The Striped Bass Manual
  • HOME
  • Chapter 1 : Tactics & Techniques
    • Freshwater Striper Fishing Techniques
    • Freshwater Striped Bass Fishing Basics
    • Battle technique, putting' on the brakes...and wild fights
    • Bank Fishing for Stripers
    • Striped Bass Deep Water Fishing Facts and Information
    • Tips on Locating and Catching Striped Bass
    • 5 Striped Bass Fishing Tips For Using Their Instincts To Your Advantage
    • Targeting Big Fish
    • Striper class 101
    • Striper Lakes
    • Striper Fishing Tips
    • Ready to catch more stripers?
    • Striper School Fishing Fundamentals
    • Freshwater Striper Fishing Booms
    • Never Lose Another Striped Bass
    • How To Catch More and Bigger Stripers
    • Don't Lose Your Fish!
    • Bigger Fish in Striper Blitzes
    • Striper Stealth
    • Big Mean Fish and Silly Little Plastic Boats
    • Kill Your Fish Finder & Other Stealth Techniques for Trophy Stripers
    • Important Quick Tips!
    • Stripers Have Great Vision!
    • Bring Two Rods!
    • Persistance
  • Chapter 2: Fishing Live/Cut Bait
    • Fishing for Stripers with Cut Bait
    • Anchovy Rigging Techniques
    • 3 Deadly Bait Rigs For Stripers
    • Fishing with Cut Bait for Stripers
    • Live Baits for Freshwater Striped Bass Fishing
    • Bait Fishing
    • Using Cut Bait for Stripers
    • Downrod Fishing for Stripers
    • How to Rig Fishing Line Using Anchovies for Freshwater Striper
    • Chunk - Cut Bait Fishing
    • Trim the Fins on Your Live Bait
    • Bait and Bait Rigs For Stripers
    • How to Find Shad for Bait
    • Chicken Livers: Secret Striper Bait
  • Chapter 3: Fishing Artificials
    • Striped Bass Plugging
    • Favorite Lures of the Striper Guides
    • Jigging: Basics
    • 3 Tips to help you catch more topwater stripers
    • Swimmer Plugs
    • Buck the Trend For Striped Bass
    • Striper Lures That Really Work
    • Striped Bass Jigging
    • Vertical Jigging for Striped Bass
    • Striper Lures for Trolling
    • Striped Bass on Bucktails
    • Early Springtime Reservoir Stripers on Artificials
    • Lures for Striped Bass
    • A Deadly Fluke Rig for Striper
    • Crankbaits For Stripers
    • Topwater Lures for Stripers
    • Traditional Poppers
    • Striped Bass Fishing Lures
    • How to Choose Lures for Striped Bass
    • Refining Top-water Techniques for Big Stripers The Next Level
    • Fall Striped Bass: Soft Plastic Jerk Bait
    • How To Catch More and Bigger Freshwater Stripers
    • Striper Lures That Really Work
    • Striped Bass Detect Shades
    • How to Dead Stick Striped Bass and Hybrid Striper
    • Six Topwater Secrets
  • Chapter 4: Spring & Summer Fishing
    • 4 Live Fishing Bait Strategies for Summer Striped Bass
    • Spring tips for striped bass fishing
    • Early Spring Striper Fishing Tactics
    • Spawning-Run Stripers
    • Spring Striper Fishing Tactics
    • Tip - Bigger Fish in Summer Blitzes
    • How to Catch Summer Striped Bass
    • Night Time is Striper Time
    • Early Springtime Reservoir Stripers on Artificials
  • Chapter 5: Fall & Winter Fishing
    • Catch Striped Bass All Winter Long
    • Fall Turnover
    • Fall Striped Bass: Soft Plastic Jerk Bait
    • Guide Tactics for Winter Striper
    • Winter Freshwater Striper tactics
    • Tactics for Wintertime Freshwater Stripers
    • Cold - Weather Striper Tactics
    • Time to try winter striped bass fishing
    • Going Deep For Stripers
    • Striped Bass Provide Great Cold Weather Angling Action
  • Chapter 6 : Fly Fishing for Stripers
    • Beginner's Guide to Fly Fishing for Striped Bass: The Gear
    • Big Jerks
    • Sweetwater Stripers
    • Fly Fishing for Stripers is Fun in Freshwater
    • Spey Stripers
