Stripers

[Geno67]

May have to visit one of the dams soon.

[JeffB]

Juan, did you make the run to the dam?

I did.. Didn't find any shad running the walls. Only one other boat there and they were catfishing.

Juan
You ever fish back of the Walter F George dam?

[Geno67]

Are there any bank accessible striper water (tailraces) near Tally? Looks like Woodruff has a fishing area from goggle maps but are there any more and especially closer?

[JeffB]

Are there any bank accessible striper water (tailraces) near Tally? Looks like Woodruff has a fishing area from goggle maps but are there any more and especially closer?

What about the Lake Talquin dam on the Ochlocknee?

[Geno67]

There access to Talquin tailrace it from the bank? Really does not look like it from the satellite view or from the few videos I can find.

[cotton]

Ventured below woodruff yesterday in the yak and along the fence on the fly.

How safe is it to fish there with a yak?

[eightwt]

Ventured below woodruff yesterday in the yak and along the fence on the fly.

How safe is it to fish there with a yak?

They have the dangerous area blocked with cable and buoys. When I was there they were generating and had 2 other gates open. It was a little riled, but not too bad. I'm on a SOT 10' Wilderness Systems Tarpon. Too be sure I had a PFD on. Water was cold as I guess discharge is from bottom of lake. Of course you have the current to contend with. I stayed back from cable aways.

[Juan]

You need to be experienced , wear a PFD and be in great shape if you're even considering fishing from a kayak below any dam. The current is brutal when the gates are open and if they open the locks to let a boat in or out the current will change direction and flow toward the dam in places. I've never seen a yak below the Andrews dam but I have seen bass boats sucked inside the cabled bouys. Happened to me once and scared the crap outta me ! Ya'll be CAREFUL.

[eightwt]

You need to be experienced , wear a PFD and be in great shape if you're even considering fishing from a kayak below any dam. The current is brutal when the gates are open and if they open the locks to let a boat in or out the current will change direction and flow toward the dam in places. I've never seen a yak below the Andrews dam but I have seen bass boats sucked inside the cabled bouys. Happened to me once and scared the crap outta me ! Ya'll be CAREFUL.

Good advice. For sure there are places where the current draws you toward the dam. The bottom is always changing and creates eddy's and backflows. I definitely was aware of the power of the river and stayed back from the buoys. A local described water levels he has seen when they need to open her up during high lake inflows. Wouldn't even consider a power boat safe during those conditions. Also, be careful around bridge abutments as they cause squirrely currents. No fish is worth getting into trouble. Juan, I can believe you got nervous!! The power of moving water is tremendous.

[eightwt]

There access to Talquin tailrace it from the bank? Really does not look like it from the satellite view or from the few videos I can find.

Have fished there a couple times and paddled up from the Rt 20 bridge. The first time there was an angler on foot that was fishing up towards the dam. Not right at the tailrace but on some hard bottom nearby. But it was during low flow. Was during the fall. Not sure on the orientation, but I think it would be the northwest side of the river. Not real far from bridge.

[Geno67]

Anybody seeing any stripers at Talquin tailrace? Trying to decide between salt and fresh water this weekend (hopefully).

[MudDucker]

Some nice fish, they are fun to catch, have caught a few but never kept any, how good are they to eat?

I agree. They are fun to catch but "strippers" might even be more fun. I've eaten a few (stripers not strippers) and imo they're pretty good when deep fried or blackened (my favorite) but I'd rather eat saltwater fish.. I released all of today's catch to be caught another day.

Having represented a strip club, you don't catch strippers, they catch you. According to the owners from complaints they received, some of the strippers gave their catches a lifetime remembrance of them!

Think I would stick to the strip, not the strip!