2018 Season Wrap

Bare trees and cold temperatures are a harbinger for the end of the Chesapeake fishing.  On this Thanksgiving day, it is fitting to take stock and look back at the angling triumphs and tribulations.  On November 16, while Capt Felker was advising the Madagascar Military Academy, I decided to pull and clean the boat in preparation for shrink wrap and winterization.

The ride from home port to the ramp at Sandy Point was a cold one.  Winds were 10 -15 out of the Northwest, the air temperature was 42, and water temps were in the upper 40s.  Scanning the horizon from north to south revealed only a few sailboats.  Unlike autumn fishing in recent years, bait was not to be found in the middle bay, absent were schools of keeper rockfish and gulls that typically mark fish from above were nowhere in sight.  October through mid November are typically the most exciting and productive time for striper hunters.  Schools of rockfish measured in acres blanket the bay.  We incorporate a shoot and scoot tactic to move from one productive spot to the next.  When the fish are holding in deeper waters, we will jig with BKDs and metal jigs to hook keepers.

 

This fall was different.  Despite unsubstantiated Maryland Department of Natural Resources reports of excellent "Roctober" fishing, fellow regular anglers and charter captains agreed with Mikey D Fishing that the October / November striper season was a disappointment.  Our theory is that the record rainfall and subsequent opening of the Conowingo Dam decreased the salinity of the upper and middle bay region.  Bait moved south early, taking most stripers of note with them.

The good news is that the fall fishing did not dampen what was a memorable season overall.  The saltwater season commenced in spectacular fashion with Capt Felker and Capt DiPaola catching Nicaraguan tarpon on the fly!  Late May and early June produced large number of keeper rockfish including a banner weekend in mid June when we brought multiple keepers including two 30" plus fish over the gunwale.  When fish were constrained into a small area near Rock Hall by poor oxygen levels in July, Mikey D Fishing was there with simultaneous hook-ups.  During that trip we witnessed the appalling amount of trash and debris moving downstream from the Susquehanna river.  A late summer tow that took us miles from the fishing grounds ultimately rewarded us with keeper rockfish.  We caught fish jigging, with fly rods, on bait-runner reels, and in almost every available manner.  We landed our largest Cobia on our trek to the Southern Bay.  At the northern outpost in Potter County, Capt Felker continued to expand local knowledge of streams and creeks in north central PA.  Summer is never more in bloom than when you feel the tug of the line and bring a trout to hand on a clear day.   We enjoyed the company of regular fishing friends and guests.  It  was a great season and we have much for which to be grateful.  

2019 fishing is only a few short months and a thaw away.  We are looking forward to the inaugural Charter season and Capt Felker's Montana fly fishing guide school matriculation.   Fish on the line or half off so book now!

Tight Lines,

Mikey D Fishing

Delayed Report - 28-30 September: "Rocktober" is On

Apologies for the delayed report.  Sometimes stuff gets in the way.

With air and water temps cooling last week, it seemed only a matter of days until the Stripers got into "fall mode."  On Friday Captain DiPaola finished his chores with about an hour and a half of daylight left, and took the MikeyD down to Thomas Point Lighthouse, where the experts at Anglers bait and tackle shop reported keeper Rockfish being boated.  The boys at Anglers were spot on.  Within a few casts Captain DiPaola had a nice keeper in the cooler, the fish caught on a "Smack-it" topwater plug.

Saturday the Mikey D team enjoyed the company of "clients" Dr.s Jennifer Keene and John Hall.  The president and vice president of the Society for Military History were in town for a weekend offsite leadership meeting, set up by yours truly.  What better place, I figured, than Annapolis for a variety of reasons, most of all the chance to put our guests on fish.  And Annapolis did not disappoint.  Perfect early fall weather.  Dinner Friday night at Cantlers, enjoying a variety of soft crab dinners.  On Saturday afternoon, with the meeting agenda items completed, we headed to the dock and boarded the MikeyD around 3:00 in the afternoon, and headed back down to Thomas Point.  Air temps were in the low 70s, water temps around 72 degrees, partly cloudy skies, winds less than 10 kts, and seas realtively calm.  Conditions that pointed to a blitz.  For the first 45 minutes, though, things were kind of slow around the lighthouse.  Tossing jigs and topwater plugs resulted in only one strike, a good fish which threw the jig after a brief fight.

