Fishing the Mid Atlantic region and beyond for all manner of salt and fresh water species. We cover the lower Chesapeake Bay aboard the "Mikey D Fishing" in search of stripers, redfish, speckled trout, flounder, cobia and chase trout across the classic freestone and limestone streams of Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia.
Weather - Around 38 degrees at 0700, clear skies, slight breeze, seas calm, water temp 57 degrees. Incoming tide. Air temps warmed into the hight 50s by mid-morning.
Location - Whitehall Bay
Tackle - Silver Castmaster and Blue/silver Gotcha jigs.
Report - With Captain DiPaola otherwise occupied, I decided it was too nice of a day to not be on the water, if only for a couple of hours. Cleared the last marker into Whitehall Bay at 0715 ... no bird activity ... drove around until I marked fish. Picked up a 19 1/2 incher right away. Within the next 20 minutes picked up a 20 inch keeper. Fish were holding in about 13-16 feet of water.
No more action until around 0830 when the terns and gulls started to work the surface. Chased birds for the next hour. Boated a 22 inch keeper and later a 16 incher that literally hit my "Gotcha" jig at the boat. A little surface activity, but could only get one fish to chase my surface plug.
Bit of a challenge landing a 20-plus inch Striper by yourself. Then again, not a bad problem to have....
Last Thursday morning, as we were hanging out in gate area awaiting our flight to Jacksonville, I came across an acquaintance that I happened to know through another friend. I reintro'd myself and mentioned our common friend, to which the USNA Class of 79er replied, "oh yeah, there's the connective tissue."
The conversation didn't last long, which was okay by me. And I didn't think much of his comment at the time, because we had a plane to board and fish to catch. So on the plane we went with other USNA glitterati and fans heading to Jacksonville for the Navy-Notre Dame game. A couple of hours later we were on our way to Palm Harbor Marina to meet Curt Toomer, former squadron mate, long time friend and fishing companion, and our captain for three days on the Intracoastal Waterway in search of Redfish and Sea Trout.
We arrived at the marina around 1130, and soon after that we were underway in his 18 foot Maverick skiff, a perfect boat for the intra coastal. The strategy for the trip was basically running to spots Curt had already scouted days before which were holding Reds and Trout. Tactics were equally simple. Tackle was for the most part spinning gear, tossing live shrimp, mud minnows, or soft plastics off grass points or up against the grass banks.
The weather on Thursday was as good as it gets. Temps in the upper 70s, an occasional overcast, light breeze, and water temps in the 70s. The only thing interrupting the solitude was the "sounds of freedom" from the Blue Angels, who were flying around practicing for air shows on Saturday and Sunday.
But it was easy to ignore the pilots in blue spandex, especially when you're tying into fish. Thursday afternoon turned out to be the best day of the trip, numbers-wise. We brought at least 20-24 fish to the boat; Reds, Trout, Mangrove Snapper, and a nice Bluefish that spit the jig head right at the boat.
Included in the catch was one keeper Red of about 20 inches, and 5 Trout, enough fillets to feed the clan, with a little to spare for a hanger on at the cleaning table.
The plan for Friday morning was the same as Thursday. Only problem was the frontal system that moved through about noon. While we kept fishing throughout the afternoon, the 20-25 knot winds kept us limited to protected parts of the intra coastal. Despite the conditions, we continued to catch fish, including a nice 23 inch Red and 16 inch Trout.
With the winds forecast to continue through Saturday, our game plan for the last day of the outing was to head south and fish around the docks down in Ponte Vedra. We hit a creek bend on the way down, and managed to catch a few trout and snapper, and one keeper Black Drum. With the wind blowing a good 20 knots,m though, we motored south to calmer waters. On the way down Captain DiPaola managed to tie into a big Red moving along a grass bank. But his shouts of "I got this" went sour when the fish broke him off, disappointing, but also a rush watching him fight the fish. We moved down further south. But, while the trees and houses did block the wind, there wasn't much in the way of catching. So we ziggied back up to the spot where we had started fishing, and battled the 20-25 knot winds to catch Snapper after another. This last stop, though, also tuned out to sweet revenge for Captain DiPaola, who managed to catch his Redfish for the trip with a Berkley Gulp shrimp pattern off a grass bank, a feat given the conditions.
As we offloaded Curt's boat Saturday afternoon, one of the employees at the marina, who is a big time fisherman, described us as "animals" for being out in these conditions. He was right that the conditions for the most part weren't ideal. But you can't plan the weather. And while we didn't put as many fish in the cooler as we'd liked, we still boated some nice Reds and Trout. Most of all, we enjoyed the time spent together. We've known each other, and fished together, for over twenty years. Our Navy careers brought us together, but spending time on the water has provided that "connective tissue" that has nurtured a friendship going back over two decades.
Many thanks to Captain Curt Toomer for his guiding prowess. And a special shout out to his lovely wife Michele, who was the most gracious of hosts.
