Raystown Stripers\Lakers

Hey all,
 
I am making a trip with my father and brother in law on June 10th.  I'd like to target Stripers and Lakers.  Last year I took a charter and I should have asked more questions.  The charter used live Alewives, caught the night before.  I will probably try this as well, after I buy a cast net permit, but am unsure as if they will live in a 5 gal bucket with aerator.
 
Are there are spoons, jigs, etc you have used with any success?  Last year we fished in 40 FOW, but the bait was pretty much on top of the water.  I am looking for alternative ways to target these fish.  (I may even try to meet up with the charter captain).
 
Also - Any one doing good on crappies?

I am also going up this weekend. Fish being caught now down near the dam both on topwaters and trolling spoons, bucktail jigs or live bait. After dark is a good time to find them blowing up on bait and get them on the top. During the day try and mark the bait and troll that depth, stripes will be cruising at the same depth. You don't need the live bait to get them. Most of the full time guides rely on lures and don't bother much with live bait as it is more hassle than what it is worth, really. You will see bait on top sometimes during the day, but usually the boat traffic keeps the stripers deep until night when it subsides. Sometimes a cloudy or rainy day with lighter than average boat traffic you can still find them on top...esp later in the fakll or early spring. usually summer early and late or at night is rule of thumb. Good luck!

Tex -
 
I've tried keeping alewifes alive over night in a 5 gallon bucket, and didn't work.  I even tried using a mesh nylon laundry bag with a frame that I put in, to keep it cylindrical, which didn't work.  I'm sure if you only have a few, with an areator, it may work though.  I'd suggest a larger bucket.  I had one of those tubs that are often used for beer kegs.  I never used it for alewifes, but had used it for gizzard shad.  They seemed to last a little better with more water.  Just make sure it is a cylider, as they'll put themselves into a corner and sufficate.  Let me know if you have any luck keeping them and what you did.
 
Sounds like a fun trip.  Good luck!
 
PT

Hi Everyone. We had a good day on Raystown yesterday throwing alittle of everything at the Bass. Flukes were the bait of the day. Fish the weed beds early. We landed about ten nice bass, mostly largemouth, and a few smallies. Ten fish is a good day on the dead sea as far as I am concerned. They are catching a few Stripers and Lake Trout. You usually can't go wrong with the SHad and Alewife, but as mentioned in the other post it is hard to keep them alive unless you have a bait tank. Try pulling Umbrella rigs, but remember you can only have three (3) hooks on a umbrella rig. Spoons are taking Lake Trout but I don't know how deep they are trolling for them. Hopefully this has been informative and I will continue to post as I fish the lake or get good reliable info. God Bless...

Here's the final report:
 
Arrived Wednesday Noon, set up camp, rained hard in the afternoon\evening - NO FISHING
Thursday morning - trolled for Striper- NO FISH
Thursday evening - Fished the shoreline for bass - caught 6 but all under 12"
Friday Morning - slept in
Friday evening - Fished with son for bluegill\bass\etc - caught 120 total mostly very small blue gills, with an occasional rock bass, and a nice 11" perch. 
Saturday AM - trolled for striper - Only caught an 18" Lake Trout (first one).
Saturday PM - Didn't fish - tired of getting beat up by the weekend pleasure boaters
Sunday - tore down camp and went home.
 
All in all a fun trip, but dissapointed I didn't get into any striper action.  Guides said the striper fishing definitely slowed down.  I saw one caught while I was trolling.  I never did get to try catch bait fish.  Too tired by the end of the day.
 
Steel, did you do any good?

We were at mm 2 to dam.  Ya, I shoulda done the night bite.  I am heading back on July 5-12, so that is a definite.  Just myself and Misty (trusting companion yellow lab). 

Anyone know what the striper charters are running or have a link to a decent/reputable guide for Raystown?  In-laws live in Ebensburg and I have always wanted to hit the stripers on Raystown.  Might even be able to talk my wife into going if the MIL will babysit the kids.

My bud only boated one in four days of fishing. Grace was pulling those midget wobblers...good luck finding them, they are discontinued (why?) and stocks bought out quickly. Fish were shallow with cline around 12 feet....too shallow for down riggers you have to be running boards out a good ways from the boat not to spook them. To the guy that asked about the guide, I'd have to say Grace (striper-guide.com)or Steve Hart. I've been with both and they are great guys. Rates are very reasonable and you have great chance of hooking up. I'd personally choose to avoid Trophy Guide service (Sparky). Too many guys I know were disappointed with them. I have faith the fish will settle into a summer pattern as long as the weather stabilizes soon.

Chicken livers will catch both species...or dead shad on the bottom. Never really targeted cats, but have caught a few nice channels below the hydro plant at the dam. Nobody fishes much for them, but I bet there are some big ones in there. My biggest was about 10 lb.