Frost on the pumpkin... some where near Thomas Point...

[rob-kayak]

Frost on the pumpkin... some where near Thomas Point...

I wanted to give my cooler temperatures ability a test... so I waited for calmer conditions
as we had today. I read a bunch of what you guys say about waders and dry suits and wetsuits...
But I can't really drop much money on extravagent gear... but I already have 5mil, 4mil, and 3mil
wetsuits... 5mil boots and 5 mil gloves. Having been in much cold water surfing, I figure
well I'll just make do with what I have.
Except I did just by an inexpensive 3mil longjohn wetsuit and inexpensive 3mil gloves... and
that was the "test" I wanted to try.

I was quite warm to say the least today... good layer of frost on the car window to start... 35 degress at the
house... but was about 41 degrees in the parking lot. I didn't use the 3mil gloves...
It wasn't exactly a hardcore test... not much wind around and the sunny launch was toasty... I only wore
the 3mil longjohn... a turtleneck... but I did use my 5mil boots.



I caught a small... 9 inch or so rockfish once I got to the river. Hit a 1/2 once chartreuse jig on a white gulp.
Well I figured... such a beautiful day... at least I got that as a reward.

There is just something about the way the sun dances across the water. It just does something to me.
I call it... "Diamonds on The Water."



I paddled around a lot (trolling)... white and chartreuse gulps... and a shad type too... lots of fish on the
sonar... nothing hitting my rigs... I was using four rods. I did get a small white perch.
I paddled a lot further than I thought I would... just so darn nice out... I kind of get lost when it's so
beautiful. Stopped for lunch on a small beach... put my "tunes" in and paddled even further out.......

Just paddling along... sort of spacing out on the calm water and good music playing on WRNR...
And I met a new friend.... hit pretty hard, towed my around a bit...
My biggest so far at 24inches... it took me maybe 20 minutes to get it on the stringer it was so feisty.


I got another hit... or maybe it could have been a snag... I seem to snag a lot... so I didn't really set
the hook. Probably just a snag. Another day...

Another week or two... and the fall colors will really be jumping... hopefully the fish too !
I can't imagine how far I'll paddle on a day like that.

[JohnE]

Nice post. I've got kokatat dry pants with built in booties and a dry top. Not the best setup, but pretty good for my needs. Full drysuit is out of my price range. I think the wetsuit will help you for a little while if you actually end up in the water, but really doesn't do jack for you otherwise. I've got a 3 mil wetsuit and I'd maybe wear it under some rain gear or my gore tex snowboarding gear and other layers if I did not have something else.

Also, nice striper and is that a homemade measuring board in your picture?

[rob-kayak]

http://www.snaggedline.com/showthrea...ne-this-before

I forgot to mention, that not only were there menhaden it it's belly but what appeared to be a very small, about
2inch, Ray.

[JohnE]

Awesome, thanks for the link. I've already got everything I need to make one, so I might as well.

I forgot check to see what the stripers I caught this weekend were eating. The way I fillet them it is not necessary to gut or scale.

[camelbird]

Nice write up. And really cool about the ray in the stripers stomach

[rob-kayak]

Nice write up. And really cool about the ray in the stripers stomach

Yes... that was kinda neat. Luckily I didn't have many problems with Rays this year... only one on a trip
on the Severn early in the summer. Saw a couple here and there... on one trip... near Tolley Point there were
a bunch of small fish going crazy on the surface... there was something charging after them...
And I thought.. "yeah buddy... my first top water Rockfish excitement... " but it was a large Ray.

After reading here some of the guy's posts near Kent Narrows the times they got tangled with the
Rays... and my many experiences with their cousins Skates at the beach...

When I saw the little Ray... I just thought... well here's one for our "team."