The solar-lunar calendar for the end of
October pointed to several days of excellent fishing.What the calendar could not predict was the
weather.Having three trips scheduled
for the last weekend of the month, Captains DiPaola and Felker headed out on
Thursday to check out the conditions and perhaps bring home a fish or two.Unfortunately, we didn’t get too far into
Whitehall Bay before it became obvious that this outing was going to be a bust.An approaching front kicked up the winds from
the east at 20 kts or better.Seas were
around 2-3 feet when we set out, worsening over the next couple of hours to 3-4
feet.While the rain held off, temps
were in the high 40s, maybe low 50s, which made for lousy boating.So after a brief run up to the Severn River,
with conditions no better there, we made a laborious run back to the dock.
The weather for Friday looked more promising.The front had passed through over the night,
leaving clear skies when we left the dock around 0800.Winds were still up, around 15 kts or better,
but now coming from the west, putting the swells in Whitehall Bay at no more
than 2 feet or so.Water temps were in
the high 50s; eminently fishable.Joining us on the first of the three day blitz was Vice Admiral (retired)
Paul Bushong, Captain Felker’s company mate and roommate while at USNA.To say the least the pressure was on a bit,
not just because of our guest, but also because it had been a few weeks since
we’d last hit the bay.
Despite conditions being on the edge of
ideal, the Mikey D Fishing team held its own.As Whitehall Bay was quiet, we decided to head up to the Severn.While we marked a lot of fish, the bite was
not on.So around 0930 we decided to
head back to Whitehall Bay.Turned out
to be a fortuitous decision.It seems
that the key to success at this time of year is a combination of technology and
nature; keeping an eye on the Lowrance to mark fish, while keeping the other
eye peeled for terns and gulls working the surface.As we exited the mouth of the Severn, nature
took the lead.The sky was filled with
birds.And while the winds and waves
made top-water action impossible, it did provide enough drift to bounce metal
stick jigs off the bottom without having to constantly retrieve. We also picked up an interesting double, with
Paul hooking up while trolling, and me following up casting a jig to the same
area.
Saturday brought improving weather and
fishing.This morning long time friend
John Hupp joined us.As we entered
Whitehall Bay around 0830 it was obvious that the fishing was going to improve,
as we immediately spotted birds working the surface as we exited the
channel.Within a few minutes we were
set up on the school, and with the first cast a 20 inch keeper came to the
boat.What’s amazing about fishing
conditions during this time of year is how fast the fish school up, only to
spread out within minutes.Key to this
is seeing the birds stop working.Doesn’t mean the fish aren’t there; they’ve just gone to the bottom or
spread out until it’s time to hit the bait balls again.So we’d dashed about after birds working the
surface.And when the birds stopped,
we’d put the boat in the shallows and let the wind push us into the channel,
bouncing jigs as we drifted along.Again, we only brought one fish home.But the action was fairly consistent throughout the day catching 16-19
inch fish …. Including a 12 inch Flounder!
It seems a reasonable fishing rule of
thumb to plan a three day trip to get at least one day of fishing.The forecast for Saturday showed continued improving
conditions; clear skies, highs in the 70s, and 5-10 knot winds.Having sensed that we missed most of the morning
bite on Saturday, the Mikey D team planned on leaving the dock well before the
sun came up.With us for the final trip
of the month were friends and fellow Navy tailgaters Mike Shina and Bery
Edmonston.We loaded the boat and got
underway around 0630 or so, the sun not coming up for another 30-45
minutes.We slowly moved through Burley
Creek and into the channel that empties into Whitehall Bay.For the next couple of hours we trolled or
stopped to jig on marked fish.Conditions were pretty calm, very comfortable temps.Birds were starting to wake up, but had yet
to begin their scouting for us.
By around a quarter to nine, however, the
birds got frisky and the game was on.For the next two hours it was lights out action.And with the seas at less than a foot or so,
the Mikey D team used all of its arsenal to bring fish to the boat.Stick jigs were the most reliable.But a close second were top water plugs, with
fish chasing and hitting them right at the boat.We even got to break out the fly rods
(challenging when you have four anglers on a 21 foot boat) and took fish on
chartreuse Clouser Minnows (Joe’s first keeper Rock on a fly) and poppers.I candidly don’t know how many fish we
caught, as double and triple hook ups were persistent throughout the
blitz,but we put our limit in the
cooler, a first for Mikey D Fishing.
Perhaps the highlight of the day was a bit
of inter-boat cooperation.Showing up
during the blitz in his new Sea Hunt was Mark Ponicsan, long time friend,
former White House colleague, and fellow Navy football tailgater.Seeing that he arrived without fishing gear
during a major bite seemed a sin, so we waved Mark over, handed him a rigged
rod, gave him a some jigging tips, and pointed him to the fish. (Which wasn’t
hard, since we were surrounded by them).Within a few minutes we heard the yell and looked over to see his rod
bent over.Unfortunately, we did not
give him our net or some pliers, complicating things a bit.But he pull the fish onboard (without
breaking the rod … whew!), and boated a nice 20 inch fish.