It was starting to look like just a nice day on the water.  Then the birds showed up.  Around 4:30 gulls and terns almost magically arrived and started working the surface in the vicinity of the lighthouse.  For the next hour we went into our "scoot and shoot" mode, running to flocking birds, tossing jigs and topwater plugs into the mix, tying into fish, then scooting to the next blitz.  Although new to bay fishing, Jennifer and John expertly boated around 10 fish between them, most in the 15-18 inch range.  But they did manage to each put a keeper in the box.

Saturday evening was spent at the Severn Inn, dining on blackened North Carolina Black Drum and crab cakes, a perfect end to a successful outing on the bay.  Sunday morning Captain's DiPaola and Felker headed out to hit the morning bite before pulling the boat for some cleaning and maintenance.  We probably left the dock a bit late.  Arriving off Hackett's Point around 7:45, we had some action on topwater, but nothing to the boat.  Not long after the birds showed up, but for the most part they were working schools of dinks.  We were able to catch one keeper on a metal jig, but pulling in 8 inch fish just didn't hack it.

We probably spent around 6 hours on the water the entire weekend, yet caught 20-30 fish, including three keepers.  As the water continues to cool the fishing is only going to heat up.  Time to break out the fly rods and take advantage of fall fishing as the days get shorter.

Tight Lines,
Mikey D Fishing

Topwater Tease (Sep 17)

With Hurricane Florence bearing down on North Carolina, 1st Lieutenant Salt Life was given the opportunity to "self evacuate" from Camp Lejeune.  The deluge that engulfed North Carolina slowly weaved a path that wrapped around but mostly avoided the Chesapeake region.  Rising waters eventually made their way into the Bay via tributaries and rivers in Pennsylvania and New York requiring the Conowingo Dam to open 15 flood gates.  The detritus that accompanied the fresh water made navigating the Bay a risky proposition but the water also cooled and re-oxygenated the upper and middle Chesapeake.  Those conditions combined with the end of meteorological summer meant it was time to test shallow hot spots for top water fishing.

1Lt Salt Life and I got underway just before sunrise.  Temperatures were in the low 70s, water temperature was 75 with overcast skies.  Great conditions to induce a bite on the surface.  We headed to the shallows around Hacketts point.  Setting up on the east side of the point, wind and current carried us around the rocks along the shore toward Whitehall Bay.  Our first casts were unproductive.  As the boat drifted leeward of the tip of Hackett's, 1Lt Salt Life launched a topwater plug up against the rocks.  A keeper striper hit the floating lure almost immediately.  Over the next 30 minutes almost every cast resulted in a strike.  The fish were ravenous; relentlessly exploding out of the water two and three times before getting hooked.

Within an hour we had landed over a dozen fish including 4 keepers from 21" - 23".   The perfect size for the grill!  Most were caught on topwater plugs such as "Smack-It Jrs", "Heddon Super Spooks", and the tried and true "Atom Plug".

It is easy to overhype the fishing conditions this time of year.  When you find the fish and they are feeding, it is tempting to believe it is easy.  However, the fish can shut off and move just as quick as they appeared.  A day later, the fish were nowhere to be found around Hacketts.  The good news is that as the days grow shorter and the bay waters cool, the fishing should improve and become more consistent.  Bring on Rock-tober!

Cape Charles, Virginia Fishing Report, 29 August - Cobia Time

Last Wednesday we had another opportunity to fish with Captain Kenny Louderback of Fish Freaks Guide Service (https://www.facebook.com/fishfreaks2014/).   Our original outing was scheduled for mid-July, but had to be postponed due to weather.  Fortunately, Kenny had a couple of available dates in August, so we booked him, hoping that the weather would cooperate and the Cobia would still be around.

Booking a quality (and consequently, really popular) guide like Captain Kenny means looking far down the calendar.  The problem with that is the unpredictability factor is pretty high the further away you book the outing.  So many things can conspire to frustrate a day on the water.  Weather, winds, the presence (or lack thereof) of the fish, are all unpredictable.  What is not unpredictable is Captain Kenny.  As we first discovered last year, the man flat out knows fishing, and is driven to put his clients on fish.

So, joined by my brother-in-law and noted Salmon and Walleye fisherman Ed Wagner, Captain DiPaola and I lit off from Annapolis for Cape Charles on Tuesday.  We stayed at the Cape Charles Hotel, a place with a 60s retro look.  The hotel is right on the main drag, rooms are very comfortable, and close to excellent eating and drinking establishments.  After checking in and enjoying a Dogfishhead Agave IPA at the hotel, we walked down to Kelly's Pub for dinner.  Dinner was fantastic; clams and mussels appetizers, followed up with burgers and crab cake sandwiches.  The only way to top that off was with cigars and 1792 bourbon back at the hotel, setting the stage for what we hoped would be another great chance at big fish.

