|
Replies: 12
| visibility 1454
|
TigerNet Elite [75346]
TigerPulse: 100%
61
|
Striper fishing is a "real thing" where I live
11
11
Mar 17, 2025, 3:59 PM
|
|
I have been fishing on the Tugaloo for decades. I mainly fish for Largemouth, but accept any fish that wants to say "hello".
My goal has been to break the lake record (12 pounds, 6.5 ounces), but I have yet to land even a ten pounder.
The average Striper seems to be over ten pounds and 20 is common. The Hartwell record is 63 pounds.
My mind is on this today as soon those big guys will be racing up river to my place.
As the lake warms they head up river, most of the year they stay closer to the ###. You can catch one anytime of year anywhere on the lake, but the best "up river" is the next few weeks.
The best Striper bait is live blueback herring, but I don't use that often as I am lazy.
Over the years have had success with a large Rapala Original Floater (which all fishes seem to like). This old bait goes back to 1936. It is still available because it works.
|
|
|
|
 |
National Champion [7993]
TigerPulse: 100%
42
|
Re: Striper fishing is a "real thing" where I live
3
Mar 17, 2025, 4:25 PM
|
|
Love them boys baked, fried or grilled. Good Luck!
|
|
|
|
|
|
All-TigerNet [6061]
TigerPulse: 100%
39
|
Re: Striper fishing is a "real thing" where I live
3
Mar 17, 2025, 4:31 PM
|
|
Those Rapalas come in all sizes and are some of the best saltwater lures ever. I used to catch a lot of king mackerel, dolphin and blackfin tuna on those lures.
|
|
|
|
|
|
TigerNet Elite [75346]
TigerPulse: 100%
61
|
Re: Striper fishing is a "real thing" where I live
2
Mar 17, 2025, 4:33 PM
|
|
I have caught Kings on them.
In Hartwell have fun with many lures, but always have one of these in the water.
|
|
|
|
|
|
TigerNet Elite [75346]
TigerPulse: 100%
61
|
Re: Striper fishing is a "real thing" where I live
2
Mar 17, 2025, 4:39 PM
|
|
Hartwell has very large Gar, have hooked them at 20 pounds. I keep gloves in the boat as getting them off the hook can maim one.
Most Gar I have caught hit a Rapala. They grab it in those sword teeth, twirl, and the line wraps around their beak.
The hooks on Rapalas are extremely sharp. I have been to the emergency twice to get them removed from me.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ring of Honor [22310]
TigerPulse: 100%
53
Posts: 18026
Joined: 2005
|
I fish the Congaree and Wateree rivers where I live
3
Mar 17, 2025, 4:39 PM
|
|
as they run up from Santee. Small ones are running now, once the water temp hits 58-60, the bigger fish will fly up the rivers. You think they're fun in a lake, try a big boy in a river current with snags all around. We use herring and gizzard shad, but I always have an umbrella rig to throw into schooling fish or on sandbars early and late
|
|
|
|
|
|
TigerNet Elite [75346]
TigerPulse: 100%
61
|
Re: I fish the Congaree and Wateree rivers where I live
2
Mar 17, 2025, 4:43 PM
|
|
I grew up fishing with my parents on Wateree. I always believed I would retire there. Land there was too expensive for a poor boy, plus in the day most available was a lease from Duke Power.
I luv Wateree. I know it well.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ring of Honor [22310]
TigerPulse: 100%
53
Posts: 18026
Joined: 2005
|
I fish the lake alot
2
Mar 17, 2025, 5:16 PM
|
|
mostly small, eaters on the lake, an occasional one over 10 lbs. They run up to Cedar Creek ###, but can't reproduce, just like Hartwell. No current and not a long enough drift. Spring, below the Wateree ### is the place. In the rocks.
Wateree has become a great cat lake, for numbers and size.
Unfortunately, it's now Charlotte south. You wouldn't believe the houses on it now. I lived in one of those original lake cabins near Beaver Creek eons ago
|
|
|
|
|
|
TigerNet Elite [75346]
TigerPulse: 100%
61
|
great cat lake
1
Mar 17, 2025, 5:24 PM
|
|
In the day one of the best fishin' days would be tire fishing.
Folks would cut and wire old tires and toss them along the banks.
Wade along until you find one, go under and quickly pull it up before the cat escapes.
Folks would get very angry if they caught you checking their tires.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rival Killer [3049]
TigerPulse: 100%
33
|
Re: Striper fishing is a "real thing" where I live
2
Mar 17, 2025, 5:26 PM
|
|
Tug. I have fished for both AliGar and striper on a lake hartwell. We would fish for gar with. 6 inch strip of yellow nylon rope. They would crush that thing and their teeth get all tangled up in the rope. Very fun.
For striper have caught many in the 30-40 pound range. One time ima canoe trying the old fly rod with a whitetail deer hair jig we caught a beast. That fish tugged us around all parts of hartwell until we tired it out and got it to the side of the canoe to let it go. We realized we had a crowd of fancy motor boats that were following us wondering what was on the line. It was a 50 pounder best we could tell. Good times.
|
|
|
|
|
|
TigerNet Elite [75346]
TigerPulse: 100%
61
|
ima canoe
1
Mar 17, 2025, 5:32 PM
|
|
One deal for me has been to find time and energy to hook a large Striper from my fishing kayak.
Maybe this year?
|
|
|
|
|
|
TigerNet Elite [75346]
TigerPulse: 100%
61
|
Re: ima canoe
1
Mar 17, 2025, 5:39 PM
|
|
Kayak fishing is fun, less so in Summer when folks bring their high power motor boats out of storage.
The deal is to always go out facing the wind so when you get too tired to paddle, you can still make it home.
I have a fish finder mounted on mine, but it is as dumb as me as to that chore.
|
|
|
|
|
|
All-TigerNet [6061]
TigerPulse: 100%
39
|
Re: ima canoe
Mar 18, 2025, 8:06 AM
|
|
The problem with thinking a fish finder is so smart and relying on it to find fish is the fact that you have to take the fish finder to where there are fish before the fish finder can see them.... 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Replies: 12
| visibility 1454
|
|
|
50
