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I caught a lot of stripers while trolling in Severn creeks in late August and early Sept. Toward the end of Sept, the fish and the bait seemed to move out. Last Monday, I did an experiment. The water was low and muddy after the Sunday rains. I had low expectations. I spent the first hour casting a small spinner to shorelines looking for perch and pickerel (not much happening there) then I began trolling 3" paddletails. To my surprise I found fat and energetic stripers in dirty water. Over 1.5 hours, I caught 15 of them, with at least 5 of 19"-20" size. I returned on Tues to much higher and clearer water. I caught another 17 stripers with several of keeper size.
This morning I returned to try again. I visited three different tidal creeks and caught fish in two of them. I ended the morning with 10 really fat stripers. Most were 16" to 18", but the two largest were 23" and 24". Both created some drag screaming after they hit and before I could get the rod out of the rod holder. There is nothing like the sound "ZZZZZZ" "ZZZZZZ" "ZZZZZZ" and the sight of a ML rod bouncing wildly to get your adrenaline flowing. The 23" fish hit on a 3" Fat Sam mullet paddletail on a 3/16-oz jighead. A few minutes later the 24" fish hit a 6" Buzztail paddletail on a skirted 3/4-oz jighead.
Here are a few tips for others who want to find these fish:
1) Keep moving -- they are not all in one spot, and the locations of the higher concentrations of fish seems to change with each trip. When I visit a tidal creek, I try to work it front to back to see where the fish are that day. If the fish are there, you will soon find out where they are lurking.
2) There is enough debris in the water (floating grass, leaves, etc.) that lures do get fouled from time to time. If you move through a patch of floating debris, wind in your lines and check for debris. Fish will not be interested in fouled lures. If you go for 10 mins without any bites, wind the lures in to make sure they are clean. Also if you slow down in a shallow area, your lures may pick up debris from the bottom.
3) Troll in different directions (with the current, against the current, and across the current). Fish don't always hit the same way.
4) If you find fish in one area, circle back through that area. But don't necessarily take the exact same path. You may have disturbed the fish along that path. By moving over 10 to 20 ft, you can encounter more fish.
5) Most of the fish I have found are relatively shallow. I have caught them in depths from 2' to 15', but have not caught anything in the deep water while crossing the Severn to get to other creeks.
6) Keep lures in the water as much as possible. You never know where the next fish will be.
7) My soft plastics this week have been bright colors (white, chartreuse, gold sparkly). Solid chartreuse (not a transparent chartreuse with glitter) got the most hits during my three trips this week.
8) I troll 3 lines from my paddle kayak. If you are just learning how to troll, consider 1 or 2 rods. With the paddle kayak, once you stop paddling to wind in a fish, the boat will drift and turn. If there is a strong fish pulling on the line, it will cause the kayak to turn that way. Try to be aware of where your other lines are as you fight the fish. If you troll from a pedal kayak, you can keep pedaling, which helps keep the other lines trailing out behind you.
9) This week I fished at different points in the tidal cycle, different water height resulting from wind direction, and different water clarity. I caught fish under all conditions.
10) Look for bait splashing. Schools of small minnows are not the best indicator, but if you see individual splashes from larger bait, try trolling near those areas.
11) Handle your caught fish gently and carefully. Not every fish needs to be measured or photographed. Unless they are keepers, and you plan to take the fish home, release the fish quickly. I slide my hand down the leader to grab the jighead. I put my other thumb into the fish's mouth to control it, then pop the hook free and drop the fish back in the water.
This morning I returned to try again. I visited three different tidal creeks and caught fish in two of them. I ended the morning with 10 really fat stripers. Most were 16" to 18", but the two largest were 23" and 24". Both created some drag screaming after they hit and before I could get the rod out of the rod holder. There is nothing like the sound "ZZZZZZ" "ZZZZZZ" "ZZZZZZ" and the sight of a ML rod bouncing wildly to get your adrenaline flowing. The 23" fish hit on a 3" Fat Sam mullet paddletail on a 3/16-oz jighead. A few minutes later the 24" fish hit a 6" Buzztail paddletail on a skirted 3/4-oz jighead.
Here are a few tips for others who want to find these fish:
1) Keep moving -- they are not all in one spot, and the locations of the higher concentrations of fish seems to change with each trip. When I visit a tidal creek, I try to work it front to back to see where the fish are that day. If the fish are there, you will soon find out where they are lurking.
2) There is enough debris in the water (floating grass, leaves, etc.) that lures do get fouled from time to time. If you move through a patch of floating debris, wind in your lines and check for debris. Fish will not be interested in fouled lures. If you go for 10 mins without any bites, wind the lures in to make sure they are clean. Also if you slow down in a shallow area, your lures may pick up debris from the bottom.
3) Troll in different directions (with the current, against the current, and across the current). Fish don't always hit the same way.
4) If you find fish in one area, circle back through that area. But don't necessarily take the exact same path. You may have disturbed the fish along that path. By moving over 10 to 20 ft, you can encounter more fish.
5) Most of the fish I have found are relatively shallow. I have caught them in depths from 2' to 15', but have not caught anything in the deep water while crossing the Severn to get to other creeks.
6) Keep lures in the water as much as possible. You never know where the next fish will be.
7) My soft plastics this week have been bright colors (white, chartreuse, gold sparkly). Solid chartreuse (not a transparent chartreuse with glitter) got the most hits during my three trips this week.
8) I troll 3 lines from my paddle kayak. If you are just learning how to troll, consider 1 or 2 rods. With the paddle kayak, once you stop paddling to wind in a fish, the boat will drift and turn. If there is a strong fish pulling on the line, it will cause the kayak to turn that way. Try to be aware of where your other lines are as you fight the fish. If you troll from a pedal kayak, you can keep pedaling, which helps keep the other lines trailing out behind you.
9) This week I fished at different points in the tidal cycle, different water height resulting from wind direction, and different water clarity. I caught fish under all conditions.
10) Look for bait splashing. Schools of small minnows are not the best indicator, but if you see individual splashes from larger bait, try trolling near those areas.
11) Handle your caught fish gently and carefully. Not every fish needs to be measured or photographed. Unless they are keepers, and you plan to take the fish home, release the fish quickly. I slide my hand down the leader to grab the jighead. I put my other thumb into the fish's mouth to control it, then pop the hook free and drop the fish back in the water.
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