JORDAN LAKE
When the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission first stocked Jordan Lake in 1997 with 35,000 striper fingerlings, neither WRC biologists nor Jordan fishermen thought the relatively shallow 14,300-acre impoundment could support many stripers.

To everyone’s surprise, the striper fishing at Jordan exceeded all expectations, and some of the best fishing takes place from late June through August for fish in the 5- to 6-pound range.

The Tar Heel Striper Club frequents Jordan in July because club members usually need 18 pounds or more to win a club tournament with a three-fish limit.

The fish often school around the Fourth of July; the best fishing occurs early in the morning until noon before the recreational boating traffic intensifies.

During July, Jordan’s stripers hold in 14 to 20 feet of water where they’re taken by slow-trolling bucktail jigs and plastic trailers in white/green or green/green colors and leadhead jigs with plastic shad adornments in white or chartreuse.

These baits are fished with lead-core lines or downriggers to reach the strike zone. Most Tar Heel Striper Club members fish the creek mouth out from Ebenezer Landing and across the lake from the landing, focusing upon points and flats near the main creek channels.

Stephens and his son, Ralph, guide weekends at Jordan through June and cease fishing during the “dog-day” months.

For warm weather, they use a spread of seven rods: four lead-core outfits -- two out on the sides with reel clickers with four lead-core line colors out; and two out the back with release clips with 2.5 lead-core line colors out -- one flat line at the rear of the boat; and two downriggers with 8-pound balls positioned in between the pairs of lead-core outfits.

Each lead-core outfit consists of 36-pound lead-core line with a 15-foot, 17-pound-test monofilament leader and swivel with the lead-core line tied to the swivel. The lead-core line drops 4 feet per color between 2.3 and 2.5 mph on the GPS.

“Speed affects the depth of your lures,” said the elder Stephens, who recommends trolling faster in warmer water. “I run between 2.5 to 3 mph because the fish are more aggressive and the increased speed helps the action of the lures.”

With lead-core outfits, the Stephenses use 1-ounce bucktail jigs and 4- to 6-inch plastic trailers, fishing white/ chartreuse color combinations in stained water and white/blue color combinations in clear water.

The reels on their downriggers house 20-pound-test monofilament line with a 17-pound-test leader connected to a double rig using a three-way swivel. On one swivel ring, they use a 4-foot leader with a 1-ounce bucktail; on the other swivel ring, a 6-foot leader with a 3/8- or 1/2-ounce bucktail.

“Always make sure the heavier bucktail is on the shortest leader to prevent tangles,” the elder Stephens said.

The downriggers work the deep portions of the water column. The flat line is let out about 100 feet from the boat with a swimming lure that runs no more than 2 feet down.

With this spread, the Stephenses probe various depths along main river channels with most fish being taken 8 to 12 feet deep.

“The most common mistake made is trolling too deep,” Stephens said. “Pull your lures about 2 or 3 feet above the fish you’ve marked because stripers feed looking up.” Some like it Hot

While fishermen may debate about the merits of summer striper fishing, they realize that the largely self-sustaining fishery requires good stewardship of all participants, whenever they fish.