OMG its killing me!

[Rivercrawler]

After seeing Canonman's striper along withn Drew's and now Dirk's im hooked so bad, I want a STRIPPER from the yak, but i dont have any place to do it her in north/central Alabama. But im going to Gatliburge/piegon forge/ cades cove tennessee area this weekend and if anyone know where i can get some river stripes around there let me know please.

[mookie]

After seeing Canonman's striper along withn Drew's and now Dirk's im hooked so bad, I want a STRIPPER from the yak, but i dont have any place to do it her in north/central Alabama. But im going to Gatliburge/piegon forge/ cades cove tennessee area this weekend and if anyone know where i can get some river stripes around there let me know please.

you look to young to have a stripper in your yak, but if you insist, there's a gentleman's club called the mouse's ear near Kingsport ;)
they may accomodate your wishes!

[Rivercrawler]

haha you know what i mean, was in a hurry to type so i mispelled it a few times haha.

[mookie]

I know, I just couldnt resist some stripper humor:)
I'm not kidding about the mouse's ear though ;)

[Dirk]

I bet there are some stripes right near you in Sipsey Fork below Smith lake. You might want to check it out as the hotter it gets, the closer up to the dam (cold water releases) the stripers will move. Some of the best striper fisheries (size wise) in the country are BELOW striper lake dams, like Smith Lake. I have never seen or been on Sipsey Fork and don't know how big it is or anything about it, but that is where I would be checking first if I lived over by you. By the way, I did live in Decatur Alabama for a couple years, but thats before I became a striper fanatic. Be sure you check generation schedule before kayaking below dams though as sometimes it can be dangerous, especially right when they turn it on.

Second place I would try are the creeks on your side of Neely Henry, like little & big canoe creek, beaver creek, and shoal creek. If you can find 72 degree water or less that feeds any lake on the Coosa there will be stripers there. They WILL BE THERE, as long as there is no dam, falls or other thing that stops them from going up stream(needs to be big enough they can swim up it too). In the summer many will keep going upstream as far as they can to stay in cold water, especially the BIG ones. Plenty of stripes in Alabama too, you just have to figure out where they are, and in June-Sept water temperature is the key in the rivers... Upper 60's is best, but any decent sized river/creek that feeds a striper filled lake and is less than 73 degrees will almost certainly have some there from now till Sept. I can't say it enough, WATER TEMP, WATER TEMP, WATER TEMP takes priority over food and everything else for river stripers in the heat of the summer.

[canonman]

Your going to be around some of the best striper water in the country!!! Melton Hill, Loudon, Watts Bar, Clinch River. If I where you and you just wanted a fish I would go below Loudon or Watts Bar Dam. Youll be doing good to get a 25lb+ but catching a 10-15 shouldnt be a problem throw big swim baits and stuff. Bigger fish look to Melton Hill and Clinch River

[BasserDrew]

One thing that you have to get used to when fishing for river stripes as compared to other black bass that live in current is that you often have to cast it into water that looks too swift for the black bass species. Even throw into whitewater for the stripes and let your bait go down the rapid. Somehow in all that mess they see it and nail it. Having said that they aren't always at that spot but most of the time they will be in the biggest rapid and pool in the system. However, where you'll be is a little different because there may not be the same "rapids" where I caught mine but still cast into the "boil" below the dam or wherever and hold on!

[Rivercrawler]

I heard about smith from my granfather today ive got to get to the dam when they get up there.

Thakns canonman, ill try to find thos places and talk mom into going shoping and dropping me and dad off for a few hours at one of the places.

And thakns Mr. Drew, basicly your saying if its quick moving watter throw at it haha.

I plan on taking one baitcastin rig and then i have a 7 1/2 ft spining combo that i use for chacing the lighter salt speices. hopefully i catch something. and if i do ill take the yaks back beofr summer ends and school starts.

[dmurf2005]

trust Dirk....he reels them in...seriously