Cape Charles Fish...., October 31

 If you'll recall from the 27 October report:

Pro Guide Tip #2.  Treble hooks make releasing fish, especially small fish, very difficult, especially if hooked deep, and may kill it.  For Reds and Trout, replacing all your trebles with single 1/0 hooks do not diminish hookups, makes releasing fish easy, and will help prevent an unintended kill.

Turns out the fish are not the only beneficiaries of a single hook....

A trip to the ER over in Virginia Beach.  Turns out they've seen this before.  

And some post-op therapy....

Tight lines ... soon.

Mikey D Fishing

Cape Charles Fishing Report, 20-23 October: Fish Porn; Yeah, You Know it When You see It

 Warning.  The following material may not be suitable to non-anglers.  Contains graphic catching, extreme netting, smoking.

Days fished: Sunday through Wednesday

Locations: Sunday wade-fishing off Bay Creek, Monday the Mikey D headed up Plantation Creek, Tuesday and Wednesday the Mikey D hit the fish traps north of Kiptopeke State Park

Conditions: outside air temps in the high-60s to low-70s.  Water temps at 64 degrees.  Sunny skies.  Winds calm to light breeze.  Sea state flat.

Terminal tackle: live minnows under popping corks, Dine XL (purple/chartreuse), Salt Strong Skinny Lipper (white), Salt Strong topwater (white), Enrico Puglisi baitfish fly pattern (white/chartreuse)

Highlights: Picked up a slot Red wade fishing Sunday afternnon.  

Monday explored Plantation Creek for awhile, picked up some small fish, hit the creek mouth with the outgoing tide, picked up another slot Red.

Pro guide tip:  If you notice that the motor's cooling water exit port (commonly known as the "pee hole," is not, well ..., that could lead to engine overheating.  The problem may be blockage by sediment picked up when running shallow.  Running heavy mono (80 lb test does the trick) up the hole may loosen enough of the blockage to get the pee hole doing what it's supposed to do.

Tuesday and Wednesday ... JACKPOT.  Based on intel from Capt. Kenny Louderback, we drove down 7 miles from Cape Charles to just north of Kiptopeke State Park to fish what the locals call the "northern nets," two fish traps about 400-500 yards apart.  Tuesday, we fished the north side of the most northern net.  Fish were concentrated in a corner where the net met the beach.

Literally a fish on with every cast for about four hours.  Tides did not seem to matter.  The area was just stacked with hungry Reds

Returned to the same spot on Wednesday but fished between the nets.  A few other boats doing the same, but there were plenty of Reds for everyone, as the fish moved up and down the shore between the nets.  Fished between 8:30 AM to about 12:30 PM.  Again, a fish on nearly every cast.  Most were in the slot limit between 18 and 26 inches.  One went 27.  

Pro Guide Tip #2.  Treble hooks make releasing fish, especially small fish, very difficult, especially if hooked deep, and may kill it.  For Reds and Trout, replacing all your trebles with single 1/0 hooks do not diminish hookups, makes releasing fish easy, and will help prevent an unintended kill.

In short ... epic.  And tasty table fare.  Bounty of the Bay.

Tight Lines,

Mikey D Fishing

Hey, Hey, Hey, Fat Albies! NC Fishing Report 15 Oct 24

Since August, Capt Jeff Kidwell of Wilmington Fishing Expeditions, and I couldn't seem to find a day to get out on the water.  I have been trying different spots around the Wilmington, Carolina Beach, and Wrightsville area from the shorelines with some success.  But avid fans of Mikey D Fishing will recall one of our pro tips:  "When fishing in a new area or new water, use a guide to learn the tactics, techniques, and territory to fish".  Turns out that bad weather and competing calendars provided a chance to go after one of the most sought after of fall fisheries: the false albacore "albies" run.

When Capt Jeff suggested that instead of going after fall reds in the intracoastal waterway, we might target "ablies" on the fly, I was all in.  It was a cool day for autumn fishing in NC, with temps in the upper 60s and gusty winds.   The fishing is even more challenging considering that much of the action takes place just outside of the surf.   

The first groups of false albacore were readily visible several hundred yards away.  Akin to Chesapeake striper fishing in the fall, the fish bust mullet and bay anchovies, chasing them completely out of the water as gulls and terns fly above to grab the remnants of the aquatic chaos.  The scene is tipped with dolphins and sharks shadowing nearby.  All this while beachgoers lounged blissfully unaware just a couple hundred yards away.

