Whitehall Bay was dead today!

[Mark]

Raptor and I worked the Whitehall Bay area this afternoon from Hacketts Point to Greenbury Point.

It was a lot of pedaling and paddling.

We trolled and we cast and we used crank baits and soft plastics.

Raptor got a white perch on a Rat L Trap and I got nothing. My first skunk of the year. Well, I did snag a bait fish but that doesn't count.

While I was on the backside of Greenbury Point I saw these guys in a tree:

P1000326.jpg

I thought they were the perfect symbols of the fishing today. Clearly they were trying to tell me something.

It was dead out there!

[kevinfry]

they werewaiting for you to drop over dead from paddling

[HJS]

Mark - Right now the day-time high tides are very weak (not very high) and the night-time high tides are very strong (extra high). When there are weak high tides than the currents are also weak. Dunno... maybe fish are concentrating their feeding efforts after dark when high tides are higher and currents are stronger.

[Mark]

That's a good point. Raptor and I noticed that the tide was extremely low when we launched and it hardly moved for the 4 or 5 hours we were out. They were definitely off of their feed. We tried everything including top water which I didn't mention above.

Here's an example of how low the tide was at Hacketts Point:

P1000323.JPG

I caught several stripers in this precise spot last week when there was more water present and the tide was moving.

[Fishinfool]

Mark, you seem to like that spot from Hacketts to Greenbury, even though it wasn't productive today. Have you ever tried heading north out of Sandy Point and heading up towards the mouth of the Magothy?

Also, I think we're in that transition period that William Warner wrote about in "Beautiful Swimmers". Whenever there's a big blow out of the northwest and the temperature drops it basically blows all the water out of the Bay. That's a trigger for the crabs (and probably baitfish too) left to head to deeper water. The pregnant females start their long trek down the Bay and bury themselves deep in the channel until Spring when the release their young.

The rockfish follow their food, and aren't coming into the shallows as frequently as they did. Time to head to deeper water over oyster bars and in the river and Bay channels.

[Mark]

Fishinfool,

No, I've never been to the Magothy. It's a place I'd like to try.

I could reach it heading south from Downs Park which is near my house.

Which route to the Magothy is shorter -- from Sandy Point or from Downs?

Thank you,

[RockFlag&Eagle37]

Sandy Point, for sure. From Downs it's quite a hike, you'd have to get all the way around Gibson Island. However, Snake Reef outside of Downs park has a great oyster bottom, well, it used to. After Huirricane (superstorm/nor'easter) Sandy that might not be true, I haven't fished it in a few years.

I think there might be public access at Beechwood Park, off Magothy Bridge road. although, this puts you up much higher in the river. There are community beaches down Long Point Rd. You might be able to launch from those with a kayak. I used to see folks launch canoes there when I was a kid (~15+ years ago). They're not patrolled or anything, so I'm sure that could still work, and that would put you out in Sillary Bay, just inside Dobbins Island. Podickory Point is also a Marina, it'd be worth looking into launching there, if you want to stay nearer to the mouth of the river.

[Mark]

RockFlag&Eagle,

Thank you.

Just looking at a map. I figure it's a least 2 miles from Downs.

The community of Sillary Bay is right across Route 177 from where I live. That's a possibility and would cut some distance off the trip.

Beachwood Park in its present unimproved state is not a good option. I walked through it a month or so ago.

It's maddening to live so close to the Magothy with no easy public access.

I've read that the mouth of the Magothy and the riprap wall near Gibson Island are two excellent areas for stripers.

[RockFlag&Eagle37]

Rt 177!, I haven't heard someone call it that in years! We've always called it Mountain Road. I grew up on Gray's Creek, which is the next creek North of Sillary Bay. There is a gated boat ramp down at the end of Maryland Ave that you might be able to get away with launching without at permit, as well. There is also a Marina down there, Atlantic Marina on the Magothy (thats what it was called years ago), that might let you launch as well. If you drive down into the communities on the right of 177/Mountain Rd, you'll see that there are a lot of community beaches and areas that you can probably launch from. I've never launched kayaks but I'd drive down: Lake Shore Drive, North Shore Rd, South Carolina Ave, Maryland Ave, Hickory Point Rd, Long Point Rd. See what's there. These aren't big fancy HOA's for the most part so anything that looks public, you'll probably have no problem launching from.

I grew up catching stripers and perch in the Magothy. The mouth is a great spot for both, but loaded up with crab pots, so be very careful fishing that area, it's not 6mph and boats scream through there. There are some nice holes and dropoffs to fish as well. If you're interested in decent Perch, launch from Sillary Bay and paddle back up inside Gibson Island, there's an old seawall in there, lots of vegetation and downed trees/structure. Also a Marina back up in there that is actually ON the island, so again, look for boat traffic. No luck launching there though, you can't get on the Island without permission from a homeowner.


good luck!

[Mark]

Yes, Mountain Road -- the longest dead end road in the U.S. I believe.

It's hell when there's a backup and you cannot off the peninsula or get home. The 2-way middle lane has helped but I leave that lane to the daredevils.

Those are all good suggestions.

Thank you again.