Bb 8-12-11

[missedshed]

Fished from 9-4pm. It was nice heading out but the water was doing some odd stuff. Tide was running out and strong with swells coming at all directions. However I was able to still fish but at first it was difficult trying to figure out how the best way to jig would be. I first hit the western span and made a few drifts but no luck. So I decided to try the eastern span. Second drift at 53 and fish on. Not to big about 20 inches. I went right back and started to hook up on fish all at 53 eastern span. I ended up landing 8 and loosing 2. Biggest was a 27 and 26 most of the others were right around 20. Best part was the charters weren't catching a thing!! I used the wall as a way to fish bc it broke up some of the swell. At about 11 it just stopped. Fished till 4 and was out at 445. It calmed down as the tide started to come in and by the time I left it was very calm with just a slight drift.

[Pinch]

Thats what i'm talking about! Its all about current. Great report.

[missedshed]

Thanks for some good info the other day out there. That current makes a big difference. Took a few tries until I figured out how to work the water. I had to be much faster than the other day on a slow tide. I basically would paddle half way or all the way up to the front of the piling, cast about 15 yards in front of me allow the jerk shad to sink than jig it back up. It was a good 200 yard paddle back after a hook up so the current was moving a bit. Some jerk in a boat decided to work a piling next to me with a trolling motor so as I drifted back he was right on top of me. I wasn't moving! He finally went around me and left. Learning more everytime I'm out and my fish totals keep going up. All the charters where anchored down and not catching a thing. Love it!! I have done better on my kayak than I did 2 years ago on one of those charters. They sure are not like the charters in NC.

[ictalurus]

Nice looking fish. What weight jighead and lure were you using?

[mmanolis2001]

Great job on the rocks and thanks for the report. Its good to see healthy fish from the bridge this year. Last years crop of fish were full of sores.

[jet]

i think i have seen reports of more healthy rocks this year than prior years...hopefully things are getting better or are we only reporting the good stuff?

[ictalurus]

Maybe more people are jigging this year instead of livelining. Kimbro on tidalfish thinks that a sick fish might be more likely to go after an impaled spot than an actively bouncing jig.

[missedshed]

I caught a few so far on each outing that had lesions on them. A few were totally covered and I would think by looking at them they didn't have much time left. I have really only noticed it in the smaller 18 inch or so fish and not in the larger stripers. It appears that the ones I caught had Ulceration Dermatitis Syndrome. I was thinking that the smaller fish hold closer to the pilings at times due to current or what ever reason and brush up against the concrete or what's down there. And the larger stripers are holding a bit further away from it and not brushing up as often. The more scrapes the fish has the more chances of it possibly contracting the bacteria in the open scrape. I have caught a few fish in the past with lesions on them from the Susq. but those lesions where more lower on the fish...poss scrapping on the rocks on the belly area more often.?? So maybe that is where you see more of it. I haven’t caught any in Delaware on the Brandywine with leasons like this yet, so hopefully the bacteria is subject to certain waterways. It would be interesting to see a study on the amount/location of the lesions, size of the fish and where/how much is it observed. But it might be hard to actually get an idea b/c they move around alot.

[missedshed]

berkly jerk shads, and 1 oz jig head, no live lining b/c its just a pain in the kayak I find. I hate spending time catching baitfish...than using my remaining time trying to find fish. I have always done just as well with artificials when the current is moving. Maybe if it was slack more than I would do better live lining b/c the fish can swim around attracting those stripers when they have more time to check out the bait.

[Memory Maker]

I caught a few so far on each outing that had lesions on them. A few were totally covered and I would think by looking at them they didn't have much time left. I have really only noticed it in the smaller 18 inch or so fish and not in the larger stripers. It appears that the ones I caught had Ulceration Dermatitis Syndrome. I was thinking that the smaller fish hold closer to the pilings at times due to current or what ever reason and brush up against the concrete or what's down there. And the larger stripers are holding a bit further away from it and not brushing up as often. The more scrapes the fish has the more chances of it possibly contracting the bacteria in the open scrape. I have caught a few fish in the past with lesions on them from the Susq. but those lesions where more lower on the fish...poss scrapping on the rocks on the belly area more often.?? So maybe that is where you see more of it. I haven’t caught any in Delaware on the Brandywine with leasons like this yet, so hopefully the bacteria is subject to certain waterways. It would be interesting to see a study on the amount/location of the lesions, size of the fish and where/how much is it observed. But it might be hard to actually get an idea b/c they move around alot.

It's not from scrapping pilings ......... it's a bacteria in the stripers called MYCOBACTERIA. It's in the majority of Chesapeake stripers and kills a bunch of them .......... it also causes some VERY VERY nasty infections on some fishermen just from handling a striper w/lesions ........ especially if you are finned by one. The video of Pinch holding the thrashing stripers between his bare legs made me cringe ........... a fin puncture or scratch could ruin his year ........