I would like to get some skipjack to use for bait. I live in Clanton and fish Lake Mitchell. In my many years of fishing I have gotten one skipjack, or that is what someone told me it was. I don't want to travel a long distance to unknown waters to try to get some. Can anyone help me?

LOCK 17 ID FULL OF SKIPJACK. BIGUNS TOO

Been catching them lately?

Caught some a few weeks ago on a spoon.

I catch them below Wheeler dam, bit far for you but I think the waters below any dam should work. I catch them from the bank on a crappie jig on heavy line and a stiff rod. I tie a half ounce weight about 10 inches below the bait and work it in fast jerks as fast as possible. They hit it on the jerk. They want something that flashes by fast.

When I hook one I basically skim him across the water and jerk him out onto the bank as fast as possible. They will throw a hook in about 5 seconds.

I usually catch 50-100 every time I go and use them for bait when I jug fish.

RHClark, do you know if the guys who used to catch skipjack and clean them for guts to package and sell still operate over there below Wheeler?

It's been several years since I've been fishing there below the dam but they used to catch skips, either with a net or Sabiki rig (like you described) and then remove the gut sack, package it, and toss the rest back into the river. Seems there was a little table in the parking lot or something where they'd work.

Just curious.

Don't know my friend. I just make a couple trips a year and I scale, fillet, and cut in chunks and freeze a gallon for jug bait. I think I have 6-8 gallons frozen right now. I run 50-80 jugs at a time.

IDK where to find em in your neck of the woods, but as mentioned above, a tailrace is a good bet. We catch them below Guntersville Dam on Chrome or white Foley Spoons or rooster tails. Make long casts into the edge of the swiftest current, and as soon as it hits the water, rip it back to you just nearly as fast as you can. RH Clark is right. They will throw a lure quick.

We catch a lot on wheeler. It is fun to take a alabama rig with spoons or grubsand load it up with them.

It's been several years ago.... bunch of us would fish below Walter Bouldin Dam and wear the skipjack out. Bouldin is located on the canal out of Lake Jordan.

I usually go below Mitchell Dam on the Coosa River. Like I said, in all the years that I have been there I have caught one skipjack. I just don't think that there are any skipjack there to catch. Has anyone caught any on the Coosa River?

Oh yeah there's a ton of them. They run in the spring and get thick up there

I am renewing my quest for some skipjack.
If anyone is going to get some skipjack in the next month or two I would love to go with you and learn how to catch them.
I want to freeze some and use them for jug fishing bait.
I live in Clanton, but I am willing to drive a couple of hours.

If you want to take a long trip I can make arrangements one weekend.