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I was able to make it out fishing on Saturday. Dana (Coop1486), John (SurfDog), Steve (Tango22), Mike (Grady Black) and myself planned to fish the cove around Lowes Wharf where I had good luck the last time that I was there. The weather this weekend would be wonderful, with low humidity, temperatures around 82 degree, and no rain. The winds would be around 8 mph most of the day and die down in the late evening. High tide would be just after 7am with low tide around 1:30pm.
The plan was to meet up with everyone at the WAWA on Route 50 before the Bay Bridge by 5:00am. We would then drive across the Bay Bridge and meet up with Dana at 6:00am at Lowes Wharf. Well, we were a little ahead of time, so we got to Lowes at 5:55am. Dana was there unloading his kayak. We launched at the small private boat ramp at 6:30am. Lowes Wharf is a public landing with no ramp. Fortunately, Dana knows the owner of the restaurant who owns a small ramp in the area for his jon boats and inflatable boats to ferry motor boaters to and from his restaurant, like a water taxi service. Dana arranged for us to use the ramp to launch our kayaks since we would patron his restaurant after we get off of the water.
I fished the northern shorelines where I caught white perch up to 12 inches and one short speckle trout. The water was fairly calm here. I decided to move further up the coastline away from the protection of the cove to more exposed waters of the Eastern Bay. There you could feel the wind and the chop slamming against the shoreline. I kept my distance from the shore to avoid the worst of the chop. I cast my old standard 1/4 ounce red jig head tipped with a white Gulp swimming mullet towards the shoreline and BAMB! A fish was on! It was peeling line as I fought to reel him in. I was not sure if I caught another skate, but when I saw the large tail with a spot surface, I knew that I had a nice red drum/ puppy drum on my line. When I got it closer to my yak, I netted it and quickly put him on my stringer. I was glad, since this was the main fish that I wanted to catch this morning. After that excitement, I worked my way to the southern side of the cove. I picked up more perch and small croakers. SurfDog caught some croakers, perch and a surprise short flounder. That would not be the only flounder for the day. Tango22 would end up catching two more short flounders along with a stringer of 9 to 11 inch croakers. Grady Black caught some perch near the docks. He left the group early, and headed back home to make his samitches....
Coop1486 ordered a new rod that was coming into the Post Office today. He wanted to fish with that new rod this afternoon at Claiborne, so he beach his kayak and drive to the post office to get his rod before they closed. He was only gone for 15 minutes. SurfDog and I watched his kayak from the water until he returned with his new rod. He was like a kid in a candy factory.
By 11:00am Surfdog was heading in to go home. Coop1486, Tango22 and myself stayed out for two more hours. We ended up bottom fishing between Poplar Island and Lowes Wharf. Coop1486 had towed Tango22 to the bay's deeper channel which was only 10 to 12 feet deep, where I caught croakers and small spots. We ended up so close to Poplar Island that Coop1486 towed Tango22 all the way there to help him out in his paddle yak. We fished around Poplar Island where I caught two more 10 inch speckle trout. I believe Tango also caught a short speckle trout and a short flounder. By this time we were real hungry, so we started to head back to shore to get a bite to eat at the Lowes Wharf Restaurant where Coop1486 seemed to always know someone. I decided to give Tango22 a tow back to the boat launch with my Revo, since he could move twice as fast than if he was paddling alone. Coop1486 caught his first fish of the day, a 14 to 16 inch rockfish. He was getting bites all day, but he was not landing them until now. The skunk was off. Tango22 caught two bluefish along the way also.
After we made it back to shore, we packed up our yaks and got the last three seats at the bar at the restaurant. The restaurant was busy and packed more than usual, because there was a Chesapeake Bay Motor Boaters gathering at the restaurant, so it took us a little time to get our food. We at least got to take in the sites, had a few beers, and got a sandwich of choice with some fries.
By this time it was almost 4pm so we went over to Claiborne to fish the incoming tide for a few hours. Tango22 checked out the launch that he loved, but had to head back home. So Coop1486 and myself launched and began fishing the shoreline to the left of the ramp. Coop1486 ended up catching a short flounder there and a short speckle trout. With 5 short flounders caught today in the Bay, maybe they may make a comeback? I concentrated on some grassy areas on the southern shore and hooked up with a 22 inch rockfish that had a crooked tail in 3 feet of water. The sun was setting so we headed back to shore. Coop's girlfriend brought us some liquid refreshments at the ramp that we drank after loading the kayaks. It was a good, but a long day. I got a lot of exercise and caught many species that included: Red Drum, Speckle Trout, White Perch, Spots, and Croakers. It was a good time as usual.
