# Skipjacks are on!!!!



## Abu65 (Apr 17, 2004)

The skips are running good at Meldahl....Abu65


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## lark101_1999 (Apr 12, 2004)

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 counting down till some one rips u for telling lol dosnt make me mad but some will be sending the nasty pms frend got 1 for telling same thing last year


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## Abu65 (Apr 17, 2004)

Are these the same people that will run down there and fill up three coolers? Take what you need leave the rest. Thanks for the warning!


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## truck (Apr 12, 2004)

Don't worry guys with the rain and cooler weather coming in they will shut down quick  Btw they have been in for a week now


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## mrfishohio (Apr 5, 2004)

> Are these the same people that will run down there and fill up three coolers?


Maybe, but the guys who come from hundreds of miles away and stay for a few days to stock up their paylake freezers always show up anyway. I doubt they read these posts here.
It's an interesting sight indeed when you have various anglers casting & deadlining for fish and maybe 20 guys trying for skips. The crossed lines is almost comical...that is if you're not in the frey  
I don't guess it matters, those who know, always know when they come in anyway. I knew they would bust loose anyday, I'd seen some last week and was waiting for the water to clear up.


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## twistertail (Apr 10, 2004)

These are shad right?? You catch these with rod and reel or cast nets? Do you just get them for catfish bait or are they really fun to catch?


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## UFM82 (Apr 6, 2004)

They are excellent bait and if they are big enough, they are a blast to catch. Skippys can get pretty big- I think Doc had some over 20" from the Cumberland before? That would be like catching little tarpons because they are aerial acrobats when hooked. Hooking 4 or 5 on a sabiki at a time can really tug an ultralight. 

They are a skipjack herring, freshwater herring, etc. I do know they die if you even look at them wrong but a 6"-8" skippy is a gourmet treat to a catfish. 

I'm not going to traipse all the way down to Mehldahl to get 'em though. They'll show up around close around here eventually and I'll stock up then. There are zillions of skipjacks in the river- no worries about filling buckets for now. 

UFM82


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## twistertail (Apr 10, 2004)

Thanks for the info. Sounds like it would be fun.


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## mrfishohio (Apr 5, 2004)

I agree...


> Take what you need leave the rest


Most like to fill up a freezer to last the whole season, and if you have friends, you have to get extras for them. So what happens is most everyone gets all they can. Just creates a frenzy at the dam. It's also alot of peoples' fishing hole for saugers, WB & wipers, catfish, etc. So some of them might feel hurt that their favorite spot is posted on the net. Same way I'd feel if someone posted my honey holes at various lakes, rivers. It's not going to change anything. If I go to a spot & see lots of fish caught, let's say right now WB in a creek. I wouldn't post that they are stacked up at ______ because as we know, folks take buckets full of WB out & probably waste tons of them when it gets down to actually cleaning them. I learned that lesson years ago, I kept about 40 just to see how many I could. Well, I wore myself out carrying the stringer out, then after cleaning 15, I swore I'd never do that again, cleaned them all & froze them. 
With skips, I bag & freeze them. So do lots of others, including commercial establishments who sell them for $3.00 each. That will continue. I don't mind if you post a spot, but if you do, then don't be upset if someone posts one of your spots.

I'm not saying what to do or what not to do, I just know there's been alot of talk about posting specific spots. Some agree, some don't, it's just a matter of personal opinion what to post in public forum. Doesn't matter, I've seen lots of "my spots" posted over the years, at various locations. Usually doesn't matter as I'm usually in the river & those spots change/move.
It could be detrimental to a smallie stream though or maybe someone's favorite bass pond.
As Truck mentioned, those who know, already knew anyway. 
Remember.....


> I'm not saying what to do or what not to do


  
Don't want anyone to read something into it that I'm not saying  That being said, _I do_ get a little nervous when I see specific locations posted in public forum. Just sharing a viewpoint, that's all.


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## Fishman (Apr 5, 2004)

I went today, fished 6 hours brought home 2. 

