Lake Texoma fishing is a fisherman’s dream come true! Why is it the Striper Capital of the World? Texoma has the best documented natural spawn of striped bass of any lake in the country. This 89,000-acre lake attracts a couple million fisherman a year. Our great lake offers most of the Sothern species of game fish. All are popular but the striped bass is what most people opt for. These saltwater transplants are possibly the strongest fighting fish in freshwater. Most times these fish are easy to catch for novices to the seasoned fisher person. Even the smaller fish will surprise you how hard they pull and will fight you to the finish.
The striper is a schooling fish. They group up in big herds. That means you may catch one and then everyone onboard hooks up. They are curious creatures and aggressive feeders. This time of year, the striper come from spawning grounds and will group up in large schools. Thousands of hungry fish are chasing bait and are on a feeding frenzy. Early in the morning they will surface. The fish will corral the bait and will swim to the waters surface. Once they reach the water’s surface the bait can run but cannot hide. The stripers attack and splash the water with a vengeance. You can see this splashing from a long distance. We pay attention to which direction the school of fish is moving. This is stealth fishing. Slowly motor your boat towards the action. Careful not to spook the bait. We position the boat in front of the school and they come towards you. We cast large top water plugs that swim like a crippled bait. The plug pops and rattles and the stripers strike. Then the fight is on! Most times this is relatively close to your boat. Hold on, keep a tight line and reel fast. If your catch is stripping the line, you can stop reeling. Be ready to reel as soon as the fish allows.
After an hour or so of top water action slows and the fish sound. They stay grouped up and change techniques. We start slabbing. A slab is a lead spoon. We drop and let it fall to the bottom. Sometimes the fish will strike on the fall of the slab. Keep your thumb near the reels spool. Be prepared to thumb the spool and turn the handle to engage the reel. Then on the retrieve the striper will strike hard and almost set the hook themselves.
Stripers are excellent table fare. A white flakey mild meat that can be prepared an assorted number of ways. The crappie is the walleye of the South. Both considered a delicacy, I will put the striper right between them as a tasty, superb, and wonderful meal.
People often ask us, Can we catch them ourselves? Sure, you can! You can catch these fighting line sides several ways. We advise newbies that trolling is a great way to locate and catch fish. Live bait bottom fishing is what most guides opt for and the most popular method of catching. We at Striper Express uses artificial lures. You are casting, setting the hook, and fighting the fish to the finish. All three ways are great ways to catch these excellent game fish. There are lots of local pro fishing guides on the lake. Chartering a guide is a sure path to success. You can surf the internet or call the many Chamber of Commerce around the lake. The people (pro-guides) that are fishing daily know the fishing patterns. You are invited to come fishing on The Striper Capital of the World. Good luck and take a kid fishing.
Bill Carey
Striper Express
