# Big fish on the prowl 8-31



## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Had my second encounter today with a big Livingston striper, a fish well over 30 inches, and like the first one, the fish was the winner at the finish line&#8230;but just enjoying the fight was win enough for me. What a fish!

The morning started out with a pretty fair Northeast chop and the fish seemed to be hunkering down&#8230;but the wind abated some and the schools began to show. At first, all I could get were "only" 17 inchers, but then the big ones began to prowl. The over 30 inch fish hit like a truck, then a 24 inch and then one just under 28 inches. 

Tecohorn was also out enjoying the non-weekend morning and showed about a 30 inch fish nearby. 

Picked up about a dozen whites on the lump, the first I've seen there in awhile&#8230;.but they were on the small side.

Great day on the water.


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## tecohorn (Jun 16, 2009)

Those were some beast today.. Lost four lures and one broken rod, $$$.

I was reaching for the net and my rod broke across the railing of my boat as the fish jerked.. It was 30-32 inches or so...

I had one monster about 3 foot from the net when he broke the line.... I wish I would have had someone with me... It looked 36 inches.... So close... errrrgh! 

Didn't get a chance to see the other two that broke off... But it wasn't a fair fight.. They whiped me before I knew what had happened.. and never got them close to the boat..

I had another couple of bruts get off but at least they gave me back my big rattle trap...

I was just not expecting that this morning... I was thinking the normal hard hitting 20-24 inches... with lot's of 16-17 3/4 inch fish.. 

Just too much fish for my 12lbs test, for me anyway...... Might upgrade to 18 lbs test just in case that ever happens again.. 

I'm still very happy..... I've never seen that many big stripers on lake livingston..
Since the weather is cooling hopefully those big fish will make it through the winter.

That big one I caught today was 29.5 , 2nd palce was 26 and 3rd place was 24 1/4 inches... My camera is broke but I took some pic's with a 35mm but will have to get them developed...

It's amazing how much bigger a 29.5 inch fish looks compared to a 24-26 inch fish..

Went over to jennings cove and caught 4 catfish and a 4lb black bass..

Stoped by the lump after you left and caught 4 whites..


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## megafish (Mar 5, 2007)

*WTG*

Great Report! they are some nice fish! Good job MEADOW!!!


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

tecohorn said:


> I was just not expecting that this morning... I was thinking the normal hard hitting 20-24 inches... with lot's of 16-17 3/4 inch fish..


Today was the day to set a record on the fly rod that might not ever be broken...but I got so caught up in the fish that I forgot all about it. I had it rigged and ready...but never picked it up in the crucial moments. :headknock


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Got my butt whupped early this year by a school of those big girls, amazing how strong they are compared to those those around 26". Going tomorrow and hope for them to show, I'm locked and loaded for them these days with 20lb test on a rod just for them.
SS


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## dbullard (Feb 13, 2008)

Greay report guys !!That is some awesome fish!!


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

Hey fellows don't forget to get length, girth and weight on any thing over 30 inches for TP&W biologist.


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

Meadowlark, what fights hardest, a 30 inch striper or a 30 inch red out of Fairfield?


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Sunbeam said:


> Meadowlark, what fights hardest, a 30 inch striper or a 30 inch red out of Fairfield?


That's an easy one...without question, the redfish wins that contest hands down....and also tastes better!!

That's not to say the stripers aren't great, just not the equal of the reds.

When you go, you better strap it up cause if you tie into one of those big ones, your equipment is in for a real test.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Sunbeam said:


> Hey fellows don't forget to get length, girth and weight on any thing over 30 inches for TP&W biologist.


Sunbeam,

The last few stripers I've caught in the 24 and up category have all shown signs of stress. Flat, empty stomachs....almost starving look.

Today the fish I boated were in excellent shape. The largest one was a very heavy fish, not at all like some of the previous stripers. Not a meaningful sample, but certainly encouraging to see fish with full stomachs and a robust look. This may be indicative that we are going to have some very good fish carry over this winter....next year could be dynamite!!

I'm interested to see Tecohorn's pictures to see if he experienced the same thing.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

The last stripers I caught in the 25" range were showing sings of stress like MDLK noted, big head skinny body.


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## RAYSOR (Apr 26, 2007)

Great info and pics, thanks


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## Mattsfishin (Aug 23, 2009)

That's some really nice fish. I will be out there in the morning trying to get me a big one.


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

We have some really knowledgable fishermen with different strengths reporting here, a wealth of info.


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## tecohorn (Jun 16, 2009)

Well I just got back, had to see if the bruts would show again??
This time with 18lbs test... Got there at 6pm and fished until dark...

They started between the island and the dam and would come up every 20-30 minutes closer and closer to the island..... 3 boats chasing them.. 

I left the group and just waited near the se corner..