    • The Big-Lake Blitz
    • Versatility For Success!!
    • Spring Flyfishing for White Bass and Hybrid Striped Bass
    • Fly Fishing for Hybrid Striped Bass in the Spring
    • Fly Fishing a Striper Boil/Blitz
  • Chapter 7: Bait Tanks & Keeping Bait
    • What Do Gizzard Shad Eat - Feeding Shad
    • Shad Keeper - Keep Shad Alive
    • Salt and Shad
    • Dissolved Oxygen and Shad
    • Mechanical Live Bait Tank Water Filtration
    • Chemical Live Bait Tank Water Filtration
    • Live Bait Tank Water Filtration
    • Bait Tank - Water and Conditioning
    • Water Aeration in Live Bait Tanks
    • Keeping Live Bait - Alive and Active
    • Bio-Wheel Filtration System for Live Bait Tanks
  • Chapter 8: Striped Bass Conservation
    • How to enhance your Striper catch and release efforts
    • Striped Bass Circle Hook Study
    • Thermal Niche Preference and Mortality of Striped Bass In Reservoirs
    • Striped Bass Hooking Mortality
    • Freshwater Striper Fishing Booms
    • Live Wells for Stripers
  • Chapter 9: Trolling for Stripers
    • Trolling for Landlocked Striped Bass
    • How to Troll Live Bait
    • Using Planer boards when trolling live bait
    • Slow-Trolling for Stripers
    • Trolling For Striped Bass
    • How to troll spoons in fresh water for Striped Bass
    • A New Look at Light Tackle Trolling
    • Technique for Trolling Artificial Lures
    • Leadcore Trolling
    • Flatline Trolling for Hybrid Striped Bass
    • Trolling for Big Stripers
    • Trolling for Stripers
  • Chapter 10: River Fishing for Stripers
    • Spawning-Run Stripers
    • Striped Bass River Fishing Facts and Information
    • Spring River Striper Techniques
    • River Fishing Facts and Information
    • Nightime River Fishing for September Striped Bass
    • Tips for Striped Bass Fishing in Rivers
  • Chapter 11: Odds & Ends
    • The Striped Bass
    • Tips to identify white bass, stripers and hybrid striped bass
    • World Record Striped Bass
    • Striped Bass Spawning Habits
    • Striper Myth Busting
    • Two of the Biggest Inland Stripers Ever Caught!
    • Stripers From Hook To Plate
  • Chapter 12: Tackle & Equipment
    • Choosing the Right Line: Mono Vs. Braid
    • How to Select a Fishing Line
    • Make Your Own Wooden Lures for Stripers
    • Six Tips for Choosing a Top-water Rod
    • Seven Tips for Selecting a Jigging Rod For Striper
    • Choosing the Right Rod For Light Tackle Stripers
    • Striper Fishing Boats
    • Striped Bass Boat Fishing Tackle
    • Selection of a Rod for Striper Fishing
    • What is the best fluorocarbon line?
    • Circle Hooks
    • How to Choose Lures for Striper Bass
    • Striped Bass Fishing Lures
    • TopWater Lures for Stripers
  • Chapter 13: Fishing with Planer Boards
    • Flat Lines and Planer Boards 101
    • Planer Board for Stripers
    • Carters Lake Planer-Board Winter Stripers
    • Planer boards can be adapted for wide variety of fishing applications
    • Planer boards adapt well for striped bass
    • Planer boards aren’t just for walleyes anymore
  • Chapter 14: Hybrid Striped Bass
    • Heating it up with Hybrids
    • Something about Hybrids
    • The Hard Fighting Hybrid Striper
    • Hybrid Striped Bass Information
    • Night Stripes — Fishing tips for Lake St. John hybrid stripers
  • Chapter 15 :Virginia Striped Bass Fishing
    • Buggs Island Lake Striper Opportunities
    • Claytor Lake Striper Opportunities
    • Lake Anna Striper Fishing Opportunities
    • Leesville Lake Striper Opportunities
    • Smith Mountain Lake Striper Opportunities
  • VirginiaStripers.com
  • Contact
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Time to try winter striped bass fishing
by Frank Sargeant @ http://www.al.com
​

