| Fly Fishing for Hybrid Striped Bass in the Spring | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Apr 9 2016, 09:17 PM (19 Views) | |
| Ghost Comanche | Apr 9 2016, 09:17 PM Post #1 |
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Fly Fishing for Hybrid Striped Bass in the Spring by Bill Butts @ http://plateauflyshop.com Every fisherman I've met that has spent some time battling Striped, Hybrid Striped or White Bass has great respect for these awesome fish. They are members of the Temperate Bass family. In the Midwest and South-central U.S., all 3 species are fairly common. After having caught countless numbers of all 3 species over the past 40 years, there is no question in my mind that the most explosive and hardest fighting of these great fish, pound for pound, is the Hybrid Striper. Once they exceed about 4#, which they commonly do, they are like overgrown turbo-charged White Bass. History and Biology Hybrid Stripers were first produced in South Carolina in the mid-1960's by crossing the eggs from Striped Bass with the sperm from White Bass. This original cross strain was called the Palmetto Bass. Some of these original strain fish were also stocked in Tennessee and called Cherokee Bass, for the namesake of the lake where they were stocked. These hybrids have the physical proportions of White Bass, very deep bodied with a broad tail, which gives them great fighting leverage. Years later, a reciprocal cross strain was developed in Florida using eggs from White Bass and sperm from Stripers. It was coined the Sunshine Bass. These hybrids have the physical proportions more characteristic of the Striped Bass, noticeably elongated. Both hybrid strains have identifiable markings of broken lateral lines, sometimes just a few and sometimes many. White Bass will sometimes have broken lines too, but you will find that the lateral lines on Whites are far less distinctive in color. Note this distinction in the accompanying photos. Another distinguishing characteristic is that Hybrids have two distinct patches of teeth on the back of their tongue. White bass have only one tooth patch on the tongue. Today, Hybrids are most commonly produced using Striper eggs. A Fisheries Biologist, Brent Gordon, with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, explained one of the reasons Striper eggs are most commonly used is that one female Striper of 10-20# can produce one to two million eggs, whereas it would take many female White Bass to obtain the needed eggs. Hybrid Stripers are known by other names and nicknames including "Hybrid", "Wiper" (and I can't tell you how much I dislike the derogatory sound of this name), "White Rockfish", "Rockets", and others, depending on what state you're fishing. The fisheries folks in Oklahoma experimented with reciprocal Hybrids in at least two fisheries, Grand Lake and Kaw Lake. The primary reason was that Hybrids have a strong tendency to migrate down current (commonly known as "negative flow" fish) especially when lake levels are high and generator and flood gate water flow create a significant current in a lake. When this occurs, young Hybrids tend to move downcurrent and many times pass right through the dam. Biologists call this "entrainment" and it sometimes accounts for nearly total failure of the fishery's stocking program. This has specifically happened at Kaw Lake, in the past. Reciprocal Hybrids are known to possess more of the Striped Bass migratory characteristics, in addition to the physical similarity, including being "positive flow" fish that tend to move up-current into tributary channels during high flow periods and then retreat back to the lake as flow volume subsides. Unfortunately, in the Kaw Lake study, the desired result of retaining a higher percentage of stocked Hybrids failed. After equal stocking of each hybrid species for multiple years, it was determined that the loss ratio (entrainment) was about equal with both species. It was further determined that the average growth rate of the original hybrid strain was significantly greater than their reciprocal cousins. Once these fish reach adulthood it is my belief that the negative vs. positive flow issue is less of a factor or non-existent due to their established physical strength, but I have no data that supports this theory. From my personal experiences, what I’ve read, and what I’ve gathered from other fishermen, ALL indicate that adult Hybrids absolutely move upriver during high flow to feed just like Stripers. This is in free flowing tributaries, as well as tailwater rivers below dams. Of course, it is all driven by the constant focus on forage food. They don’t travel upriver just for the pleasure of the trip. They are always on the move with the primary focus on food, except for a short time during the spring when the spawning urge draws them upriver. During that time, they will continue to actively feed up until the very hour they begin their spawning ritual, unlike the trout and salmon family. Hybrid Stripers are not sterile, as their name might suggest. However, they are not used for hatchery breeding or expected to make a significant natural spawning contribution to a fishery. They do make a spawning "run" and go through all the same mating rituals as White Bass are commonly observed doing. This run most commonly begins near the end of the White Bass run