# Shenango Lake striper



## chaunc

Got out one day last week to do some crappie fishing with jigs and bobbers. Got a few nice crappies but they weren’t stacked shallow like the previous week. Decided to try deeper. Setup on some brushpiles in 17ft and started hang gliding baby shads on 1/8 oz heads tipped with nibbles. The bite was good. Could have kept a limit but didn’t want to clean twenty fish. Put on an acme spoon and started verticals jigging. This 21 inch striper slammed it and tried to take me for a ride. Five minutes later it was in the boat. Hope to get out Wednesday and Thursday for a few hours before I put the boat away for the season.


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## Mickey

Great pics! Got to ask you Chaunc. I have yet to keep a wiper and have never fished where there are stripers. Reason for not keeping a wiper is I don't care much for the taste of white bass and don't like to kill a game fish and not make use of it. You or any others have an opinion on whether they have a strong flavor? Thanks.


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## miked913

Mickey said:


> Great pics! Got to ask you Chaunc. I have yet to keep a wiper and have never fished where there are stripers. Reason for not keeping a wiper is I don't care much for the taste of white bass and don't like to kill a game fish and not make use of it. You or any others have an opinion on whether they have a strong flavor? Thanks.


If you zipper them and cut all the red meat off of them so you are just preparing pure white fillets, it is some of the best, firm, flaky fish out there. That red layer of flesh is only like 1/16" thick, shave it off with a sharp knife and try it! I don't feel that it freezes well and always eat them fresh, treat all 3, white bass, striped bass and wipers the same. White bass especially were created for fish tacos they're fantastic!

reelylivinsportfishing.com


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## matticito

Nice chunky fish!


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## chaunc

Just as Miked913 said. My secret is when you’re taking the fillet from the skin, don’t cut too deep. You’ll leave 95% of the red meat on the skin. Very little trimming then. I like them fresh. I won’t keep them to freeze. I cut mine into one inch chunks and deep fry em.


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## Doboy

"You or any others have an opinion on whether they have a strong flavor? Thanks."


Brine & SMOKE 'EM.











Trail Food.


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## Ravbuck

I have striper fished at lake Cumberland for over 20 years and the only time that I believe that the striper taste strong is when they get big. 18lbs and up. I put them on ice immediately after catching. Sometimes I bleed them. I filet them the same way Chaunc described. I then take the fillet and and trim the dark red vein out of the center of the fillet. You end up with a small thinner fillet that was close to the belly and a thicker fillet from the back. Both pieces should not include any red meat. If I am going to fry, I butterfly the thicker fillets so that they all cook about the same time as the thinner piece. I freeze fillets in water filled zip lock lunch bags. I have had them frozen for two years and i did not notice a difference. I love cooking them on the grill on a piece of aluminum foil. I grease the foil, rub a little olive oil on the fillet and add Cajun or lemon pepper seasoning. Close the lid until the fillet flakes with a fork.


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## chaunc

Went out last Friday and had a good day. Got a limit of crappies and five big white bass. I kept six big crappies and gave my neighbor all the rest of the fish. Got some deep and some as shallow as five feet on a jig and bobber. Beautiful day with sun and no winds.


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## Saugeye Tom

Texture of a tender chicken breast absolutely delicious


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## Ravbuck

Chaunc, I got to thinking after your last post, white bass I will NOT freeze. Stripers I have had no issues with. You should freeze a small bag of your next catch as a test, just make sure that all red meat has been removed. I think you will enjoy the results. I have also read that on a large striper you can add chunks of fillets to boiling water, remove, and then Ice. Dip in coattail sauce and supposedly they taste like shrimp.


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## chaunc

I’ll vacuum seal the next ones I fillet and see how they taste in a couple months. Never cared to try the poor man’s lobster recipe.


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## c. j. stone

Ravbuck said:


> Chaunc, I got to thinking after your last post, white bass I will NOT freeze. Stripers I have had no issues with. You should freeze a small bag of your next catch as a test, just make sure that all red meat has been removed. I think you will enjoy the results. I have also read that on a large striper you can add chunks of fillets to boiling water, remove, and then Ice. Dip in coattail sauce and supposedly they taste like shrimp.


Surprisingly, the common fresh water drum(Yep-“Sheephead”!), is great(and quite abundant!) for the last recipe above!-also, fish chowder! Nice, firm, white filets(don’t even “think“ about the turned down mouth! They Are Not “bottom feeders”!). Their close relatives, redfish, are the salt water version and considered a “delicacy” in Southern States!


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## loves2fishinohio

c. j. stone said:


> Surprisingly, the common fresh water drum(Yep-“Sheephead”!), is great(and quite abundant!) for the last recipe above!-also, fish chowder! Nice, firm, white filets(don’t even “think“ about the turned down mouth! They Are Not “bottom feeders”!). Their close relatives, redfish, are the salt water version and considered a “delicacy” in Southern States!


They are more closely related to the saltwater black drum than redfish. Both look similar. Redfish are considered game fish and protected by slot limits. Black drum tend to get worms as well. I've never cleaned a redfish that had worms in the flesh. It's not bad, but there are tastier saltwater fish in my opinion. Give me any variety of snapper or grouper any day!


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