Hybrids on the fly?

[streamerguy]

Any of you guys target hybrid stripers? This past weekend I fished the Shenango River for a little while. Picked up some trout, a smallmouth, and a decent perch on buggers. Also decided to fish directly below the dam, didn't have any more luck fly fishing, but got out the spinning outfit and ended up hooking into 4 big hybrids! Only landed 2, but they definitely made my day. Great fighters, kinda a mix between a steelhead and a big smallmouth. Planning on tyin up some big baitfish patterns, really want to get one on the fly now!

 

[Mike]

It can readily be done at Blue Marsh Lake, Berks Co. The fish come very close to shore on small and large, featureless flats. In fact, they are exhibiting this behavior now and will be for the next month. Best time to have a good chance with a fly.

 

[Fishidiot]

Streamerguy,
While hybrid stripers ("wipers" as they're often called) aren't a fish I target often, they're very easy to catch on fly gear if you can merely locate them. Try the same spot you caught these guys sometime soon (don't wait for the water to warm much) and use a fly that approximates the lure or bait you used and I'll bet you'll have some success. They're mainly a roaming school fish that feed on schooling fish like shad by driving them to the surface. A large white streamer fished high in the water column would be my first choice.

 

[ryguyfi]

It's been a while since I fished that area up on the Shenango, but the fish are there. The month of May seems to be good for them in the river systems. There's a dam by me in Industry that I've fished for them many times with spinning gear. No room to cast with a rock ledge behind. Have seen guys hook fish after fish before when you catch the fish on the move. They're lots of fun to catch with a nice fight too. May have to revisit that spot again this year.

 

[sandfly]

tioga and hammond lakes have them here along with the tioga river, The chemung river has them as well. Been chasin the here since I moved here..

 

[streamerguy]

Thanks for the tips. Yeah they seemed pretty easy to catch, once I found them of course. The same with white bass, once I located a bunch they hit anything that immitated a minnow.

I'll be fishing the western PA and Ohio waterways for them, might even try out the Ohio river this spring and summer, but thanks for the other location suggestions.

What size flies do you usually tie for them? I actually caught them on live minnows, and did try some bigger lures(and flies) and couldn't get a bite. Maybe there just weren't any fish in that area at the time.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

That is awesome and thanks for the info Mike.

 

[marcq]

What weight rod would use for the hybrids?

 

[sandfly]

I use an orvis 9' 8wt. T-3 with shooting heads.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

I use an orvis 9' 8wt. T-3 with shooting heads.

Sandy,

What would be an 8wt you would consider to have more "flex" to them than most 8wts? I ask because I like rods with some bend.

It always seemed to me that most larger wt flyrods I have cast, are a bit stiff for my liking.

Again OP, those are awesome fish man. They had to be a blast to catch!

 

[The_Sasquatch]

Oh man; Sal we need to get up to Blue Marsh!

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

Once I get a boat and a bigger rod andy i do believe I might try for these guys.

 

[wgmiller]

Kayak...

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

You just want to see me swim ;-)

I would love a yak but the first boat is going to be STABLE. Kids like stability ;-) Something wider lol.

 

[just_jon]

I've fished for them quite extensively on Raystown using gizzard shad and alewife imitations. I use an Orvis Hrdros 9 ft 8 wt. best results agave been at dawn and dusk when the fish are chasing baitfish up into the shallows. All of the fish I've caught over the years have been under 15 pounds. Cannot wait to get one of the big bows, but I'm afraid my heart may not take it. Time to get the boat tuned up and ready to hit the road. So few weekend, so many places to fish.

 

[sandfly]

The typical size of hybrids
caught by fishermen generally ranges
from 2 to 5 pounds, but fish in
the 10 to 15 pound range are not uncommon.
The usual life span of
hybrid striped bass is 5 to 6 years--
more similar to white bass than to
striped bass (30 to 40 years).
The growth rate of hybrid striped

 

[1wt]

In Feb and March 2012, and for the past ten years, I was smackin' the wipers almost every time I went to Brunners' Island (warmwater discharge) in the Susquehanna.
For some strange reason, they stopped the warm water from going into the river and the fishing slowed down big time.
I used a 6wt with a sink line and white 2" streamers..... a small Deceiver.
"Leaky" lives near there, and he also noted that nobody goes there anymore! That was a winter time paradise??

 

[The_Sasquatch]

salvelinusfontinalis wrote:
You just want to see me swim ;-)

I would love a yak but the first boat is going to be STABLE. Kids like stability ;-) Something wider lol.

Also, your fat friend likes stability.