What Lures will you use on the Flats .......

[Memory Maker]

...........what is your strategy ......... or will it be a secret?

[surfdog]

start off early with some large poppers then maybe some storm swimmers and BKDs

[plastic boat]

If it's muddy use cut herring. If the water clears use jigs & Bass assasins in brightest part of the day and poppers or other topwater early and late in the day.
Stop by Herb's in NE They will steer you straight on where and what they are hitting on.

[Jimbo]

Second on Herb's tackle. They're good peeps.

[Yak Fish]

I was planning on trolling some shad umbrellas and tandems. They seem to be very efficient catching them for the charter guys further south. I also plan on trolling some 6" creek chubs.

If I get tired of trolling I may drift some cut bait if I can get some.

I'll be learning this year for sure.

[Memory Maker]

I was planning on trolling some shad umbrellas and tandems. They seem to be very efficient catching them for the charter guys further south. I also plan on trolling some 6" creek chubs.

If I get tired of trolling I may drift some cut bait if I can get some.

I'll be learning this year for sure.

Umbrellas could be good but just remember, except for a couple of spots, the channels are less than 10 ft deep unless you are fishing between the bridges and lapidum

[mdmakaira410]

tandem swimshads, some shallow rapala cranks, bkds, smack its... big half and half pattern decievers with big epoxy heads, blackback/white or silver body or green/chartreuse or chartreuse/white.. some gold tonys too

question though. ive never fished with herring up there. how would one go about doing it? are they chunking or what?

[Memory Maker]

Ok .......... I'm doing only BIG and mostly untried stuff ........

Musky Cowbells, 18" hoagy w/eel squid head, homemade neutral bouyancy parachute lure, 12" jointed creek chub, 9 " swimbait, 2 ft tube n worm ........

won't look at the rod till I hear duh da, duh da, duh da (jaws theme) ............ figure to go big or go home ........

[mdmakaira410]

u might as well get a big drift anchor, a kite rod/reel, put a live herring or two under the kite and start chunking cut bait. haha i would LOVE to see the old timers reactions if they saw someone out there doing that.

[Yak Fish]

Umbrellas could be good but just remember, except for a couple of spots, the channels are less than 10 ft deep unless you are fishing between the bridges and lapidum

I've spent a good amount of time up there checking out the water depth and making sure my lures are running at the right depths. The channels run about 30-50 feet, the bridge pilings are usually 50-60 feet and a few spots I've found are up to 90 feet along the river. The flats seem to be between 10-20 feet deep.

I'm running umbrellas that are 9 oz, and with all the drag, they seem to run at about 20' max. Adjusting the amount of line, I should be able to get them to run at the depth I see fish. I've got two rod holders that stick straight outward, giving me about a 15' beam. I'll run each umbrella at different line lengths or weights to cover that strip of water. If I feel ambitions, I may throw one light lure way back that runs just off the surface.

I'll stick with that scheme for an hour or two and change if nothing hits.
My game plan is start fast, covering water trying to locate some fish. If nothing's happening, slow down by doing a little casting/jigging. If all else fails, I'm throwing chunks out there and drifting.

[ictalurus]

Have you pulled the umbrellas before? If so, how fast were you going?

[Memory Maker]

u might as well get a big drift anchor, a kite rod/reel, put a live herring or two under the kite and start chunking cut bait. haha i would LOVE to see the old timers reactions if they saw someone out there doing that.

you know ....... that would work ......... over the flats part especially

[Memory Maker]

Hey guys ......... here's a map that might be able to help

http://www.charts.noaa.gov/OnLineViewer/12274.shtml


The guys staying @ Elk Neck might want to try to find a launching spot around Camp Rodney on the map. It would put you right on some of the better fishing grounds. If I remember from years ago ...... it's a long row from Elk Neck to the flats ...... probably well more than a mile ......

[Memory Maker]

I've spent a good amount of time up there checking out the water depth and making sure my lures are running at the right depths. The channels run about 30-50 feet, the bridge pilings are usually 50-60 feet and a few spots I've found are up to 90 feet along the river. The flats seem to be between 10-20 feet deep.

I'm running umbrellas that are 9 oz, and with all the drag, they seem to run at about 20' max. Adjusting the amount of line, I should be able to get them to run at the depth I see fish. I've got two rod holders that stick straight outward, giving me about a 15' beam. I'll run each umbrella at different line lengths or weights to cover that strip of water. If I feel ambitions, I may throw one light lure way back that runs just off the surface.

I'll stick with that scheme for an hour or two and change if nothing hits.
My game plan is start fast, covering water trying to locate some fish. If nothing's happening, slow down by doing a little casting/jigging. If all else fails, I'm throwing chunks out there and drifting.

Well ......... good luck ........ be careful with a 15 ft beam on the flats channels ...... especially on the weekend .......... in the river portion you should be fine ......... Good luck ..... tell us how you do ...... and don't forget the pics ......

[Yak Fish]

Have you pulled the umbrellas before? If so, how fast were you going?

I have pulled them before during a few practice runs and I was really expecting a lot of resistance. The truth is that I hardly knew they were there. I was on an Outback with turbo fins. I would estimate my speed between 2-3 mph. Again though, this is a 10", 9 oz umbrella, not a 15" 24 oz. I'm sure that may take a bit more effort.

I'll be pumped to send pics if it works. I'll give a full report of my findings.