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I visited Solleys Cove launch on Monday and caught a bunch of mid-teens stripers but nothing else. Several Snaggedline members offered suggestions on how to target some other species. I launched there again this morning and quickly caught a few white perch by casting to structure. That took the pressure off, so I went off exploring. I spent some time trolling and some time casting to docks, piers, and bulkheads. Nothing seemed to work in those spots, and I was getting discouraged.
By that time, my exploration had taken me more than two miles from the launch, and my fishing time window was beginning to close -- I had to start heading back. I began working my usual shallow water, light tackle trolling technique -- trolling three lines in 3' to 5' water depth. I had a 4" Gulp swimming mullet on a 3/16-oz jighead on a 6'6" light rod, a 3" hand-colored chartreuse and red paddletail on a 3/8-oz jighead on a 6'6" medium rod, and a 4" twister tail on a 1/4-oz jighead on a 6' light rod. I stayed close to the shoreline, veering out if I saw a long fallen tree, then moving closer again.
Soon I had a strong bite on the Gulp – the fish pulled hard against the drag. As I tried to gain back line, the kayak was drifting into some overhanging branches. I had to put the rod with the fish down to get another rod out of harms way. When I picked up the first rod again, the fish was gone (disappointing). I kept working back toward the launch.
A few minutes later I had a hard strike on the paddletail rod and began winding in that fish. Almost immediately the light rod with the twistertail started shaking. I wound in the first fish (18” striper) then worked on the second fish (24” channel cat). That was quite a doubleheader particularly getting the catfish in on a slender rod. Once I got the fish released and the lines straightened out, I began trolling again. Over the next 15 minutes, I caught three more stripers (21.5”, 14”, and 22.5”). Overall I caught fewer stripers today than on Mon, but they were larger fish.
I caught more stripers on Mon, but caught larger fish today. I feel that each time I visit the area, I am learning more about how I want to fish it on future visits. I hope to find pickerel and yellow perch there on future visits.
By that time, my exploration had taken me more than two miles from the launch, and my fishing time window was beginning to close -- I had to start heading back. I began working my usual shallow water, light tackle trolling technique -- trolling three lines in 3' to 5' water depth. I had a 4" Gulp swimming mullet on a 3/16-oz jighead on a 6'6" light rod, a 3" hand-colored chartreuse and red paddletail on a 3/8-oz jighead on a 6'6" medium rod, and a 4" twister tail on a 1/4-oz jighead on a 6' light rod. I stayed close to the shoreline, veering out if I saw a long fallen tree, then moving closer again.
Soon I had a strong bite on the Gulp – the fish pulled hard against the drag. As I tried to gain back line, the kayak was drifting into some overhanging branches. I had to put the rod with the fish down to get another rod out of harms way. When I picked up the first rod again, the fish was gone (disappointing). I kept working back toward the launch.
A few minutes later I had a hard strike on the paddletail rod and began winding in that fish. Almost immediately the light rod with the twistertail started shaking. I wound in the first fish (18” striper) then worked on the second fish (24” channel cat). That was quite a doubleheader particularly getting the catfish in on a slender rod. Once I got the fish released and the lines straightened out, I began trolling again. Over the next 15 minutes, I caught three more stripers (21.5”, 14”, and 22.5”). Overall I caught fewer stripers today than on Mon, but they were larger fish.
I caught more stripers on Mon, but caught larger fish today. I feel that each time I visit the area, I am learning more about how I want to fish it on future visits. I hope to find pickerel and yellow perch there on future visits.
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