Stripers Fall Movements and Forage
by Ken Sturdivant
Southern Fishing Schools Inc.
The stripers in the fall
spend almost all their time feeding. Cooler nights and shorter days
alert the
fish to the fact that the colder weather is
on the way and it’s time to feed.
As the lake water temperatures drop, stripers
must follow their food. Once the surface water temperatures drop past 60
degrees, the shad, both thread fin and gizzard head to warmer waters.
If only for a
few degrees, the forage heads to the warming shallows in the backs of the
creeks. It is not uncommon in the fall to see stripers in a foot of water
chasing food.
Stripers are not like other freshwater game fish. These salt water implants
have
the ability to come from super deep water to super shallow water very quickly.
Their air bladders are not effected by rapid depth changes.
Like any other
game fish in fresh water, stripers feed heavily on shad. Many anglers
miss the fact
that these are tiny fish some no larger that a dime. So matching
up baits to the size of the forage is critical. Anytime a striper looks
for
food, smaller
baits will almost always attract their attention. Never overlook
top water fishing in the fall and try several sizes of baits both large
and
small.
The Spittin
Image, the Sammy's and even the Pop R’s will get a hungry stripers
attention. Rat L Traps or Shad Raps in chrome and blue backs or shad
patterns in almost
any size can make a striper strike as well. Choices for fall striper
live baits include small trout, small shiners, blue back herring
and even small shad.
Keeping the bait sizes small will insure some attention from not
only stripers but other
game fish. Use small Kahle style hooks that are super sharp to make
fall fishing easier. The smaller hooks and even lighter line will
allow the baits to resemble
the forage.
To have a lot of fun with some large fish in the shallows, grab
a 7 to 9 weight fly rod and get some streamers. Early and late in the
shadows in
the backs of the creeks, stripers are suckers for a streamer. And make
sure you have a full spool on
the reel.