Wednesday looked promising.  Winds were forecast to be around 10 knots under sunny skies and temps in the 90s.  Not great for humans, but according to Kenny perfect for Cobia.  When we met Kenny at the ramp in Kiptopeke State Park, the winds were a bit higher than forecast, and the bay looked kind of nasty.  This time of the summer the fish are schooling just outside the bay in advance of their migration south.  But to get to the fish, we had to make out way through 3-4 foot waves, which made for a bumpy and wet ride. Once we got to the other side of the bay-bridge tunnel, however, the water calmed considerably.  And as Kenny predicted, the increasing heat would calm the winds and further calm the seas.

Those sunny skies and calm seas are important to Cobia fishing at this time of year, because the most effective means of targeting these fish is spotting them near the surface.  Fortunately, at this time of year, the fish, for reasons unknown, are often latched on to schools of Cow-nosed Rays and even big Loggerhead Turtles.  A tower on the boat is essential to see both out and down.  The tower is so important, that we saw more than one boat out there with a DIY step ladder lashed to the forward section.  Probably not the safest way to spot Cobia.  That's why you hire a guide.

We got past the bridge-tunnel and into the shipping channel off Virginia Beach around 0930, and began the search for Cobia.  Ed joined Kenny in the tower, and we immediately began spotting schools of rays.  Some had Cobia on them, but casting live eels failed to attract a strike.  It was just too early, Kenny concluded.  He was certain that once the water started moving the bite would come on.

And he was right.  Around 1130 we had out first hook up of the day.  Kenny cast to a school of rays, and had 3 Cobia charge the eel.  Unfortunately, while the frenzy resulted in a hookup, the fish was foul hooked just above the dorsal fin.  Anyone who's foul-hooked a 6 inch trout knows that it fights like a 15 incher.  Well, hooking a 40 inch Cobia in its back turns that fish into an 80 inch monster.  And after 20 minutes of muscle-aching runs, I realized that I'd be really fortunate to tire this fish out enough to get it in the boat.  And as it turned out, my prediction was unfortunately realized when the fish came to the boat, shook its head, and the hook popped out of its back before Kenny could get the gaff on it.

That could have been a harbinger of a tough day on the water.  But Kenny wasn't fazed, and assured us that there'd be more hookups and fish in the boat.  Having fished with him before, we didn't doubt him, but also didn't miss an opportunity to razz him from time to time.  I'm not sure whether we broke some kind of guide etiquette, but Kenny just puts you at ease in the boat.

And, as the evidence demonstrates, Kenny did not disappoint.  Checking the numbers from last year, we spotted 20 fish, had 5 hookups, boated 4, with one keeper.  This time we spotted over 30 fish, had 8 hookups, and boated keepers measuring 42 and a 51 inches.  The only down side, if you can call it that, is that we were one shy of the limit.  And, true to form, Kenny stretched out the day well after all of the other guides had departed to get that last fish.  He gave us one more shot, spotting 7-8 Cobia swimming around a Loggerhead.  His cast resulted in a solid hookup with drag screaming off the reel.  But the fishing gods intervened one more time and freed the fish, a sign that it was time to head to the ramp.

Another fantastic trip, and we're already looking ahead to next July, and even a fall outing with Kenny for bull Redfish.  And to Kenny's buddies at the tackle shop, don't look to the guide for missing our limit.  Just chalk it up to operator error.

Tight Lines,
Mikey D Fishing

Potter County Fishing Report (Delayed) - Three Times Almost Wasn't a Charm

Last Friday offered another great opportunity to do some small stream fishing.  Fellow TU "God's Country" chapter members Bob Volkmar and Frank Weeks and I decided to try Kettle Creek again.  This time, however, we decided to fish a section a few miles south from the town of Germania.

Weather was great for hanging out at the beach, but probably not the optimum to entice Brookies to take a dry.  Skies were clear, and temps moved into the mid to upper 70s as the day went on.  We parked at a bridge overlooking the creek along Rousch Road, rigged up, and got on the water around 8:30 or so.  Since three would have definitely been a crowd on this stream, Frank and Bob decided to fish upstream from the bridge, I would make my way downstream, and we'd return to the truck for lunch.  While my section of the stream showed potential in spots, it just didn't show the same characteristics as the upstream sections we fished a few weeks ago.  There were a few decent lies, but for the most part the creek consisted of long straightaways and flat bottoms, not particularly conducive to a meaningful Brook Trout experience.  I did manage one 6 incher, but that was it for nearly three hours.

