FISHING FOR SALTWATER STRIPER AT WEISS LAKE WITH STEVE POPE

Why a Fishing Buddy is Imperative

EDITOR'S NOTE: Steve Pope from Centre, Alabama, guides for crappie from February through the middle of May he guides for crappie. During May through the hot time of the summer, Pope guides for stripers or bluegills. I've discovered on this striper trip with Pope at Weiss Lake that you'll have exciting fun fishing for stripers. On Friday of this week, Pope will give you the secret to cleaning, storing and cooking stripers that will make you leave your crappie poles at home and go out and buy striper tackle for these delicious stripers.

QUESTION: How do you set your boat up for striper fishing?
ANSWER: I set up a 4X4 wooden frame around the back deck of my boat and a smaller frame on the front deck. To those wooden frames, I bolt rod holders. Using this system, each angler can have three rods out at one time, which is the maximum number of rods an angler can fish at one time on Weiss Lake. With this system, we can fish six rods out the back of the boat, and three rods in the front of the boat. I like the rod holders because the anglers can fish three rods at a time. I know that the more baits I have down, the more striper my client will catch.

QUESTION: Why do you set up folding chairs on the back deck of your bass boat?
ANSWER: If you don't have metal folding chairs on the back of the boat, the anglers have to sit on the deck, which is uncomfortable and creates problems when the striper takes the bait. By setting up the metal folding chairs, my anglers can fish more comfortably, watch the rods and catch the striper more easily. I tried using plastic chairs, but they blow out the boat. I've found that collapsible metal chairs make the best seats for my customers when they are striper fishing.

QUESTION: Tell me about the dip net that you use.
ANSWER: I have a huge dip net that is strong enough to hold a 50-pound striper. To ensure that it doesn't break with the weight, the dip net has a collapsible handle that locks into place when extended. You really need a large, strong dip net if you are going to be fishing for and catching striper. You may have to get these dip nets out of Cabela's or Bass Pro Shop catalogues.

QUESTION: What do you do if you get into a big school of stripers? You've got two anglers on the back deck with three rods each, and you've got three rods out on the front of the boat. What do you do if you have three or four fish on at the same time?
ANSWER: We have a Chinese fire drill. What I tell the anglers is to engage the reels on all the fish and then try and reel the fish in one at a time. As soon as they get a fish in the boat, don't worry about unhooking the fish or putting it in the ice cooler. Start reeling in another fish. We'll usually have tangled lines and fish flopping all over the boat, but heck, that's what makes striper fishing fun. This situation doesn't happen very frequently. Most of the time, we'll have one or two fish on at a time. Once the angler sets the hook, then his buddy needs to reel in the lines that the striper is about to tangle.

QUESTION: What is your number-one rule when the catching is fast and furious?
ANSWER: Don't put anything in the dip net but fish. There is nothing more frustrating than to grab a dip net and have a pair of pliers, a lunch box, sunscreen, candy wrappers or soft drink cans all sitting in it. When you have to use a dip net, you need to be able to get to that net quickly to dip the striper. If there is anything in the net, not only do you have a distraction; you often have a problem. The number-two rule is to help your buddy. If one angler on the back of the boat has a big striper on, the second angler needs to watch the direction that the striper is running away from the boat and reel in the lines in which the striper may become entangled. If both anglers on the back of the boat have fish on, I try to get the other lines out of the way. Fishermen have to learn to work together to land the stripers.

For more information about striper fishing, call Steve Pope at (256) 927-6617, e-mail him at
clp-pope@tds.net, or visit his Web site, lakeweissguideservice.com. His Web site has up-to-date weather for the lake as well as a photo gallery of what Pope is catching at Weiss each day.

TOMORROW: THE STEPS TO AN UNFORGETTABLE RECIPE