Fished for: Striped Bass
Date Fished: 12-19-98
Boat Name: Anna's Luck
Water Temp: 46 Degrees
Water Clarity: Average 6 Feet
Seas: Slight Chop
Weather: Partly Cloudy, Southwest Winds to 15MPH
REPORT:
Jeffrey Wible and I fished on Saturday, 12/19/98 from 8:00 AM until 4:15 PM, in the Baltimore Harbor and on the Patapsco River from just north of Ft. McHenry point south to Cox Creek.
All fish were caught on light spinning equipment, spooled with 8# or 10# test line or bait casting equipment, spooled with 14# test line using artificial lures. All stripers were released.
LURES USED: soft plastic baits rigged on 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 ounce round head jigs, suspended crankbaits, shallow diving crankbaits, floating crankbaits, jigging spoons and lipless vibrating crankbaits.
TOTAL STRIPED BASS CAUGHT WAS 30. The stripers ranged in length from 12" to 28". The majority of stripers were caught 10 foot deep. Landed 8 striper 18" or over.
STRUCTURES FISHED: Creek points, shoals, concrete pilings, wooden pilings, discharges, bridge pilings, old piers, concrete bulkheads, rock ledges, and wooden bulkheads.
NUMBER OF STRIPERS CAUGHT DURING THIS TIDE:
9 - Incoming
13 - Outgoing
8 - Still
BIGGEST STRIPER (28"- 12#) CAUGHT ON: BASS ASSASSIN, Salt Water Shad, Soft Plastic Bait, 5", Salt & Pepper Phantom/Chartreuse Tail, #SWA29238 (1 striper). This lure was fished on a 3/8 oz. round jig head. This striper took the lure while it was running 8 feet deep in 20 feet of water.
MOST PRODUCTIVE LURE: BASS ASSASSIN, Split Tail Shad, Soft Plastic Bait, 4", Rainbow Trout, #STS39332 (11 stripers-one was 19" & one was 18").
MOST PRODUCTIVE TECHNIQUE: Jig & Stop (Horizontally)-cast the lure out, let it drop to the desired depth (drops 1 foot per second), then keep your rod tip at 9 o’clock and move the lure by pulling the rod tip back and forward. Take up all the slack when moving the rod forward. Repeat this again and again, until the lure is back at the boat. The stripers usually take the bait when it stops or starts to fall.
OTHER PRODUCTIVE LURES THIS TRIP:
BASS ASSASSIN, Salt Water, Sea Shad, Soft Plastic Bait, 4", Salt & Pepper Silver Phantom/Chartreuse Tail, #SSA25238 (5 stripers-one was 19")
SMITHWICK, Suspending Rattlin Pro Rogue, Suspended Crankbait, 5 1/2", 1/2 oz., Model SDRC 1200, in the following colors:
Chrome/Blue Back/Orange Belly (4 stripers-one was 22" & one was 19")
Chrome/Blue Back (1 - 24" striper)
SILVER BUDDY, silver buddy, silver, 1/2 oz. (2 stripers)
BASS ASSASSIN, Salt Water Shad, Soft Plastic Bait, 5", Fire Tiger, #SWA29245 (1 - 19" striper)
RAPALA, Original Floater Minnow, Floating/Diving Stickbait, 5 1/4", 1/4 ounce, Model F13, Blue Back/White Sides
Installed Smelly Jelly Saltwater Attractant, Herring, C407101 on all lures and the soft plastic baits were fished on Cabin Fever Tackle round jig heads.
FISHING TIP:
This time of year soft plastic baits are the most productive when using the right techniques. Let your lure hit the bottom before you start retrieving it s l o w l y.
PRODUCTIVE LURE WEBSITES:
Bass Assassin Lures - www.bassassassin.com/
Cabin Fever Tackle Jig Heads - www.cabinfevertackle.com/BALLJIGS.HTML
Rapala Lures - www.rapala.com/
Silver Buddy Outfitters - www.silverbuddy.com/
Smelly Jelly Fishing Attractant - www.lonekeep.com/srmo/access/scent.html
END NOTE:
The Coastal Conservation Association of Maryland, Pasadena Chapter will have a meeting on January 5, 1999. The topic will be Yellow Perch - What’s The Story? The guest speaker will be Dr. George Krantz, CCAMD resident biologist. FREE to the public. Hope to see you there. For complete information go to
www.WorldWideAngler.com/calendar/index.html and click on January 5th.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL
Good Fishing,
Tom Hughes
Mason-Dixon Outdoor Writers Association
Freelance Writer & Speaker