Slower Lower in full summer pattern

[Big Mike]

Haven’t posted much but we’re still having some great days, sprinkled with some not so great days at various spots in the slower lower. Just about every species the bay has to offer is now catchable from a kayak. We’ve got a nice run of small puppy drum (up to 12”, hopefully bigger ones come in), flounder are moving into holes near moving water, the trout bite is the best in years, and you still have 20”+ stripers in the mix. Spanish Mackerel are around but still far from shore. They can be reached by the intrepid kayaker, I’m hoping they move in closer like last year because I’m not that intrepid. A huge bonus is the emergence of a top water bite for trout. Throw in some decent stripers and you’ve got a fun morning.

The key for the SMOG has been be on the water first light. Incoming or outgoing tides doesn’t matter as much as the slightly cooler water you’ve got in the morning. Generally the bite dies around 8 or so. Here’s some recent catches. Like Howard Hughes I don’t allow my picture to be taken.





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[ronaultmtd]

As Mike relates we have experienced a early morning window that closes rapidly as the sun comes up... some mornings the bite lasts an hour other mornings an hour and a half...then it is dead...stinging nettles draped all over your lures dead...the “walk a dog“ stick baits are deadly on big Speckled trout Just before full sunrise...got a fat 23 inch Speck on my Bomber Badonk-A-Donk at 5:50 am yesterday morning...and the pictured 16 1/2 inch flounder ate a 3 inch chartreuse twin tail Gulp On 1/8 Oz jighead...by 7:15-7:30 just 12 inch puppy drum are taking baits...the trout and 19-20 inch Stripers were gone...the Drum are fun and for their size put up a good tussle, but...I don’t want to pound the little guys...Flounder have been far and few between...hopefully they along with Spanish Mackerel will continue to be more plentiful inshore...the Specks are still spawning so I have released the big girls...hopefully they will hang around after spawn and give us another shot at them after laying eggs...

[daolai]

Thanks for the report Big Mike and crew. Yes I have seen that with waking up stupid early to get on the water in the dark works well too. I can't seem to find the striper bite from the bay bridge down to Chesapeake Beach this year. I may give it another go down south and try to find the elusive Spanish.