# Strike Three?



## Bodupp (Oct 3, 2007)

Terri (Jackback) and I were supposed to take a lady friend of ours to land her first striper last Sunday, but at the last minute, lady friend had to bail. Terri wanted to go anyway, hoping to "land the big one" that has escaped her twice now. She has worried that it's always her fault when the big one gets away, and wants to know what she can do better, so I gave her the graduate course in fish-fighting: Keep EVEN pressure at all times. Nothing herky-jerky. When he pulls, you don't. When he don't, you do. When he makes a hard run, point the rod at him. The rod fights the fish, the reel stores the line. The bottom half of the rod is where the power is. Never get the bottom half of the rod over 90 degrees to the fish. Etc. etc. Got it?

Got it.

We made bait easily for a change, and had plenty of gizzard shad in the 10" range. I ran full speed to the dern dam where they were running two turbines. This is a dangerous place - powerful current, boulders the size of Volkswagons, whirlpools that can spin a boat 360 in 10 seconds - but the stripers love it. I looked at Terri, and she had deer-in-the-headlights look.
"You up for this?" She gulped and nodded.

I eased up to the side of the discharge and launched a bait. Nothing. We were swept downstream very quickly. I pointed to the area between the turbines' discharge and told her that was the "crease", and if I could get a bait in there, our odds were good. Ready? She nods again.

This is tricky business - boat handling and fishing at the same time - but I ran into the whitewater and launched a bait into the crease. I felt the thump, came tight, and the striper tried to rip the rod out of my hands. Big fish. Big, big fish. I hand the rod to Terri, and she and the Penn 7500 are squealing. It was amazing the power of this fish, running straight upcurrent into the boils against the drag. Oh, boy.

"Am I doing this right?" I said she was ... just keep steady pressure, and that I was gonna get the boat into an eddy where we can put a hurt on him. Great plan, but the fish didn't see it that way - he was going where he wanted, when he wanted, and charged downstream into the boulder field from Hell.

POW! ... he gone.

"What did I do wrong?"

Nuttin' Honey. It was the guides fault this time - dammit! I knew better. Never let a big fish get upcurrent on you. They can change direction in an instant, allowing slack to wrap around any obstacle they can find. I told Terri that ALL of the stripers over 40 pounds caught on my boat managed to get around something. Ideally, I would have gotten on top of the fish - they can't wrap you around anything when the line is vertical - but I couldn't follow into the boulder field.

Terri managed three smaller fish later, keeping one for fish sammiches. I reckon she'll be wanting to go back now. She ain't one to give up.


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## TeaSea (Sep 28, 2013)

Fun!!!! Stripers pull really good don't they?


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## jcoss15 (Oct 11, 2010)

Man that would be fun, good report!


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## Fielro (Jun 4, 2012)

Looks like you got her hooked on stripers...


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## Bodupp (Oct 3, 2007)

Fielro said:


> Looks like you got her hooked on stripers...


No doubt about that. She was still upbeat in spite of losing "the Big One". Every hookup after that, she would say, "Aw, it's just a little one. But it sure is fun!"


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

How do you strike out in fishing?? Thank goodness it can't be done or I would be riding the pine!!
Fun stuff but sounds to intense for me. By the way I was slinging wet oatmeal Saturday but before I could get serious about the carp the minnows swarmed me (or the oatmeal) and I discovered the crappie had followed them!!

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## Bodupp (Oct 3, 2007)

I like the avatar change, Try'n. If the crappie are there, to hell with the carp.


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## Randall2point0 (Feb 11, 2011)

Wirelessly posted

You're able to target stripers in blackwater outside of winter months? Teach me!


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

Randall2point0 said:


> Wirelessly posted You're able to target stripers in blackwater outside of winter months? Teach me!


Not blackwater

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## jackback (Feb 17, 2013)

Two turbines running, powerful current, Volkswagon size boulders, whirlpools , the crease...... who wouldn't want to go back? I'm in!!!!! Besides, the BIG ONE is swimming around with my hook in it's lip dadgummit!


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## Bodupp (Oct 3, 2007)

jackback said:


> Two turbines running, powerful current, Volkswagon size boulders, whirlpools , the crease...... who wouldn't want to go back? I'm in!!!!! Besides, the BIG ONE is swimming around with my hook in it's lip dadgummit!


No worries. I know where he stays and what he likes to eat. Besides, where's he gonna go?

The fishing just gets better from now til New Years. November and December are big fish time.


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## jackback (Feb 17, 2013)

Awesome! I just happen to know someone that has a birthday in November!(hint hint) And what a great Christmas present to get the BIG ONE!


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## jackback (Feb 17, 2013)

Are you already booked for November, December?


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## Bodupp (Oct 3, 2007)

I've got an open spot Nov.13th if you're interested.


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## Mark Collins (Dec 27, 2012)

Awesome job
Go get that big 1


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## jackback (Feb 17, 2013)

WOW! OK! One more chance on my birthday! Thank You!


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