BigBendFishing.Net

Steve told me that he and his buddy used to fish for Stripers and Sunshine bass out in the tallahassee area but that was many years ago. I'd love to catch some, so I was wondering if someone could point me in the right direction? What time of year is best? What baits? I've got a canoe, but also have a little jon boat with a 3.5 hp motor that can putt me around, so I"m not totally land locked.

Any help is greatly appreciated and thanks a bunch in advance

Danibeth

Talquin, and the river above and below. Bucktail jigs till it warms up. There lots of fun in the yak. I believe talquin only has stripers.

I've been scouring Tallahassee looking for them as well and I've come up empty. A friend of mine told me they can be caught in the Ochlockonee River but I've struck out. The only place I've seen them is in the tank at Bass Pro

Jim Woodruff Dam in Chatahoochee is where you need to be. You CAN fish from shore. This is where all the truly big stripes come from in this area, well, state wide. I have caught many in the 20 to 25lb range, but have witnessed larger. State record comes from this same place (large rattle trap). I have fished here for years and can tell you that you best bet is to just go, and learn from the locals. Before you go, purchase: A Pencil Popper and buck tail 1/2lb buck tail jig. This will get you started. Your best knowledge is gonna come from the locals. Striper fishing is a religion there.

By the way, this is where I spent my 21st birthday years ago when the cabins were open. Thats how good it can be.

I live about a mile from the dam at Lake Talquin and they have been slaying the stripes in the river just below the dam. Buck tail jigs or live shad are the most popular baits.

The Lake Talquin dam is considered by some to be one of the premier striper fishing spots in the south. Lake Talquin is artificially stocked with stripers and hybrids, but natural marine-going stripers stack up just under the dam during their run. The river is roped off maybe 75-100yds below the dam so you need heavy baits that sling a long ways like a 2oz Kastmaster, but it's well worth it if you can get your lures within reach. They are THICK when they're there.

Also there's a website that tells you if any (and how many) of the dam gates are open that day, you'll need to always check that because when multiple gates are flowing the water below the dam gets rowdy and will put boats at risk of capsizing.

All of this from memory, I haven't been myself in 7 or 8 years so the details are a bit hazy.

About 20 years ago I caught a striper in a cast net under the ochlocknee bridge. It was probably 2 or 3 lbs. it was the only one I caught and haven't seen one since.

Thanks guys. I'm looking forward to trying to find them...

My aunt ran the little canoe, and kayak rental business at the foot of the New Port bridge for many years. I've been down to see her a few times when she showd me pictures of large stripers they had caught under the bridge there, ( 10 pound plus.) I haven't fished there myself since I was a kid, but she and her friends fished with finger mullet, tight-lining on the bottom at night mostly. Her best was over 25 pounds. This was about five years ago or so. So not that long ago.

Where is the New Port Bridge?

The state of Florida is stocking stripers in most of the rivers to try to get a true ocean run striper population. Hybrids are no longer being stocked by Florida anywhere. Georgia still stocks them in Seminole.

Jim woodruff dam is the place. You will on do much better with live bait such as shad. If the current is running right you can catch them from shore however a boat makes the trip more flexible.

The hybrids are biting everywhere at Lake Eufala as well. Last night fishing off of my dock for speck's we were catching hybrids. Most were small, but we kept 5 that were a couple of pounds each.

I've caught stripes/hybrids in talquin proper and the river above and below the lake. Also have caught them at ochlocknee state park along with sunshine bass (white bass). I've heard of people recently (in the past year or so) catching them in the Newport area....but I have neither seen this done or done it myself.

~~Dave

Right now you can go to Seminole and fish a Rattlin Rapp or shad rapp trolled around the lower end of the lake near the indian mounds between the State park run and the Chattahochee. Mostly small fish but fun and easy to catch. They also are at the Columbia dam on the Chattahochee now through end of month.

Thanks for those thoughts as well.

Here's another question. Does anyone know when they spawn? Or at least how late? I talked to someone briefly and they said April is a great time to fish them because they're spawning, but that person didn't know how long they would continue to spawn. Any thoughts?

Thanks again....