Even though it’s fall, the Striper action
should continue well intoNovember and
even December, if the weather cooperates. (Just remember to keep some Devil’s
Backbone Striped Bass Pale Ale in the cooler and country music on the
stereo.Sorry Mike, but Rockfish don’t
seem to care for 80s rock!)That’ll have
to wait for a week or so, as the Mikey D team heads for warmer climes.While Navy battles Notre Dame in Jacksonville
Florida this weekend, we’ll be a few miles away, battlingRedfish and Sea Trout on the Intercoastal
Waterway, courtesy of Captain Curt Toomer.Stay tuned.
Mikey D Fishing
Sunday, October 16, 2016
Teaching Kids to Fish Part Deux
On a sunny fall day, the Captains of Mikey D Fishing took on one of their biggest challenges to date... Teaching Jamie Pierce to fish. After several mild corrections ("Its not a pole, it's a rod. We're not cane fishing on a pond"), we arrived at Rainbow Paradise. It truly was a Rainbow Paradise... lots of large, hungry, and captive trout of all variety, eager to help Jamie learn the fine art of Fly Fishing. Captain CC provided excellent instruction, and soon Jamie was on the fish! We caught a few tiger, rainbow, and even a brook trout, using both a San Juan Worm and a beetle. Capt Joe was on hand to demonstrate different casting techniques, and both the Captains got some time to get on the fish themselves. We followed up the day with a final few casts at Fishing Creek in pursuit of a beautiful golden trout, but he was not very interested that evening.
Great day with Mikey D Fishing... teaching and fishing. It's what they do best.
Saturday, October 15, 2016
Teaching Kids to Fish
Sometimes in fishing, patience is the most important virtue. This certainly proved true on a recent outing with Bill McHugh aboard MikeyDFishing. Bill had been aboard before, but conditions were less than ideal on past trips and we returned to the dock without a fish story to tell. After viewing the blog post featuring a former squadron mate's success (See Oct 9, "Early Fall Blitz") Bill was anxious to find a respectable fish versus the "dinks" that he landed the last time out.
We entered Whitehall Bay on a cool autumn morning. The sun wasn't strong enough to burn a fog bank lingering over the Severn to the east of us. Water temperatures were finally below the 70 degree mark. An ideal set up for larger stripers. Just outside of the Mill Creek channel small pods of baitfish were breaking the surface. Smaller terns dove in and out of the nervous water. While that was promising, Captains DiPaola and Felker have noticed that the trigger are the larger gulls that sense when larger stripers and bluefish are slashing through the alewife and norfolk spot in order to snag the scraps.
With a dearth of sea birds above, we transitioned into the Severn to look for more activity and to see if the fog provided additional cover for stripers to come to the surface. The Lowrance indicated a lot of fish below, but we were unable to produce a hookup by jigging metal jigs.
Time was running out before Bill and Joe had to start their work days, so we took another look in Whitehall Bay. Small groups of gulls were gathering just off the shoreline where the water depth was 8-10'. Captain Joe tossed a metal jig in the middle of breaking fish in an effort to get down below the action. Simultaneously, Bill launched a "Smack-it" top water lure just outside of the bulk of the action. A few short jerks of the rod tip soon produced a strike followed by a strong pull that was a clear indication to grab the net. While Bill didn't land a keeper, he did find redemption!
I don't know if there are any truths in fly fishing. But if there is one, it's that fly fishing is a pursuit that is at best aspirational.
I'll admit, though, that this morning challenged that truth a bit. I glanced out the kitchen window and noticed deer in the field. That's nothing new. But this morning they were running around the field, which was somewhat odd. So I grabbed my coffee and walked out on the deck to watch a four-point buck chasing eight does in the field. The whole exercise lasted on twenty minutes or so, and all the buck seemed to get was exercise, as the does didn't seem favorable to his advances.
Though the buck failed (at least in the open) to achieve his objective, it seemed to me a good omen. So around 1130 I lit off to check out the main stem of fishing creek, just below the property. The weather was perfect; temps in the low 60s, trees just having passed their peak. A great day to be out fishing.
But, and here's where the expectations hit the wall, the stream was almost impassable. If it wasn't the swampy banks, it was the brush and shoulder high grass. My sense is that the beavers have been busy, and not in a good way. So after a half dozen slips and falls, I managed my way back to the truck and home. I considered heading up to the Allegheny, but I was so beat from bushwhacking my way down Fishing Creek that I decided to head back to the cabin and try the west branch behind the cabin. The lower stretch was holding about 5-6 trout, but the sun was still up and the fish were spooky. So I moved up to the upper hole. This spot held about 3-4 fish, including a nice Brownie and a really nice Golden.
As I approached the hole I noticed the Brownie hanging up at the head of the pool, which looked to me an opportune time to toss a terrestrial. So I tied on a foam ant, gave it a cast, and WHAM!, Mr. Brownie spooked and dove straight for the deep part of the pool. Disappointed, I decided to keep the ant on and give it a few more casts. Turned out to be the right call, as Mr. Brownie launched from the dark and inhaled the ant. A short fight ensued, and a 15 inch fish came to the bank.