and can last for 2-3 weeks depending on the fishery. Hybrid Stripers do not reach the massive size of its larger parent the Striped Bass, but they are commonly caught in the 4-10# range. Most of the better fisheries contain limited numbers of 10-15#, and some produce outsized specimens approaching 20#. The world record of 27.5# was caught from Greers Ferry Lake in Arkansas. Another great characteristic of the Hybrid is that it is much more tolerant of less than ideal water quality, much like its smaller parent the White Bass. The key factor is its tolerance for low dissolved oxygen (DO) and warmer water temperatures in the summer. Striped Bass will normally seek out the deepest and coolest portion of a fishery during the doldrums of summer, which usually means the deepest water in the lake. The problem this presents is that the deepest water in many lakes is also the water with the lowest DO content. Hybrids and White Bass roam the shallower, better oxygenated portions of the lake in all but the coldest period of the year. Where-to and How-to Nearly every fishery listed below has at least one significant tributary that receives a spawning run of Hybrids in the spring, though I have not outlined each of those streams specifically. This is not a comprehensive list of Hybrid Striped Bass fisheries available in the region. However, if you will pick just one or two of these or other quality fisheries and invest the time and effort to learn how, where and when to find these fish you will be rewarded for your efforts and maybe catch yourself thinking about and fishing for them all year, too. Some of the best known and most productive fisheries in this region include: Arkansas: Beaver Lake Norfork Lake Greer's Ferry Lake DeGray Lake Illinois: Baldwin Lake Clinton Lake Crab Orchard Lake Heidecke Lake Lake Shelbyville Lasalle Lake Pittsfield Lake Rend Lake Indiana: Ohio River (Striped and Hybrid Striped Bass) Lake Freeman and Tippecanoe River (Hybrid Stripers) Kansas: Clinton Lake Marion Lake Milford Lake John Redmon Reservoir Cheney Reservoir Lake LaCygne (warmwater discharge for winter fishery) Neosho River System (below John Redmon Res. and the numerous low dams down river) Republican River below Milford Dam North Fork of the Cottonwood below Marion Lake Missouri: Truman Lake Lake of the Ozarks Thomas Hill Reservoir (warmwater discharge for winter fishery) Upper Norfork Lake Oklahoma: Grand Lake Oologah Lake and Tailrace Skiatook Lake Sooner Lake (warmwater discharge for winter fishery) Kaw Lake Waurika Lake Like White Bass, Hybrid Stripers are not usually difficult to catch once you locate them. Over the years, I have developed a network of contacts with a variety of tackle shop staff, fellow fishermen (including local "good ole boy" minnow dunkers), landowners, fisheries biologists and game wardens for each specific fishery I pursue these fish. This process takes time in order to have the right combination of sources for accurate and timely information. I take the time to meet and keep in contact with as many of these folks as I possibly can, always taking and compiling notes from every important conversation. This "network" is absolutely critical unless you hire the services of a guide or know someone that has already developed the local knowledge of a fishery that will take you with them. Additionally, I use a variety of maps and online resources to continually educate myself. County road maps, DeLorme Gazeteer topo maps (by state), Google Earth satellite images, and several websites for water flow and temperature data are constantly utilized for their valuable content. If you will concentrate your initial efforts on fishing just below the first two or three shoals/riffles above lake water, these are always great places on which to focus in the Spring. In low water years, the majority of Hybrids will do their spawning activity in the lower stretches of a tributary. In years with strong and fluctuating flows from spring rains, you may find them in scattered groups literally miles up the river and not as concentrated. Hybrids most often do not stay in the fastest moving current in the river, preferring to hold just off the edges of current in deeper holes. However, unlike White Bass, they can be found holding and feeding aggressively in faster deep water (5-6’ or deeper) at times, so this type of water is not to be ignored when fishing for Hybrids. So, what does a great Hybrid Striper fishing day in the spring look like? All the Temperate Bass species are highly photosensitive (sensitive to bright sunlight). Most of the very best days of fishing for these species for me have occurred on either cloudy to very dark cloudy and rainy days, or the first and last two hours of daylight on a clear day. Night fishing can be excellent, too. Water clarity is also a factor that fishermen need to consider. Some tributaries are extremely clear during normal flows, but many are never very clear. I have found that Hybrids that spawn in very clear streams are even more sensitive to light and to leader size due to the optimum visibility. I've also observed that these fish do not spend much extra time feeding in a clear water stream before or after spawning. This makes timing your fishing efforts even more critical because the total time they spend in that particular stream is very limited. It should