It’s been an extremely busy year for me with work. With the exception of a couple of weeks of spring time walleyes, that I’ll always make time for, I’ve had little time on the water. Another fishing opportunity each year that I won’t miss is the end of summer striper fishing on lake Pepin. Chasing Gulls, striper feeding frenzies and squeeling kids is more fun than almost anything I can put up against it.
My dad took me when I was a kid and now I made it my familly tradition a couple of years ago. We hit the water this last week and found that the stripers were on an evening bite with not much going on in the morning but the last couple of hours of daylight were unbelievable. Every cast in any direction ended up with a striper on the end of the line with an occasional smallmouth and walleye mixed in. The average size was probably 14″ and what an attitude. Then, when we got those occasional 18-19 inchers the kids were screaming for help. I can only imagine what my boat must have sounded like from a distance with the kids yelling, screaming, laughing and jumping up and down. And this fun isn’t just for kids I personally think it’s the most fun fishing you can do.
Now is the time to get out and enjoy some of this fun and it should last for several weeks yet. Keep in mind the fish don’t always run in the evenings. Sometimes there on a morning bite and once in a while right in the middle of the day. Years ago we used to catch them in the morning and evenings but it seems like the for several years now, the major runs will only be once a day but they are not hard to figure out. Your baits can be almost whatever you want. I saw people catching fish on the old,old double hair jig rig, crank baits and spinners. Just pick your favorite bait and get in on the fun.
And yes, with care, these fish are good to eat. I’m a big believer of throwing them directly on ice and not into a livewell. Trim out the red meat and fry em up!
out of curiosity, how do you cook them up? Never tried them them but I just might have give it a try!
