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