Took roof rack off car yesterday...too early to pack it in?

[fil]

Should I be fishing right now? I am a relatively new transplant to the area (Navy), so I don't have the seasons figured out yet. Just moved to Riva and planned on fishing Beards Creek/South River starting next year. But just looking at this site today since a long layoff, it looks like now may actually be the best time to fish for stripers? In fact, I took the roof rack off the car yesterday, planning to leave the canoe shorebound till next summer. Is that a bad idea? Is this prime fishing time? I was looking at Beards Creek from shore a couple of days ago towards evening, and there was a lot of surface activity in a cove in about, I'd guess, 5 feet of water. What's hitting the surface? Is that schoolies, white perch, what?

I like how the Navy life moves me around every once in a while, but one of the negatives for an outdoorsman is having to start from scratch every few years to try to figure out how things work in the new area. New seasons, new tactics, locations, etc. Pretty laborious having to get smart on a totally new area so often.

So, right now, beginning of October, what should I be doing? Get the rack back on and start fishing, or wait until next year?

Thanks for the help. It's forums like these that help shorten the learning curve.

[dhawk]

I don't know much about the south river but October in general is a great time to fish the Chesapeake white perch are still biting good, the larger stripers move into the area and blues will still be around. As long as you have gear for colder weather fishing is good.

[fil]

I'm good gear-wise. Any thoughts on the surface action? What species in the bay hit the surface? I know stripers will, but what about perch? Just trying to narrow it down to what was causing the activity the other night?

[Yak Fish]

Too early!? Of course it is! Summer fishing is some of the worst in my opinion. Now is when it gets good. I fish 12 months out of the year :-)

[HJS]

The surface action you are seeing towards evening may be stripers and/or blues. But there is a high likelihood that the surface activity could be menhaden, which is a major forage fish in the Bay. They are notorious for jumping/flipping around on the surface. Sometimes, if you are close enough to hear, the menhaden will make a quick snappy noise as they break surface...," br-r-r-r-rt"... sort of a quick washboard sound. I can't spell the sound, but that's close enough.

[JohnE]

Yeah, I love fall. Best time just started for me. Get yourself some cold weather gear. I actually busted out the dry suit early this morning for the first time. Was a little nippy out there before sunrise already.

[DOGFISH]

Whoa, put those racks back on! This is the best time or year for fishing the area. The stripers put on the feedbag this time of year. Try to come to the Meet and Greet this Saturday, in the general thread. The mouth of the South River, Thomas Point and the Severn River are good places for striper fishing.

[whenican]

Definitely, put your racks back on. My car with the racks
Just died this morn on my way to work. The transmission is being replaced. There's a Meet & Greet this saturday. However
I may miss it if my car isnt ready by then.

[fil]

Coaching my son's soccer game may prevent me from coming out Saturday. I have paddled out to Thomas Point from the Coast Guard station. Did that last year during the summer. Caught a few blues and a bunch of schoolie stripers. Any go-to lures this time of year? I primarily use Rat-L-Traps and Storm swim shads.

On the menhaden, I think you might be right. Seemed as though it was a bit too much activity to be stripers. A mass of menhaden seems likely.

[Frogsauce]

Also, needlefish make a lot of surface noise.

[chex]

Best time for fishing. Put that rack back on!

[steventhehistorian]

Yeah, put that rack back on. It's just now starting to get good. It will be the best time of year, in my opinion, for the next 2-3 months. The fish are all schooling up to feast to prepare for winter. That translates into excellent fall fishing.

[Longtrav]

Best time for fishing. Put that rack back on!

x1000