There are three elements to a successful charter, especially with clients who do not spend much time on the water. The first is weather. Even if the fish are cooperating, if the weather is lousy, basically all you're doing is catching in miserable conditions. The second is the fishing. You want the targeted species around, and at least hungry enough to put a few in the net (and some in the cooler). Finally, and maybe most importantly, you hope to have guests with the right attitude. Hoping to catch fish, but in general just excited and happy to be on the water.
We hit the trifecta on Saturday. Capt. DiPaola had donated a charter for a fundraiser in 2020, but Covid and schedules delayed a firm commitment until last Saturday. Joining us on the Mikey D were Heather Gerber, Chris Topf, and Christina and Paul Smith, all from York PA. Friday's weather was absolutely awful, preventing us from getting out and scouting around. Saturday's forecast, however, looked pretty good. By the afternoon the cloudy skies would give way to some sun, and the winds would die down into the single digits. Best of all, temps were supposed to stay in the 70s all day.
Weather. Check. Our York group arrived around 11:30 am, and we were off the dock around 12:00. Water conditions weren't perfect at first; swells that went a foot and a half or so. But not too uncomfortable, especially if the forecast held up and conditions improved.
Fish? This was a conundrum at the start. Reports during the week were that warm water temps and pods of dolphins at the bay bridge had driven the Stripers up to Rock Hall and Tolchester, which given the weather would have taken us a good hour or so to get to the business of fishing. But as we passed through the eastern spans of the Bay Bridge, we noticed boats anchored up in 11 feet of water. A look at the Simrad showed water temps in the low 70s, very reasonable for a Striper bite. And adding to our confidence was seeing the Breezin' Thru, a charter boat out of Stevensville. When we see that boat, we know there are fish around.
So we called an audible and anchored up. For the next couple of hours we had reasonable action. We planned on using all available means of enticing fish; chunking, live lining Spot, and jigging. Chunking soft crabs brought in the first keeper, when Paul reeled in a 20 incher, his first Striper. We netted an 18 incher, and also some pretty decent White Perch. And of course, we hooked a ray. But the fun was to be had live lining. We enjoyed several hookups, with Chris pulling in a nice 24 inch fish. We probably could have put a couple more in the boat, but live lining is kind of an acquired technique. When the Spot (the preferred baitfish) sees a Striper it swims to avoid its inevitable demise. But the Striper easily runs down the baitfish. That's when things get a bit complicated. The Striper catches the Spot from the tail, then rotates the fish in its mouth and eats it head first, so the Spot's extended fins can't prevent it from being eaten. So you actually feel two pulls on the rod, and both are quite vicious. But the key is to wait for the second pull before setting the hook.
Like I said, more complicated, but feeling that pull, whether you hook a fish or not, gets the heart beating.
Weather. Check. Fish. Check. Most importantly, we had great clients in the boat. They came onboard with the attitude you hope to see; let's have a fun day in the bay. They quickly mastered the chunking technique, and did quite well live lining. And when the fishing slowed at the bridge and we sauntered up to Love Point, they enjoyed the chance to kick back, enjoy some tasty food and beverages, and just take in the bay.
By the afternoon the winds and waters calmed, and there were enough clouds to keep the temps down. We marked fish, but the tides were slowing and with it the bite. So we headed back to the dock to filet some fish.
A fantastic day on the water, thanks to Heather, Chris, Christina and Paul!
Pro guide tip. When is bait a meal? Well, if you find out that you have a few live soft crabs left over from the charter. No need to throw them out. Just remove the section covering the eyes and mouth, dust then with a flour/Old Bay mixture, and then into a frying pan of melted butter for a few minutes each side. Hey, who are we to argue with a Striper?
Tight Lines,
Mikey D Fishing
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