Fished for: Striped Bass
Date Fished: 10/16/98
Boat Name: Daytripper
Water Temp: 63 Degrees
Water Clarity: 4 Feet
Seas: Slight Chop
Weather: Sunny, Southwest Winds To 10 MPH
REPORT:
Chuck Bell, Dennis McGirl, Mike Penpifiallo and I, fished the South, Severn Rivers and the Chesapeake Bay on Friday, 10/16/98/98 from 7:00 AM until 1:45 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 South and Severn Rivers. The tide was outgoing when we started.
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 or 3/8 ounce tube head jigs, lipless vibrating crankbaits, top water poppers and deep diving suspended jerkbaits.
TOTAL STRIPED BASS CAUGHT WAS 25. The Stripers ranged in length from 12" to 21". The most productive structure was a grassline on a point. Landed 1 Striper 18" or larger.
STRUCTURES FISHED: Creek points, river points, oyster shell bar , grassbeds, bulkheads (wood, concrete and stone), diving birds and channel markers.
NUMBER OF STRIPERS CAUGHT DURING THIS TIDE:
3 - Incoming
22 - Outgoing
0 - Still
MOST PRODUCTIVE LURE: Bass Assassin, Salt Water, Sea Shad, Soft Plastic Bait, 4", Salt & Pepper Silver Phantom/Chartreuse Tail, #SSA25238
BIGGEST STRIPERS CAUGHT ON: Rebel, Super Pop-R, Top Water Popper, Baby Bass
MOST PRODUCTIVE TECHNIQUE: Jig & Stop-cast the lure out, let it drop to the desired depth (drops 1 foot per second), then lift your rod tip swiftly from 9 o’clock to 11 o’clock while taking up the slack line-pause for 1 second. Repeat this again and again, until the lure is back at the boat. The Stripers usually take the bait on the fall.
OTHER PRODUCTIVE LURES THIS TRIP:
STORM, Rattlin Chug Bug, Floating Popper, 3 1/2", 3/8 oz., Black Back/Silver Sides
BASS ASSASSIN, Salt Water, Sea Shad, Soft Plastic Bait, 4" in the following colors:
Electric Blue/White Tail, #SSA25236
Chartreuse/Silver, #SSA25452
NATURE’S OWN, Tender Tube, Soft Plastic Bait, 3 1/2", Smoke/Pearl Shad
OTHER FISH CAUGHT:
3 - Bluefish
4 - White Perch
FISHING TIP:
Striped Bass are color sensitive. If you’re on fish, but can’t get a strike, change your lure to a different color. No matter what you hear, chartreuse and white are not the only colors that catch Stripers.
Good Fishing…..Tom Hughes
Mason-Dixon Outdoor Writers Association
Freelance Outdoor Writer And Speaker