Having gotten the skunk off, it was time to make an attempt at the Golden. Now, many have tried to tie into this fish, which goes at least 18 inches. But to date the fish has refused anything thrown to it. So I was not holding my breath when I tossed one of Breitmeier's caddis pupa nymphs in the clear water in front of him. Expectations were set appropriately when the trout nosed the nymph and turned away. But then it did the unexpected, swimming back and taking the fly on the second approach. I set the hook and a brief fight was on, as there wasn't anywhere for the fish to go with the low water. After about 2 minutes the fish had tired enough for me to get it to the bank for a quick picture before returning it to the pool:
Expect to catch fish and you're likely to be disappointed, and miss the whole point of fishing in the fist place. Aspiring to catch a trout, though, seems to puts things into perspective. You might not bring one to the net, but you'll realize how lucky you are to be on the stream.
Tight lines
Mike D Fishing
Sunday, October 9, 2016
Early Fall Bay Blitz
How
do you describe what happens when the Bay water temps fall to 70 degrees …
EPIC!
Last
Sunday Captains DiPaola and Felker headed out to put some fish in the box.Word from Anglers Sports Center was that the
fishing was good up around Love Point, which a few miles north of the Bay
Bridge on the eastern shore.So our
initial plan was to head north.But as
we left the dock around 1000 and entered Whitehall Bay we saw birds working the
surface, and decided to stop and at least get the skunk off before we headed
north.
(Looking
for working birds is the sign during the fall that there’s action going on
underneath.But it’s not just seeing
birds work, but the types of birds working, that makes a big difference.Terns dive for baitfish.Seagulls, however, are lazy (or efficient),
and only dive when they see a sure meal, like pieces of baitfish cut up by blitzing
Stripers and Bluefish)
Hitting
the first school turned out to be a good call, as we immediately tied into a 16
inch Striper.From there the plan
changed, which not only saved us gas, but gave us more time to tie into
fish.For the next 6 hours the action
was white hot.We spent the day chasing
schools of 16-20 inch fish, catching at least 25-30 fish over 16 inches, and putting
three in the box that all went just over 21 inches.The fish were hitting underneath on metal jigs,
and on top water lures as well.It was amazing
to see 20 inch fish slashing the surface.We even managed a sea trout on one of the jigs, a first for Mikey D
Fishing.
Tuesday
morning the bite slowed a tad but we (including Joe’s former squadron mate Tom
Dougherty still managed a dozen or so Rocks, another sea trout, and two
keepers in the box in just under three hours of fishing.Probably more important was the lesson we got
from the WCO who pulled alongside of us to measure our smallest fish.Normally a cause for irritation, this time
the visit from our friendly DNR cop was beneficial.We had initially measured the Striper at 20
inches, so we were confident it was a good fish.Turns out we were wrong, but in a good
way.The DNR officer took our fish and
put him on the tape.But then I noticed
that he squeezed the tail of the Striper, and actually took the measure from
the snout to the tip of the tail.We had
been measuring from the snout to the fork, which would have turned a lot of the
18-19 inch fish that we had netted on Sunday into 20-22 inch fish!
Thursday
the bite dropped off significantly, as we only netted a couple of fish in the
morning.But we’ll take one slow day for
the two great days of action.Forecast
has the bay temps continuing to drop, which according to the experts means the
bigger fish are going to be feeding heavily.
With a Sunday departure back to Annapolis on the horizon, today beckoned for one more fly fishing outing. So I headed back to the DHALO (which stands for Delayed Harvest Artifical Lures Only) section of the Allegheny River, a few miles north of Coudersport.
Got to the special regs section about 10:00 am and had the stream to myself for the next five hours. No real difference in water conditions, but fish were once again stacked up in the most likely lies.
Worked my way down from the Regis facility for about a mile or so. Picked up two Rainbows and a sucker on a wooly worm. On my way back up stream, though, I noticed a bend in the creek that was holding over a dozen fish. Decided to switch things up and tied on a hopper with a green caddis pupae dropper:
Managed one Rainbow on the hopper-dropper rig, then decided to take the pupae off and tie on one of Breitmeier's white caddis nymphs. Nice thing about that fly is that you can see it pretty clearly in the shallow water. The fly change turned out to be the right call. Brought two Rainbows to the hand that went around 14-15 inches:
Probably could have stayed a bit longer and tied into a few more fish, but the damage was done, and Mosch's called. Back to Annapolis tomorrow; time to get back on the Bay!
While Capt. DiPaola has been hitting the Bay, Capt. Felker has been spending time up in NC Pa exploring some of the 800 miles of trout streams that Potter County has to offer.
The lack of rain and summer heat has taken its toll on most of the streams in the area. But recent lower nightine temps in the 40s, with shortening days, have cooled the water down nicely.
Most of the week was spent on his home waters of the West Branch of Fishing Creek, which is holding a surprising number of trout, including a 18-plus inch Palomino that has frustrated more than one follower of this blog. I did make it up to the DHALO section of the upper Allegheny earlier in the week, which is also low but loaded with trout, with one that I spotted (but could not entice to take a fly) easily going 20 inches.
