Recently I had the pleasure to take a friend new to fishing to the Tennessee River for some strippers fishing. Mark Smith has lived on the river for a few years without getting too involved in fishing. That has all changed know. On our first trip we were pretty lucky, catching several strippers and a few catfish and some large mouth bass. On the second trip we were equally as lucky and the third his wife Donna joined us catching a few herself. I believe these where the first fish that they had ever caught that actually pulled back on their fishing equipment.
Mark now has accessorized his ski boat with a trolling motor and depth finder, acquired a throw net and a few larger fishing rod and reels – replacing the inadequate push button Zebco’s. Now it is not uncommon to see him catching bait and fish on the river with his boys and their friends. It is funny to see them catch a fish and then the younger fishermen pulling out their cell phone, taking pictures and send them all over the country. Mark has joined several of my friends in eating them as well, finding them to be very good table far if cleaned correctly, removing all the red meat and fat.
The white bass have started breaking in their usual places in larger than normal school around 7:30 pm until 9:00 pm. Sometimes staying up for an hour or more, making catches of 50 or more fish not uncommon. The times that I fished this week, I started out targeting strippers first and then largemouth bass, catching some nice ones like the one Ed Hardin is holding in the picture below. Then we will switch over to white bass when they start breaking and finishing up the evening with a few more strippers. Most of the fish are being caught on shad and the white bass are being caught on Rooster Tails spinners and small top water lures like a Zara Spook Pup or Pop-R’s.
Take someone fishing, Greg