Fall Striper Fishing

Kowaliga Live Bait and Tackle
Posted: 9/24/2007

There’s more action on Lake Martin as these cool evenings are cooling the water down and the day time highs reaching only around 90. The fishermen are out and the fish are biting! I had a call from Lee Gant from over at Still Waters last week. He was talking Stripers, that’s the only language he knows! This young man is finishing his Masters Degree at Auburn and still has time to fish for Stripers. He reported catching three really nice ones last week weighing in at 22 lb., 32 lb. and 45 lb. He caught these on three different trips. Fish like these will keep you going back. Lee does some part time Striper Guiding and it sounds like he needs to make it full time with catches like these. One of Lee’s observations was how healthy the Stripers are this year. The 45 lb. fish was 44” long, that’s almost one pound per inch. This prompted a call to Jim Parramore, the Striper King on Lake Martin. Last year he and his clients caught over 145 fish weighing between 25 and 40 pounds, with some trips producing up to 54 stripers. Jim explained to me that Lake Martin had a tremendous bait hatch this year that he calls “Bait Malls”. The bait fish don’t have the cover and shallow water as usual since the lake is down so much, so they have been forced out into the deeper water making it much easier for the Stripers to feast! Jim began his guiding career part-time in Smith Lake for ten years. Four years ago he quit his job there to begin full-time guiding here on Lake Martin which he considers to be the best Striper lake in the state. Actually he took this further to say one of the two best in the southeast. When people ask Jim when the best time to catch Stripers on Lake Martin is, he always says, “between right now and this time next year.” Don’t forget to check out the Fall Fever Striper Contest based out of the Kowaliga Live Bait and Tackle to be held during the month of November. Registration is from now through October 31st. Contact me at 334-857-3733 or email me for more info. You can contact me by email at dduck821@windstream.net with your latest best fishing story or any hints you would like to pass along. I would also love to get photos of your biggest catches. Together we’ll fish Lake Martin bringing in those big catches and telling even bigger stories!

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