Relocating

If I was to relocate from Illinois to the Batesville area (big 4) are there any GOOD striper/hybrid lakes in the area?:help

No but the crappie fishing will scratch you itch.:biggrin

You can come down to Ross Barnett in Jackson. We have a good population of them here. Thye actually Stock about 100,000-150,000 each year. We don;t have any monsters but we have alot in the 8-12 pound range. They actually should be about getting ready to make the run upriver. When they do, you can wear them out up at Lowhead dam on the Pearl River. You can keep 6 epr day over 15 inches if you wanna keep them. I know I love Stripers on the half shell

I don't know much about stripers, but you in the middle of the best crappie fishing in the world.

Sardis Ross Barnett and Grenada have large populations of hybrid and white bass averaging 2-3 lbs big fish might go 5-6. Typically fishing for the involves casting cranks or rattle baits to pints in the summer or chasing schools that blow up on shad. I know several that chase them with kids in Grenada but not many target them. No one I know trolls for them like they do in AL or Ga for those big fish.

Largest in the state, other than Pickwick I suppose is Ross Barnett spillway where they throw popping rigs into the tail races. Those fish I guess have some sea run left in em. I've seen most go 8-10 lbs with the occassional up to 15.

Chances are though, you will abandon stripes all together when you see what we have to offer in the way of Crappie. If you bass fish, Sardis is the best close to Batesville right now with Ross Barnett the best in the state, other than Pickwick. Grenada had no bass population to speak of, not sure about Enid.

I caught a keeper on skipjack below the weir at Sardis years ago, before I joined c.c and knew better.

Enid has a decent population, but like these guys said if you ever go crappie you won't go back!!!

you fixing to be a crappie man . 10 -15 min. from sardis/enid . you will forget them nasty trash fish . you can fish for drum though , they kind of like stripes . arent they ?:biggrin

I seem to tie into them from time to time upriver on Ross Barnett while spider rigging. A 6-7lb'er can make a mess of a spread in to time flat.