LOCATION: Chesapeake Bay, middle and lower
SPECIES: Striped Bass in the mid bay and black drum in lower bay.
UPDATE: May 17, 2010
FISHING CONDITIONS: One year ago we had great numbers of fish schooled up and feeding. By my own reports they were hard to catch due to May Worms and they were feeding hard on these tiny bottom hugging creatures. This year we have had a few hatches, not like last year. Numbers of fish are down considerably and I won’t go into the details but if you have read the paper you know some unscrupulous commercial fishermen have been taking (illegally) tons of fish from the Middle Bay.
WATER TEMPERATURE: Mid Bay 65 Degrees, Lower Bay (CBBT) 65 Degrees, Near Coastal 62. Temperatures about average for this time of year.
MOST COMMON BAIT: Bunker, Herring, perch, shad, and a host of other bait including MAY WORMS
“MUST HAVE” FLIES IN DESCENDING ORDER OF IMPORTANCE: Large (four inch) half and half’s, blue and white is still working. Some reaction to other popular colors as well such as white on white and white on chartreuse.
RECOMMENDED LEADER: 20 to 30 pound test, 7 ½ foot or 9 foot non-tapered.
BEST FLY ROD AND REEL OUTFIT: 9 weight with large arbor reel
IDEAL FLY LINE TYPES: Full sink line in the fastest sink rate for waters around 6 to 12 feet and full float in skinny or if you happen to see fish on the surface.
BEST TECHNIQUES: I was pleasantly surprised and pleased this past week with a Striped Bass of 48 inch length. I was lucky at a piece of structure that I have fished in years past and this week was rewarded again. For comparison, I hit ten spots that I like and the tenth was where I got the first and only fish to look at my popper. I released the fish in the water without photos since a fish of this size is doomed if you take it out of the water to photograph when by yourself. Too much stress on organs when lifted out of the water and probably when by myself too much time out of the oxygen in the water it needs to breath. (Photo tip; hold your breath when you lift the fish out of the water. When you need a breath the fish does too!)
COMMENTS: Big fish are still around; don’t give up on a goal to slam one this spring. Lots of patience and good casting can bring home the big one. I mention good casting since fishing structure requires stealth and staying distance from the target should be the goal. This day I was using mytechnical skiff and it has a push pole and trolling motor for stealth.
7-DAY OUTLOOK: There is a week of rain forecast for the area but if you can get out early to fish structure with a popper it could be the best forecast going. Cloud cover gives you added time to fish and move to the next area without losing all to the bright sunlight.
Tags: captain russ wilkinson, Chesapeake Bay Fly Fishing, Light tackle and fly fishing on the Chesapeake, Striped Bass on Fly and Light Tackle