I made my way back to the bridge, and since it was an hour or so before lunch, I headed upstream to see if I could intercept Bob and Frank.  When I caught up to them they had less to report.  Again, their section had some holding water, but no fish.  They didn't even see or spook a fish.

Over lunch we dwelled on the mystery, but decided that further exploration would be fruitless.  So we made a command decision to head upstream and fish some of the same water that was highlighted in the earlier two posts.  This time Frank and Bob started a little above the point where Slider Run (a very small tributary of Kettle) runs into Kettle Creek.  I decided to check out Slider Run.  As I started walking to the stream, though, I heard the recognizable sound of Bob yelling, and then loud voices between Bob and Frank.  Turns out that the vegetation on the banks was very high, concealing a big hole into which Bob inadvertently found himself.  For a moment I thought I might have to head back.  But the yelling stopped, so I assumed that all was well and continued to check out Slider Run.

Perhaps a couple of weeks ago the trib would have been worth fishing.  But not this day.  So I made my way back to the bridge, and decided to fish behind Frank and Bob.  Fortunately, this section of Kettle Creek bailed us out.  While the water was much lower in this stretch, there were plenty of lies for Brookies.  Better yet, there were trout in those lies.  Not big fish, mind you, probably 4-6 inches (although Bob got a nice fish that went about 10 inches), but trout that aggressively went after our hopper and hopper/dropper patterns, even gracing us with another chance or two when we missed the hookup.

A couple of hours leap-frogging the stream provided us a few fish to the hand and several misses, enough action to call the day a success.  For now we'll let the Brookies have a rest.  But with October and cooler weather just around the corner, I'm looking forward to a return to take another crack at these Kettle Creek gems.

Tight lines,
Mikey D Fishing

Chunking for Stripers in Mid August

Three weeks have passed since Capt Felker and Capt DiPaola witnessed tons of garbage and debris flowing south from the opening of several floodgates on the Conowingo Dam  record rainfall in July.  Mikey D Fishing can report that water clarity has mercifully improved.  While due caution is still the prudent way to cruise to the fishing spots, it was finally safe enough to wet some lines.

Accompanied by Bery Edmonston, Mikey D Fishing left the dock at 0730.  Although the sun was well above the horizon, we couldn't resist an opportunity to cast topwater plugs into the shallows along Hackett's Point in hopes of enticing a lurking striper.  Dozens of casts produced little so it was off to Podickery Point to set up for chunking.  Normally, chumming or chunking for stripers is futile by early August.  August is typically a transitional month, too early for topwater fishing and too late for bottom fishing.  Live lining and jigging are usually the only viable options this time of year.  But 2018 has not been a typical Chesapeake summer.

We set up amongst a small fleet of recreational and charter fishing boats in 32 feet of water.  Air temps were in the mid to upper 80s.  Surface water temps were in the low 80s.  Lines were in the water baited with soft crab and fresh alewife just prior to the start of the incoming tide.  Before the bait was soaked, we began to see the telltale tapping of the rod tips just before the baitrunner reels released line.  Bery landed the first of almost a dozen channel catfish.  The largest was over 24 inches and weighed in excess of 15 pounds.  The abundance of catfish is another consequence of the immense flush of freshwater in the mid Chesapeake Bay.  Fortunately, we managed to boat two stripers (22" and 19") mixed in with the catfish.

A great day on the water culminated with fillets in the bag!

One additional note about safety in light of a charter boat / sailboat collision a few days ago (See "The Capital", Aug 18).  Even in the best of conditions, captains and crew should always be vigilant when underway or at anchor.  Case in point, Bery Edmonston and Capt DiPaola watched with curiosity as a crew of two (grandfather and grandson) became fixated on weighing anchor and securing their gear as the tide steadily drew our vessels closer.  When it became apparent that action was necessary to avoid collision, Capt. DiPaola hailed the other boat before Mikey D Fishing came into contact.  The other vessel wanted to talk about their anchor struggles when Capt. DiPaola strongly recommended that they make way.  Fortunately, a bird nest of braided line and terminal tackle was the only casualty.  Situational Awareness is all to often a rare commodity!

