Delayed Report - 28-30 September: "Rocktober" is On

Apologies for the delayed report.  Sometimes stuff gets in the way.

With air and water temps cooling last week, it seemed only a matter of days until the Stripers got into "fall mode."  On Friday Captain DiPaola finished his chores with about an hour and a half of daylight left, and took the MikeyD down to Thomas Point Lighthouse, where the experts at Anglers bait and tackle shop reported keeper Rockfish being boated.  The boys at Anglers were spot on.  Within a few casts Captain DiPaola had a nice keeper in the cooler, the fish caught on a "Smack-it" topwater plug.

Saturday the Mikey D team enjoyed the company of "clients" Dr.s Jennifer Keene and John Hall.  The president and vice president of the Society for Military History were in town for a weekend offsite leadership meeting, set up by yours truly.  What better place, I figured, than Annapolis for a variety of reasons, most of all the chance to put our guests on fish.  And Annapolis did not disappoint.  Perfect early fall weather.  Dinner Friday night at Cantlers, enjoying a variety of soft crab dinners.  On Saturday afternoon, with the meeting agenda items completed, we headed to the dock and boarded the MikeyD around 3:00 in the afternoon, and headed back down to Thomas Point.  Air temps were in the low 70s, water temps around 72 degrees, partly cloudy skies, winds less than 10 kts, and seas realtively calm.  Conditions that pointed to a blitz.  For the first 45 minutes, though, things were kind of slow around the lighthouse.  Tossing jigs and topwater plugs resulted in only one strike, a good fish which threw the jig after a brief fight.

It was starting to look like just a nice day on the water.  Then the birds showed up.  Around 4:30 gulls and terns almost magically arrived and started working the surface in the vicinity of the lighthouse.  For the next hour we went into our "scoot and shoot" mode, running to flocking birds, tossing jigs and topwater plugs into the mix, tying into fish, then scooting to the next blitz.  Although new to bay fishing, Jennifer and John expertly boated around 10 fish between them, most in the 15-18 inch range.  But they did manage to each put a keeper in the box.

Saturday evening was spent at the Severn Inn, dining on blackened North Carolina Black Drum and crab cakes, a perfect end to a successful outing on the bay.  Sunday morning Captain's DiPaola and Felker headed out to hit the morning bite before pulling the boat for some cleaning and maintenance.  We probably left the dock a bit late.  Arriving off Hackett's Point around 7:45, we had some action on topwater, but nothing to the boat.  Not long after the birds showed up, but for the most part they were working schools of dinks.  We were able to catch one keeper on a metal jig, but pulling in 8 inch fish just didn't hack it.

We probably spent around 6 hours on the water the entire weekend, yet caught 20-30 fish, including three keepers.  As the water continues to cool the fishing is only going to heat up.  Time to break out the fly rods and take advantage of fall fishing as the days get shorter.

Tight Lines,
Mikey D Fishing

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!

Cape Charles, Virginia Fishing Report, 29 August - Cobia Time

Last Wednesday we had another opportunity to fish with Captain Kenny Louderback of Fish Freaks Guide Service (https://www.facebook.com/fishfreaks2014/).   Our original outing was scheduled for mid-July, but had to be postponed due to weather.  Fortunately, Kenny had a couple of available dates in August, so we booked him, hoping that the weather would cooperate and the Cobia would still be around.

Booking a quality (and consequently, really popular) guide like Captain Kenny means looking far down the calendar.  The problem with that is the unpredictability factor is pretty high the further away you book the outing.  So many things can conspire to frustrate a day on the water.  Weather, winds, the presence (or lack thereof) of the fish, are all unpredictable.  What is not unpredictable is Captain Kenny.  As we first discovered last year, the man flat out knows fishing, and is driven to put his clients on fish.

So, joined by my brother-in-law and noted Salmon and Walleye fisherman Ed Wagner, Captain DiPaola and I lit off from Annapolis for Cape Charles on Tuesday.  We stayed at the Cape Charles Hotel, a place with a 60s retro look.  The hotel is right on the main drag, rooms are very comfortable, and close to excellent eating and drinking establishments.  After checking in and enjoying a Dogfishhead Agave IPA at the hotel, we walked down to Kelly's Pub for dinner.  Dinner was fantastic; clams and mussels appetizers, followed up with burgers and crab cake sandwiches.  The only way to top that off was with cigars and 1792 bourbon back at the hotel, setting the stage for what we hoped would be another great chance at big fish.

