Post by ikMOON on Apr 14, 2017 23:45:30 GMT -5
Weather: Clear and warm, mid 70s, light wind out of the east. Lots of pollen!
Water: 66 degrees at the ramp around 1:00PM. Saw 69 degrees in one place later on.
Method: Gizzard sampler. Small, medium, and large, pulled free behind planers and a float.
Thought I'd celebrate Thomas Jefferson's birthday by putting in a half-day of water time. Hit the ramp around noon, had bait around 1:00. Making bait was very easy once I found it. Learned rather quickly that my 8 gal fresh water recirculating bait tank wasn't as effective at 65 degrees as it was at 55. After I thinned out the census, dumped the fouled water and pumped in new I was ok, but it made me remember hearing that it likely wouldn't work well once that water warmed.
The day was just beautiful and I had the place to myself. I had worried that with the moon still mostly full and it being so nice out that it would probably be slow fishing. Like others have said, the dogwoods were in full bloom. And with plenty of them along the shoreline I was hoping the stripers knew it too.
I put out three lines with one of each--small, medium, and large--baits. I got several swirls within an hour or so, mostly on the big bait, but it seemed that they were all just playing around. It was slow, so I started experimenting. I pulled spots I thought weren't any good, ate a sandwich, made a call, checked the forum, started counting turtles (they were everywhere), got all my lines tangled up (not on purpose), laughed at a bunch of idiot adolescents talking junk on the bank, hollered at a turkey, ate some nabs... By 5:00 my big bait had been molested 4 or 5 times, but he was the only one I had, so I kept him out on the bank. I hadn't had any action on my small bait under the float so I pulled it in and put a dollar bill on the bank too. Not long after that I started marking lots of fish along a shady stretch. I pulled out after a point to turn around and cross the channel and was moving at least 2 mph when my bank dollar bill got nailed. No playing around this time.
I decided to get a better measuring device after almost having my last fish slide out of my lap while taking the picture. Only drawback is its its very bulky.
After I got reset it wasn't 10 minutes and I had another. This fish had a messed up mouth. But otherwise as healthy looking as the others... and very ready to spawn.
I worked the same area for another hour or so with more swirls and misses, and then the battered mongo got hit again. I stopped and waited, and this time it came back and buried the board. I could tell this one was a big fish. I couldn't turn it, it was pulling drag at will. Then it stopped and started shaking its head and then came off. All I got was one scale.
After 7:00 I started pulling in the direction of the the ramp. I decided it wasn't worth packing up in the dark so I pulled in two of my rods and left the liveliest bait on the bank with the intention of pulling "just one more stretch." I had started to compose a text to my wife that I was heading for the ramp when my bait got slammed! Rod all bowed up and everything. It was an interesting fight that became apparent when I found out it was foul hooked--stinger in the bottom lip and the J in its neck. The hook cut didn't seem deep and it wasn't bleeding, so I'm hopeful it will be ok, though I felt bad about it and questioned my use of the stinger in the first place. Biggest one of the day and good note to end on.
My kids helped pack my lunch. They said this would give me good luck. Might have to see if I can find a few more.
Hopefully I'll make it back at least once more before the spring season is over.
Water: 66 degrees at the ramp around 1:00PM. Saw 69 degrees in one place later on.
Method: Gizzard sampler. Small, medium, and large, pulled free behind planers and a float.
Thought I'd celebrate Thomas Jefferson's birthday by putting in a half-day of water time. Hit the ramp around noon, had bait around 1:00. Making bait was very easy once I found it. Learned rather quickly that my 8 gal fresh water recirculating bait tank wasn't as effective at 65 degrees as it was at 55. After I thinned out the census, dumped the fouled water and pumped in new I was ok, but it made me remember hearing that it likely wouldn't work well once that water warmed.
The day was just beautiful and I had the place to myself. I had worried that with the moon still mostly full and it being so nice out that it would probably be slow fishing. Like others have said, the dogwoods were in full bloom. And with plenty of them along the shoreline I was hoping the stripers knew it too.
I put out three lines with one of each--small, medium, and large--baits. I got several swirls within an hour or so, mostly on the big bait, but it seemed that they were all just playing around. It was slow, so I started experimenting. I pulled spots I thought weren't any good, ate a sandwich, made a call, checked the forum, started counting turtles (they were everywhere), got all my lines tangled up (not on purpose), laughed at a bunch of idiot adolescents talking junk on the bank, hollered at a turkey, ate some nabs... By 5:00 my big bait had been molested 4 or 5 times, but he was the only one I had, so I kept him out on the bank. I hadn't had any action on my small bait under the float so I pulled it in and put a dollar bill on the bank too. Not long after that I started marking lots of fish along a shady stretch. I pulled out after a point to turn around and cross the channel and was moving at least 2 mph when my bank dollar bill got nailed. No playing around this time.
I decided to get a better measuring device after almost having my last fish slide out of my lap while taking the picture. Only drawback is its its very bulky.
After I got reset it wasn't 10 minutes and I had another. This fish had a messed up mouth. But otherwise as healthy looking as the others... and very ready to spawn.
I worked the same area for another hour or so with more swirls and misses, and then the battered mongo got hit again. I stopped and waited, and this time it came back and buried the board. I could tell this one was a big fish. I couldn't turn it, it was pulling drag at will. Then it stopped and started shaking its head and then came off. All I got was one scale.
After 7:00 I started pulling in the direction of the the ramp. I decided it wasn't worth packing up in the dark so I pulled in two of my rods and left the liveliest bait on the bank with the intention of pulling "just one more stretch." I had started to compose a text to my wife that I was heading for the ramp when my bait got slammed! Rod all bowed up and everything. It was an interesting fight that became apparent when I found out it was foul hooked--stinger in the bottom lip and the J in its neck. The hook cut didn't seem deep and it wasn't bleeding, so I'm hopeful it will be ok, though I felt bad about it and questioned my use of the stinger in the first place. Biggest one of the day and good note to end on.
My kids helped pack my lunch. They said this would give me good luck. Might have to see if I can find a few more.
Hopefully I'll make it back at least once more before the spring season is over.