Tight Lines,

Mikey D Fishing

Potter County Fishing Report: Return to Upper Kettle Creek

A month after "Trout Whisperer" Bob Volkmar guided Captain DiPaola on the upper reaches of Kettle Creek, you'd think the idea of returning in the late summer would be an exercise in futility.  But conditions signaled anything but that, when Bob, Bob's Lab "Blue", and I headed back to take another crack at the native brookies.

The persistent rains this summer have kept these gems of streams in excellent fishing condition. When we stepped in the water around 0830, air temps were in the high 60s under partly cloudy skies, with water temps between 58-60 degrees.  According to Bob, the water was higher than the previous month's outing.

I'll refer you to Capt. DiPaola's blog post a month back for details on this particular stream.  For the 3 1/2 hours that we spent on the water, Bob and I each caught around 8-10 fish.  A few were the 3-4 inch dinks that amazingly will take on a size 8 hopper, but we also caught a decent number of 5-6 inch brookies, with two going an easy 10 inches.  Since there was plenty of water, we fished together, alternating fishy-looking spots.  And for the most part, every spot that looked like good holding water held a fish or two.  As for flies, Bob fished with a hopper pattern, while I was using a foam hopper with a Rainbow Warrior dropper.  Interestingly, most of my hookups, including the two 10 inchers, were caught on the dropper.

Small stream fishing at its best; Potter County at its finest!

Tight Lines,
Mikey D Fishing

Potter County Fishing Report: Trout and the Dog Days of Summer

Catching a trout on the first cast usually means one of two things.  Either you're going to have a banner day, or your luck ran out with the first fish.

While the Allegheny is still high and moving fast (although showing good color), the tribs have benefited greatly from the recent rain events over the last two weeks.  So with clear skies this morning, the small streams beckoned.  I decided to broaden my Potter County portfolio by fishing Dingman Run, a small stream that empties into the Allegheny in Coudersport.  Access was fairly easy; a bridge just a short run up Dingman Run Road provided parking and easy access to the stream.

Like a fly-fishing "Minute Man," I normally keep the 3 wt. rigged with a hopper/pheasant tail dropper tandem.  Having broken my share of rods, it's probably not the smartest thing to do.  But then again it shortens the delay getting on the water; a decent trade off in my mind.

When  I got to the bridge around 9:30, air temps were creeping into the 70s.  The stream looked great; plenty of water and good flows.  The darkness under the bridge seemed like a place that a trout or two would be hanging out.

So with a short side cast I flung the tandem just under the bridge, and then fed line as the current took the flies further under the bridge.  Although it was hard seeing the hopper, I did see the splash, and a minute later brought a beautiful 12 inch Brookie to hand.  The trout had all the appearance of a native fish; colored up, perfect fins, and even a slightly kiped jaw.  Unfortunately, while fumbling for the camera, Mr. Brookie slipped off the hook and back under the bridge he went.

After a few more casts, I moved on downstream.  Dingman Run is classic small stream fishing.  No more than 15-20 feet wide, the stream has the characteristics of a mountain brook trout stream; narrow, with alternating riffles and pockets, undercut banks.  Water temps were in the low-60s, the stream kept cool by the canopy.  While these kinds of streams can be frustrating from a casting perspective, you really don't need to spend much time in any one spot.  Just move down (or up) stream, casting in likely holding areas.  If there's a fish holding, it'll more the likely eat the fly.  If not, just move to the next spot.

I moved about 100 yards down from the bridge, hitting some spot with no takers.  So it was looking like the first fish would be my last.  But then I got to a pool that just looked too fishy.

By this time I had somehow lost my dropper (probably on a tree branch), and my hopper was waterlogged, so I tied on a size 14 Humpy Adams.  I figured that if there were more Brookies, then an attractor should bring them to the surface.  Turned out to be the right call.  The next four casts all brought Brookies to the hand; three in the 4-5 inch range, and another dandy that went 10-11 inches.

Hindsight being 20-20, I should have just taken a break and let the hole relax, as I'm sure there were a few more fish in there.  But the stream beckoned, and so I fished down for the next hour and a half.  Despite finding a lot of great holding water, I couldn't manage a hit, let alone move a fish.  I probably covered a half mile of stream; the further downstream I went, the narrower it got.  By noon it was getting kind of hot, and it was a hike back to the truck.  And, since I hadn't seen a fish, it seemed like a good time to turn around.

