only a smaller scale.

How are you getting down 50'
I do have one setup for leadcore

 

[jlanecr500]

Lead core has a predetermined sink rate based on lure weight and speed. The 9" Grandma lure's action is correct at 2.5 to 2.9 mph. At that speed and lure, it takes 300 to 325ft of line to get 50' down.

On typical years, they feed at around 40ft so 270ft will usually get you there.

There have been a couple years where they fed in 60 to 80ft of water and we were forced to let out as much as 450ft of line. Glad those years are few and far between.

This method only works on deep lakes.

All this can be done with a downrigger and much less line in the water. But, when you get a slap (stripers do not just swallow the grandma lure, they run up beside it and attempt to slap it stupid. This is why we hook them in the side so often), the line is pulled from the downrigger clamp and it must be reeled back in and attached to the downrigger clamp again.