Lures that work well in and around Pasadena?

[Mark]

What about the theory that if you were to go over in chest waders, they fill with water and you sink. I know that's why they make wading belts, but I'm not sure a belt would be enough.

There is plenty of information and corresponding videos on-line to counter that theory. Duck hunters and fly fisherman discuss it often in various forums and it's a topic frequently raised on sites about outdoors activities. Neoprene waders actually create their own floatation. Neoprene floats. The lighter, breathable waders do require a belt. But they too will trap air with a belt and actually create floatation. It may be awkward floatation -- i.e. your feet may float to the surface. But you definitely will not sink.

And then there is the fact of neutral buoyancy. Water in the waders weighs the same as the water outside the waders. Therefore, waders filled with water will not pull you under. You will float, especially if you are wearing a PFD. The problem often becomes the additional heavy gear people engaged in other outdoors activities may be carrying -- guns, decoy weights, etc.

Also, climbing back into your boat with waders full of water may be difficult if not impossible. Even leaving the water at the shoreline may be difficult. As you try to lift yourself out of the water, you lose the benefit of neutral buoyancy. Wear a belt. It may not stem the flow of all the water, but it will likely stop enough to avoid your waders filling completely.

So definitely, use a belt on waders. Kokatat dry pants have an elastic band in lieu of a belt. Does that make them completely waterproof? Probably not. But it will trap some air and even if they fill, they will not pull you under.

Again, if any of this is worrisome, simply avoid cold water outings. Kayaking fishing now in 80 degree water has its dangers too. We all must manage risk in ways we see fit.

[NattyBoh74]

Thanks guys!! I have insulated neoprene chest waders and thats a good idea to use... I guess I just have a notion that I need to use larger gear for the stripers.

[belairfishing]

My experience at the meet and greet a couple of weeks ago proved that you don't need heavy gear to catch 17 in stripers. I caught many fish in that range in a Penn Fierce II combo with a medium rod and 3000 series reel.

My annual trip on the Susky flats has taught me that you can catch 36 inch stripers on light tackle. Just manage the drag. And like others have said, the kayak basically functions as an enhanced drag system.

[Mark]

Here's another thought to support the idea that large tackle is not needed on most kayak outings to catch stripers. belairfishing noted the recent Lowes Wharf M&G. I have no doubt that participants that day boated over 500 stripers in total. The weather was great and the fish were plentiful. It was a terrific outing. The largest fish caught that day was 26 inches. The vast majority of fish hooked where sub-legal.

On four occasions this year, I have been with one to two other anglers where collectively we have caught close to or exceeded 100 stripers. Again, fish larger than 19 inches were scarce, never more than 5 percent of the catch. One day two of us caught 95 fish and not one passed 19 inches. John Rentch has caught the largest striper I've seen this year on one of those outings. It was an inch or two longer than his Hawg Trough. He landed that 30-inch-plus fish with light tackle.

We have some folks in this forum who routinely catch very large stripers, well beyond 30 inches, on the Susquehanna Flats early in the year. Indeed they need heavier tackle to get those beasts to the boat.

But for most of us stripers from 20 to 30 inches are the "big ones" we catch. And the fact is that we may catch 95 smaller ones before hooking a legal sized fish. At least that has been my experience in the shallow waters I fish with my kayak here in the Mid-Bay area.

Now, a 15 to 18 inch striper will give you a much harder pull than a similarly sized LM bass. The striper is a faster swimmer and usually has open water in which to run. It can test the drag on your 2500 series reel. A LM bass will burrow into cover in lieu of stripping line. Both are fun to catch. But the same tackle most certainly works for either.

[ronaultmtd]

Exactly right, Mark...when I was living in Tidewater and running 50 miles offshore tuna and shark fishing I used 50# class tackle...no human is capable of breaking 50# test line on a rod and reel...we aren’t capable of lifting 500 pounds without ripping our guts out...most folks have no idea of what 10 pounds of drag is on a rod and reel...to lift a 10 pound bag of sugar off the floor with a rod and reel, think about a six or seven foot long lever with 10 pounds of weight at the tip of the lever and then think about the fulcrum being 14 inches to the center of the reel seat...it feels like you are actually lifting 100 pounds...when we hang up on an immovable object and break off we must point the rod directly at the object to exert enough effort to break our lines...otherwise we would break the rod...so even with big powerful fish, heavy tackle is not necessary to catch them- A good quality, well balance rod, a smooth drag, braided super-lines, strong hooks and 100% knots are...Nothing takes the place of experience, but the only way to get experience is doing it...so go fishing...

