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!