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For anglers who have had enough of trying to encourage largemouth bass to strike during the chill of recent weeks, there's another game in town: striped bass not only don't mind cold water, they actually thrive on it, feeding much better in winter than in the warmer months.

And, though there are no big-time striped bass tournaments in our area, the fish are their own reward; they're exceptionally tasty on the table, and their large average size makes them great gamefish. While a 10-pound largemouth is the trophy of a lifetime, a 10-pound striper is likely to be a 3-year-old juvenile. Fish of 15 to 20 pounds are not at all uncommon among anglers who target these fish.

Striped bass are primarily saltwater fish that spawn in fresh water along the coasts, but they can survive for extended periods without returning to the sea. This has allowed many states including Alabama to create landlocked striper populations, adding a gamefish to the roster in areas where really big tackle-busting critters are rare.

The fish are stocked as fingerlings, but put on as much as 3 pounds per year, and occasionally grow to 50 pounds and more. The Alabama state record, which is also the world record for landlocked stripers, is an incredible 69 pounds, 9 ounces, caught Feb. 28, 2013 on the Black Warrior River at the Gorgas Steam Plant outflow, northwest of Birmingham.

Stripers feed almost entirely on shad in open water and can be tough to find, but fortunately the TVA lakes in winter have some "bird dogs" that make it easier. Sea gulls that winter here keep a sharp eye out for shad being driven to the surface by stripers, and anywhere you see a flock of gulls diving--or even sitting on the water--it's likely there are stripers below.

Trolling the edges of the river channel with large crankbaits or heavy swimbaits can also reveal fish locations.

Striped bass are native to the TVA lakes, but numbers were strongest when they were heavily stocked years ago. Now, most found here are native-spawned; the long flow-way of the TVA rivers allows the eggs to hatch in years when there's good rain. Tennessee is also continuing to stock upstream TVA lakes, and some of these fish, as well as their eggs, arrive in North Alabama's TVA lakes as a result.

Fishing live shad or shad-type lures under the sea gulls is one of the best ways to locate these fish in winter. You may have to visit several gull flocks before you find one with active stripers below, but running the main channel near the dam or in the larger bays like Brown's Creek will eventually put you on the fish. A check of the sonar can confirm bait and stripers below--these large fish have a very obvious signature on the screen.

Stripers are great eating if cleaned properly, far better than largemouths, which most conservation-minded anglers release anyway these days. Stripers have snow-white flesh that's much like that of a saltwater grouper--just peel away the skin, cut out the red line and the rib cage and the boneless fillet is ready to be grilled, baked or broiled.

(A side-note--the largest stripers have higher concentrations of mercury than recommended for consumption, as with most long-lived fish. Those under 10 pounds have no issues in most lakes, however.)

The limit is five daily over 22 inches long, or a total of 15 daily including hybrid white bass/striped bass, except on Lewis Smith and a few other lakes, where the limit is two over 22 inches daily.