Last night I had the opportunity to explore one of the county's Class A Wild Trout Streams with local fly fisherman Bob Volkmar. Bob, who taught engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, retired to Potter County several years ago. Very active in TU initiatives in the area, Bob has an extensive knowledge of the county's strout waters. The fact that he lives up the road from the cabin is an additional bonus.
So last evening we lit out and drove about 6-7 miles to hit one of these special streams. The state designates a stream Class A Wild Trout water if it demonstrates a self sustainable population of trout. As a consequence, these streams do not get stocked. Needless to say, while the streams are identified in the fish and game regs manual, and can easily be found on a topo map, most anglers if asked are reticent to point out exactly where to go to get to the streams. My sense is that the intent is not to keep the stream to themselves, but rather to protect the resource.
The other item that bears noting is that, since the state does not stock Class A waters, they may not have easy public access. We were lucky that, as we were gearing up, a Wildlife Conservation Officer on his way home stopped to chat. While Bob has fished this stream before, the WCO informed us that the land ownership had recently changed, and that it would probably be best if we stopped by the landwoners house first. While the property wasn't posted, we figured it prudent to ask, and the landowner was happy to let us trapse across his field to the stream.
We hiked a couple of hundred yards to the stream, to find it low, but fishable. Didn't have a thermometer, but the water temps felt reasonably cold. And while low, there were enough deep (2-3 feet) holes, runs, and undercut banks to hold fish. The stream was your typical Pennsylvania small stream; freestone for the most part, although the presence of underwater plants suggested sections were also spring fed. Stream gradient was shallow, a streambed of gravel and small rocks, with occasional soft mud.
As we only had an hour and a half or so before dark, we coupld only explore a small part of the stream. And with the sun shining on the stream the trout were probably in hiding. I did manage a 3 inch Brownie on a 16 Adams Parachute; enough evidence to convince me that this strem was a gem and worth revisiting. At any rate, the idea was to do some exploring, so the trip, which ended at Mosch's Tavern for a beer and wings, was a triumph.
Next week highs up here will be in the high 60s, with lows in the 40s. It might be hard to see from the photo, but the leaves are already starting to turn:
Within a week or so they'll be at peak, which actually has an effect on the trout streams. The WCO that we spoke with mentioned that the water levels should come up once the leaves turned. I hadn't thought about it, but the amount of ground water that the trees suck up from April through October has to be considerable, and contribute to the low stream levels. We'll see in a couple of weeks, but hopefully the leaves turning and some much needed rain will kick in some decent fall fishing in God's Country.
Tight Lines,
Mikey D Fishing
Monday, September 19, 2016
Waiting for the Bay Blitz
There are some signs....birds are hovering above schools of bait fish, nervous water here and there, and days are a bit shorter. Every once in a while the water boils with fish gorging and driving the smaller bait straight out of the water. But it is still early. The last and maybe the most important ingredient is a strong cold snap to let the fish know that autumn is here. With cooler temps at dawn and dusk we can safely expect to find keeper stripers attacking plugs above and clousers, rattletraps, metal jigs, and soft plastics below the surface.
Capt CC and I headed out an hour or so after sunrise. Not much to speak of after an hour or more of jigging and trolling. The frustration was broken with gulls gathering in the distance diving at bits of fish. We retrieved the trolling gear and headed on a course that would allow us to skirt the outside of the nervous water close enough to cast into the mayhem but far enough away so the frenzy continued unabated.
As the video documents below, there was plenty of action with 30 or so fish caught and released. Unfortunately as you can also see below, we managed to catch and release one of the feeding seagulls along the way. Fortunately for the gull we managed to unwrap the line, avoid being pecked, and release the bird back into the air. Despite the challenges, another good day for Mikey D Fishing!
On the legendary Yellow Breeches, August is usually terrestrial time with ants, beetles, and grasshoppers taking center stage. Capt C.C. was first on the water. As I arrived he reported that the recently sold Allenberry Resort and the corresponding renovations have diminished the consistently productive spots, holes, and seams that have consistently produced trout in the past. Forlorn but undaunted, we headed to "the run" where Children's Lake empties cool spring water for trout that are typically stacked in small pods and educated by dozens of fly fisherman. C.C. quickly landed 4 with two taken on top (hopper) and two taken with the ever reliable zebra midge. By the time I was able to join him, we moved downstream just beyond where "the run" joins the main stem of the creek. I ended the day skunked unless you count a sycamore tree and a silver maple that gladly swallowed a few midges and a beetle pattern. The video below shows the hook up and retrieval of two nice browns caught on the surface by C.C.! Hooked in the perfect spot, the second brown trout hit the floating hopper near the bank as the line began to swing against the current. The disturbance was just enough to induce a strike!
Stay tuned as we anticipate some of the best days of fishing in the Bay as evening temperatures cool with stripers and blues feeding ravenously.
A week of temperatures in the upper 90s and high humidity often pushes crabs into cooler, deeper water. Greater depths also means more oxygen for the crustaceans. With Capt. CC on hiatus for the day, Mike Shina answered the call.