On the way back home I stopped at the covered bridge in Coudersport, but three steps into the water and it was obvious that the current was just to fast for comfortable fishing.  A few more dry days and the big river will be in great shape.  Until then, though, the small streams beckon.

Tight Lines,
Mike D Fishing

Adjusting to the Conditions - Upper Chesapeake Stripers - July 28 2018

This entry was intended to be a prelude to Cobia fishing in the lower Chesapeake Bay.  However, when the Captain of your charter tells you that the fishing is not likely to be productive and the forecast includes severe thunderstorms, the wise angler heeds the advice.  The same approach of gathering all of the information at hand enabled Capt. Felker and Capt. DiPaola to limit out on stripers in less than 2 hours the day before.

The weekend fishing trip started as most do with a visit to Anglers to stock up on fresh alewife, soft crabs, and incidentals.  As locals, friends, and frequent customers we usually chat with the staff to see where the bite is and how that compares to other reports to formulate the best fishing plan.  Word was that stripers had been holding in large numbers in an area defined by Rock Hall north to Pooles island in the Upper Chesapeake.   Charlie and Mike Ebersberger of Anglers added that they had seen success near the bay bridge rock piles live lining with spot and chunking with soft crabs.  A plan to try some live lining on our way north to Rock Hall naturally came together.

On the western rock pile we were encouraged to see three charter boats tossing norfolk spot.  A swift current and only a few hits without takes on the chunking rods indicated it was time to head north.  The course to Swan Pt was punctuated by the heartbreaking sight of huge debris flows coming from the Susquehanna river and the Conowingo dam.  Mixed in with the flotsam were logs, barrels, tires, and other assorted trash.  It was a sad and hazardous spectacle.  The crew wondered aloud whether all of the good work to improve the health of the Bay would be for naught unless efforts are made to address the runoff from the Chesapeake's tributaries, particularly from our neighbors to the north.

After playing dodge ball with logs and trash we eventually spotted the charter fleet.  Dozens of boats were anchored in 12 - 15' of turbid 79 degree water.  With the anchor set, the two Captains wet four lines baited with soft crab and alewife.  Within minutes rod tips began to twitch.  Multiple fish to the boat followed.  At one point  two fish were hooked with a third rod getting hit.  A lot of action always equates to a lot of fun.  The bite remained consistently good until we had our limit of 4 keeper stripers in the 20" - 22" range.  While not record setting in size, they make for excellent table fare.  While the grilled cobia will have to wait, the plated stripers make an excellent substitute.

Tight Lines,

Mikey D Fishing

Kettle Creek Brookies - 06 July 2018 - Late Entry

A day prior to the famed Potter County Independence Day Extravaganza, hosted by the Felkers' and West Branch Tavern (see video tease below), Captain Felker arranged a day of native brook trout fishing for me.  Even better, I had the opportunity to fish under the tutelage of Potter County local and Trout Unlimited Chapter Secretary, Bob Volkmar.

Bob was accompanied as usual by his faithful fishing companion "Blue", a beautiful black lab.  The drive from West Branch Tavern to Kettle Creek took about an hour.  Several turns and switchbacks on dirt roads eventually ended at a small steam with crystal clear water.  Kettle Creek is rarely more than 10 feet across and often not more than ankle deep.  Covered with old growth spruce and hemlock, it is a perfect native brook trout hatchery.

It had been a couple of years since I worked water as skinny.  The last time I chased hungry brook trout in water like this was a day spent climbing boulders and rocks searching for 6" feeders in the upper Rappahannock.  Back on Kettle Creek, the temps were warm enough to wet wade.   Bob gently reminded me that stealth, precision, patience and recognition are critical in water like this.  I am more comfortable working across a stream or even down stream.  Bob is an expert at casting upstream, gently presenting the fly, with a knack of knowing where the trout are positioned.  The clip below shows Bob in action.  Note the need to remain offset to avoid spooking the fish.

Not long after setting out, we quickly found our rhythm with each of us taking turns at pockets, overhangs, holes, and drop-offs likely to hold fish.  In no time, we were both adding to the tally.  At 4" - 8", these brook trout won't make it as a trophy on the wall, but they do leave a lasting impression. 

Catching one requires the ability to identify a probable lair, softly landing a dry fly (we were using caddis, hoppers, and stimulators), and a light touch when setting the hook.  You usually only get one chance at each piece of water before the fish are wise to your presence. The fish are small, but they don't know it.  They engulf the fly when all of the elements come together.

