Cape Charles Fishing Report, May 27: Striper Bite at Secret Beach

 It's been a slow start to the 2025 saltwater season in Cape Charles.  Winds from the E/NE dirtied up the water off the beach near the mouth of Plantation Creek.  Even when the winds died and the water had decent visability, there was nothing going on.

So I decided to head up to "Secret Beach," a stretch of firm sand up the north side of Plantation Creek.  We've caught some small Reds and Trout, but nothing in the slot.

I got on the water around 1300.  Temps in the 60s.  Overcast and light rain.  Winds from the west.  But the north side is well protected, so wind wasn't a factor.  

It was an inauspicious start.  Threw a popping cork, and hooked a Ray with a 4' wingspan.  Nothing I could do but hold on until it broke me off, popping cork and all.

Tried a Dyne XL, a go-to lure for Reds and Trout, but the water was moving too fast, and the lure couldn't get down enough for a decent retrieve.

So I switched to a Strike King spinner with a Slam Shady soft plastic, and moved up the grass a bit to fish the channel.

Within a few casts I was on a fish.  From the head shakes I thought it might be a Red.  But it didn't take off like a Redfish; it just kept shaking its head.  Got it to the bank and saw it was a Striper, easily 22".

Not much in the way of technique.  I just cast up and across the channel, and slowly retrieved the spinnerbait.  Missed some fish, but managed to land two more, both going about 26", over the slot!

Lost one more big Striper before the rain picked up, and a Cherrystone Aqua Farm skiff drove right through the channel.  Figured that was the sign to head home.

While fishing reports are describing hot Redfish and Trout action in the lower bay, they focus on the creeks on the other side.  Looking back to previous MDF entries, we really didn't start picking up Reds off Plantation Creek until June.  Not sure if the reason is that the Stripers are keeping the Reds away.  In the meantime, I can live with the tug from a big Striper.  The Reds and Trout will show up soon.

Tight Lines,

Mikey D Fishing

Good to Feel the Tug of the Tog - Indian River Inlet 14 May 2025

Spring is here and the fish are on the move.  While waiting for upgrades and maintenance on the Mikey D Fishing to complete, time on the water is limited to time along the water.  Not to worry, there is ample fishing along the inlets, back bays, and the surf.  So yesterday, I stopped by Old Inlet Bait and Tackle just north of the Indian River Inlet to grab a bait buffet that included bunker, sand fleas, and shrimp.  

The target was one that has eluded me for years -- Tautog.  Tautog, a.k.a "Tog" or  "Blackfish", is a sought after medium sized fish that is known for great table fare.  They can be found around rocks and structure, so the jetties on either side of the Indian River Inlet make a great spot to target them.  Minimum size is 16" in Delaware with a creel limit of 4.  They prefer cooler water, so I pursued during the back end of the spring season.

I picked a spot on the north side of the inlet in the early evening.  The incoming tide was ripping through the 300 yard gap that feeds Indian River Bay and Rehoboth Bay.  I was equipped with my 12' surf rod with an up and down rig, 5 oz. of weight, with shrimp and sand flea.  I figured the long stick would help me retrieve my rig and limit snags on the rip rap.  I also had a lighter jigging rod tipped with a 1/2 oz. slip weight and a sand flea.  

After the surf rig was doing its job, I grabbed the St. Croix jigging rod and cast straight out.  The current quickly drew the rig in a wide arc.  As it neared the rocks, the rod bent in half.  The headshake that followed alleviated any concern that I might just be snagged.  The Tog gives a fun fight for its size and keeping it out of the rocks can be a challenge.  The key is to retrieve as quickly as possible once you have him near the rocks and keep his head up.

As you can see, they have human like teeth to crush crustaceans.  They may not be the prettiest in the sea, but they sure eat good!   And for me, it was the first tog I have landed and a keeper no less!

Tight Lines,

                                                                            

Mikey D Fishing

Potter County Fishing Report, 09-11 May: Fishin' With the Edmonstons

 A year ago this past weekend Clare and Bery joined us for some spring fishing.  Conditions were ideal, bugs were hatching, and the fishing was great.

A year later, we had to work for them.  Go figure.

Over the previous weekend we had almost 3 inches of rain, along with cooler temps.  For most of the week, the streams were unfishable.  Fortunately, as the week wore on the water cleared enough, and came down to suitable levels. 

But not a lot of bugs.

Given the bigger waters were still a tad high, I figured the mountain streams would provide a better opportunity.  So Bery and I lit out for Upper Kettle Creek, which is a Brook Trout stream.  I was surprised that even at the upper reaches the flows were high, and the normal fishy lies weren't conducive to a productive outing.  We had to search for good water, and only found a couple of spots worth trying.  

We found some fish, but not many.  Tan Elk Hair Caddis did the trick on a couple of Brookies, but that was about it.

On Saturday we headed out to Sinnemahoning State Park to fish a section of the North Fork that we'd had good luck on the year before.  Conditions continued to improve.  Temps rose into the 70s, and although the water was a bit deeper than I would have liked, it was fishable.  

Unlike last year, only some Caddis and a few March Browns were coming off.  Trout were rising sporadically, but didn't seem as cooperative as you'd expect for this time of year.  We did manage a couple of fish, one Rainbow and a Tiger Trout.

Most of the day was spent just sitting and watching....

Finished up the day at the Pavilion Hole, which almost never disappoints.  Bery tagged a nice Rainbow on a "Fegg" (Felker-tied egg) before dinner.

We still needed to get Clare on the board.  So Sunday morning before Clare and Bery departed for home, we ran up to Rainbow Paradise, a pay-to-fish locale.  While the purists might wince at such a place, I like going there.  It's a great place to learn the basics of fly fishing: casting, setting the hook, and fighting the fish.  Clare took advantage of the opportunity, and in the ensuing two hours she got dialed in on hooking and landing fish.  Didn't count, but at least 20 trout, including a few fish that went at least 18 inches, came to the net.

That's fishing for you.  Sometimes the fish gods smile on you, and some times they make you work for them.  But all in all a great weekend in God's Country, with haute cuisine (Bery makes a killer filet), good bourbon and cigars, and great friends.  

Tight Lines,

Mikey D Fishing