01-07-2015, 12:47 AM
Traditionally we have only done well in the AM. Usually we eat lunch once it goes down hill. So call it 11'ish. This past Friday we packed up and headed to the marina shorty after 1330 or so still catching them but not like we did earlier. As the sun comes up higher and higher the bite ratio goes down. At least my experience over the last 3 years during the "shad fishing season". I have never been out there overnight, night fishing, later in the day, etc. If I am making the drive and spending the gas $$ I want to be able to make the most of it. To tell you the truth the 3+ years we have owned a boat and been going out there 99.9% of the time the Ranger booth isn't open yet. I never saw a ranger for all of 2014 and never purchased the 2014 stickers for the boat or the truck. These trips during the winter months just for Stripers I have never been on the water past 1500 or so. So no idea about later in the day fishing. Just what we have been doing.
I just find them on the Sonar and go to town. It is all about the sonar for me... For example the ones we caught later in the day (after lunch) I had marked/dropped a couple waypoints way earlier in the day when doing some experimenting deep slow trolling. Just headed back to that area and on them with live Shad.
If I stop and start fishing a spot that is marking well on the sonar but then goes dead I just move at .1-.3mph while my rigs are still down until I mark them again then anchor lock and fish until the screen screams move again.
Area wise. Dunno. All over per se. I keep on the move. If no bites/sonar action move. I couldn't tell you by name any spot we were at. I don't know a single thing out there by name on the entire lake other than the marinas and Pyramid Island since you mentioned it a while back and I looked it up to know where you were talking about. The spot we did best at/first hit there was vehicles on the shore line many hundreds of yards away from us.
Carolina. Matter of fact the same rigs I set up in November are still on every rod. I imagine I should re-do them before we lose one due to damaged/nicked line... 3 feet or so of Seaguar 12lb InvizX Fluorocarbon with a 1/0 Gamakatsu Finesse Wide Gap hook snelled on the end. I pre-tie those leaders at home since the snell I like is a PITA on the water. Then a 1 ounce inline trolling sinker that has a swivel on the top and bottom then whatever I am using for the mainline. I drop it until it hits bottom then turn the reel handle 2-3 turns to get it the proper distance off the bottom and into the rod holders. If moving ever so slowly I keep track of how deep it was when I dropped lines and move them up/down as needed to keep the bait close to the bottom but certainly not on it.
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I just find them on the Sonar and go to town. It is all about the sonar for me... For example the ones we caught later in the day (after lunch) I had marked/dropped a couple waypoints way earlier in the day when doing some experimenting deep slow trolling. Just headed back to that area and on them with live Shad.
If I stop and start fishing a spot that is marking well on the sonar but then goes dead I just move at .1-.3mph while my rigs are still down until I mark them again then anchor lock and fish until the screen screams move again.
Area wise. Dunno. All over per se. I keep on the move. If no bites/sonar action move. I couldn't tell you by name any spot we were at. I don't know a single thing out there by name on the entire lake other than the marinas and Pyramid Island since you mentioned it a while back and I looked it up to know where you were talking about. The spot we did best at/first hit there was vehicles on the shore line many hundreds of yards away from us.
Carolina. Matter of fact the same rigs I set up in November are still on every rod. I imagine I should re-do them before we lose one due to damaged/nicked line... 3 feet or so of Seaguar 12lb InvizX Fluorocarbon with a 1/0 Gamakatsu Finesse Wide Gap hook snelled on the end. I pre-tie those leaders at home since the snell I like is a PITA on the water. Then a 1 ounce inline trolling sinker that has a swivel on the top and bottom then whatever I am using for the mainline. I drop it until it hits bottom then turn the reel handle 2-3 turns to get it the proper distance off the bottom and into the rod holders. If moving ever so slowly I keep track of how deep it was when I dropped lines and move them up/down as needed to keep the bait close to the bottom but certainly not on it.
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