Striper and Hybrid fishing is just starting to swing here in N. Ga. I usually fish the tail-races at Carter's Lake, Blue Ridge Lake and Lake Allatoona. The other day (25 Nov.) I caught 15 fish (Stripers, locally known as Rockfish, Hybrids and Sand Bass, aka White Bass)in less than 2 hours. The stripers (7) were fron 5-20 lbs. The hybrids (6) averaged about 3-5 lbs., and the Sand Bass (2) were 2-1/2 and 4 lbs respectively.

I used a white zonker tied on a 2/0 hook, and a chartruese zonker tied on a 3/0 hook (I lost the white one). I used my Scientific Anglers 10.5' 10wt rod with a butt extension (very useful for stripers), a Scientific Anglers reel with a disc-drag (an absolute necesity-never try to palm your reel on a running striper unless you want a really bad friction burn on your hand), a floating shooting taper and a 9' heavy-test leader. I put a few drops of "Smelly Jelly Shad Gel" on the fly every so often, just to cover up any human scent that may have gotten on the fly. I fish from the bank and cast towards the eddies at the edge of the floodgates. When it drifts down far enough, I usually roll cast (difficult with a shooting taper) or re-cast back upstream. If you try this, all I can say is "hang on tight"! This is my version of big-game fishing, and not for the faint-of-heart. They hit viciously and do everything they can to try to pull your rod and you into the current.

Hope this helps.

[This message has been edited by Gigmaster (edited 28 November 2005).]

[This message has been edited by Gigmaster (edited 28 November 2005).]

[This message has been edited by Gigmaster (edited 30 November 2005).]