DD Striper Quest

[Geraldlim]

Having caught a bunch of pound to pound and a half stripers in the canal, I now have a personal goal to catch me a DD striper.
(FYI up until a couple of weeks ago I thought that DD just meant a BIG striper, as in A cup, B cup, C, D and DD LOL. Then I read Gary saying "D Dgt" and I got it - Double Digit! Vietreefer says it shows what I have on my mind!)

Anyway, I broke out my 12' Portabote and 5HP Honda from 8 years of storage, rigged up my fishfinder, got my registrations up to date and went to investigate DVL.



1st try - Dec 5
First time out the outboard kept dying on me while I was trolling so I just hung out in a cove where the engine died. There was a big National Bass West tournament going on that day, and turns out the outboard died in a cove where the action was happening, and I got to spend the whole day watching how some of the better bass anglers do it up close. Saw others pull up some nice striper while trying for LMB. Saw how they worked the boils in the cove, and as they rotated out of the cove I took my place in line and ended up right in the middle of the action. But I didn't get any action. I threw everything I had - Hardbaits, softbaits, no luck. Skunk for the 1st try. But I did get to meet Bob (Trout Only)

2nd Try - Dec 10
Spent the day trolling all around Lake Skinner, one rod with a big lipless crank on the bottom and a 5" fluke drop shot rigged 3' above, another rod with a deep diving rapala type lure and a fluke rigged the same way above it. The 2nd rig would actually snag bottom at 20 feet deep. Never metered any bait balls or had any hits. Result - skunk!

3rd try - Dec 12
Back to DVL to try again. I trolled the north shore all the way from the ramp to the west dam and back, stopping and casting at points along the way. Also tried trolling the middle of the lake and the east dam. There were some bait balls I metered, but no bites. Right at the end of the day found some boils on the south shore near the east dam but could not get bit even though I cast right to them. Tough day for me. Skunk again.

4th try - Dec 16
DVL. Decided to focus on casting and live bait. Started to the left of the ramp fly lining a live shad as well as casting scroungers. After no action for 30 minutes, moved over to the cove I fished the 1st day. As I approached I could see birds diving and fish crashing all over the cove. I motored up to the nearest boil and cast out a scrounger with a 5" fluke. WHAM! I was hit immediately, and the line started peeling out. The fish kept running and pulling drag for about 15 seconds, then...... nothing! Came off! Pulled in the lure and looked - hook was slightly straightened. Definitely not a schoolie! Darn. Stayed the next hour or so in and around the cove, then went over near the tower to look around. Never found any action so back to the cove again. Other boats in the cove were pulling up stripers left and right, but not me. Sigh! Had to leave about 2pm. Result - skunk.

5th Try - Dec 19
DVL again. Rain! Wind! Whitecaps! Guys at the ramp took one look at my 12 ft Portabote and told me not to venture to the middle of the lake, LOL. Anyway I worked my way around the lake starting at the north shore, stopping to troll across prominent points and stopping to cast in a few bays. The wind was a killer, and it was hard to keep the boat on course when trolling. I then trolled the entire West Dam, and did the same process back along the south shore as the north, trolling across points and working the bays. No bites, no bird activity, no feesh. Skunked again! But I did get to meet another FNNer - IndoAngler. Never fear, I will keep trying!

[greenfishslayer16]

get out there and throw some trout immitations, bbz, lunker punkers, triple trout... etc. I cant guarentee you will get bit, but it will increase your odds a whole lot.

[Geraldlim]

I threw a coupla those too, near the ramp and in the bay with all the action. A castaic trout and an LA Slider. did not put as much time on those as with the other lures though.

[GdHkSet1]

Keep at it man, your due to get that DD someday. Good luck out there.

[HuskerRod]

Boy,

And I thought I was the only guy that got skunked at DVL. From all these great reports I read on the internet it had me thinking their was noithing to it. anyway I went out a few hours Saturday for a "skunk o' la" mainly throwing big baits and then gave it hell Monday from 7ish to noonish for more of the same..skunk. I spent the majority of the time throwing the big baits i.e. Z-plug, LA slider, BBZ, and the huge spook. Did meter down on marks for some what looked like schoolies and didnt even get those to bite. I am not detered and will be back again, and again, and again.

Sounds like your gme plan is solid. Your day will come. As they say, "Every dog has its day".

[Cadillyak]

I agree. I have been to DVL and thrown the kitchen sink at the linesides with no love. I bought a dip net but it isn't anywhere near long enough. Where can I purchase one of those LOOONNNNGGG dip nets?? I refuse to give up on DVL. I will have my DD LINESIDE!!!

[KingShad]

Saw a guy trolling chartruese bucktails with 5" swimbaits on them flylining them and he caught three in three passes in front of me. Looked like good size stripers. He was going about 2mph.

[KingShad]

http://www.promarnets.com/promar/Pro...?Cat=5&Item=14

[TroutOnly]

BUT ROD SKUNK'S YOURE MIDDLE NAME,,,,,LOL,,,,,HEY GERALD DO YOU THE RESTRICTIONS OF BOATING ELSE WERE AFTER GOING TO SKINNER?,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,t/o,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[TrouTracker]

To G- Thanks for the report. You definitely have the right attitude for fishing DVL. It's not an easy lake to learn in a few weeks, especially when we're in that winter phase. As far as trolling, I didn't see a downrigger set up on your boat. I'd definitely invest in a downrigger to get down to where the stripers are. Otherwise, you'll just be cruising the lake getting a little sun. With your great attitude and mixing it up a bit, you'll do fine.

To SP- Keep on trying all kinds of different techniques with the stripers. It's a little difficult to get them, you've got to be really creative and go to them. They may be at different levels in the water column due to the changing of the temperature of the water. I just bought a Promar deluxe shad net at Last Chance. I did a lot of research on these nets and this one extends to 10'. The deluxe net's expensive, but has all the features that you need. It's a stealth black color, something that won't spook the shad. Give Megan a call over at Last Chance and she'll know exactly what you're talking about. Spend the extra money for the deluxe shad net because it's built stronger as well.

Barry A. Ogawa