Mixed bag off the bank below Barkley this morning.

[csurp]

A couple of Sauger, a Striped bass (Rockfish), and a Flathead catfish. All caught drifting a solid pearl fluke (thanks Ken's TBF) with 2-ounce pencil lead on a three-way rig.

[chefdave]

Nice!

[Rude196]

Supper?

[csurp]

Supper?

I had baked Striped bass fillets tonight for dinner. I baked in a baking dish with melted butter, fillets topped with salt/pepper, parmesan cheese and fresh herbs from the garden. It was great!

[Rude196]

Very good grilled as well

[Roddy]

You might want to delete your picture as that sauger appears short.

[nmaxwell0003]

It definitely doesn't look longer than 14 inches

[csurp]

You might want to delete your picture as that sauger appears short.

I think it is a matter of perspective against those other fish. It actually measured over 14-inches. I thought it was short too when it came in.

[Roddy]

I think it is a matter of perspective against those other fish. It actually measured over 14-inches. I thought it was short too when it came in.

[artcarney_agr]

Were you bank fishing or boat fishing? I can't tell since you said you were drifting a Fluke?

Just wondering, as that sounds like something I'd like to try.

[csurp]

Were you bank fishing or boat fishing? I can't tell since you said you were drifting a Fluke?

Just wondering, as that sounds like something I'd like to try.

I was fishing off the rocks just below the dam.

The rig consists of a three-way swivel, a 16-18 inch line to a 3/0 bait holder hook, and a six-eight inch dropper to a 2-oz pencil lead. Rig the head of the solid body fluke on the hook with the point exposed and the fluke straight on the hook. I use thirty pound yellow braid for the main line and 12 pound big game for the droppers. You want to be able to break off easily while still being able to land a fish in the current. Solid flukes and leads are available at Ken's TBC in Lake City.

The trick is to angle a cast upstream and throw a little slack in the line as it hits. Count the bait down (so you can duplicate the cast) to the bottom gathering the slack as it goes by you. Keep constant contact with the rig and feel the rocks. Lift the rod tip slightly as you kiss a rock. You will loose gear even after you get the hang of it so bring extra. Usually a bite is an aggressive tap tap pull instead of a bump bump on the rocks. This is very effective on the big rock fish when and if they arrive.

The standard technique here is a shad head jig of up to two ounces with the same fluke. There are some real masters of this technique fishing during the winter up by the dam. I catch fish doing this but seem to loose a lot more gear.

Good Luck!

[bwschamp]

You might want to delete your picture as that sauger appears short.

[artcarney_agr]

I was fishing off the rocks just below the dam.

The rig consists of a three-way swivel, a 16-18 inch line to a 3/0 bait holder hook, and a six-eight inch dropper to a 2-oz pencil lead. Rig the head of the solid body fluke on the hook with the point exposed and the fluke straight on the hook. I use thirty pound yellow braid for the main line and 12 pound big game for the droppers. You want to be able to break off easily while still being able to land a fish in the current. Solid flukes and leads are available at Ken's TBC in Lake City.

The trick is to angle a cast upstream and throw a little slack in the line as it hits. Count the bait down (so you can duplicate the cast) to the bottom gathering the slack as it goes by you. Keep constant contact with the rig and feel the rocks. Lift the rod tip slightly as you kiss a rock. You will loose gear even after you get the hang of it so bring extra. Usually a bite is an aggressive tap tap pull instead of a bump bump on the rocks. This is very effective on the big rock fish when and if they arrive.

The standard technique here is a shad head jig of up to two ounces with the same fluke. There are some real masters of this technique fishing during the winter up by the dam. I catch fish doing this but seem to loose a lot more gear.

Good Luck!

I'll have to check that out. I've been aiming to get down there in the boat to bounce some shiners on the bottom but haven't made it just yet. Very cool sounding technique! Did Ken's tell you how to do that? Those folks are very helpful on sharing info about fishing below the dam.

[csurp]

I'll have to check that out. I've been aiming to get down there in the boat to bounce some shiners on the bottom but haven't made it just yet. Very cool sounding technique! Did Ken's tell you how to do that? Those folks are very helpful on sharing info about fishing below the dam.

Drifting shiners brings back a lot of memories of fishing below Barkley. We used to drive down from IL, stop at the Pelican for breakfast, pick up the biggest shiners they had and go striper fishing. They were pretty thick back then. I used to run the boat and not drop until I saw them along the bottom with one of my first Lowrance graphs. The bottom was/is a series of valleys and ridges. Sometime they would be in the valleys and sometimes on top of the ridges. We would usually drift down to the old outhouse on the hill and then motor back up to the dam. Doubles were common and sometimes we would hook up with a triple if there were three in the boat.

I actually learned the technique from a fellow fishermen I met on the bank a few years ago.

The striper fishery here results from infrequent natural reproduction of Striped bass, migration of hybrid striped bass stocked by state agencies, supplemented by the native white bass.

Great memories.

[artcarney_agr]

stop at the Pelican for breakfast

I sure miss that place. No telling how many times I went there, at all hours of the day, and night.

[Roddy]

I remember catching a limit about ever time I went fishing a three way rig like that years ago. I got.spooled one night by one that hit as I was about to pull the bait out of the water. The biggest I.ever caught down there was 8 lbs or so.

[Ky-triton]

I used to stop buy Ken's and buy jig heads and chartreuse sassy shiner bodies and catch stripers in June off the bank below Barkley Dam in June. Of course that was almost 25 years ago...