alright boys

[Stonewall]

I am new to the forum so first Hi hows everybody doing....good now the important stuff. I recently moved very close to east fork state park. I have waterfowled there several times but i have never fished it. I want to catch some of those stripers. What would be the best way to catch them now (February, March). I don't need to know about your spots just what a good spot would look like as well as your approach. Oh yeah I have a boat....

Thanks

Stonewall

[northsouthohiofisher]

Welcome Dude,
Cant help ya there but good luck ;)

[Fisharder]

Hybrids in eastfork or other impoundments just shut down.You are going to just have to wait till the water gets to about 58 degrees. I could show you where every hybrid in the lake are right now They light up the graph like a christmas tree there deep and there asleep. If you find some way to catch them let me know I have tryed many times.When the water warms up I can catch them all day till summer. Then its time to fish down riggers.But 58 degrees seems to be the magic number when it comes to hybrids in eastfork. Your best shot is the hot water discharge in manchester when ever the river gets right.

[Stonewall]

If the hybrids are deep wouldn't a very slow troll off the downriggers work??? I would think a stick bait trolled at .5 to 1.5 mph would trigger strikes. Interesting though. When the water hits 58 where should i start.

[Fisharder]

The way I understand it is that hybrids get to where the temperature is they prefer and the oxygen at that depth is so poor that the fish basicly hibernate.When the temp comes up the fish rise in the water column as they come up the oxygen levels come up and the fish get active. The fish start showing up in numbers in late april and peaks in june.They follow the shad and there is a false run early in the season. You can find alot of the fish right now down by the ramp at the dam in about 100 feet of water just graph between the ramp and the beach and you will see them.That also is where they start to show up first for me.The false run up the east fork river near the camping area can be hot but it happens quick and only seems to last a few days.Your method might work on stripers but these are hybrids and its a different set of rules.I am not trying to be a stick in the mud just sharing my experiences.This also helps to understand why you can catch them in moving water like the ohio river.Thats is my two cents hope it helps.

[I_AM_LEGEND]

I've fished East Fork quite a bit from my kayak without much luck going after largemouth, I was talking with another avid fisherman of the lake today and he was saying where I was going is all mud bottom and that may be the issue but also that he thinks baitfish are so plentiful, bass don't pay much attention to anything else. Anyways the stripers in there do get big... the only signs I've seen are baitfish jumping out of the water usually out in a big open area of the lake, I'm sure having a fishfinder will help locate them.... Stonewall if we hit it up sometime, I'll show you where the Boar's Head baitshop is on 32 by the Afton boat ramp, the owner is a good ole boy that knows that lake inside and out, I'm sure he'd be happy to help us out... My best advice is find where striper have a school of baitfish on top of the water and throw some white crankbaits, white spinnerbaits and the likes into the mix...

[CRAZYDUDE]

If you locate them sit on top of them and use chicken liver's it works.The
water should be in the mid to upper 40's they will bite.Good Luck

[shenbitt]

In Kansas usually the best time for Wipers in our lakes was to wait for them to chase shad on top water. We would sit in the middle of the lake with bino's and when you saw the top water exploding somewhere and the birds diving you went there and caught you fill. We had to switch over to spider wire type line to handle the strong little guys. Pound for pound I think they are the funnest fish i have ever caught. Don't taste good but are a fun fish to catch.


shenbitt

[BullDock]

i have fished for stripers a lot and when the water warms up they will be all over the lake in the morning and evening busting shad on top and i have found you throw anything in where they are busting the water you will catch one.. very fun