“I compare it to muskie fishing,” McClintock said.

Don’t expect to catch more than a couple of stripers per trip, but expect to boat a big one because of the size of the baits you’re using and the channels you’re working. Most of the stripers McClintock is landing will run in the 30- to 50-pound class. He said shad will produce rockfish in the 20- to 30-pound range and you may boat three to five per day using shad instead of skipjack.

Key winter access can be found at ramps at Defeated Creek, Martin’s Creek, and any of the public ramps in the Gainesboro area. The Cordell Hull striped bass creel limit is two per day with a 32- to 42-inch Protective Length Range (only one fish may be over 42 inches).

NORRIS LAKE
Norris Lake guide Wayne Smith is no slacker among striper anglers either. He said late-winter stripers are going to be concentrated around the lake’s threadfin shad and alewife populations. In winter, that can be in the main channel, but definitely in any of the creeks on the upper end of Norris Lake.

Some of the best baits are the smaller ones at Norris. Smith said the threadfin are small in the late winter and like the Cherokee Lake situation, the seagulls will show you where they’re living. Smith said this scenario will equal some topside action, and everything will definitely be shallow. He likes to use a Storm Swimbait as well as cast bucktail jigs at them as they feed near the surface. Work the swimbait on top and let the bucktail sink just a little for the feeding stripers.

Another tactic for the seasoned striper angler is to use live bait. Smith is always pulling live bait in the form of shiners with planer boards. He advises anglers not to get too deep with these setups because he said the stripers like the cold water and will be up shallow. He puts the baits no deeper than 10 to 20 feet. This action starts in November and continues through the first part of April.

Smith said this is the time to catch better stripers. He said it’s not uncommon to boat as many as 30 stripers per trip. Typically, the biggest will be in the 30- to 32-inch size range, though a few bigger fish are always possible. A 36-inch striped bass at Norris will weigh in the 18- to 20-pound class.

The key waters are from the Hwy. 33 bridge to Hickory Star Marina. The waters in Lost Creek are always dependable as well as the areas around Andersonville Dock.

The creel limit for Norris Lake striped bass varies seasonally. From April through October, it’s two per day with a minimum length of 15 inches. From November through March, it’s one per day with a minimum length of 36 inches.

OLD HICKORY LAKE
The name Ralph Dallas is synonymous with big striped bass. He still holds the current state-record striper, a tremendous monster that tipped the scales at 65 pounds, 6 ounces. Dallas said striper fishing was good all last summer, which bodes well for this winter’s action.