does anyone here fish for stripers/sunshine bass on the St Johns

does anyone fish for stripers or sunshine bass on the St Johns or in Lake Monroe ? I have caught them from time to time while trolling for crappies but was thinking of targeting some.

They catch some up here under the Shands Bridge on SR 16 just East of Green Cove springs. The few people that do it fish the pilings in very cold weather. I have tried it a couple time but gave up to quick before finding the fish or what they wanted to eat. I fished then a lot when stationed at Pax River Maryland. Trolled the Chesapeake Bay and the St Marys and Potomac River. Don

I've caught some a few years ago on the river. It has been hit and miss for me. I would like to learn more about catching them.

I've caught some on the hum bug while speck fishing in the Harris Chain years ago in early spring which is late winter now-a-days. They are probably back in the Atlantic now... cooler water and spawn is over?

They don't move to the Alantic from the St Johns. They move to deep holes that are spring fed. Black Creek up around Middleburg is one of those places. These fish were al stocked by the State years ago from the research I did on them. Don

Ok. I learned something today. Thanks!

Np anytime I can share I am glad to. Like I said I fished them a lot in Maryland and Virginia so when I got down here I had to do some research. I started running offshore in my Mako and kind of stopped all other fishing. Then gas hit $4.00 a gallon and a 60 mile trip off shore cost to much. Don

You can catch them trolling around the Shands bridge with a Bomber A lure(red head/clear body). Put a white 3 to 4 inch curly tail on back treble hook.

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Originally Posted by 6mm

You can catch them trolling around the Shands bridge with a Bomber A lure(red head/clear body). Put a white 3 to 4 inch curly tail on back treble hook.

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Yes I had forgot the lure/color but remembered the white curly tail. When my wife's friend sons caught big ones in the South Prong of Black Creek it was on wild shiners free lined just before dark. They had pictures that had to be 20 pounds plus. Every now and then you would see a large head nailed to a tree along the creek.

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Originally Posted by D Johnson

Yes I had forgot the lure/color but remembered the white curly tail. When my wife's friend sons caught big ones in the South Prong of Black Creek it was on wild shiners free lined just before dark. They had pictures that had to be 20 pounds plus. Every now and then you would see a large head nailed to a tree along the creek.

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Large silver/blue back rapala works well in Black Creek. I usually fished wild shiners in North prong. I fished way up creek almost to Jennings Forest. Fished them on bottom on the deeper curves of creek. Biggest I caught was 15#.