Wednesday looked promising.  Winds were forecast to be around 10 knots under sunny skies and temps in the 90s.  Not great for humans, but according to Kenny perfect for Cobia.  When we met Kenny at the ramp in Kiptopeke State Park, the winds were a bit higher than forecast, and the bay looked kind of nasty.  This time of the summer the fish are schooling just outside the bay in advance of their migration south.  But to get to the fish, we had to make out way through 3-4 foot waves, which made for a bumpy and wet ride. Once we got to the other side of the bay-bridge tunnel, however, the water calmed considerably.  And as Kenny predicted, the increasing heat would calm the winds and further calm the seas.

Those sunny skies and calm seas are important to Cobia fishing at this time of year, because the most effective means of targeting these fish is spotting them near the surface.  Fortunately, at this time of year, the fish, for reasons unknown, are often latched on to schools of Cow-nosed Rays and even big Loggerhead Turtles.  A tower on the boat is essential to see both out and down.  The tower is so important, that we saw more than one boat out there with a DIY step ladder lashed to the forward section.  Probably not the safest way to spot Cobia.  That's why you hire a guide.

We got past the bridge-tunnel and into the shipping channel off Virginia Beach around 0930, and began the search for Cobia.  Ed joined Kenny in the tower, and we immediately began spotting schools of rays.  Some had Cobia on them, but casting live eels failed to attract a strike.  It was just too early, Kenny concluded.  He was certain that once the water started moving the bite would come on.

And he was right.  Around 1130 we had out first hook up of the day.  Kenny cast to a school of rays, and had 3 Cobia charge the eel.  Unfortunately, while the frenzy resulted in a hookup, the fish was foul hooked just above the dorsal fin.  Anyone who's foul-hooked a 6 inch trout knows that it fights like a 15 incher.  Well, hooking a 40 inch Cobia in its back turns that fish into an 80 inch monster.  And after 20 minutes of muscle-aching runs, I realized that I'd be really fortunate to tire this fish out enough to get it in the boat.  And as it turned out, my prediction was unfortunately realized when the fish came to the boat, shook its head, and the hook popped out of its back before Kenny could get the gaff on it.

That could have been a harbinger of a tough day on the water.  But Kenny wasn't fazed, and assured us that there'd be more hookups and fish in the boat.  Having fished with him before, we didn't doubt him, but also didn't miss an opportunity to razz him from time to time.  I'm not sure whether we broke some kind of guide etiquette, but Kenny just puts you at ease in the boat.

And, as the evidence demonstrates, Kenny did not disappoint.  Checking the numbers from last year, we spotted 20 fish, had 5 hookups, boated 4, with one keeper.  This time we spotted over 30 fish, had 8 hookups, and boated keepers measuring 42 and a 51 inches.  The only down side, if you can call it that, is that we were one shy of the limit.  And, true to form, Kenny stretched out the day well after all of the other guides had departed to get that last fish.  He gave us one more shot, spotting 7-8 Cobia swimming around a Loggerhead.  His cast resulted in a solid hookup with drag screaming off the reel.  But the fishing gods intervened one more time and freed the fish, a sign that it was time to head to the ramp.

Another fantastic trip, and we're already looking ahead to next July, and even a fall outing with Kenny for bull Redfish.  And to Kenny's buddies at the tackle shop, don't look to the guide for missing our limit.  Just chalk it up to operator error.

Tight Lines,
Mikey D Fishing

Potter County Fishing Report (Delayed) - Three Times Almost Wasn't a Charm

Last Friday offered another great opportunity to do some small stream fishing.  Fellow TU "God's Country" chapter members Bob Volkmar and Frank Weeks and I decided to try Kettle Creek again.  This time, however, we decided to fish a section a few miles south from the town of Germania.

Weather was great for hanging out at the beach, but probably not the optimum to entice Brookies to take a dry.  Skies were clear, and temps moved into the mid to upper 70s as the day went on.  We parked at a bridge overlooking the creek along Rousch Road, rigged up, and got on the water around 8:30 or so.  Since three would have definitely been a crowd on this stream, Frank and Bob decided to fish upstream from the bridge, I would make my way downstream, and we'd return to the truck for lunch.  While my section of the stream showed potential in spots, it just didn't show the same characteristics as the upstream sections we fished a few weeks ago.  There were a few decent lies, but for the most part the creek consisted of long straightaways and flat bottoms, not particularly conducive to a meaningful Brook Trout experience.  I did manage one 6 incher, but that was it for nearly three hours.