A short break for lunch back at the vehicle and another hour of fishing rounded out the day.  Blue even managed to flush several grouse!   I am not sure what kind of hunting dog Blue is, but as a fishing dog he is top shelf.  He knew to remain behind us as we approached each casting spot.  It was a great day on the water, and the perfect initiation as a newly minted member of the Potter County "God's Country" TU Chapter.  Thanks Bob!


West Branch Tavern Independence Day Extravaganza!

Tight Lines,

Mikey D Fishing

Independence Day in the Land of Pleasant Living

I can think of few better ways to celebrate Independence Day than time on the Chesapeake honoring Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Crabs.  Accompanied by 1Lt Salt Life (son Joe) and his girlfriend Anna Windle, Captain DiPaola departed the dock with the sun already above the horizon at 0630.  Morning temperatures were breaking 80 as we turned the corner and entered Whitehall Bay.  Despite a light variable breeze, Captain DiPaola decided to set a course for more protected waters in the Severn River to avoid the slightest of chop in the water.

Captain DiPaola prepped the trot line the evening prior with a slight twist.  With the consensus that razor clams attract more crabs than chicken necks, half the line was baited with razor clams (2 - 4 to a bag) and half the line with chicken necks.

Back on the water, the crew worked together to carefully deploy the trot line in 10' of water just north of the Naval Academy bridge.  One of the keys to success when trot lining is to position the line with enough tension to ensure the line rolls across the "J" hook straight and true, with just enough slack that the crabs remain intent on their free meal hanging from snoods spaced 8' apart across 600' of line anchored on both ends.

Everyone took turns at the net.  Captain DiPaola demonstrated the scooping technique to avoid entangling net and line by keeping the wire net in the water column below the bait.  A smooth sweep of the net below the crab will incarcerate the crustacean as it releases the bait and dives away from Mikey D Fishing.  Though it has been a year since 1Lt Salt Life worked a trot line, he handled the task with ease.  Anna was a relative novice, but proved adept at scooping crabs in succession.  As the morning eased into midday, Mikey D Fishing was averaging 3 - 5 crabs per run.  A respectable rate of return that yielded 1/2 bushel of crabs.  The action was interrupted early in the morning when keeper sized stripers appeared at the surface like a marine version of the Rapture, ravenously attacking bay anchovies and small alewife.  It was one of the few times that I didn't have a rod in the boat.  Captain Felker would have seen to that.... Lesson Learned.

Ironically, the chicken necks proved 30 - 40% more productive than bags of razor clams.  Admittedly, the result was anecdotal so I intend to continue to soak both razor clams and chicken necks before coming to a definitive conclusion.

An Independence Day crab feast satisfied all in the late afternoon with fireworks by the Bay at dusk.  Family, friends, in the land of the free is not a bad way to celebrate our most important national holiday.

Tight Lines,

Mikey D Fishing

Father's Day Fishing Special - June 16 (Late Entry)

Accompanied by daughters Elizabeth and Sarah, Capt. DiPaola headed to Love Point north of the Bay Bridge where the striper action had been consistent.  Summer like weather in the upper 80s complimented the incoming tide with less than a 1' chop in 27' of water.   Fishing with Liz and Sarah brought back memories of all 5 children pulling bluegill from a local creek or a small dogfish from a head-boat with shrieks and screams as I ran from rod to rod releasing fish, taking pictures, and re-baiting hooks.

The girls have grown into fine young women, but as I watched Liz relax in the Captain's seat with her pup, Riley, and Sarah catch the last of the afternoon sun; I realized that time has not changed the way we fish together.   I found myself dashing from rod to rod checking the bait, ensuring lines remained untangled, and notifying the girls when it was time to reel in their catch.  Regardless of the level of engagement, seeing the reel begin to spool and feeling the striper on the business end of the rig can still elicit shouts of joy from all aboard the boat.

Then...

 

The action was almost instantaneous.  Soon after we dropped anchor, the first two rods were getting hits before the bait settled on the bottom.  Unlike the 32" and 28" fish Capt. Felker and Capt. DiPaola hooked into at the same spot just 24 hours earlier, these fish while ravenous, were in the 18-21" range.  Less than 45 minutes from the anchor set we had landed 3 fish including 2 keepers.

Now...

Fillets from 21 - 24 inch fish are in my opinion some of the best eating.  The two keepers in our creel were in this range.  After filleting and removing the skin, I cut the flesh into 2 inch chunks.  After padding with a paper towel and dipping in egg batter, I coated the strips with cracker meal and a dusting of Old Bay seasoning.  A few minutes in a frying basket and there were Rockfish bites for everyone to top off a memorable Father's Day!