We decided the extra few minutes travel up the Severn to the spot that produced a "hard bushel" in 2 hours earlier in July, would again be our best bet. Temperatures were already in the low 80s by 0600. Gear was aboard and MikeyDFishing pulled from the dock at 0615. As we approached the cove we intended to work, it was clear that we weren't the only "chicken neckers" who heard that the crabs were big and heavy in the Severn. One trot liner set his line exactly where we were set up a few weeks ago. Undeterred, we decided to work a stretch of water perpendicular from the other trot line in water 6 - 8 feet deep. A little shallower than we wanted, but we also needed to balance what has worked recently with the desire to be a little deeper given the water and air temps.
Line was set and soaked by 0700 and half way through our first run it became quite apparent that our calculus was correct. We pulled 6 keepers with one over 7 inches! Capt. Joe took the helm as Mike Shina worked the net like an old pro. With Shina on the stick, crabs were coming in at a average rate of 4 per run with some runs producing as many as 8. We even scooped a soft crab in the mix. While we saw more doublers than a few weeks ago, we also had to cull through more crabs than last time out. Nevertheless, Mike Shina quickly made adjustments to scoop crabs without bouncing the line. It took about 4 hours, but we eventually packed 5 dozen keepers into the basket. It was a great day that led to a great evening enjoying the bounty of the Bay.
2nd Lt Salt Life and I headed out for some morning mid week crabbing on 12 July with high hopes. Early season crabbing had exceeded expectations and with hot and humid temperatures there was no reason to expect a lull in the take. 2nd Lt wanted to head out earlier but I figured if we could get on the water by seven we would have plenty of time to catch a few dozen keepers. (This time of year the male crabs must be a minimum of 5 inches....increasing to 5 1/4 inches on July 15)
For the sake of convenience and speed we deployed the 600' trot line in one of our usual spots in Whitehall Bay. Getting the baited line in the water with the right tension and setting it as straight as possible is crucial to enabling the boat to travel up and down the line gently lifting the line from the bottom with the feeding crabs caught unawares.
With the line set and about 5 minutes of "soaking time", we started on our first run with Joe at the helm and 2nd Lt Salt Life on the net. Three runs later we still hadn't seen a single crab. Decision time for the crew.
We opted to pull the line transition to the Severn River and try and look for an area along the shore in about 6 - 10 feet of water. We found what we thought would be a suitable productive spot upriver from the Naval Academy. By now we were outside of the ideal time to crab but the wind was manageable and we were eager so we reset the line.
Five minutes later we knew we were about to get busy. The next hour saw an average of 6 crabs per run with some runs producing as many as 10 male keepers. Some of the crabs were over 7 inches point to point. Amazing! Water clarity was excellent and the bottom was sand with patches of grass. An hour and a half after we began, we were still catching crabs but we had packed the bushel basket to the brim. Great day on the water with my son and a great feast later that evening. Mikey D Fishing looks forward to more crabbing like that this season!
Fished the first fork of the Sinnemahoning just up from the bridge in Costello, where Freeman Run empties into the creek. Was there a few days ago and saw trout literally jumping out of the water; have no idea why. Managed 4 on the first trip; 12 inch Rainbows and Browns. But there was a huge Brownie thrashing around the pool. Couldn't get a hookup, although he attacked my Chernobyl Ant (was using it as a strike indicator, with a Frenchie dropper), and the take was so vicious that I panicked and pulled the fly right out of his mouth.
Joe came up for a couple of days and we headed back there last evening. Again, fish jumping all around where the smaller creek empties into the first fork. Again can't explain, there were no flies coming off the water. Maybe there were so many trout that they were chasing each other.
Anyway, Joe hooked up first; 12 inch Rainbow. Together we managed 10; Rainbows and Browns, and one Bream. Again, a Frenchie dropped off of a Chernobyl Ant was the go to rig. Final fish of the evening capped off the night. Joe hooked into a nice Brownie, about a 15 incher. While he was fighting it I decided to try for a double. I hooked up what I knew was a big fish. Fought him for about 5 minutes before I could get him to the net. At first It looked like a big Brookie; a lot of red in the fish. But when we got him close enough it turned out to be a Brown.
Didn't have time to measure, as we needed to get him back into the water. But easily went 20 inches. Amazing fish.
Also explored some more of the Allegheny south of Roulette. I think we found where all the trout have gone with the low water and high temps. Also saw some really deep water under a bridge, and from the top of the bridge looking down saw a huge smalle; had to be at least 20 inches. The locals say Walleye and Muskey are in these spots as well.
We returned to one of those spots that resembled a mill pond although it was a part of the Allegheny on Saturday. The fishing was slow but spotted large trout and carp. Clearly a location with potential. In the first hour working around the edges of the mill pond, we spotted a mink, a beaver, a couple of beavers and a wounded or rabid woodchuck who attempted to block our access to the water. A couple of pokes with the walking stick sent Mr. Woodchuck along a different path. A lot of great fishing in a short period of time.
