Fished for: Striped Bass
Date Fished: 9/24/98
Boat Name: "Daytripper" - 21' Mako, Center Consoled, 200 HP Outboard
Water Temp: 73 Degrees
Water Clarity: Average 3 Feet
Seas: Slight Chop
Weather: Sunny, Southeast Winds To 15 mph
REPORT:
Chuck Bell, Bill Kassakatis and I fished on Thursday, 9/24/98 from 12:45 PM until 7:15 PM, from Greenbury Point (just south of Hacketts Bar) to Thomas Point Shoal Light on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay. We also fished from the mouth of the Severn River upriver to Chase Creek. The tide was outgoing when we started.
NOTE OF INTEREST: Chuck invited Bill and me after seeing a presentation we gave (‘Striped Bass Fishing With Light Tackle’) earlier this month for CCAMD, Annapolis Chapter. Chuck wanted to learn more about fishing structures. While discussing the type of structures we were going to fish, Chuck said he knew an area where the birds are usually diving around 5 PM. We agreed to be on that structure at around that time.
At 5:30 PM we pulled up on a point and fish were doing exactly what Chuck had told us. Birds were diving everywhere! Stripers were schooled up tight and eating everywhere around the boat. What a sight to see. Thanks to Chuck we caught 42 Stripers on top water popping plugs and 21 Stripers on soft plastic baits during that 1 hour and 45 minutes. Bill and I helped Chuck learn more about different types of structures and how to fish them, and Chuck taught us where Striped Bass feed on top water this time of year. It was a great fishing trip and everyone learned something from each other. That’s the way fishing should be…..not just catching fish, but to communicate and share your knowledge with others on different methods and techniques used to catch more fish. Thanks again Chuck for a unforgettable fishing trip.
All fish were caught on light spinning and bait casting equipment using artificial lures.
LURES USED: soft plastic baits rigged on 3/8 ounce round head jigs, lipless vibrating crankbaits, top water poppers and suspended jerkbaits.
TOTAL STRIPED BASS CAUGHT WAS 95. The Stripers ranged in length from 10" to 21 1/2". The most productive structure was a point. Landed 2 Stripers 18" or larger. 1 - 18 1/2" and 1 - 21 1/2".
STRUCTURES FISHED: Creek points, river points, oyster shell bar , grassbeds, bulkheads (wood, concrete and stone) and shoal lights.
NUMBER OF STRIPERS CAUGHT DURING THIS TIDE:
85 - Incoming
7 - Outgoing
3 - Still
MOST PRODUCTIVE LURE: Bull Dog, Rattling Pro-Pop, Floating Popper, 1/2 ounce, Green Back (no paint left on the sides or bottom)
BIGGEST STRIPERS CAUGHT ON: Bass Assassin, Shad Assassin, Soft Plastic Bait, 5", Black Shad, #SA10300
MOST PRODUCTIVE TECHNIQUE: Pop & Stop-cast the top water popper out, pop it three times swiftly, stop popping for 1 second. Repeat this again and again, until the lure is back at the boat. Vary the speed, between pops, until the Stripers start taking your lure. When the action stops, the best way to see if any Stripers are still around is by making a lot of noise and moving the popper swiftly back to the boat. Do not stop until you see a Striper come up for your lure.
OTHER PRODUCTIVE LURES THIS TRIP:
BULL DOG, Rattling Pro-Pop, Floating Popper, 1/2 ounce, Black Back
STORM, Rattlin Chug Bug, Floating Popper, 3 1/2", 3/8 oz., in the following colors:
Black Back/Silver Sides
White Sides & Back w/Red Head
BILL LEWIS, Tiny-Trap, 1/8 once, Vibrating Crankbait (the model with 2 treble hooks) in the following colors:
Black Back/Silver Sides
Pearl/Pink Eye
BASS ASSASSIN, Salt Water, Sea Shad, Soft Plastic Bait, 4" in the following colors:
All American, #SSA25379
Albino/Fire Tail, #SSA25240
Salt & Pepper Silver Phantom/Chartreuse Tail, #SSA25238
Electric Blue/White Tail, #SSA25236
OTHER FISH CAUGHT:
14 - Bluefish
3 - White Perch
2 - Pickerel
FISHING TIP:
Always keep a sharp eye out on the water when fishing. You can see slicks on the water which means fish have been or eating nearby. You may also see birds diving. We all know what that means. Consider birds to be a guide to a productive structure and remember, this structure can produce when the birds leave.
Good Fishing…..Tom Hughes
Mason-Dixon Outdoor Writers Association
Freelance Outdoor Writer And Speaker
‘Putting Together A Program To Catch More Fish’
http://www.WorldWideAngler.com/chesapeake/features/11-97/tomh.shtml