Right before dark they went off in epic fashion on the ENE side moving south... near the weeds.. maybe 75 X 75 yards wide and stayed up for 10 minutes.... Would hit anything.... Tried 4 different rods and lures... all caught fish... Just like the school Kody Emmert and the party people had fun with saturday afternoon...

I had the whole school to myself... except for an older couple catfishing watching the action..

Had two more very large fish on but one got off a trap and another broke off my maltese minnow before I got a look... I took my time and he still broke off, almost no drag.. Maybe that sharp gill plate cut the line?

2 keepers... 20 and 22 inches.... many 16-18 inch fish.. 

If it looked border line I didn't slow down to measure it because I was wanting those bruts again.. and it's almost impossible to not catch fish in that type of school... 

That's not how it was this morning at all... Much smaller schools with small fish hanging together and pure big fish hanging together and not mixing from what I saw....

What a good last day on the 2008-2009 license expiration date ....

I won't be able to fish for two weeks but I hope ML, SS @son and other 2cool members teach those bruts a lesson in the morning and over the next two weeks..

I sure hope they show... They are very rude fish... If ML loses one you know they are tricky and mean..


Good Luck....


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## fisher_dude (Oct 8, 2007)

Great posts, ya'll keep us informed and wishing that we were out there chasing them with you


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## Kody Emmert (Oct 5, 2007)

Awesome Reports guys, I'm already itching to get back out there after them again... I also tried a heavy 3 ounce (8inch) tuna topwater from bass pro and it worked like a charm... It was in a mullet pattern and they were blowing it out of the water as soon as it hit. With those big stripers, I found out that you need heavier hooks on the slabs and Maltese Minnows (Had some straightened out by the big girls).


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## tecohorn (Jun 16, 2009)

Meadowlark said:


> Sunbeam,
> 
> The last few stripers I've caught in the 24 and up category have all shown signs of stress. Flat, empty stomachs....almost starving look.
> 
> ...


The fish this morning were not skinny at all.. nothing like the big fish I caught in mid June through early August.. I had not even caught a 25 plus since mid July.. all 18-22 inch.. Mostly 18-20 inch.. Mostly 16-17.5...

These fished today lived for a long time in my live well.... Eventhough my live well was not large enough for the fish to move around..

The others big ones I've caught died quickly..

The 27 inch and 30.75 I caught in June looked like eel's and died 5 minutes after being caught.. If that long..

The 26 incher I caught the day after that heavy rain in mid july was kinda skinny as well....

Those girls from today were in good shape or at least compared to what I've seen.... I am no expert though....

The 29.5 weighed maybe 2 lbs more than the 30.75...??

I don't know were that group lives but they are out there..

I now know what SS and ML are talking about.... very addicting, I'm still wired..


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

I read on one of the striper forums that gill plate cut offs were a major problem. Those fellows fishing salt water with bait and trolling are having the problem. Not our style of fishing but it does indicate that it can happen. 
Sorry Tecohorn there was no cure for the rod across the boat rail problem.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Sunbeam said:


> I read on one of the striper forums that gill plate cut offs were a major problem.


May have to consider a "bite tippet" like we use when Tarpon fishing...a short heavy length of mono or floro. A 1 foot section of 50 pound mono for example would fix that problem.


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## Mattsfishin (Aug 23, 2009)

When I fish below the dam for stripers I use a 40 or 50 lb leader.


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## Triad_Marine (Aug 31, 2009)

Nice Catch


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## randyrandy (Jan 27, 2009)

Tecohorn, I'm sure glad you mentioned the license date. I'd have forgotten it for sure. Thanks.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

I posted earlier in the summer about a day when a school of over sized stripers came up all around me, I lost a 20lb fish at the boat when it spread out the split rings on a slab, it was a store bought one. 
And none of the slabs I used that day made that were "over the counter" made it without losing the hooks or rings to really big fish.
Some slabs that I had that were made by whitebassfisher were the only ones with hooks and rings stout enough to hold one. I think landed 3 or 4 big fish , but none of the really big fish that were in the school that I had on.
The whole school was of nothing expect very large stripers and they fed like tigers for a long time. They didn't race across the lake like they do now when they got up. _I think the shad have become very hard for them to surround and herd into balls now. The water is really clear and the shad have learned how to avoid them better so they zip across the lake when the chase is on._
Along with that there are many boats after them and that's how they adjust to get away from everyone. They can sure cover water qucik.

I saw Meadowlark once today take a septine route, trying out the look them off idea. Dang good job at it too MDLRK, I was totally fooled for a bite. I couldn't join in becasue the boat I was driving needs 4 acres of water to turn in, lol. It's a great boat but it is hard to manuveer.
There is a school of nothing but big stripers out there, I don't know where they live, because I have only seen them about 2 times. Sounds like they showed up for you guys and kicked your butt like they did mine! LOL! 
They really did, they tore my stuff up, I went away thinking about what could have been and a hank of broken lures.
SS


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