Yep, the middle Bay is full of them. And if you're not paying attention, you'll hook into a 20 minute fight, only to cut your line at the end and put nothing in the box.
Undeterred, Captains DiPaola and Felker set out Friday afternoon with C.C.'s dad Charles, sister Amy and brother Jeff to put some fish in the cooler.
With some time before our "clients" rolled in, we decided to hit the perch hole outside Burley Creek to throw some baitfish into the live well. Captain Joe complemented a successful perch run with some cast-netting which brought a good number of small Virginia Spot in as well. The it was off to Cantlers for a couple of beers and some fried Rockfish bites.
Bottom line a complete success, made even more impressive by some pretty rough water out there. Got out on the bay around 1:30 and initially planned to head to our go to spot on the eastern bridge pilings, but quickly changed the game plan and headed up to Podickery Point. Must have been something going on up that way, as there were at least 70 boats all concentrated in the area. We set anchor as the southernmost boat, threw the chum log overboard, and sank some cut alewive baits.
For the three hours that we were out there the action was consistent. Netted 10 fish; 3 that went a bit over 20 inches, and a solid 26 incher that Captain Joe brought to the net. We even picked up a few fish bottom bouncing soft crabs. Even more impressive was that these fish were caught with the boat rocking and rolling in 20 knot winds and 3 foot white caps.
By Saturday afternoon when the Mikey D headed back out the winds had died down and the Bay calmed down to gentle swells. For Saturday's charter it was just Captain Felker, as Captain DiPaola headed out to Bethany beach with his family. Minus one crew member, I decided to forgo anchoring and just bottom bounc soft crabs and jigs as we drifted over fish. Drifting off Hacketts initially, we were rewarded with a nice 18 incher. But that was it. So we headed up to Podickery, only to find a lot of boats but no action.
So off to the eastern bridge pilings we went. When we got to piling 56A we immediately started marking fish. With an outgoing tide, I motored up about 200 yards or so north of the piling, baited up with soft crabs, and bounced the bait as we slowly drifted towards the bridge. When we got close, it was pull up the rig, drive back up, and do it all over again. Easy.
For the hour or so that were were in drift mode the action was consistent. Dad skillfully brought 11 fish to the boat; all on soft crabs. I managed to pick one up on a albino soft plastic. I also tied into a ray, which I saw too late to prevent the hook up.
All the stripers were in the 15-18 inch range, with the exception of one keeper that Dad got to the net which went in the box at 24 inches.
An outstanding trip. And the action should stay hot throughout the summer. From the looks of the Lowrance the fish are hanging around the bridge pilings in greater numbers. Time to break out the BKDs and do some jigging. And watch the rays!
***Late Entry*** May 20, 2016--- The end of trophy season and the new Striper limits (2 fish per person, 20" minimum and only one can be over 28" after May 15) meant greater opportunities for finding fish to take from the Bay and place on the table. May brought few fishable days with the bulk of the month filled with cold and rain. Undaunted, Mikey D Fishing left the dock on one of the few bright and warm Saturday mornings to set up the chum line and send hooks baited with fresh alewife to the bottom.
Once anchored, the Lowrance HDS began marking multiple fish. In fact, the Lowrance is so sensitive that it picked up the chum line. As shown above, we set up at one of our more prolific spots and soon after we hooked into a keeper Rockfish. The key when using the bait runner reels is to allow the fish to take the bait and run to allow the circle hook to set properly. If you attempt to set the hook at the first sign of a bite it almost always results in a lost opportunity. The video depicts the end result when Mikey D Fishing pulls it all together. When the bite slowed, we moved to the #1 can buoy off of Hacketts Point. We caught a few undersized stripers and a determined perch on alewife and soft crab. A great day culminating in grilled Rockfish for dinner. Back at Mikey D Fishing headquarters we followed this simple step by step recipe for grilled Rockfish:
1. Fillet with a quality knife....Mikey D Fishing recommends the Bubba Blade.
2. Leave the skin on one side
3. Sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper
4. Add a dusting of lemon pepper panko
5. Grill with skin down until flesh is between white and translucent .... and enjoy the bounty of the Bay!
Mikey D Fishing started the 2016 season on the Bay with a few bumps and a nice fat Striper.
Captain C.C. holds a nice Striper above caught just south of the twin Bay Bridge spans in 35 feet of water while chumming. The moment of glory was but a respite from multiple obstacles encountered during MikeyDFishing's shakedown jaunt for 2016. Captain C.C. and Captain Joe were on the boat by 0700 under cloudy skies and calm waters. Obstacle Number 1 required charging one of the marine batteries enough to turn over the Mercury 150. Underway and feeling that we beat our one glitch of the trip, we fired up the Lowrance HDS 12 and soon began marking multiple fish on the bottom and several groups at 15 - 20 feet.
We anchored in 32 feet of water, lowered the chum bucket, and deployed multiple lines baited with fresh alewife. Fishing was slow, but soon enough the telltale sound of clicking from one of the fishfinder reels caught our attention and after a nice fight led to the 24" beauty above. Unfortunately as fat and as tasty as it looks, it is still 11" shy of the 35" minimum required during the Striper trophy season that lasts until May 15. With cigars ready to celebrate a new season, we encountered Obstacle Number 2: always have a working lighter and a backup on board.
