Light Tackle Stripers on Lake Hickory
By Tyler Rose
Who
Late winter bass fishing on Lake Hickory often involves the rhythmic twitches and pauses of suspended jerkbaits, bone jarring strikes, ripping drags, and the realization that the angler has hooked into a different species of bass altogether. While many tournament bass anglers are quick to dismiss any fish that cannot win them money as an unwelcome bycatch; casting for striped bass on light tackle can be some of the most exciting action that Lake Hickory has to offer.
What and Where
For those anglers that are open to the idea of running into this hard fighting “bycatch” more often, you will want to focus your efforts around areas that attract large quantities of shad, the main forage fish of Lake Hickory. In particular, the steep banks around the Rhodhiss dam, main lake points, steep bluffs, and creek mouths along the lower end of the lake provide ample depth and cover for baitfish to congregate. Striped bass are opportunistic feeders that ambush schools of shad from below, meaning you will want to fish areas that drop off into at least ten to fifteen feet of water. The steeper the drop, the easier it is for a striper to feed.
When and Why
Late February and early March can be a tough time to dial in a consistent pattern for largemouth bass on Lake Hickory. Fluctuations in water temperatures often leave largemouth with lockjaw and anglers wondering whether they should stick to traditional winter patterns, or start looking for fish sunning themselves along shallower banks. Striped bass are an anadromous fish that naturally lives in saltwater and breeds in freshwater. While the stripers that are stocked in Lake Hickory have never seen the ocean, their semi-pelagic tendencies are embedded in their genetics make for consistent feeding habits, hard fights on light tackle, and excellent table fare.
How
Matching the hatch is key when targeting stripers, and anglers can find success on shad colored suspending jerkbaits. Most of the shad in Lake Hickory are three to four inches in length, making the Lucky Craft Pointer, Rapala X-rap, and Jackall Squad Minnow popular choices. These light jerkbaits can be easily thrown on spinning tackle and can be a great way of hooking a child angler up with a fish nearly as long as they are tall. For areas with deep submerged cover, Alabama Rigs full of paddle tail swimbaits and fished on heavier line are more appropriate. Remember to always have at least two rods rigged and ready as schools of striped bass will often quickly break the surface to feed no matter how cold the water gets.
Whether you are an angler with no trolling gear that wants to catch a striper or a bass fisherman that wishes to spice up winter fishing, Lake Hickory provides excellent opportunity for late winter striper fishing. So go on ahead and get out there! You might just be lucky enough to have the most fun you never knew you could have on bass tackle.
Tyler Rose is a sophomore English major at North Carolina State University, but more importantly he grew up within walking distance of Lake Hickory.