[belairfishing]

A good quality, well balance rod, a smooth drag, braided super-lines, strong hooks and 100% knots are...Nothing takes the place of experience, but the only way to get experience is doing it...so go fishing...

Good point...not to hijack the thread, but this seems like a good place to enhance your point about hooks and knots. The Lowes Wharf M&G was my first experience fishing on the bay, and it was a phenomenal learning experience. The the OP, you will learn a lot from these gentlemen, so read carefully what they write and heed their advice. Anyway, I lost two fish on that day, not because of having the wrong gear, but because of knots. I have a fly fishing background, and I consider myself an above average knot tier. I was humbled a little bit that day. I had one line to jighead knot fail, and then I had a braid to mono leader knot fail. It sucks, and I feel bad leaving that gear on a fish, but I did spend a LOT of time researching knot failures while I was smoking a cigar on my patio that evening.

[HJS]

NattyBoh – I meant to answer your post earlier but time does slip by. For years, heck a couple decades, I’ve been fishing for stripers in the Middle Branch Patapsco launching my canoe from the Harbor Hospital ramp. That’s not too far from Pasadena. I mostly fish there from late summer through the fall and into the winter months weather permitting. 100% casting/jigging.

Lures of choice for the past decade have been 4”-5” soft plastics. Mostly use .5oz jig heads, sometimes heavier if needed. Good colors are opening night, dirty cream and limetreuse. Number one goto color is chartreuse silver glitter. I avoid lures with trebles but do use them from time to time when soft plastics just aren’t catching.

I use only spring rods, 6'6" med and HD, 2500 series Shamanos, 10#-14# gold Fireline, and 20# mono leader.

I’ll attach a few pics of lures I make and use on the Patapsco.

4" paddletail, chartreuse. I made 4 of these molds so I can pour 12 at a time. Dang good lure.
2-piece mold #1.jpg

5" paddletail. Dirty white and chartruse
5 in paddletail-D.jpg

4" curly tails. Limetreuse
115_1544.jpg

Variety of my work. The top 3 biggies (8") were made special to fish the CBBT during the winter months. But popularity of that area seems to have faded. I don't use soft plastics that big in the Patapsco. The bluish plastics are the color opening night.
saltwater lures.JPG

The 4" paddletails are my babies. I make them by the pan full. As I am pouring them I line them rank & file on a cookie sheet and then put them in the freezer overnight to cure. If I bag them up right out of the mold then they get all kinky and of little use.
Tray of BAs.JPG

BTW, I use only recycle plastic lures to pour new ones, which is why my colors seem a little off. ie, Which is why my white is called dirty white. Fish don't care though.

[Mark]

Those are really nice looking pours, Howard.

[HJS]

gshappell - I bet I've launched at HH at least a 100 times over the years and never had a problem. However, as of recent, the local area, Cherry Hill, has become one of the hot spots for shootings. Just the issue of me bobbing around the Middle Branch looking like an ideal target does give me pause. But sometimes the fishing there can be very good for stripers. Back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when striper populations seemed more robust, breaking schools of stripers with birds over head was a common occurrence most days. Most years blues will show up in the breakers in fishable numbers. Good eaten fish if you keep them small and bury them in ice cubes ASAP... and cook them fresh. Then there were the couple of years when gray trout invaded the Bay to include the inner Patapsco. Fish deep under the breaks and there would be trout on the bottom... But that didn't last long. The HH launch is my closest access to saltwater fishing.

My fishing platform.
Patapsco 001.jpg

Nice striper.
HH-WWD,1-9-13 - B.jpg

This Patapsco striper was big enough that it require 2 shots to get it all in. I wasn't about to stand up to get the entire fish in one shot. 2013 was a good year in the Middle Branch.
Patapsco 10-28-13 AA.jpgPatapsco 10-28-13 AB.jpg

Breakers half way to McHenry.
Patapsco 10-28-13 B.jpg

King of the feral cats at the base of FSK Bridge.
Key Bridge feral cat - B.jpg

[NattyBoh74]

Thanks guys for all of the advice