Tight Lines to all Dads and to the time on the water with friends, family and our kids!

Mikey D Fishing

Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report, 15-16 June: Karma

I'm kind of a skeptic when it comes to cosmological goings on, but I may have to reconsider....

On Friday we were joined by Joe's long time friend and hunting buddy Paul Carmen, and soon to be Coast Guardsman Jonathan Edmonston, son of friends and fellow tailgaters Bery and Clare.  Friday was the last of the high fish days for the month, so we were optimistic that another limit was in the works.  We departed the dock around 1100 and headed to the western spans of the Bay Bridge. We marked fish so, decided to drop anchor and give it a shot.  For some reason, anchoring proved to be a chore, but we were able to get hold and get lines wet.  It didn't take long before Jonathan boated a nice 24 incher. Unfortunately, things slowed down from there.  That and the presence of Cow-Nosed Rays (seemed kind of early)  told us it was time to head north.

We cruised up to Podickery Point, on the western side of the bay, but didn't mark enough fish to merit stopping.  We took a gander further to the north and east and saw "the fleet" anchored up at Love Point, so we ziggied up and anchored up with the crowd. Conditions were better than the previous days; the 20 knot winds had abated to 5-10, seas were 1 to 1 1/2  foot chop, with water temps in the low 70s.  While we boated five more keepers over the next 3 hours, the fishing was kind of tough.  A lot of missed takes, which we could only attribute to the quality of the frozen alewife bait, which didn't hold on well to the hook.  We attached small rubber bands to secure the bait to the hooks, which seemed to improve our ability to hook fish.

Our plan for Saturday was to do a little crabbing, but our failure to limit out on Saturday inspired us to head out one more day for Stripers.  Fortunately, the bait shop had fresh alewife and soft crabs, so we felt pretty confident when we left the dock at 1030.  We headed to the bay bridge, but didn't see much going on, so we headed up to Podickery.  Marking some fish, we decided to anchor up, but after an hour of zero action we decided it was time to move north.  We spied a lot of boats up at Love Point, so pulled anchor and headed north.  But as we neared the point we saw a guy in a 23 foot Trophy waving his arms, and turned to see what was up.  Turned out the lower unit on his motor had failed, and he was stuck about 6 miles from his put in point.  We gave Sea Tow a shout, but as you might expect on a Saturday in the Chesapeake they were busy taking care of members, which the boat owner was not.  So we decided to tow the boat and its 4 occupants up to Rock Hall, which at about 4 knots took us about two and half hours to get to the marina.  On the up side, we marked a lot of fish, and figured we would head back out after we got them in safely and try to salvage the day.

We got into Rock Hall about 1230 and got the Trophy close enough to the boat ramp to allow the owner to kedge the rest of the way.  After topping off the gas tank, we decided to grab a bite and headed to the Harbor Shack, a restaurant in the harbor.  We dined on crab cake and soft crab sandwiches, washed down with cold Dogfishead IPAs, and were fortified enough to head back out and catch some fish.

So we figured our good deed for the day would be rewarded with a few fish in the cooler.  Not long after dropping anchor north of Love Point, however, we hit slack tide, which turned the fishing off (for us at least) completely.   We say there for over 2 hours, probably longer than we should have, with not even a nibble.  At that point it had been a long day, and we could have just pulled up and headed for the dock.  But there was still a lot of daylight left, so we decided to give it one more try and join the boats at Love Point.

We "anchored" up around 1745.  I say "anchored," because we just couldn't seem to get the damn thing to bite.  No matter.  There wasn't much wind, the tide was only starting to move again, we weren't drifting down on anybody, and our drift wasn't messing with our lines.  So we just kept fishing.  And that's when the magic happened.  Over the next 45 minutes we boated five keepers, and put our 4 in the box; a 32 incher, a 25 incher, and two that went 22.

I guess persistence kind of paid off.  We stuck around until the water started moving and the bite turned back on.  But even if we hadn't caught fish today, that wouldn't have put a damper on what was 4 great days on the Chesapeake.  Overall we caught 37 Stripers, put 20 in the cooler, caught 3 over 30 inches, and three more 25 and over.  Best of all, we got to spend time on the water with great friends and got to send them home with a few tasty fillets.  If that's karma, call me a believer.

Tight lines,
MikeyDFishing