Now albies are known to be incredible fighters.  And the pull that ensued lived up to the hype.  However, it took some time before I got to feel it for myself.  The first groups of fish popped up for 10 - 20 seconds and then reappeared from a new spot.   I also had to learn how to get the fly moving through the water fast enough to entice a strike.  A long double haul cast downwind was required so not spook the fish.   For many predatory schooling fish like stripers or red drum, the best cast is made to the edge of the group.  With false albacore, you should present the fly (we were using a chartreuse clouser minnow) right in the middle of the frenzy.  What was new to me, was just how fast you need to get the fly moving through the water.  With Capt Jeff's guidance, I started stripping the fly by tucking the reel under my armpit and stripping the line hand over hand as fast as possible.  When it all came together, a quick strip set initiated an albie run that grabbed all of the fly line and a lot of the backing on my 10wt. rod within seconds.  What a fight!   After landing 3, I needed a break.  After landing 5 or 6, the day was complete, and another incredible sportfish was checked off of the Mikey D Fishing list!  Thanks to Capt. Jeff Kidwell for a great day on the water and working through the conditions to land several beautiful fighters.

Tight Lines,

Mikey D Fishing

Cape Charles, VA Fishing Report, October 15: Back in the Game!

I wasn't supposed to fish today.  Arrived at the beach house yesterday evening.  Had a bunch of chores to do, which kept me off the water during the morning prime fishing hours.  But I got most of the to-do list completed by 1:00 PM, and decided to get out and cast a line.

It was a good decision.  Got to "the spot" where Plantation Creek empties into the bay.  Tide was out ... way out.

So my expectations were modified to the conditions.  But it was a pleasant afternoon, I lit up a Perdomo, and started throwing a Salt Strong Skinny Lipper.  It's a twitch bait, which sinks just below the surface when you throw some cranks on the reel. According to the company, it's a Red and Trout killer.  

Water temps were in the high 60s, which was good, because I opted to wet wade.  Air temps were in the upper 60s-low 70s, some gusty winds, and mostly overcast.  The tide was slowly coming in when I started fishing.  Again, not ideal conditions.  But after a few casts I hooked (and lost) a nice Red.  So perhaps things would pick up.

And they did.  From about 2:30 to 3 I landed three Reds, all around 24 inches.  Of course, I didn't bring the bag, so it's stuffed peppers for dinner.  But a solid start to what I hope only gets better as the water continues to cool.

And I ordered three more Sknny Lippers....

Tight Lines,

Mikey D Fishing

Potter County Fishing Report, October 9-13: West Branch Tavern Fall Flyfishing Outing

Outside of May, when the major fly hatches come off, fall is a great time to be fishing in Pennsylvania.  Cooler temps, color in the leaves, and trout looking to fatten up before Old Man Winter arrives.

                  

This weekend the WBT hosted Clare and Bery Edmonston, and Capt. DiPaola and his girlfriend Lesley Sneeden, who hails from NC.  The week prior had been pretty gloomy.  But the forecast for the weekend was for partly cloudy skies, temps in the high 60s to low 70s, and no precip.  Streams were a tad low, but still fishable, especially now that the trees weren't pulling as much water out of the ground.

Mary and I began by scouting some new water.  We checked out Kinzua Creek, a freestone stream near Bradford, about 50 minutes from the WBT.  The stream has an extensive delayed harvest section, which means after Labor Day no fish can be harvested.  The other highlight of the stream is the Westline Inn, a pub which sits right at the end of the section.

During a quick stop for an adult beverage, we got intel that both the state and a local club would be stocking the stream that week.  The only down side is that, whenever the stocking truck shows up, so do the anglers.  So we crossed out fingers that the spots we found wouldn't be too crowded.

Clare and Bery arrived Wednesday night, and we hit Kinzua the next morning.  As feared, the first two spots were chock-a-block with fishermen.  So we headed down to one more spot that the Trout Whisperer and I looked at a couple of years prior.  It was a bit of a drive to get to a secluded parking area, but there was only one vehicle there.  So we headed down to what turned out to be the only spot we'd need for the day.  And there was only one other angler there, who was happy to share the stretch.

Mary was first in the water, and by the time the rest of us were rigged up, she had 3 Rainbows to the net, all on a Griffiths Gnat. 

                    

It didn't take long for the rest of the group to catch up.  The trout were eating just about everything we threw at them; Buggers, Feggs, Stimulators, Beetles, and Green Weenies.  A perfect place for newbie fly anglers to learn and enjoy the experience.

Bery tagged the fish of the trip; a nice 20 inch Rainbow.

