Stripers in the fall can be a great way to have a chance to catch a really big fish. And yet with all the information available on this great salt water giant, many anglers give up. But during the early fall and winter months, stripers are very hungry and will attack almost anything that resembles food. As soon as the lakes in the south go through "turnover", the striper is already looking for lots of food. The turnover effect occurs when the cooler water below the surface of the lakes, floats to the surface. This cooler water mixes with the surface water and all the depths of the lake will be the same temperature. Over the last few years, many striper experts and guides have learned to pattern these great fish. And what they have learned can benefit all anglers looking for a really great experience.

The striper goes through a lot of stress and looses a great deal of weight every summer. These are transplanted fish and they are not accustom to such weight loss. Once the waters begin to cool down, these fish being very sensitive to temperatures, and begin to feed. But a lot of anglers may not know this is happening unless these fish chase shad to the surface and marauding stripers are seen and caught on the surface.

Stripers are also very sensitive to light and in the fall and winter months, these fish will feed a lot a night. The striper spends almost all of the summer months in the deeper parts of the lakes because these deeper waters are cooler. Once the cooling water moves in, the males are the first ones to move shallow at night and early in the day to feed. The larger females will stay off the banks until the water temperature drops in the mid to lower 60's. This is when the dinner bell rings and lots of bigger fish move shallow to feed on any and everything in sight.

The striper will head from the standing timber in most lakes up to the closest point of land. This point is almost always very long and they use it as a highway back and forth looking for food. In the fall, there are lots of windy days as fronts cross the area. And the wind can be the striper fisherman's best friend.

The huge schools of bait fish in most lakes are not capable of fighting the high winds, and the stripers know to look for this to happen. The bait fish are pushed into coves, cuts and across points in huge schools. The days that the wind does not blow may not be as productive as the shad will move from their forced locations. When the time is right and the stripers head into the shallows for food, the shelter of darkness gives these fish lots of advantages over the bait fish. The striper has a very keen sense of smell and hearing. This fish can find food in the dark just from the movement of a school of shad moving through the water. And once the shad are located, these fish will tear a school up in short order.

For the beginning striper angler after a great fish there are a few important things to keep in mind. The nights in the fall and winter months offer lots of hazards on the water. It is bet to fish with a partner, and never alone. Also the clothing for these cold nights needs as much attention as the tackle. Warm boots and socks and even a snow mobile suit can make this trip bearable.

And don't forget a warm hat.

The tackle can be as simple as a strong heavy duty bait casting rod and 20 pound test line. These fish cannot see the line and the size of the line is not as critical as finding the fish to start with. Lures can be large buck tail jigs and large long lures for casting. The Bomber Long "A" style lures in many colors can produce a strike.

Once all the gear is ready, be sure the lights on the boat work. The rule is you must have a light on at night at all times. So hit the water an hour before dark and let your eyes get use to the darkness as it falls and head for the windy blown banks. Big stripers are out there for the avid angler.