As the bite slowed, we decided to shift to trolling. While in the process of re-rigging, Obstacle Number 3 confronted us: I pulled the last of my leader material from the spool. Always ensure that you have enough tackle at the start of a new season.
Fishing is often about adjusting to your conditions, so we decided to use what we had and relocate to a new anchorage in hopes of enticing a few more fish into the chum line. While heading toward the mouth of the Severn not far from one of our favorite spots, the Lowrance HDS marked multiple fish at varying depths. With little hesitation or delay we dropped anchor, deployed the chum bucket, and began re-baiting. As we moved with precision around the boat, I caught a glimpse of a Coast Guard cutter on a constant bearing and decreasing range. Within a minute, they were close aboard and announced they intended to conduct a safety inspection. Obstacle number 4: Coast Guard boats powered by twin diesels are not conducive to productive fishing. We passed our safety inspection with flying colors, but that was little relief as we stared at a blank screen on the fish finder.
With the weather deteriorating and the sea state increasing, we decided to call it a day. Despite the obstacles, MikeyDFishing can take solace in landing the first Striper of the season and meeting the challenge over a brief two hour fishing window! Looking forward to the stars aligning during our next outing! -- Mikey D Fishing
Tuesday, April 19, 2016
With Part Two of Pennsylvania's opening day of trout season behind us, we offer an aerial view of the Felker Cabin in Potter County aptly known as "God's Country" and the Northern Operating Base for Mikey D Fishing!
Spring has arrived, the Mikey D is in the water, now equipped with a Lowrance HDS 12 Gen 3 sonar, and ready to hit the bay for stripers.
But before hitting the "salt life," Captains C.C. and Joe lit out for "God's Country" to celebrate the opening day of trout season.
Actually, this weekend was the second opening day in PA. Two weeks ago the southern counties opened for trout, so I headed solo up to the Poconos to fish with Chuck. Weather was a bit chilly and damp; perfect weather to keep out the fair weather anglers. We headed down from Pop's house to fish Jacoby Creek, and small stream that the state throws a few hundred trout in so the locals can pull them out. Pennsylvania cycle of life, so to speak. We got to our spot where we had scouted out some fish the day before. Rigged up and ready to go by 0730, only to have to wait another 30 minutes before the official opening. A bit nervous; there are no real rules of civility when it comes to opening day. You can be fishing all by yourself one moment, and the next five dudes show up and start chucking bait right next to you.
This morning, though, the trout gods smiled and no one showed up. Got into position about 0755, first cast went off at 0800, and "bam," 12 inch Brookie. Second cast, "bam," 12 inch Brookie. Third cast ... well the pattern was set. I out Dad in the spot and moved up to a pool just above, and, wash, rinse, repeat with four more Brookies to hand.
By 0900 or so the locals started rolling in, so we headed to the Mt. Bethel Diner for eggs and scrapple and headed pack to the house to clean our catch. In the afternoon we headed to Bangor to fish a stream that runs right through town. From the look of it you wouldn't think that trout would fare well, but the water was clear and clean and we picked up a few more fish before calling it a successful opening day.
Two weeks later it was time to experience the Potter County version of opening day. Joining the Mikey D Fishing team was Professor Tim O'Brien, long time fishing companion. Joe and Tim rolled in Friday afternoon with plenty of time to wet a line. Since the stocked streams were still closed, we hit a delayed harvest section of the upper Allegheny, just north of Coudersport. Weather was absolutely perfect; temps in the high 60s, sunny skies, little to no wind. We set up on a stretch of water and were given a demonstration by Joe of "dynamic nymphing," or what the locals might call high sticking. Whatever you call it it worked, as Joe picked up two nice trout, while I lost a decent one.
After grilling some steaks Friday evening, we settled down by the campfire enjoying cigars and Amador bourbon.
After a breakfast of eggs, scrapple, and biscuits the next morning, we lit off to see what Fishing Creek had to offer. Joe and I fished the west branch, which runs behind the house, while Tim headed downstream to fish the main branch. I decided to forgo the fly rod and throw spinners, while Joe and Tim stuck to their fly rods. I can say that the morning was full of fishing but not any catching. It was definitely a day for the bait dunkers. Despite seeing guys catching fish, the best we could get was one decent hit on the spinner.
Undeterred, we decided to avoid the crowds on the put and take waters and return to the delayed harvest section of the Allegheny. This time we fished upstream of our earlier foray, which turned out a good move for Tim, who picked up at least three trout on a gold Wooly Bugger. Unfortunately, I was thrashing away below Tim and did not get a chance for pictures.
Saturday dinner was at the Friendly for burgers and beer, and then back to the cabin to get some practice with the drone. Should be some video heading this way soon.
All in all a fantastic opening day weekend. Not much in the way of numbers of trout landed, but great being out in the woods, standing in stream, and enjoying the evening with bourbon, cigars, and good friends in God's Country.