also make sense that fishing on low light days or at night are even more important for success. Another excellent time to fish these clear streams is after a good rain raises the flow of the stream and turns it very murky. Just as the stream is clearing up but is still just a little murky is one of the best times to fish these waters. Murky water streams, though perhaps not as picturesque or easy to wade, hold Hybrids longer before and after their spawning ritual is completed. I believe it is purely due to their comfort level of not being as visible as in clearer water. The streams that I fish that have the longest lasting quality fishing during the spring are all murky water streams. However, I have observed that Hybrids spend very little extra time in any stream after they go thru their spawning ritual. Of course, spring rains can keep a stream murky to muddy for extended periods of time sometimes even ruining the fishing for weeks. I've caught Whites in virtually muddy water on many streams, but the lack of visibility for the fish becomes a limiting factor for success. Some of the most productive early-season Hybrid fishing is found in the tributary channels on the upper reaches of these lakes. Prior to the water warming up sufficiently for their spawning run, these fish will congregate (called "staging") in the deeper, warmer water in and near the mouths of tributaries in anticipation of the right timing to ascend the river. Again, these fish are continuously pursuing forage, mostly Shad. While the Hybrids are staging, they will at times push baitfish into shallow water or up to the surface from deep water and visibly bust into them which creates a lot of excitement for fishermen. But, they may also remain relatively sluggish and deep if the water remains below 55*, and take a bait with more of a tap than a hard strike. During this late winter and early spring period, Hybrids' activity and movement are greatly dependent upon weather and water conditions. If the air temperatures warm to above seasonal highs for a few days, there can be a short period of excellent fishing as the Hybrids get more active and aggressive as the water warms. Another factor that can provide a nearly instant warm-up or cool-down of the water is rain. If the weather is warm and sunny and is rapidly warming the tributaries and upper lake channels, a cold rain will quickly curtail this spring-like progression but a warm rain can give that tributary a temperature boost that will trigger feeding activity and the spawning urge. This should make it very obvious that fishermen need to always carry a good thermometer with them, unless they are in a boat with electronics that constantly monitor water temperature. Water temperatures bounce up and down until the nights remain very warm which is usually near the first of May. These fish will ascend the moving river water and remain once the water temp reaches 58* or higher. Though Hybrids can begin their spawning ritual at this temperature, my observations over the years have been that the water is usually in the low to mid-60's when the majority of spawning activity occurs. I keep a fishing journal and record not only when, where and how I catch fish, but just as importantly the weather and water conditions in detail. This is a wonderful resource to refer back to in future years, and I suggest you record your fishing experiences, too. Fly Tackle and Flies If you are targeting Hybrid Stripers for the first time, there are tackle, leader and fly choices to make that are important to help ensure your success. As I mentioned in part one of this series (on White Bass), it is a mistake to try to get by with a 5 or 6 weight trout rod, except for very small White Bass of less than 2#. My tackle recommendations are not the only way you can catch these great fish, but I assure you that they are offered based on many years of personal experience and helping others to be successful, too. Fly Rods The best overall fly rod choice is a 9 foot, 7 or 8 weight with a fast/stiff tip. If you fish a stream or lake where Hybrid Stripers rarely exceed 6-8#, a fast action 7 weight will work well for you. But, since some fisheries in the region commonly produce Hybrids in the 8-15# range, along with their larger Striped Bass cousins, you will be wise to select a fast action 8 weight rod for this fishing. You don't have to spend a lot of money for a good rod of the specifications I've outlined. It is amazing how many good fly rods there are on the market in all price ranges from around $100 to $800. Buy the best total outfit you can afford and know that it will perform well if you have followed these basic guidelines. Fly Reels For these hot fish, a large arbor style fly reel with a disk drag, capacity for your fly line and at least 100 yards of backing, and enough total physical weight to properly counterbalance your rod is my suggestion. Your loaded fly reel should balance equally or teeter slightly to the reel end of the rod when you balance your rod near the top of the cork handle on your index finger. If your rod teeters to the rod tip end, you will fatigue much more quickly during a day of casting and fishing. Fly Lines It's very important to have and use the right combinations of fly lines and leaders for Hybrid Stripers. Other than actually locating these fish, I believe this is the