Bay Bridge - Skunked on Monday (Nov 26)

[ComeOnFish]

Just for the record

Air: 53F
Water: 45-49F
Bay was flat

It was the second time I launched from G dock. This time I did it without help. It wasn't that difficult.

I didn't see sizable fish on the FF at all from 15' water to both rock piles. I saw tiny fish on the bottom in 30-60' of water at the Eastern Rock Plie. I assumed they were WP. Two boater came for WP and they caught 5-6 WP at 7-9". None (about 8 boats) caught stripers between 09:30am and 03:00PM.

It took me almost 3 hours to come home due to rush hour traffic on 495 Belt Way, 267 Dulles Toll Rd and 28. It usually took me 1 hour and 20 minutes.

I origianlly planned to fish St. Jerome Creek. But I changed my mind while driving in the morning. I think ST. Jerome Creek could have been the better place

Joe

[chex]

Sorry about the skunk. I'm surprised you didn't find any fish in the deep water. I would expect some medium sized stripers to be chilling out down there. I might give it a try next week.

[ComeOnFish]

Sorry about the skunk. I'm surprised you didn't find any fish in the deep water. I would expect some medium sized stripers to be chilling out down there. I might give it a try next week.

I am so used to get skunked. So getting skunked doesn't discourage me at all. I remember good days only. What you wrote is exactly what I had expected. Usuall this time ayear and December, I saw medium sized stripers suspending 40-60' down. Though it didn't happen yestday when I fished. BTW, the water was stained unlike this time a year normally

joe

[chimo]

Sure beats sitting at home regardless of the end results! Sounds like you had a good day to be on the water anyways. Have you ever done any good at St Jeromes this time of year? Mid October is about the latest I have fished there.

[ComeOnFish]

Sure beats sitting at home regardless of the end results! Sounds like you had a good day to be on the water anyways. Have you ever done any good at St Jeromes this time of year? Mid October is about the latest I have fished there.

Chimo,
I enjoy no matter what happens during a fishing trip. It will be hit or miss in the creek. But for me, the chance of not getting skumked is more than 75%.
I didn’t fished St Jerome last year and recent years. But I found a video fishing log on Dec 6, 2009

The water temp was 49F and the description of the video as follows:
Due to the cold weather, cold water and strong wind, stayed inside St. Jerome's Creek for small stripers. The small craft warning was issued for the morning. But the wind wasn't that strong as forecasted. Caught many small stripers at 17-19 inches. I think stripers will be there at least one more week.

I usually fished the inlet. Check the tide, and make sure you fish when current is strong.
The spit from the red-roof house to the inlet has been submerged recently. So the current is not strong in the middle of the inlet. I will fish the inlet, mouth of the creek, and inside of the submerged spit.

If I remember correctly, the stripers are feeding on peanut bunker (about 3.5”) I think. And sometime birds and schoolies are chasing them in the wide open area, north or south of the creek. Gold casting spoon works well for the schoolies when birds are feeding. I will bring ¼ -1 oz jig depending on the current (and also for trolling). I use 5” BA for keepers. Some locals use 3.5” BA for C&R smallies. You will see lures I used on the video

[walk the plank]

Joe , watched alot of your videos on you tube , thanks for all the info.

[Twistedfish]

Did you try the skinny water between 3-6 feet deep? Last time I fished the bay bridge I caught several stripers in 2-4 foot of water. Several of those fish were caught in places I have paddled past many times and never fished because I thought it was too shallow and and had the mindset I had to get to deep water to jig the pilings.

[crawdad]

last year I went to the rock pilings on a friends boat on the last weekend before the season was over.Everyone fishing was congregated at the rock piles(dozen boats) vertical jigging like madmen.I managed a shortie but some people really looked like they had there vertical jigging techniques refined they were catching stripers pretty consistently.(mostly 18s to low 20s in size)