Stripers in my Redeye Creeks

Finally got to make a trip back home near the Tall. NF and tried catching
some Redeyes. Ended up catching Stripers. I been fishing this creek for
25 yrs. and this is the first time I've caught Stripers. All were about 2-3lbs.
Anybody else seen this?

Not in creeks but in the coosa river the striper numbers are unbeleivable and they are on places we have never caught them before. Not sure why or how there are suddenly so many

Alabama power killed a bunch of the big stripe 2 years ago and i believe there has been a bunch of em restocked recently.

Catfish Dave just released Heartbreak Ledge. All he caught was 6 stripers that went from 15 to 35 lbs. I would love to hook one some day.

I don't mind catching Stripers but I'm afraid they're eating up all my Redeyes food.
The little creek I was in was loaded with them, and I didn't catch one Redeye.

That's a little concerning. I study redeye bass, PM me any info you're willing to share and I can look into it.

There are studies about Stripers impact on Shad, Crappie and some other species in Alabama waters and according to state biologists they have little to no negative effect. I know that much of the effort was concentrated around Weiss Lake though. I do know that Stripers have been making spawning runs up into small creeks since well before lakes were impounded. In the summer when water temperatures soar they also seek out cool water refuges like spring fed creeks and deep holes in clear lakes. Now I guess something could have changed but that seems like normal behavior to me.

It' just odd for me, having fished this drainage for 25 years and have never caught any till now. And it's a small place, competition being pretty fierce as it is.
I've caught stripers in creeks before, just not this one and not so far away from the river.

They been stocking. There’s more of em.
I’m not sure of the timing on when they sposed to run up creeks.

If they're not already in your selected coldwater creek, they will be within a few weeks.

Stripers out of Weiss go up into LRC every year and I've never noticed any negative effects on the redeye population.

2 of the 8 Stripers I caught had crawfish claws sticking out of their throats.
No way will I believe there is no affect on the Redeye population.

Stob, how big is the creek? There used to be an annual run of white bass up into Hatchet creek in the spring, and I've heard of a few stripers being caught during that. You can also catch stripers at the first shoal on Hillabee creek on Lake Martin, but the season for that is long over.

I've never heard of stripers being way up a small creek this late in the year. I think it would indeed be a reason to be concerned about the red-eye in it. The smaller creeks only have so much available food anyway, and a 3 lb striper could eat all but the biggest red-eye. I wouldn't think that any study done on reservoir stripers would apply to a small creek.

Yes, Preacher. Its the forage depletion that would be the concern.
That, on top of I did not catch 1 Redeye. Usually a gimme to catch a few.

i know a creek on Neely that is full of stripers and sometimes they are huge.

Yep, Logan Martin and Weiss too. And way up in there where people don't take their fiberglass bass boats. I used to catch them in June and July in a few creeks that the only option was to float it downstream because to run upstream you would have to get out and wade upstream pulling the boat (aluminum jon) as you go in several places to get to the holes where the big ones hung out. That's just too much work for my old fat azz now.

Y'all are getting me excited now! While I don't like them on my redeye creeks, I still have yet to catch one on a fly rod!

Stripers on a fly??? several ways to do it

below Logan Martin dam in summer with NO gates open. Slow fish a deer hair bug on the surface and tape yer hand to the rod!!!! This is NOT for the weak at heart!!!

above Logan Martin dam in winter at the inflow grates. Sinking line, 4" crystal minnow fly and HOLD ON. Have caught fish to 25 pounds

below Logan Martin in spring with current running, throw floating or sink tip line and big white streamers(think salt water).

I was thinking more in the creeks during the summer.

the summer creek fish are hard to catch on any artificial , most successful folks use live shad. Think hot slow water.

They were tearing up a Rebel Wee Craw. Quite a fight on 4lb UL spinning.