Newbie needs some help

[creolo25]

Ok I bought my first kayak mid June this year, I have taken it out a hand full of time searching for stripers with no luck. I taken it to pax naval base and trolled all over with a tube and worm looking for stripers nothing not even a bite. I see fish jumping all over and see fish on the fish finder but can't seem to catch any. I have been reading post on this forum of people catching them with jigs but I don't really have any experience with them, so Im asking for some help and to see if anyone is willing to share some knowledge and show me the ropes. I'm always willing to go fishing

Thanks in advance

[DavidGQ]

Try Melps Black Fury #3. Caught Rockfish and Perch with it today.

[J.A. Veil]

You probably have all the right tools but are not getting some important detail quite right. You can learn a lot and improve your catching by fishing with other more experienced kayak anglers. Many MKF members often post a note saying that they are heading to some destination in the morning and invite other interested anglers to come along. That would be a great way to learn.

If you want to fish the Severn, I would be happy to show you where the perch are lurking and how to target them. I have not caught too many large stripers in the Severn -- you will need lessons from someone else to pick up that skill.

[creolo25]

I read of quite a few people having great success with Melps, so im going to pick one up and give it a try. How big was the rockfish? I've seen recommendations for #5 Black Fury, Thanks for sharing DavidQ.

[creolo25]

J.A. Veil thanks for the reply, and you are probably correct about not getting some detail quite right. I will definitely keep an eye out for posts of members going fishing and try tagging along, It will be great to learn from the experienced Kayak anglers from here. I will also hit you up for Severn I never fished there before, it would great to have you show me around and teach me a thing or two. Thanks again J.A. Veil

[ronaultmtd]

Try light spinning gear with small (3 inch is a good size) natural color shad soft plastic swim body on 1/8 oz. jig- cast out into 3-7 feet of water and slowly retrieve in a steady easy cranking, keeping the shad just off the bottom...white perch, puppy drum and schoolie stripers will eat these lures like popcorn-

Also try a Rebel Wind Cheater top water popper near dusk on breaking fish- Throw it near the breakers and chug, chug, chug with a snap of your wrist while cranking easily in a slow retrieve-

[creolo25]

Thanks ronaultmtd, any particular jig?

[ronaultmtd]

I use the jig heads for grubs- and they are not expensive

[J.A. Veil]

Ron's suggestion of a small paddle tail minnow (swim shad) is a good one. Here is a photo I took last summer of three lures I used for perch in the Severn. I continue using this type of lure with good results on perch and pickerel. I have caught some rockfish and even a 20+" catfish on these lures.

You can buy the spinner arms separately or as part of a pre-packaged Beetle Spin lure. I remove the small grub that comes with the Beetle Spin and add a paddle tail minnow or small twister tail. You can skip the spinner arm if you prefer and fish just a jighead with the paddle tail or twister tail. I generally carry three ultralight rods that each have a slightly different lure. I throw all three during a trip and soon find out which one is the preferred lure that day. Or in some cases, different lures work better in different depths.

[creolo25]

Thank you for the pic John.

[Redfish12]

I have not had much success on the Tube n Worm down here. Up in NJ and further North it dominates the sandworm deliveries to rockfish. In addition to the other advice you've received I would add that larger sassy shads (4") and lead heads (1/2, 3/4, and 1oz) are a great lure to have around as well. You can cast or troll these. You can also buy them with the hook molded in and a few good brands are storm and tsunami. If I had to pick one color it would be pearl. Flukes/bkds and other soft plastic that you have to impart action with the rod are not as good for trolling.

If you can stand the treble hooks, a rattle trap is also a good lure to have.

[creolo25]

Thanks Redfish, yea the Tube n Worm has not has given me good exercise trolling all around but no fish. I have to take a trip to bass pro

[ictalurus]

I've fished the lower Pax for years, and stripers can be hard to come by during this time of the year. I gave up and started targeting spot and croaker in the river instead. The three-legged marker out in front of the base is a good spot for croaker and flounder. The next marker in toward the river is good, too. Just keep drifting up and down the drop off until you figure out what depth the fish are holding at. A Gulp shrimp on a 1oz Spro bucktail is the ticket for flounder. Spot and croaker will hit squid, cooked shrimp (salad shrimp or frozen peel and eat), bloodworms, and Fishbites.

If you're set on catching stripers, there's a creek along the southern border of the base that would be worth hitting at dusk or dawn with topwater plugs, minnow-type lures, grubs, or spoons. The riprapped area around Fishing Point and Hog Point are good at dusk and dawn, too, but usually not until later in the year. You never know, though... A few years ago, there was excellent topwater action from June until October, but that wasn't the case last year.

[ronaultmtd]

as far as trolling plugs- XRaps---and stretch 25's - got them in every combination you can think of-

[creolo25]

I've fished the lower Pax for years, and stripers can be hard to come by during this time of the year. I gave up and started targeting spot and croaker in the river instead. The three-legged marker out in front of the base is a good spot for croaker and flounder. The next marker in toward the river is good, too. Just keep drifting up and down the drop off until you figure out what depth the fish are holding at. A Gulp shrimp on a 1oz Spro bucktail is the ticket for flounder. Spot and croaker will hit squid, cooked shrimp (salad shrimp or frozen peel and eat), bloodworms, and Fishbites.

If you're set on catching stripers, there's a creek along the southern border of the base that would be worth hitting at dusk or dawn with topwater plugs, minnow-type lures, grubs, or spoons. The riprapped area around Fishing Point and Hog Point are good at dusk and dawn, too, but usually not until later in the year. You never know, though... A few years ago, there was excellent topwater action from June until October, but that wasn't the case last year.

Thanks for the info, I have been catching croakers, spots and WP after I get tired of trying to catch stripers at the base. I would like to catch stripers there since I haven't caught any yet, I will definitely try the spots you mentioned and add those lures to my tackle. Let me know next time you go fishing around that area so I can tag along if you don't mind.