I made my way back to the bridge, and since it was an hour or so before lunch, I headed upstream to see if I could intercept Bob and Frank.  When I caught up to them they had less to report.  Again, their section had some holding water, but no fish.  They didn't even see or spook a fish.

Over lunch we dwelled on the mystery, but decided that further exploration would be fruitless.  So we made a command decision to head upstream and fish some of the same water that was highlighted in the earlier two posts.  This time Frank and Bob started a little above the point where Slider Run (a very small tributary of Kettle) runs into Kettle Creek.  I decided to check out Slider Run.  As I started walking to the stream, though, I heard the recognizable sound of Bob yelling, and then loud voices between Bob and Frank.  Turns out that the vegetation on the banks was very high, concealing a big hole into which Bob inadvertently found himself.  For a moment I thought I might have to head back.  But the yelling stopped, so I assumed that all was well and continued to check out Slider Run.

Perhaps a couple of weeks ago the trib would have been worth fishing.  But not this day.  So I made my way back to the bridge, and decided to fish behind Frank and Bob.  Fortunately, this section of Kettle Creek bailed us out.  While the water was much lower in this stretch, there were plenty of lies for Brookies.  Better yet, there were trout in those lies.  Not big fish, mind you, probably 4-6 inches (although Bob got a nice fish that went about 10 inches), but trout that aggressively went after our hopper and hopper/dropper patterns, even gracing us with another chance or two when we missed the hookup.

A couple of hours leap-frogging the stream provided us a few fish to the hand and several misses, enough action to call the day a success.  For now we'll let the Brookies have a rest.  But with October and cooler weather just around the corner, I'm looking forward to a return to take another crack at these Kettle Creek gems.

Tight lines,
Mikey D Fishing

Chunking for Stripers in Mid August

Three weeks have passed since Capt Felker and Capt DiPaola witnessed tons of garbage and debris flowing south from the opening of several floodgates on the Conowingo Dam  record rainfall in July.  Mikey D Fishing can report that water clarity has mercifully improved.  While due caution is still the prudent way to cruise to the fishing spots, it was finally safe enough to wet some lines.

Accompanied by Bery Edmonston, Mikey D Fishing left the dock at 0730.  Although the sun was well above the horizon, we couldn't resist an opportunity to cast topwater plugs into the shallows along Hackett's Point in hopes of enticing a lurking striper.  Dozens of casts produced little so it was off to Podickery Point to set up for chunking.  Normally, chumming or chunking for stripers is futile by early August.  August is typically a transitional month, too early for topwater fishing and too late for bottom fishing.  Live lining and jigging are usually the only viable options this time of year.  But 2018 has not been a typical Chesapeake summer.

We set up amongst a small fleet of recreational and charter fishing boats in 32 feet of water.  Air temps were in the mid to upper 80s.  Surface water temps were in the low 80s.  Lines were in the water baited with soft crab and fresh alewife just prior to the start of the incoming tide.  Before the bait was soaked, we began to see the telltale tapping of the rod tips just before the baitrunner reels released line.  Bery landed the first of almost a dozen channel catfish.  The largest was over 24 inches and weighed in excess of 15 pounds.  The abundance of catfish is another consequence of the immense flush of freshwater in the mid Chesapeake Bay.  Fortunately, we managed to boat two stripers (22" and 19") mixed in with the catfish.

A great day on the water culminated with fillets in the bag!

One additional note about safety in light of a charter boat / sailboat collision a few days ago (See "The Capital", Aug 18).  Even in the best of conditions, captains and crew should always be vigilant when underway or at anchor.  Case in point, Bery Edmonston and Capt DiPaola watched with curiosity as a crew of two (grandfather and grandson) became fixated on weighing anchor and securing their gear as the tide steadily drew our vessels closer.  When it became apparent that action was necessary to avoid collision, Capt. DiPaola hailed the other boat before Mikey D Fishing came into contact.  The other vessel wanted to talk about their anchor struggles when Capt. DiPaola strongly recommended that they make way.  Fortunately, a bird nest of braided line and terminal tackle was the only casualty.  Situational Awareness is all to often a rare commodity!

Tight Lines,

Mikey D Fishing

Potter County Fishing Report: Return to Upper Kettle Creek

A month after "Trout Whisperer" Bob Volkmar guided Captain DiPaola on the upper reaches of Kettle Creek, you'd think the idea of returning in the late summer would be an exercise in futility.  But conditions signaled anything but that, when Bob, Bob's Lab "Blue", and I headed back to take another crack at the native brookies.