most important key to success. I've seen fly fishermen use the same fly pattern but with different line and leader rigging to what I suggest and fail miserably in their efforts even when fishing very productive water where others are catching fish. For most spring fishing for Hybrid Stripers in this region, the most important fly line you should have is a 10 to 15' type 3 sink-tip. The most important factor in this line is "type 3". I use a 15' tip version, but the reason I say 10-15' is that different brands and qualities of fly lines are available and some of them are 10 and 12' which will work very well, too. Most economy priced sink-tip lines that I have seen have 10' sink-tips. A type 3 line is designed to sink and fish a fly down to a depth of 3-4 feet. This will vary with the weight of your fly, how long you allow it to sink, and the current speed. Additional fly lines that I find valuable include a floating line with a heavy front taper like a Rio Clouser or Bass Bug Taper; and, a faster sinking sink-tip type 5 or 6 for deeper holes that can't be effectively fished with a type 3 line. For the faster sinking lines, I use a line with 24-30' of sinking section which helps keep your fly very deep during the retrieve. With these 3 lines, you can affectively fish from the water's surface down to about 6 feet deep. If you want to cover all levels from floating to deep sinking without having to buy extra spools and lines for your reel, I would suggest considering a Rio Versi-tip II line. These lines have 4 interchangeable loop-to-loop tip sections that can be quickly changed to fish the required depth. The lines retail for about $160 a set, but the savings over buying multiple reel spools is considerable. When I fish from a boat, I prefer to have 2-3 rods rigged with the above lines so I can respond quickly to opportunities. However, when hiking and wading a river I usually carry one rod rigged with a multi-tip line, with the pouch of extra tips in my vest. Leaders and Knots With fast to very fast sinking lines, the leader system I've found perfectly adequate and effective is a very simple two-piece leader. On a 7 or 8 weight line, I attach an 18" butt section of .015-.020 diameter mono and tie a 1.5" Perfection Loop in the end. The connection of the leader to fly line is accomplished in three different ways. A standard nail knot (for solid core fly lines), a needle nail-knot (for braided dacron core fly lines) or a knotless Whitlock Zap splice (which can be used for solid or braided core fly lines). To this butt section I loop-to-loop join 2.5' of 3x to 0x tippet with a double-surgeons loop knot. I rarely use fluorocarbon tippet for this type of fishing, though I know some do. If you decide to use fluorocarbon, you can definitely use a little stronger size since it is smaller in diameter for its breaking strength. I usually find that tippet diameter is not much of an issue unless the water is extremely clear. In very murky to muddy water, or at night, the tippet size should not be any issue. Use the heaviest size you can. I attach the fly to the tippet with a Lefty Kreh Non-slip Loop Knot to allow the fly the most natural and enticing action. A Duncan Loop is also an excellent loop knot, though you will need to re-open the loop after each fish or snag you hook. Note: When you are constructing this rigging at home, including making up some extra pre-tied, looped tippets, I highly suggest that you carefully apply a drop of Zap to each knot just as you draw it tight. Even if your knot is not perfectly tied (visibly symmetrical as you draw it down), the addition of the super glue with make it a virtually 100% knot. Nice insurance, if you take the time to do this. I encourage you to take the time to learn to comfortably and efficiently tie each of the important knots that are required for line and leader rigging and tying on your flies. In addition to fly casting fundamentals, this is one of the most critical skills in the sport of fly fishing to master. It isn't difficult, but it does take some practice. Flies The most important forage foods for Hybrid Striped Bass, and all Temperate Basses, are Threadfin Shad and Gizzard Shad, in most Midwest and South-central fisheries. Threadfins reach a maximum adult size of 3.5", and Gizzards about 15". However, Threadfin Shad are not commonly found in fisheries north of approximately the Missouri/Arkansas or Kentucky/Tennessee borders. Hybrids will eat a variety of other baitfish (including small suckers, trout, chubs, darters, sculpins, perch and sunfish) and crawfish, but Shad account for the vast majority of their total forage. It is important to understand that even though Hybrid Stripers get much larger than their smaller cousins, White Bass, they do not have particularly large mouths for their size, either. Most of the time, I don't use much larger flies for these fish, but I am careful to use a little larger and stronger hook to hold these hot fish. With their common forage factors in mind, I tie and fish a variety of fly patterns and color combinations including the following: Patterns-- *Clouser Deep Minnow *Half & Half Deep Minnow *Cowen Baitfish *John’s Fathead Shad *Blanton Flashtail Whistler *Jonny King Hoo Fly or Kinky Muddler Color Combinations (top/mid-section/belly color)-- *Gray/White *Black/Gray/White *Bright Pink/White *Chartreuse/White *Chartreuse/Orange * Black/Chartreuse *Olive/Orange *Olive/Cream *All White *All Tan *All Black or Purple (for nighttime and muddy water) Dave Whitlock's Near-Nuff Shad in all-white and all-chartreuse (2-3"), and Near-Nuff Crawfish in rusty tan (about 2") are also excellent choices. It is more important to have the correct size (length) baitfish than a specific hook size. When I meet another fisherman on the water who is really catching fish, I always ask what length and what color of lure or fly he is using. In the patterns I have outlined, I tie them mostly 2 to 4" long. However, I always carry some the same baitfish patterns in larger 5 to 8" lengths for opportunities to catch a nice Striper, too. For the times when I am fortunate to locate some surface feeding Hybrids, I carry a handful of topwater patterns including Crease Flies, Gurglers, Pencil Poppers and Sub-Zeros. These range in size from 2 to 4", in all white or a dark or bright back over a white body. For hooks, I have tested and continue to experiment with a variety of styles and brands. Overall, if you have a quality general-purpose saltwater hook (regular or 1x long) in sizes 4 thru 1/0 they will work well for these patterns. There are several good brands like Tiemco and Gamakatsu that have super-sharp chemically sharpened points, but understand that the higher quality costs more. The best value in this category of hooks is the Mustad Signature Series #S71S-SS (chemically sharpened). It is also increasingly popular, and effective, to use the Eagle Claw #413, a 60* bend jig hook for baitfish patterns. This is not a chemically sharpened hook, but very strong. There are now some chemically sharpened versions available. I highly recommend that you bend down the barbs on all your Hybrid flies, and be sure to sharpen the points on any hooks that are not chemically sharpened. Barbless hooks facilitate a quicker hook penetration when you set the hook, as well as an easier release that saves wear and tear on the fish and your fly. Retrieve Techniques It's important to point out the need for variety and experimentation with retrieves for Hybrid Stripers, and all the Temperate Basses. There is not one magical best technique, but one thing I would definitely suggest to keep in mind is not to get into a rut with the same technique all the time. It's important to have an intentional plan for why and how to modify your technique on the stream. There are a few basic guidelines I will share with you, most of which will make sense. Simply, if one technique isn't working, try a different one until you find what produces strikes. In clear water that is above 60* you have conditions for Hybrid Stripers to aggressively track your fly by sight, and optimum water temperature for this baitfish-eating machine to actively and regularly feed. These conditions allow for moderate to very fast retrieves. In clear water, I will use an erratic technique of short, fast strips, followed by a long strip or dead pause. Other times, a moderate pace of long strips (roughly 24-30") followed by a pause with a couple of rod-tip twitches will draw aggressive strikes. To the other extreme, reasons for a very slow to moderate retrieve include water that is colder than 55*, particularly in the high 30's and 40's which keeps these fish in a sluggish mood; and, murky to muddy water which impairs visibility. Another condition for slower retrieves is when you fish at night. In poor visibility water and at night, you want to be sure your retrieve is steady and consistent to allow the fish to home in on your fly. If the fly is jigged up and down erratically it makes it more difficult for the predator to accurately track and strike. It is also important to have the proper rod and line control as you make these retrieves. I keep my rod tip at or just above the water (1-2" above) and pointed almost straight at my line as it swings in the current. My strip retrieves are controlled by never allowing any slack line between my casting hand and where the line touches the water near my rod tip. I maintain tight control of the line with either my index finger or two fingers on my rod hand, as well as with my line hand, so that I can instantly and aggressively set the hook. The angle of the rod at hook-set is about 30-45* which utilizes the more powerful butt and mid-sections of the rod for a solid hook-up. When you hook a decent Hybrid, as opposed to a nice White Bass, you will know within the first 2-3 seconds that you have hooked a Hybrid. They may head-shake a few times at first, but within that first few seconds most decent Hybrids will absolutely explode away from you running across and down river. This is where the recommended backing line becomes invaluable. Try to maintain about a 45* rod angle as you work to land these fish. With this angle, again, you are utilizing the powerful butt section of the rod to more efficiently wear down the fish. If you want to enhance your spring fishing opportunities with some hot action catching a great gamefish, do your homework and get prepared for some Hybrid Striped Bass fishing in the Midwestern States with your fly tackle, this year. Once you've caught your first decent Hybrid, you will be hooked for life on these awesome fish. Good luck! See you on the river! |
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