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Wye River. Fri., Sept 23 & Mon., Sept 26, 2016

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  • Wye River. Fri., Sept 23 & Mon., Sept 26, 2016

    I've been a laggard around here as far as adding reports this season. I've just been too busy with various projects, both personal and work. I finally got away on both Friday and Monday to the Bennett Point Road Landing which accesses the Wye River.

    Friday was a nice sunny and warm day. I went with a friend and must have missed the best tide. We crabbed mostly, getting eleven keeper males off of the pilings near the landing. There's nothing like Wye River crabs! I did manage a few perch, and a fat twelve incher.
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    By Monday, the weather had changed dramatically. It was cloudy and in the low 60's the entire day, and the wind was a consistent 10 - 15 mph from the east. I launched about 8:45 am, paddled north and trolled the usual shoreline spots on the landing side. Without much action except a few dink stripers, I crossed the River and trolled the Wye Island shoreline, first heading south and getting more throw-back of various sizes, and then upriver. One of my rods is stiff, only a little over 5 feet, but it doubled over. It was the heaviest fish I think I've ever felt, and the rod was pretty much doubled over the whole time. I thought it was a very large keeper striper. I got it close to the boat, and it was a very large speckled trout; at least 18 inches, maybe over 20 or more! I then made a fatal mistake, I tried to lift it in the boat just as it was thrashing about, and it shook the hook right off!

    Specs have teeth, so I couldn't grab the lip. Their mouths are fairly soft too (their whole bodies are sort of squishy), so specs really require a net to get them safely in the boat. I have a net, and it will certainly come with me next time. We live and learn.

    I caught a lot of fish yesterday, and probably more specs of decent size, (10-12 inches, no keepers), then stripers which were mostly dinks, although I did manage a fat and healthy 18 incher which I was sure was a keeper until I measured him.

    So the moral is bring a net, even a crab net would work. Speaking of crabs, I brought home four Wye River jimmies and had them for dinner, so I didn't go hungry after all.

    Fishinfool
    Wilderness System
    Pungo 1200

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    Last edited by Fishinfool; 09-27-2016, 01:35 PM.

  • #2
    Great report and nice pics. Those specs are nice. They can really slam that rod. I thought the same thing on an 18 incher until I pulled it out I thought I had a striper

    Yak67
    2016 Hobie Outback LE#217

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    • #3
      Steve -

      Sorry you did not land that large spec. My kayak fishing guide in Tampa never uses a net for specks, reds, or snook. He slides his hand down the leader to near the lure, then places the other hand under the fish's belly. A quick lift and the fish is onboard. I have used that method successfully some times (not every time -- I am still learning and building my confidence in the technique).
      John Veil
      Annapolis
      Native Watercraft Manta Ray 11, Falcon 11

      Author - "Fishing in the Comfort Zone" , "Fishing Road Trip - 2019", "My Fishing Life: Two Years to Remember", and "The Way I Like to Fish -- A Kayak Angler's Guide to Shallow Water, Light Tackle Fishing"

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      • #4
        Lip gripper works...but nothing beats a net for specks- their tissue thin membrane in their mouths tear easily- big gator trout fight really hard, too- soft tipped rods and light drags...time for the mirror-lures
        "Lady Luck" 2016 Red Hibiscus Hobie Outback, Lowrance Hook2-7TS
        2018 Seagrass Green Hobie Compass, Humminbird 798 ci HD SI
        "Wet Dream" 2011 yellow Ocean Prowler 13
        Charter member of Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club

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        • #5
          Originally posted by Yak67 View Post
          Great report and nice pics. Those specs are nice. They can really slam that rod. I thought the same thing on an 18 incher until I pulled it out I thought I had a striper

          Yak67
          2016 Hobie Outback LE#217

          Thanks Yak 67! It's funny, most of the other specs I've caught this summer hit hard at first, and then weren't good fighters coming in. I suppose size has a lot to do with it.

          It's nice to have another specie in the same habitat hitting the same jigs that stripers hit. A good eating fish too!

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          • #6
            Thanks for the tips Gents, but now I am totally confused, LOL. Never used a lip gripper, and the idea of putting my hand under a large trout thrashing a hook around makes me a bit skittish. I think I'll try my small net, and try not to get it tangled with everything else in the cockpit.

            I really hope I can get out more this coming month. October has always been good to me, and I've yet to even land a keeper striper this season. The fishing seems particularly good all around this season.

            Tight lines all!

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