stripers up here yet?

Wednesday I was fishing near Presquille cut through, I saw from a distance what I believe was stripers busting bait at the eastern end of the cut through. I pulled my lines and went down for a closer look but by the time I got there it was over. There were still crippled and dead threadfin shad on the surface and gulls working the crips. What I saw was explosions on top and it was before the gulls arrived. I know it was the striped ones! Resident or sea run is anybodies guess. Don't really care where they come from, just like to catch them. Another two weeks and its the beginning of the Spring season.:smile2:

 

I spoke with a fellow who said he caught a couple in his throw net, he thought they weighed 3 pounds or so. He was fishing below Hopewell.

 

that is a big blue:cool2:

 

that is a nice buck:cool2:

 

seen several in local commercial nets

 

i agree...prolly a big blue or blues trying to get some dinner......i have seen blues come straight out of the water a good foot or so chasing bait...awesome to see and hear

 

How long does the run last once it starts? Our trip is planned for April 12th.

 

You will be here at the best time for Stripers. In fact I can't think of a better week. This is based on my fishing journal and going back 5 years.

Put a smaller bait on a three way swivel in the shallows at dawn or dusk and you will catch stripers. I like to fish mine about two feet off the bottom. Bait about the size of my finger so its looks like a minnow. If you are fishing for the giant bluecats down around Hopewell, watch for diving gulls. Hussle on over and throw some white 1/2 bucktail jigs and catch them on medium tackle. I use the same medium rods with the three way swivels. Quick cut of the line and tie on a jig. Two years ago the stripes were in the big bay in front of Shirley Plantation for three days in a row tearing up small threadfin shad. Hundreds of Gulls were bombing the shad. My two brothers and I caught them three days from Dawn until 11:00 AM of so. !00's each day. I never had a day on the Chesapeake with as many fish.

Don't need huge tackle as most fish will be 10 pounds or less and when you get a 20 plus pounder, it makes it all the more sporting.

 

We caught 1 in the gill net around presquille loop on Tuesday. It was perhaps 2 lbs.