Cold nights and hot striper action

Well folks, since the Atlanta Braves didn’t make the World Series again this year, there’s only one thing left for me to do for excitement on these cold late fall evenings. I’ve been looking forward to November for a while now, and I believe this year will be a banner time for striper fishing in the dark. Every November, generally early in November our lake stripers tend to cruise the shorelines just after dark in search a quick shallow meal.  These stripers can be very big and very very aggressive when feeding at night. This year will be just a bit different than past years because we’ve been able to maintain full lake levels and there will be plenty of bait foraging the shore after dark. This has been a great year for spawning baitfish and the numbers are great. I’ve been turning on my dock lights to check the bait situation in our creek and the threadfin shad and blueback herring under the lights after dark are very plentiful. This can create a great night time Bomber Bite on Lake Lanier. Ok, I’m sure you’re asking “what the heck is a night time Bomber Bite”? Well, let me explain just a bit.

 First, I don’t think there would be a late fall Bomber Bite if it wasn’t for our Blueback Herring population on Lanier. The Bluebacks create the catalyst for the Bomber bite. The Bluebacks spend their evenings cruising the shoreline looking for an evening meal of small insects, microscopic aquatic plants and plankton. Most of the time they are cruising the surface or just below the surface and often times they create wake on the water’s surface which is a telltale sign for stripers to come to dinner. With that being said, as a fisherman, I’m always trying to re-create that scenario in order to catch a striper or two. One of the best artificial baits I’ve found that works exceptionally to create that wake is the Long A Bomber. The Bomber and I go back several years and I’ve found a few colors that work for me. I would have to say my favorite color over the years has been the bubblegum color, but several colors have worked for me over the years. The secret sauce to the Bomber bite is to create that wake. That’s what the stripers often react to and if you can find the right areas, a nighttime trip can be an experience that will last a lifetime. As for my advice for finding the right locations, I’ve always fished the same areas the stripers frequent during the days. If the stripers are holding at the mouths of the creeks, that’s where you want to be in the evening. They won’t stray far from their daylight feeding grounds.

If I could make a suggestion for the first timers at running your boat at night in search of the Bomber bite, I would suggest that if you have a GPS with the capabilities to lay down tracks, I would lay down a few tracks during the day in the areas you plan to fish after dark. By doing this, you will be somewhat familiar with the area and if you stay on your tracks, you can be fairly confident you won’t hit any unexpected obstacles with your boat on a dark night. Another way to get used to fishing at night is to fish near lights and docks that are lit up. There are plenty of stripers hanging around lights at night and throwing the Bombers around lights can product a few fish also. Other areas include long points and mud banks as well as some of our main lake humps.

Guys, this should be a banner fall for nighttime fishing because of our high lake levels and the amount of edibles for the Bluebacks along the shoreline. Be patient when fishing at night and remember to work your baits slowly to create that wake. Oh, and if I can make one more suggestion while making that wake with your surface baits; Hold onto your rod very tight because these big stripers will appear from nowhere and if you’re not ready, you’ll be needing to replace a rod and reel. Remember to dress warm and stay safe on these cold fall evenings on the water.