Texoma Striper Chasing

[Earl]

I may be headed up to Texoma late next week to chase some stripers (one p). Looking at long range forecast and Fri and Sat look good. Just hope I can get out of the house before I get roped into putting up Christmas decorations. May have one or more of my boys along. If you are interesed in joining us let me know.

If the weather turns foul or the stripers are not cooperating I will just turn it into a paddle across the lake and back day. Will pack lunch and plan on paddling about 12-15 miles round trip.

Earl

[Roger S]

Good luck Earl. I'll be up north Thanksgiving weekend chasing trout (as in rainbow).

[fishinmachine]

Good luck! I have been thinking about that trip, too. Next week is out for me, though.

Stay safe and find the linesiders.

FM

[fishinmachine]

Sorry....double post. Need a new mouse.

[Earl]

Made it out there Wed afternoon before Thanksgiving. The weather was great the fishing was....... So here I am paddling back from about midpoint between Platter Flats and Rocky Point thinking of the skunk report that I was going to type. I had not seen birds working or any sign of activity and very few boats on that end of the lake. I was trolling along then boom I hear one of my rods whack the boat. I had been having some issues with the anti-reverse on my old PENN 4500ss and hit was doing the reverse in high gear whacking the handle against the yak. I grabbed and put my hand on the handle and it pulled a bit of drag then pow, line broke. I checked the drag and it was not to tight. Just a big fish with a lot of momentum. Then my other line goes off. I pick it up and the fight is on. That dude stripped of some serious line before the yak started moving with him. This is 12lb test so I have my work cut out for me. I look at my watch and it is 3:42. After some serious runs and I get some line back in he heads for the bottom. Based on where I was on the lake I estimate about 70-80ft of water, in the Washita river bed. After 25 minutes of pulling in and reeling in 5-8ft at a time only for him to pull it back out I decided I have got to start tightening the drag. It is now after 4pm I am about and hour from the truck and left my nav light in the truck. So I very slightly tighten the drag and fight for 5 minutes with no result. So I do it again, and again 5 min with no results. I can feel this guy still moving through the water and every now and then doing a circle. So again I tighten the drag and then slowly start making a bit of headway on him but not a lot. So I tighten one more time and am starting to get in a few feet per pump and am being as careful as possible not to make sudden moves as the rod and line are at there absolute max. I got about 30 ft of line in and them he flexes a bit of muscle and pow, game over. I put on new lures and trolled around for about 10 min with nothing then headed to the truck. In all is was about a 50 min fight. I am pretty certain it was a stripper and a big one, probably over 30#s.

Headed back up there on Saturday after the cold front died down but it was one of those post front bluebird days and nothing working the water at all. Paddled about 3 hrs looking for fish and then went home. So two skunks.

I may head back up there this weekend.

SYOTW,

Earl

[texasflycaster]

I've tried chasing the blitzes on Texoma ... beat me down pretty hard. That's a good fish story though - one that's hard to get over I bet!

[preacher]

Great report.

[Carver]

Great report ! Thanks for sharing it with us.

I have a place to stay now about 150 ft from a white beach on the point in Texoma and get to go out more than I ever have before.

I go out most mornings when I am there and chase a few birds, check my jugs or just troll a while getting the blood flowing. I have had a couple of prolonged fights that ended the exact same way and eventually went to 30 lb braid on my 2 trolling rods. they will still cast pretty well if find a surfacing school, but I still prefer 12-14 lb limp Stren on the schoolies.

Some of the biggest grins I have had in my yak came from hooking decent sized catfish on my light crappie rigs fishing with minnows. Don't always boat them, but what a rush.

Thanks again for the report. Phill