I should also mention that I only caught 2. It's not worth a long haul unless you're close.


Mrfish brings up the best point about the fact that people go and catch these skips and then try to charge us for them.


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## Abu65 (Apr 17, 2004)

I was confused on the topic ohio river reports. I guess this is a good forum for grip and grin pictures, that way everyone gets bragging rights! I guess Im a little different as I dont have "spots" that I fish I try to focus on the ability to find feeding fish! I have no places to hide if anyone wants to know where I fish just get in the boat Im sure we would have a blast and we may find a mutal friendship. Just thought I would post some info so please take it as its worth if you appreciate it good & if not thats good also. There will always be those that take to much! But there are always members asking if the fish are biting yet ect. & I thought that was what this board was suppose to be about helping eachother! Did not meen to offend anyone with the info as well there is none taken. Thanks....Abu65


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## Fishman (Apr 5, 2004)

No hard feelings Abu, I didn't mean to come across that way  Skipjacks are sacred creatures around these parts though


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## GMR_Guy (Apr 10, 2004)

Everybody is talking about skipjacks being such great bait - and they are - but everybody here needs to allow themself to admit that they are fun to catch. Let's face it, skipjacks put up a great fight and probably outjump a smallmouth. They are also notorious for throwing your hook. One fun way to fish for them is to skim a minnow across the top of the water and watch them bust it off the top. I'd say that they are an excellent fish to introduce kids to fishing. A Roostertailo retrieved just under the surface can be an effective technique. I'll be a man and admit I like catching skipjacks just for the fun of it.


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## Fishman (Apr 5, 2004)

I'm with ya GMR, heck when I was younger I use to catch them at Belleville Hydro in Parkersburg, WV. I had no clue at the time they were used for catfishing at all! I just loved catching them, they're a blast.


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## Abu65 (Apr 17, 2004)

A couple years ago I caught and froze several & with no succes hardly at all when using them later. Do any of you have much luck with frozen bait? I would go as far to say that fresh will out fish frozen 20:1. I will keep some and fish with them for a couple of weeks and they do seem to work when a couple weeks old. I know frozen bait is better than no bait at all, but I can always seem to catch enough shad to fish with it may take a couple hours but I can always net enough. I use to take frozen skips for backup but then would get enough fresh shad and end up wasting the skips. What do you all think on this?


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## Doctor (Apr 5, 2004)

Been using them frozen for years, they seem to work better if there vacuum packed but if you can get fresh there even better, the Ohio changes so much that when they are in they may be only a couple of hours or days and then there gone.

My 56# Blue came off an 18 inch frozen Skipjack, it wasn't even thawed out but we marked that fish and was targeting him.

I normally don't wait till this time of year to get them, I make trips to the Cumberland river or to Barkley Lake and get enough to get me into the summer months, I like using Shad more as the water turns warmer, but the Skips are awesome when the water is cold, much better than Shad as the oils leech out into the river more.


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## mrfishohio (Apr 5, 2004)

> I'd say that they are an excellent fish to introduce kids to fishing


That's a great idea. 
Yes, Abu65, good point, fresh is much better but in the winter, shad are hard to come by(where I fish anyway). Besides, the cats tend to prefer cut skips over frozen shad then. At least that's been my experiance.
I do the same thing, take them as backup, I keep them in a cooler with ice, so I can put them back. That way if I can't find shad, at least I have bait. Usually once into the season and I've been catching shad, then I stop taking frozen skips with me.


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## Abu65 (Apr 17, 2004)

I saw on your web page just the other day where you all fish out of Cumberland City. I was down back in March fishing with a friend of mine that lives down there we fished out of Clarksville & Cumberland City. The bite was slow but we managed a few fish no great big ones but we had a great time. The weather was crazy snowing one day and in the 70's the next. Its a neat place to fish & I will be going back!


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## skipjack11 (Apr 12, 2004)

:d :d :d :d :d :d


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