In between helping out, I managed a decent Brownie on a Fegg

Thursday evening Capt. DiPaola and Lesley rolled in.  The plan for Friday was to fish Kettle Creek, one of Pennsylvania's iconic trout streams.  Again, we couldn't have asked for better weather.  There were a few anglers at the bridge stretch when we arrived, but they moved on, and we moved in.

Would have liked to report that we killed it again.  But Kettle humbled us.  There were plenty of fish around, and a good number of risers.  Unfortunately, only a couple of trout, and a Sucker, were brought to the net.

We might have lost the fishing battle, but Bery more than made up for it by cooking tenderloins and NY strips for dinner, which were high-end streakhouse quality.

Since the Navy-Air Force game was Saturday, we made it a DIY fishing day.  Our clients hit the west branch pretty hard, but the stockies wouldn't cooperate.  Fortunately, there was enough wine, bourbon, and cigars to take the sting out of the lack of catching.

Sunday morning was check out day.  While Joe and Lesley hit the road early, Bery braved the first frost of the fall to take one more crack at the Pavilion Hole.  Persistence paid off with a holdover 'Bow on an Fegg he and I tied the day before.

It was a great weekend at the WBT.  The weather cooperated, the fish were mostly cooperative, the meals served by executive chef Mary Felker were superb, the wine flowed, great time spent with long-time and new friends, and Bery didn't lose his car keys.

Tight Lines,

Mikey D Fishing

Cape Charles Fishing Report, September 18-25: A Slow Start

 A bit delayed.  But not much to report either.

Cape Charles in the fall is the place to be.  As the water cools, slot Reds ("Puppy Drum") and Trout move into the shallows to hit the feedbag before the winter.

Capt. DiPaola and I spent the better part of the week waiting for the magic to happen.  Unfortunately, the water was still pretty warm, around the mid-70s.  Not that there weren't fish around.  We picked up a few keeper Trout, and a couple of small Reds, but that was it.  Hot lure was a Paul Brown's Dyne XL, with the purple body and chartreuse belly.

Just a few pics from the week.

Back in the salt next week.  Forecast is calling for cooler weather.  Here we go!

Tight Lines,

Mikey D Fishing

                                               

Old Friends, New Waters Sep 13

For almost a decade, on a pretty consistent basis, I am fortunate to be able to gather with fellow naval aviators.  We were all members of a helicopter squadron based in Mayport, FL over 30 years ago.    That experience was formative in many respects, but most importantly, many lifelong friendships began there.  You could point to that squadron as the origins of Mikey D Fishing.   It was after we both departed the squadron, that CAPT Felker and I began to fish the Chesapeake and trout waters of the Mid Atlantic together. 

The weekend together, euphemistically referred to as "Man's Weekend", is a chance to catch up, solve world problems, and of course laugh endlessly at each other's expense.   We usually rotate venues based on the season, location, and availability.  This year, CAPT Steve Malloy offered up his beautiful beach home in Sea Isle City, NJ and was a most gracious host. 

As an added bonus to the laughs, great meals, and golf, CAPT Felker and I took the opportunity to wet a line on the Jersey Shore.  Squadron mate, Bill Flanagan joined us as a qualified observer.  Known for monster stripers and flounder, the back bays are home to some of America's oldest inshore recreational fisheries.  Even though we were violating a couple of Mikey D Fishing Pro Tips:

    1.  Plan to fish 3 days to at least have 1 good day of fishing.

    2.  When fishing new waters, book a guide for at least a day to gain local knowledge.

we still thought while we were in town, why not try to see what we could catch while the rest of the guys hit the local links.  After looking at a spot a block away from the house that reportedly held Tautog, we went to the local tackle shop before committing to a plan.   Mikey D Fishing recommends Sea Isle Bait & Tackle to kit you up with everything the out of towner needs to be successful.  The staff was friendly and quick to share recommended spots and tactics.  Best of all, their gouge paid off.

  

Based on the fishing reports, we decided to fish the Sea Isle inlet.  First thing we noticed was that the tide rips through there much like the Indian River Inlet, DE or Kent Island Inlet, MD.  CAPT Felker and I tossed gulps / paddle tails with 1 1/4 and 1/2 oz slip weights.  Just east of the bridge, I hooked into a nice little snapper blue to get the skunk off.  Meanwhile, CAPT Felker soon landed the first of 3 flounder using mostly white paddle tails. 

I have to admit that we were both a little surprised by our success as newbies on the scene.  But we were both happy to take the win!  With snapper blues and flatties in the books, it was time to turn our attention to fall reds and seatrout in more familiar climes.  Time to head south to the mouth of the Chesapeake and the land of pleasant living for fabulous fall fishing.  Stay tuned!

Tight Lines, 

Mikey D Fishing