Things I’ve learned about kayak fishing in the Chesapeake Bay

[CHOC]

So I’m coming up on 5 years living by the Bay and fishing. It took a lot of fishing to get to where I can consistently catch fish. It also took a TON of reading online from dozens of websites and message boards. I’ve also read most of the published books on the subject including those written by members of this message board.

I thought I would start a list of things that we’ve all learned that we wish we knew when we started fishing the Bay. I’ll only list a few of mine since I’d like this to be a collaborative effort if there’s interest from other posters

Here goes:

1) You pretty much have to have a fishfinder.

The water is almost always too murky to see the bottom, so you can never tell how deep the water is. Additionally, most structure on the bay is completely submerged so you won’t be able to find this essential fish habitat without a fishfinder. Lastly, fishfinders locate schools of fish and bait.

2) Learn one area well instead of learning a lot of areas a little.

I live on the Bay in an area that no one really talks about in terms of fishing. Yet, I know every bump, and dip, and structure that a kayak can reach around my house. I try spots all the time that are known for producing fish and rarely do better than I do on my home waters.

3) Keep a log (write it down preferably)

I’ve learned a lot by tracking my fishing trips. Even if I never used the internet, I would know by looking at my notes
-that I always catch my biggest fish in Spring and Fall
-that my catch rate for stripers drops dramatically when the water temperature rises above 80 degrees
-that diving birds in late summer and fall pretty much always lead to fish.

Please add to my list if you’re interested. Anything is fair game. Posts on safety, regulations and responsibility, or gear are all welcome.

[Shady]

If your fishing in the bay, perch can almost always save the day!

Bring your ultra light, and those little guys give a fun fight

Its no fable, they are also delicious for the table.

Ok, I'm done...

[Mark]

While I would dispute the absolute necessity for a fish finder, I can definitely say that I've learned much about kayak fishing in the Chesapeake from members of this forum. So please keep the flow of information coming with descriptive posts.

Also I would say that the fishing skills I learned on other kinds of water, from trout streams to freshwater ponds have transferred nicely to kayak fishing in the Bay. I learned the role of current, how to target structure and even how to estimate depth by the contours of the shoreline on those other waters to predict the presence of fish. Using that knowledge on tidal waters has been equally beneficial. And my knowledge in those areas has been affirmed and strengthened by the informative posts of others here. Lastly, as we've discussed often, the same tackle used in most freshwater scenarios will suffice for much of our kayak fishing in the Bay.

So there's nothing really mysterious about kayak fishing in the Chesapeake. If you can fish elsewhere, you'll do well here in a kayak. But above all, let's continue to share what we know about fishing on this forum.

[mchottie]

Rule #1 - No matter what last years weather/fish patterns were, this year will be completely different...

[HJS]

Hawg - I bought my first canoe when I turned ~20, back in 1966. And I’ve been fishing from canoes ever since.

I completely concur with your points. On occasions I’ll go out with Friends on their big boats. I'll comment on your first 3 as well as add 2 more.

1) My FF is one of the items I will go back home to get if I forget it, within reason. It’s responsible for many of the fish I catch. A FF is almost cheat’in. A FF will lead the way when birds are not working overhead.

2) I know the Middle Branch Patapsco like the back of my hand. It’s my closest access to saltwater fishing. Probably 100s of launches from HH and a couple dozen from Canton (Boston Street). I shed a tear every time the Bay’s fixer-uppers tear out another derelict pier. Good habitat for stripers, GONE!

3) I’ve been keeping a fishing log since 1990. First in hand written form in small spiral notebooks. One page for each trip. When computers became a house hold item I converted over to computer format. Every trip is recorded on a blank form I made, good trips AND the bad trips. Each page is saved on the computer and as a hard copy in a notebook. I am up to 6 notebooks. (see example below)

Fishing Log.jpg

I’ll also add:
4) Learn the details of computer weather reports. I scrutinize weather reports in fine detail for each trip, especially when planning a trip on BIG water like the Patapsco. I have my limits as to what risks I will take… and I stick to it. I take into account weather especially wind and rain. Canoes are more vulnerable to wind than kayaks. I hate fishing even in a light shower. Also check USGS river flow sites. Don’t be fishing flooding rivers.

5) Make a list of all things you do not want to forget. Post it where you store most of your kayak fishing stuff. Don’t go overboard, just the biggies that would hurt if you forgot them.

[CHOC]

If your fishing in the bay, perch can almost always save the day!

Bring your ultra light, and those little guys give a fun fight

Its no fable, they are also delicious for the table.

Ok, I'm done...

Ain't that the truth! My ultralight is my favorite rod sometimes.

[CHOC]

Rule #1 - No matter what last years weather/fish patterns were, this year will be completely different...

Ha! Ditto! After jigs and plugs didn't work this year like in previous years, I threw a 3/8 oz chartreuse, white and red spinnerbait with double gold spoons on one of my trolling rods. That lure became all they would hit for three weeks. It's a Spring largemouth bass and snakehead lure... Go figure!

[Mark]

Howard,

I admire your discipline to record your outings. Nice job. I've started a journal many times on paper and electronically but I never stick with it.

I do remember productive outings seasonally and what lures and flies I used and memorable fish I have caught. I revisit those spots from year to year. There's a reason they were there when I caught them and they often return. Experience is a great teacher and a pretty good predictor. A written record is a better than recall. You may have inspired to try one more time.

[Big Mike]

I’ve fished without a FF, then had one for 3 years and it broke towards the end of last year, now I’m back to without a FF. I absolutely don’t miss it. I’m much more attuned to looking at shore to help me interpret what’s going on where I am and I find myself looking at the world around me instead of at yet another screen.

For those who use them, keep on doing so and there are rare occasions where I say “ boy I wish I had my FF to find that edge I know is out here”. But don’t let the fact that you may not have one keep you from thinking that you won’t catch, or won’t catch as many fish as those who do. There is many the day I outfish my SMOG brethren, and conversely there are days they outfish me. Rarely have I felt it was because of a FF.

[mchottie]

Rule #2 - ALWAYS BRING A PERCH ROD TO SAVE THE DAY

[Mark]

I think most certainly that general fishing trends hold true in the Bay from year to year.

For example, the arrival of ocean stripers in the early spring for their spawn.

The movement of white perch into the Bay's tributaries in the late spring/early summer...and their departure to deeper waters in the fall.

The arrival of snapper bluefish in the summer.

The feeding frenzy of stripers in the fall and their movement far into the Bay's tributaries as they fatten up for the winter.

And not so much in recent years, but tidal pickerel taking the place of white perch and stripers late fall through the spring in the creeks of the Bay's western shore rivers.

What varies in the above is the timing. It can change by weeks from year to year but still be closely aligned with the season. Also, the location concentrations of theses species may change from year to year, the exception being white perch which are easy to find in essentially the same areas from year to year once they make their appearance for the season.

It's the stripers that keep us guessing as to precisely where they'll be in the summer and the pickerel as to when they'll return to where they used to be.