Let's Go Striper fishing

If you’ve never caught a Striped Bass, chances are you have never been fishing. Striped Bass are awesome to catch, they fight like mad and are a real challenge to catch, but with the right equipment and a little know how you can catch enough striper to hang on your wall or fill up your freezer.
I like to do my striper fishing in the creeks between Brushy Branch Lake in Cave Springs Georgia and the Coosa River. The river and the lake are full of Striper but, the creeks are where they go to bed and they are huge. So you need to have a good rod and reel something like a Shakespeare's Ugly Stik, which is actually a catfish rod, but they are tough as nails and can bring in the big ones hands down. Hook that up with a Abu Garcia Ambassadeur C4 Classic Round Baitcast Reel and you’re sure to eat good.
Trolling is the most exciting way to catch them and it really doesn’t matter what bait you use. Striped Bass are obviously not picky eaters because I’ve seen some monsters caught on all kinds of bait. I’m talking real worms, rubber worms, minnows, shad, spinners, plugs, frogs, lizards, crickets and even Rooster tails. My preference is trolling with Shad. The Shad are a blast to catch themselves. Just get a 4 foot cast net and go. Before you know it you’ll have a boat full of bait and Striper.
I for one like to fish in the spring and summer only so I have no idea if Striper fishing is good in the fall or winter months, but why in the heck would a guy want to fish in the winter anyway. That’s the time to hunt. Rule of thumb for me and my buds, fish in warm weather hunt in cold weather.
I read all the time that the average striped bass caught is between 3 and 5 pounds. I don’t know where those Fellas fish, but the average Striper around here is more like 10 to 30 pounds. It’s true; I see them all the time anywhere from one foot long to 3 feet. I think it’s all according to where you fish, the big safe rivers and lakes or the dangerous and challenging smaller creeks and coves. There are a few down falls to striper fishing in the creeks, like stumps and weeds or snakes falling from the trees, but if you can deal with all of those things you will have one good time and bring in the big boys.