I recently fished Lake Ouachita and got into a situation that I need someone experienced to help me with. I normally largemouth fish but I will dabble with stripers when the chance presents itself. So I'm fishing a point and all around me I have stripers breaking water and chasing small shad. In the past I was able to throw almost anything at the spot the striper had just broke water and could get bit. This time I spent at least 3 hours throwing everything except my shoes at them and got zero bites. What should I have used in that situation? The stripers varied in size from about 2lbs to well over 20lbs. Water is clear on the lake and depth ranged from 15ft up to 70ft the bait fish were small and in huge schools.

Did you try a small spinner bait? Same size as the shad.

I did throw a road runner

Lipless crank bait, small crank bait or a swim bait. If they don't hit one of those, just tip your hat.

A #1 Mepps spinner or small crappie jig.

I try to throw something the same size as the bait they are chasing…

I think your biggest issue is that particular lake, it is very difficult to catch stripers on artificials with that clear water

That’s a good point! We catch them in Texoma trolling Captain Mack’s umbrella rigs but I normally fish 17lb fluorocarbon as sometimes striper can be line shy…

Light long spinning rod with light braid, 12lb flouro leader to throw a long way and clear zman minnowz on 1/4oz head if that clear of water and feeding on small bait.

a weighed casting cork ( there use to be one marked as " the Launcher " ) with small white fly , an inch or shorter , tied with a stout hook.

Back in the day when Palestine received heavy stockings of hybrids , they would chase baby shad and would not bite a normal sized bait.

MO

I did try all those. In previous years I was able to get bit more easily. This time they kicked my butt

Use a spinning rod and burn a weightless 3'' metallic silver tube. Ran into the same situation on Lake Mead, NV. many times and killed them.

I ran into the same situation with Hybrids on Cooper lake this summer. Mega explosions, all around me at the end of a cast. But everything I threw didn't produce anything.. It was very sporadic all around me, and It was impressive but we never hooked up one of them big girls.

Sometimes it's just the speed that your fishing and not what you're throwing in real clear water. Throw a small topwater (clear spook jr or even a clear tiny torpedo) and twitch it fast. If they don't get a good look at it, but it's making a commotioin on top they'll whack it.

You can still buy them.

http://www.roosterstackle.com/terminal-tackle/corks-floats/the-launcher-casting