Fred McClintock hefts a big Cumberland River striper that fell for a gizzard shad.

Dallas: In the past, I've modified commercial boards to handle big skipjack by adding a keel weight and a heavy-duty release that I fashioned from rubber washers and springs. But I've had good success with the new Big Bird saltwater boards by Yellow Bird. They have an excellent release, the only one I've found that consistently holds braided line and big, active livebaits without accidentally tripping. You can't control a big skipjack on a standard planer board; it turns the board over and pulls it every which way when it gets excited.

McClintock: I use the new heavy-duty Off Shore boards, which also have extra-strong releases. You need a real strong release for river stripers, otherwise the baits keep popping the release in fast water.

Wirth: How far do you run your bait behind the boards?

Dallas: Most river sections are shallow and snaggy, and a big, active bait swimming around far behind your board can run into submerged trees and hang you up. In cold rivers, you only need 6 to 8 feet of line between the board and the bait. I let the depth and amount of submerged cover dictate the distance; it wouldn't hurt to run a bait 30 feet back from the board if you didn't have to deal with snags.

McClintock: In clear water, I run shad 10 to 15 feet behind my boards. In murky water, move it as close as 5 feet. In those conditions, stripers are often initially attracted to the board itself. Once they approach, they see their prey. With skipjack, I don't run more than 15 feet of line behind the board. As Ralph said, they're bad about swimmin' down into sunken trees.

Wirth: How about fishing baits under a float or balloon?

Dallas: While running a set of planer boards, I often slow-troll a bait 6 to 8 feet under a balloon, as well. Just stick this rod in a holder and forget it, and you may well pick up a bonus fish. You often get several stripers working your baits at once; the balloon rig just gives you another option for a hook-up.

McClintock: If I see a big fish swim out from a tree to follow a topwater lure like a Red Fin, I often go back to that spot once we switch over to livebait and toss a big shad on a balloon near that cover. Talk about exciting -- a striper can't stand a bait entering its lair. It goes berserk trying to catch it. I use a swivel about 3 to 5 feet up from the hook, otherwise the shad runs in circles and twists your line. When drifting or slow-trolling a float rig, I run baits about 10 feet below the balloon.

MORE BAIT OPTIONS

Wirth: Any other ways you boys fish livebait?

McClintock: Both Ralph and I often fish shad or skipjack on the bottom with a drop sinker or Carolina rig. This method works well when stripers are in deep holes.

Wirth: How about deadbait?

Dallas: Cutbait works great whenever the river runs high. In those conditions, stripers hold in eddies, and chunks of skipjack or shad fished on the bottom often catch 'em. Either cut or whole, deadbaits also work great in winter and early spring. The water's cold; stripers are sluggish and won't chase an active bait. We often anchor above a hole and fish the baits right on the bottom. When using a whole deadbait, we'll score it with a knife so its fluids run out into the water and attract the fish.

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