The plan was to meet up with everyone at the WAWA on Route 50 before the Bay Bridge by 5:00am. We would then drive across the Bay Bridge and meet up with Dana at 6:00am at Lowes Wharf. Well, we were a little ahead of time, so we got to Lowes at 5:55am. Dana was there unloading his kayak. We launched at the small private boat ramp at 6:30am. Lowes Wharf is a public landing with no ramp. Fortunately, Dana knows the owner of the restaurant who owns a small ramp in the area for his jon boats and inflatable boats to ferry motor boaters to and from his restaurant, like a water taxi service. Dana arranged for us to use the ramp to launch our kayaks since we would patron his restaurant after we get off of the water.
I fished the northern shorelines where I caught white perch up to 12 inches and one short speckle trout. The water was fairly calm here. I decided to move further up the coastline away from the protection of the cove to more exposed waters of the Eastern Bay. There you could feel the wind and the chop slamming against the shoreline. I kept my distance from the shore to avoid the worst of the chop. I cast my old standard 1/4 ounce red jig head tipped with a white Gulp swimming mullet towards the shoreline and BAMB! A fish was on! It was peeling line as I fought to reel him in. I was not sure if I caught another skate, but when I saw the large tail with a spot surface, I knew that I had a nice red drum/ puppy drum on my line. When I got it closer to my yak, I netted it and quickly put him on my stringer. I was glad, since this was the main fish that I wanted to catch this morning. After that excitement, I worked my way to the southern side of the cove. I picked up more perch and small croakers. SurfDog caught some croakers, perch and a surprise short flounder. That would not be the only flounder for the day. Tango22 would end up catching two more short flounders along with a stringer of 9 to 11 inch croakers. Grady Black caught some perch near the docks. He left the group early, and headed back home to make his samitches....
Coop1486 ordered a new rod that was coming into the Post Office today. He wanted to fish with that new rod this afternoon at Claiborne, so he beach his kayak and drive to the post office to get his rod before they closed. He was only gone for 15 minutes. SurfDog and I watched his kayak from the water until he returned with his new rod. He was like a kid in a candy factory.
By 11:00am Surfdog was heading in to go home. Coop1486, Tango22 and myself stayed out for two more hours. We ended up bottom fishing between Poplar Island and Lowes Wharf. Coop1486 had towed Tango22 to the bay's deeper channel which was only 10 to 12 feet deep, where I caught croakers and small spots. We ended up so close to Poplar Island that Coop1486 towed Tango22 all the way there to help him out in his paddle yak. We fished around Poplar Island where I caught two more 10 inch speckle trout. I believe Tango also caught a short speckle trout and a short flounder. By this time we were real hungry, so we started to head back to shore to get a bite to eat at the Lowes Wharf Restaurant where Coop1486 seemed to always know someone. I decided to give Tango22 a tow back to the boat launch with my Revo, since he could move twice as fast than if he was paddling alone. Coop1486 caught his first fish of the day, a 14 to 16 inch rockfish. He was getting bites all day, but he was not landing them until now. The skunk was off. Tango22 caught two bluefish along the way also.
After we made it back to shore, we packed up our yaks and got the last three seats at the bar at the restaurant. The restaurant was busy and packed more than usual, because there was a Chesapeake Bay Motor Boaters gathering at the restaurant, so it took us a little time to get our food. We at least got to take in the sites, had a few beers, and got a sandwich of choice with some fries.
By this time it was almost 4pm so we went over to Claiborne to fish the incoming tide for a few hours. Tango22 checked out the launch that he loved, but had to head back home. So Coop1486 and myself launched and began fishing the shoreline to the left of the ramp. Coop1486 ended up catching a short flounder there and a short speckle trout. With 5 short flounders caught today in the Bay, maybe they may make a comeback? I concentrated on some grassy areas on the southern shore and hooked up with a 22 inch rockfish that had a crooked tail in 3 feet of water. The sun was setting so we headed back to shore. Coop's girlfriend brought us some liquid refreshments at the ramp that we drank after loading the kayaks. It was a good, but a long day. I got a lot of exercise and caught many species that included: Red Drum, Speckle Trout, White Perch, Spots, and Croakers. It was a good time as usual.
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