I found a good spot on the Trinity in DFW, backwater with no flow. Shad were popping everywhere and I could watch fish chasing them. I threw a small rattletrap, shad swimbait, and inline spinner. Caught a good largemouth, 1 sand bass, and a small stripper all on the spinner. Could see schools and some bigger strippers in shallow water so I know they were there. I should have been able to pound the sandies but I've never fished for them with lures before, only minnows growing up. Any suggestions?

Use a #2 silver Mepps Aglia plain spinner on light spinning tackle with 6 to 10 lb line. Cast and let bait sink about half way to bottom then reel in keeping rod low and bait moving fast enough to stay off the bottom, which I assume will be quite trashy in the river. The bait will spin easier if you put a very slight bend in the wire. This works in running water as well - I've caught them this way below the dams at Texoma, Livingston and Eagle Mountain lakes. Good luck!

I don't want to second guess you but are you sure you saw stripers or could it have been carp or gar? A lot of folks see carp splashing and get lured in...

It was a mix. Saw a 4ft gar surface multiple times. Saw multiple strippers hit the surface and tail whip close enough to see white, and did catch largemouth, sand, and stripped... just one of each and not what I expected with all the activity.

usually for strippers down around the trinity you can just dangle a little hot dog and you should be in business. If that doesn't work go flashy, the shinier, the better.