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  • HOME
  • Chapter 1 : Tactics & Techniques
    • Freshwater Striper Fishing Techniques
    • Freshwater Striped Bass Fishing Basics
    • Battle technique, putting' on the brakes...and wild fights
    • Bank Fishing for Stripers
    • Striped Bass Deep Water Fishing Facts and Information
    • Tips on Locating and Catching Striped Bass
    • 5 Striped Bass Fishing Tips For Using Their Instincts To Your Advantage
    • Targeting Big Fish
    • Striper class 101
    • Striper Lakes
    • Striper Fishing Tips
    • Ready to catch more stripers?
    • Striper School Fishing Fundamentals
    • Freshwater Striper Fishing Booms
    • Never Lose Another Striped Bass
    • How To Catch More and Bigger Stripers
    • Don't Lose Your Fish!
    • Bigger Fish in Striper Blitzes
    • Striper Stealth
    • Big Mean Fish and Silly Little Plastic Boats
    • Kill Your Fish Finder & Other Stealth Techniques for Trophy Stripers
    • Important Quick Tips!
    • Stripers Have Great Vision!
    • Bring Two Rods!
    • Persistance
  • Chapter 2: Fishing Live/Cut Bait
    • Fishing for Stripers with Cut Bait
    • Anchovy Rigging Techniques
    • 3 Deadly Bait Rigs For Stripers
    • Fishing with Cut Bait for Stripers
    • Live Baits for Freshwater Striped Bass Fishing
    • Bait Fishing
    • Using Cut Bait for Stripers
    • Downrod Fishing for Stripers
    • How to Rig Fishing Line Using Anchovies for Freshwater Striper
    • Chunk - Cut Bait Fishing
    • Trim the Fins on Your Live Bait
    • Bait and Bait Rigs For Stripers
    • How to Find Shad for Bait
    • Chicken Livers: Secret Striper Bait
  • Chapter 3: Fishing Artificials
    • Striped Bass Plugging
    • Favorite Lures of the Striper Guides
    • Jigging: Basics
    • 3 Tips to help you catch more topwater stripers
    • Swimmer Plugs
    • Buck the Trend For Striped Bass
    • Striper Lures That Really Work
    • Striped Bass Jigging
    • Vertical Jigging for Striped Bass
    • Striper Lures for Trolling
    • Striped Bass on Bucktails
    • Early Springtime Reservoir Stripers on Artificials
    • Lures for Striped Bass
    • A Deadly Fluke Rig for Striper
    • Crankbaits For Stripers
    • Topwater Lures for Stripers
    • Traditional Poppers
    • Striped Bass Fishing Lures
    • How to Choose Lures for Striped Bass
    • Refining Top-water Techniques for Big Stripers The Next Level
    • Fall Striped Bass: Soft Plastic Jerk Bait
    • How To Catch More and Bigger Freshwater Stripers
    • Striper Lures That Really Work
    • Striped Bass Detect Shades
    • How to Dead Stick Striped Bass and Hybrid Striper
    • Six Topwater Secrets
  • Chapter 4: Spring & Summer Fishing
    • 4 Live Fishing Bait Strategies for Summer Striped Bass
    • Spring tips for striped bass fishing
    • Early Spring Striper Fishing Tactics
    • Spawning-Run Stripers
    • Spring Striper Fishing Tactics
    • Tip - Bigger Fish in Summer Blitzes
    • How to Catch Summer Striped Bass
    • Night Time is Striper Time
    • Early Springtime Reservoir Stripers on Artificials
  • Chapter 5: Fall & Winter Fishing
    • Catch Striped Bass All Winter Long
    • Fall Turnover
    • Fall Striped Bass: Soft Plastic Jerk Bait
    • Guide Tactics for Winter Striper
    • Winter Freshwater Striper tactics
    • Tactics for Wintertime Freshwater Stripers
    • Cold - Weather Striper Tactics
    • Time to try winter striped bass fishing
    • Going Deep For Stripers
    • Striped Bass Provide Great Cold Weather Angling Action
  • Chapter 6 : Fly Fishing for Stripers
    • Beginner's Guide to Fly Fishing for Striped Bass: The Gear
    • Big Jerks
    • Sweetwater Stripers
