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Launched from Elk Neck state park beach around noon. Fished until 5:30 and caught at least 12 stripers and lost another 4 or 5. All small fish in the 12-18" range and one around 26". Most caught on spoons. Covered a lot of ground, nearly 10 miles, looking for some warmer water and bigger fish. Water temp only 57 or 58. Lots of boats all over the flats. Saw a lot of small fish caught but no big fish. Lots of grass floating around made it difficult to troll.
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Nice work! got any pics. What were the wind waves like? -
I was out yesterday as well. Twisted's timing was much better than mine. I went out of Millard Tydings at 6 a.m. I had read Walleye Pete's manifesto on the flats and I was convinced that the warmer water was probably on the east side of the flats. So I made my way over there and I did catch a nice 27" fish on a 7" gulp shad on a 3/4 oz. jighead.
I also found trolling difficult due to the grass. In the morning, the chop was too rough and the current too strong to effectively fish in a kayak other than to troll, so it was difficult all around.
By the way, in case anyone is wondering how long it takes a reasonably fit guy to peddle on outback from elk neck peninsula to Millard Tydings against a strong northwest wind and into a strong current I can tell you that it took me 3 1/2 hours of non-stop pedaling.
Can I just tell you how much I love my outback. What a machine. If my mirage drive would have failed, I would have ended up somewhere on Kent Narrows Island. I have nothing but respect for you purists out there who continue to paddle your yaks, but for me, I can't imagine yakking any other way.
I also noticed a lot of fish jumping out of the water; they looked more like tarpon than anything else. My best guess is that they were carp, though I didn't know that carp were able to get that much air.
I think today and tomorrow could be great if the wind is able to stay down.
Good luckComment
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Elk Neck Park
Ahab- that's a long trip across the flats the way you went. It's a huge effort that deserved more fish. If you are interested in fishing the south east side of the flats, I really recommend launching out of Elk Neck State Park from the swimming area. Just make sure you have a good kayak cart. It's all down hill to the water but to get back to the car you need a pack mule to pull the boat back up the road to the parking lot.
This was my third trip to the flats this year. After the first two I wanted to make sure I was there on the incoming tide. The flats were not as rough this trip as they were a week ago when I was up there and it was white caps everywhere. That trip, like yours was in the morning. I think the wind dropped out after you had left. The water temp was in the 57-58 degree range on the east side. The few good days I have had up there the water temp was always over 60 so I went hunting warmer water. At one point I took off north west looking for the really shallow places in the center of the flats thinking they should be warmer. I didn't have a chart with me and after pedaling for what seemed like a mile in 4 foot of water that was still 57 degrees so I gave up looking and headed back toward turkey point. Most of the small stripers I caught were caught trolling. It was just difficult to troll with the grass. At one point I did catch a small striper on a rattle trap laying in the water under/beside the kayak while I was changing lures on my other rod. Even if you are drifting and casting on the flats, i'm starting to think it's a good idea to have a second rod with some kind of jig in the water next to the kayak. I have caught a number of stripers up there with strikes right next to the kayak.Comment
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Yeah, yesterday I broke the 1st cardinal rule of safe yakking: trusting the weathermen instead of what you see happening in the here and now.
Of course if we always wait for the perfect day to fish, then where would we be?
Also, I usually do a little better for stripers in choppy water.
Anyway, I might have to try the beach next time. I think the edges of the eastern channel through the flats is very productive water.
See you out on the water,Comment
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