Fished for: Striped Bass & White Perch
Date Fished: 8/7/98
Boat Name: (not named yet-Bill's boat)
Water Temp: 81 Degrees
Water Clarity: 5 Feet
Seas: Slight Chop Until 1:00 PM Then Choppy (boat traffic)
Weather: Partly Cloudy
REPORT:
This was the first time Bill Kassakatis and I fished the Magothy River for Striped Bass and White Perch. We fished on Friday 08/07/98, from 7:30 AM until 3:15 PM, from Rose Cove to Sillery Bay.
All fish were caught on light spinning and baitcasting equipment. All Striped Bass were released.
WATER CONDITION: The water was high and outgoing when we started. In some areas a red tide had set in. The tide predictions were correct. The Striped Bass were suspended in 1’ to 8’ of water.
STRUCTURES FISHED: Points, bulkheads, underwater mounds, wooden pilings.
LURES USED: Soft plastic baits rigged on 1/4 ounce round head jigs, lip less vibrating crankbaits, top water poppers, top water floating minnows and suspended jerkbaits.
TOTAL STRIPED BASS CAUGHT WAS 27. The Stripers ranged from 10 inches to 22 inches. The most productive structure was a creek point containing a wooden bulkhead and pilings. Landed a total of 12 Stripers between 18" and 22".
NUMBER OF STRIPERS CAUGHT DURING THIS TIDE:
3 - Incoming
20 - Outgoing
4 - Still
MOST PRODUCTIVE LURE: RAPALA, Original Floater Minnow, Floating/Diving Stickbait, 5 1/4", 1/4 oz., Blue Back/White Sides, Model F13
MOST PRODUCTIVE TECHNIQUE: Crank & Stop-cast the lure out, crank 5 times on the reel handle, STOP for 1 second, then repeat this to the end of the cast. NOTE: Do not allow any highly buoyant lures, such as the Original Floating Rapala, to come back up to the surface. To be highly productive these types of lures should stay just under the surface
during retrieve.
OTHER PRODUCTIVE LURES THIS TRIP:
Smithwick, Suspending Rattlin Pro Rogue, Suspended Stickbait, 5 1/2", 1/2 oz., Black Back/Silver Sides, Model SDRC
1200
Yo-Zuri, Floating Crankbait, 4 3/8 inch, 3/8 ounce
Bass Assassin, 3" Freshwater Shad Assassins in Salt & Pepper Silver Phantom/Chartreuse Tail #SA13238
Bass Assassin, 4" Saltwater Sea Shads in the following colors; Mirror Green #SSA25368, Shrimp #SSA25409, and Salt & Pepper Silver Phantom/Chartreuse Tail #SSA25238
Bass Assassin, 5" Saltwater Shad Assassins in Blue Flash #SWA29346
Rapala, Husky Jerk, Suspended Jerkbait, 5 1/2", 1/2 oz., Gold, Model HJ14
A total of 75 WHITE PERCH were caught with a Bill Lewis, Tiny Trap, 1/8 oz., Chartreuse. 10 keeper size were caught over 9 inches.
FISHING TIP:
Try to find a new productive area each time you go fishing. Pay attention to the exact location, tide, water temperature and the unusual features that hold the fish on this structure.
Good Fishing....Tom Hughes
Mason-Dixon Outdoor Writers Association
‘Striped Bass Fishing With Soft Plastics’ www.WorldWideAngler.com/chesapeake/features/9-97/thughessept.shtml