    • Fly Fishing for Stripers is Fun in Freshwater
    • Spey Stripers
    • The Big-Lake Blitz
    • Versatility For Success!!
    • Spring Flyfishing for White Bass and Hybrid Striped Bass
    • Fly Fishing for Hybrid Striped Bass in the Spring
    • Fly Fishing a Striper Boil/Blitz
  • Chapter 7: Bait Tanks & Keeping Bait
    • What Do Gizzard Shad Eat - Feeding Shad
    • Shad Keeper - Keep Shad Alive
    • Salt and Shad
    • Dissolved Oxygen and Shad
    • Mechanical Live Bait Tank Water Filtration
    • Chemical Live Bait Tank Water Filtration
    • Live Bait Tank Water Filtration
    • Bait Tank - Water and Conditioning
    • Water Aeration in Live Bait Tanks
    • Keeping Live Bait - Alive and Active
    • Bio-Wheel Filtration System for Live Bait Tanks
  • Chapter 8: Striped Bass Conservation
    • How to enhance your Striper catch and release efforts
    • Striped Bass Circle Hook Study
    • Thermal Niche Preference and Mortality of Striped Bass In Reservoirs
    • Striped Bass Hooking Mortality
    • Freshwater Striper Fishing Booms
    • Live Wells for Stripers
  • Chapter 9: Trolling for Stripers
    • Trolling for Landlocked Striped Bass
    • How to Troll Live Bait
    • Using Planer boards when trolling live bait
    • Slow-Trolling for Stripers
    • Trolling For Striped Bass
    • How to troll spoons in fresh water for Striped Bass
    • A New Look at Light Tackle Trolling
    • Technique for Trolling Artificial Lures
    • Leadcore Trolling
    • Flatline Trolling for Hybrid Striped Bass
    • Trolling for Big Stripers
    • Trolling for Stripers
  • Chapter 10: River Fishing for Stripers
    • Spawning-Run Stripers
    • Striped Bass River Fishing Facts and Information
    • Spring River Striper Techniques
    • River Fishing Facts and Information
    • Nightime River Fishing for September Striped Bass
    • Tips for Striped Bass Fishing in Rivers
  • Chapter 11: Odds & Ends
    • The Striped Bass
    • Tips to identify white bass, stripers and hybrid striped bass
    • World Record Striped Bass
    • Striped Bass Spawning Habits
    • Striper Myth Busting
    • Two of the Biggest Inland Stripers Ever Caught!
    • Stripers From Hook To Plate
  • Chapter 12: Tackle & Equipment
    • Choosing the Right Line: Mono Vs. Braid
    • How to Select a Fishing Line
    • Make Your Own Wooden Lures for Stripers
    • Six Tips for Choosing a Top-water Rod
    • Seven Tips for Selecting a Jigging Rod For Striper
    • Choosing the Right Rod For Light Tackle Stripers
    • Striper Fishing Boats
    • Striped Bass Boat Fishing Tackle
    • Selection of a Rod for Striper Fishing
    • What is the best fluorocarbon line?
    • Circle Hooks
    • How to Choose Lures for Striper Bass
    • Striped Bass Fishing Lures
    • TopWater Lures for Stripers
  • Chapter 13: Fishing with Planer Boards
    • Flat Lines and Planer Boards 101
    • Planer Board for Stripers
    • Carters Lake Planer-Board Winter Stripers
    • Planer boards can be adapted for wide variety of fishing applications
    • Planer boards adapt well for striped bass
    • Planer boards aren’t just for walleyes anymore
  • Chapter 14: Hybrid Striped Bass
    • Heating it up with Hybrids
    • Something about Hybrids
    • The Hard Fighting Hybrid Striper
    • Hybrid Striped Bass Information
    • Night Stripes — Fishing tips for Lake St. John hybrid stripers
  • Chapter 15 :Virginia Striped Bass Fishing
    • Buggs Island Lake Striper Opportunities
    • Claytor Lake Striper Opportunities
    • Lake Anna Striper Fishing Opportunities
    • Leesville Lake Striper Opportunities
    • Smith Mountain Lake Striper Opportunities
  • VirginiaStripers.com
  • Contact