Striper fish Arthur

Went striper  fishing on Saturday night.  I will have to say it SUCKED the monster ++++  I have never seen so many SHCMUCKS and boats on the water at one time !!! Between all the simple A** throwing cast nets and anchoring within 30 feet of another boat. And thinking it's fine. Made the mistake of taking some fool earlier   that GPS every spot we fished and must have posted the numbers. Because both of them spots look like a freaking light show. The funny part about it ,I took him to very known place on the lake.  On the other hand I did catch a couple hand full of stripers and a few bass.  It looks like I am done fishing at night !!  I counted over  150 boats from three spots fishing that night.  Alright I'm done ranting  LOL   Dave 

I missed this thread.  My response to the other thread would have fit in much better here, but likely would have quoted Blue's perch pack reference (exactly what I was thinking when motoring past). 
 
I'm guessing most didn't catch many if any.  By 2AM, there were maybe 10 boats left on the lake (obviously I couldn't see the whole lake), but a fraction of what was out at 10PM.  Take 2-3 trips, loading and unloading a boat, to get skunked and in bed around 3AM, and it's not that fun of a deal.  The fish are down right horrible eating if you don't take the hour or longer to clean every bit of red meat out (not the most fun thing to do at 3AM or chance a possibly rotten fish waiting for when you wake up).  Luckily that is the case, since they are a limited resource and C&R is encouraged.  If these were walleye, we'd be in trouble.  I'm sure many will figure it isn't really that worth it to them after a trip or two, even if they do land some.  Others are hooked, but I think that is a fraction of the crowd out Saturday.

BIGHEAD_1
I didn't mention anything about the SCHMUCKS taking fish, But since you did. Yeah it is not very smart to take a 2 fish limit every time out. They only stock about 4300 fry's to fingers and somehow think maybe  a third of make it MAYBE. Now walleye is a different story where they stock  millions almost every year. Go to the park office and pick up a stocking list ( They are on the wall to left when you walk in ) Not mention the monster pile of channel cats

Millions?? I must be missing something, I know Pymie gets over a million, but the most Arthur has ever received since 2006 is 194,000 Fingerling and that # has dipped as low as 48,000 years in between, last year (2013) got 144,000 that's a good sign. Channel cats have shown to have no problem reproducing at Arthur, Frankly I think the lake is over populated with them and IMO the PFBC should stop stocking them.
16,000 fingerling of wipers are stocked pretty much yearly, They must get a nice return because there are good numbers to be had all over the lake.
 
I'm not doubting your numbers, but is the list you saw from the pfbc, or are there privately funded stockings as well on that list?
 
Blue

Wipers are a double edged sword when it comes to stocking.  Just about any fish that fits in their mouths, is now forage.  I'd wager a guess that a large chunk of those wiper fingerlings that don't make it, have fallen prey to their own.  Pobably why most of those walleye don't make it to my cooler too.  I'm excited to see those 140k mature...  I'd be kind of sad, but would get over it pretty quick if they stopped stocking wipers and replaced with huge walleye stocking.  Although, I am sure the light show would be even more if that happened.  
 

 In 3-4 weeks the Fire Flies (Lighting Bugs) will be mating down there. Best light show I've ever seen. Good to see people getting outdoors & enjoying the park in my book. Still never had a problem with another boat at night down there, in fact lucky for me to see a couple a night in a distance.
 
crappy

BIGHEAD_1
Blue millions is  A FACT GO GET ONE it shows stocking from the beginning  more than quite a few  million since they started stock walleye's !!  H3  I'll have to say I have seen quite a few boats drag rocks.  Pork I'm sure some is the case.  Spread?  how many stripers do you catch? how many were gut hook? Hope you took those ones, But if not they were floating in the morning.   

lol, sad story when it's a few million as far back as you can count. When pymie gets over a million yearly so by comparison the 48000 yearly they normally put in is nothing. I do think the 140k is a solid number for moraine if it happened yearly.

I also schmuck it up with a cast net, especially at certain times of the year.  I can't remember the last gut hooked wiper that I have seen, or floaters for that matter.  I've had a few get a stray treble hook in the eye or gills from stick baits.  They usually spit the alewive if you don't set it pretty quickly.  Nothing like how they strike stick baits, which by far is my favorite way to catch them.  If they're not hitting the sticks and whoever I am fishing with is hooking up on alewives, I have no issues switching. 
 
I'm with Bighead on guys that feel the need to harvest every fish (limit) every time out.  I don't have any issue with guys keeping a few per year, but keeping a limit every time out is not good for a fishery that relies on limited stocking.  The past few years, I have definitely noticed the smaller fish being more present.  Not sure if that is just a coincidence or from more larger ones being filleted? 

 Did see one boat last night but it just kept on going & going
Pork,
Once July hits the boaters float 'em if they lett'em'goe.
crappy

http://www.bigindianabass.com/big_indiana_bass/2013/04/wiper-release-mortality-study.html
 
Looks like I'll focus more on panfish when it gets hot.  I'm usually pulling 60-70 hour weeks during late July through Sept, and not getting much lake time anyway.

Good article Porktown. Will keep that in mind.

I feel your pain. However I think there is a healthy wiper population. Last year this time I had landed close to triple digits. This year I havent cracked 50. This year has been very slow on the nights I've gone, though I have not been able to get out on a very good night. I stay away on weekends, learned my lesson with that about 3 years ago, Always stay away the weekend of Memorial day and the following weekend after.