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Bertram31.com General Bulletin Board
Re: OT: N. Chesapeake Striper Info Sought
Posted By: John F. In Response To: Re: OT: N. Chesapeake Striper Info Sought *LINK* (John D)
Date: Tuesday, 24 May 2005, at 10:10 a.m.
Steve-
Mack and John gave you good advice. In addition to the Pasadena group, I think the Maryland Saltwater Sportsman Assoc. (MSSA) has a Middle River chapter. Don't know the group, but the local chapters usually have the best info.
Best spots to chum vary year to year, but in addition to Love Point, the mud flats off of Rockhall/Love Point, you also have by you 7' knoll and the eastern shore side of Poole's Island. I'm down on Kent Island, and I don't fish north must past Love Point--get local knowledge, its always the best.
Trolling (which is about done for the big spring run of fish) can be anywhere along channel edges, but again, get local knowledge. A few years ago, everybody was getting skunked mid-summer, but a few of us found that schools were just hanging by the LP buoy and kept nailing them.
For rigs, I have small shimano spinning gear--real light rods with 8 lb test--for breaking schools of 15-19" blues and rock (sometimes smaller, sometimes bigger) you'll run into over the summer. The bigger fish usually are under the breakers--drop down to them. I have a couple of bigger spinning rods with Diawa BG 30s that I really like for bigger fish on top or chumming or live-lining. Oh yeah, I've become a fan of circle hooks for chumming. If its anything like the last few years, you'll catch a fair number of shorts, and the circles let you release them more or less unharmed. Other folks won't fish with circles--to each his own.
For trolling, I have regular Penn trolling sticks with 320 GTi and 330 GTis. I use the 320s for smaller stuff, and the 330s for umbrellas and billy/spreader bars (Yeah, I don't like dragging umbrellas either, but when all else fails, they tend to work). The levelwinds are great--you know just how much line is out and can figure out depths. If I were getting new gear, I'd get the new 320 GTis with the strike/lever drag. They're great for trolling, and great for chumming big fish.
Guys on the Bay tend to drag alot of baits--more in the water, covering the water column, better your chances are. Charter guys use 16+ rods with tandems--at least 32 baits. I use at least 7 (its all I have--I'll get more for next year), which you can do pretty easy without outriggers, but easier with outriggers. There's been a big switch over to planer boards on the Bay. They definitely produce, but I'm sticking with outriggers. Lures/baits include tandem bucktails (white or chartreuse), mojos (bucktail/parachute and a bunker spoon), storm shads, tubes, stretch 25s, etc. One season/weak its white parachutes, the next its red tubes, the next its ... you know how it goes.
Hopefully, the big croaker (16"-18"+) will show up this year--they took last year pretty much off. If they do, they're alot of fun (and taste great). Great with kids--best fishing (bottom fishing drifting along drop offs) at dusk with worms, squid, or clam snouts. Nice summer night out at dusk with the kids listening to the Os on the radio while hearing the kids get excited catching croaker--doesn't get much better (disclaimer--my kid is an Os fan-born here--I'm a Yankee fan). Good perchin' and spot fishin--find the local spots by you (not worth running for).
Jigging is mainly a sea trout thing when they're running--they took last year off also. Find a column of them and have at it. Jigging also works well by the Bay Bridge pilings--but be careful with your boat. Usually, one guy runs the boat because you got to get up right on the pilings.
OK--back to work. Have fun.
Do yourself one favor--go down to the CBBT in the late fall--fishin' nirvana.
John F.
We'll all have to get together again soon. The marina by me has new docks and a new restaurant that's a great family place. Steve, Mack, John, Doug, Jim?
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