The persistent rains this summer have kept these gems of streams in excellent fishing condition. When we stepped in the water around 0830, air temps were in the high 60s under partly cloudy skies, with water temps between 58-60 degrees.  According to Bob, the water was higher than the previous month's outing.

I'll refer you to Capt. DiPaola's blog post a month back for details on this particular stream.  For the 3 1/2 hours that we spent on the water, Bob and I each caught around 8-10 fish.  A few were the 3-4 inch dinks that amazingly will take on a size 8 hopper, but we also caught a decent number of 5-6 inch brookies, with two going an easy 10 inches.  Since there was plenty of water, we fished together, alternating fishy-looking spots.  And for the most part, every spot that looked like good holding water held a fish or two.  As for flies, Bob fished with a hopper pattern, while I was using a foam hopper with a Rainbow Warrior dropper.  Interestingly, most of my hookups, including the two 10 inchers, were caught on the dropper.

Small stream fishing at its best; Potter County at its finest!

Tight Lines,
Mikey D Fishing

Potter County Fishing Report: Trout and the Dog Days of Summer

Catching a trout on the first cast usually means one of two things.  Either you're going to have a banner day, or your luck ran out with the first fish.

While the Allegheny is still high and moving fast (although showing good color), the tribs have benefited greatly from the recent rain events over the last two weeks.  So with clear skies this morning, the small streams beckoned.  I decided to broaden my Potter County portfolio by fishing Dingman Run, a small stream that empties into the Allegheny in Coudersport.  Access was fairly easy; a bridge just a short run up Dingman Run Road provided parking and easy access to the stream.

Like a fly-fishing "Minute Man," I normally keep the 3 wt. rigged with a hopper/pheasant tail dropper tandem.  Having broken my share of rods, it's probably not the smartest thing to do.  But then again it shortens the delay getting on the water; a decent trade off in my mind.

When  I got to the bridge around 9:30, air temps were creeping into the 70s.  The stream looked great; plenty of water and good flows.  The darkness under the bridge seemed like a place that a trout or two would be hanging out.

So with a short side cast I flung the tandem just under the bridge, and then fed line as the current took the flies further under the bridge.  Although it was hard seeing the hopper, I did see the splash, and a minute later brought a beautiful 12 inch Brookie to hand.  The trout had all the appearance of a native fish; colored up, perfect fins, and even a slightly kiped jaw.  Unfortunately, while fumbling for the camera, Mr. Brookie slipped off the hook and back under the bridge he went.

After a few more casts, I moved on downstream.  Dingman Run is classic small stream fishing.  No more than 15-20 feet wide, the stream has the characteristics of a mountain brook trout stream; narrow, with alternating riffles and pockets, undercut banks.  Water temps were in the low-60s, the stream kept cool by the canopy.  While these kinds of streams can be frustrating from a casting perspective, you really don't need to spend much time in any one spot.  Just move down (or up) stream, casting in likely holding areas.  If there's a fish holding, it'll more the likely eat the fly.  If not, just move to the next spot.

I moved about 100 yards down from the bridge, hitting some spot with no takers.  So it was looking like the first fish would be my last.  But then I got to a pool that just looked too fishy.

By this time I had somehow lost my dropper (probably on a tree branch), and my hopper was waterlogged, so I tied on a size 14 Humpy Adams.  I figured that if there were more Brookies, then an attractor should bring them to the surface.  Turned out to be the right call.  The next four casts all brought Brookies to the hand; three in the 4-5 inch range, and another dandy that went 10-11 inches.

Hindsight being 20-20, I should have just taken a break and let the hole relax, as I'm sure there were a few more fish in there.  But the stream beckoned, and so I fished down for the next hour and a half.  Despite finding a lot of great holding water, I couldn't manage a hit, let alone move a fish.  I probably covered a half mile of stream; the further downstream I went, the narrower it got.  By noon it was getting kind of hot, and it was a hike back to the truck.  And, since I hadn't seen a fish, it seemed like a good time to turn around.

On the way back home I stopped at the covered bridge in Coudersport, but three steps into the water and it was obvious that the current was just to fast for comfortable fishing.  A few more dry days and the big river will be in great shape.  Until then, though, the small streams beckon.

Tight Lines,
Mike D Fishing