New Hogan Lake Striper Fishing: Sunday 12/20

Hi All, so my 12 year old and I are looking at heading out to New Hogan Lake on this coming Sunday. Call me crazy, but we are going to go out rain or shine (a new friend told me that the best fishing is when it is raining . It will be cold, and it will be raining on and off. We will be trying to get there in the morning and fish as long as we can hang it. Rain gear and warm clothes will be needed for sure. 

Target:  Stripers, but we will also see if we can convince any salmonoid to bite too  

Hope to have some company. Yes, you have to be a bit crazy to join us, but we are in for some punishment 

Any tips are welcome, its our first time out there.

-Quinn Sr. & Q (my son)

Good luck!

What tackle do you recommend if I join you guys?

Leave the salmonoid tackle at home, you wont need it. I haven't fished for stripers much there, but when I have blue/silver lures worked best. I've heard of people using castmasters since the bait there tends to be on the small side.

The water is super low and the mud is really thick. It's best to drive your car as close to the water as possible and launch. Anchovies and sardines works best at night. During the day i've hooked mostly trolling with rattle traps. good luck

Most productive lure is a black and white thinfin shad.

What tackle do you recommend if I join you guys?

Hi Jerry, based on the advice below, I guess we are leaving trout gear behind. We will bring lighter tackle and castmasters, rapalas, a few hair jigs, small jigs, and some minnows. Also, maybe some dead bait too.

We will go with smaller lures for sure....

-Quinn

Most productive lure is a black and white thinfin shad.

Great tip! Thank you Brian!

Also, thank you Allen and Racer!

-Quinn

Call me crazy, by my 12 year old and I will be on the lake at daybreak tomorrow. All welcome to join. We will try to get as possible to the water and will be in a white 4 runner and on channel 69.

All welcome.

Cheers,

-Quinn

A rigs do well there also. And keep a top water lure tied for those boils

Wanted to say thank you for everyone's tips! We did make it out there today. Launched a bit after 7. Breeze was already there and it was in the high 30's but thanks to a previous life, I have a lot of good outdoor gear and we put it to use.

There were no magic boils and barely anyone there. We drifted down to the main bay with rapalas, castmasters, rattle traps, and a few other things. I got the first hookup and was hopeful my boy would catch one. No such luck. Things calmed for a few and we had a perfect bay and fish were starting to surface. The winds killed that, but I got another striper, and again, my kid got zilch.

A good day to learn. My son is saying that stripers are now his nemesis. I have to laugh, but he is taking it pretty serious and looking for our next trip out....

Enjoy the pictures. 

-Quinn Sr. & Quinn Jr.

Good see you got a couple. Those lake sized ones are good eats to boot.

Congrats on the catch Quinn! Always a nice time when you can spend some quality time with your son.  Lovin' the Hobie's.  (jealous)

Great photos!  I remember my boys wanting to go fishing and hunting with me.  Then they turned 13 and discovered girls, preferred to sleep in(til noon!) and hated that we had to get up early and it was cold to hunt or fish.  Ha!  They are now over 30 and the only thing that's changed is that they now drink my beer!  Ha! 

But they still remember the fun times we had.  You are making great memories with him.