Calling it quits 11/16

[dsiekman]

Well, i think the striper season is over for me. I fished the Severn north of Round Bay for three hours yesterday on an incoming tide. I marked very few fish and had no nibbles. This season was awful compared to last year with only a few keepers. Granted, I didn't fish nearly as much, but when I did the action was slow or nonexistent. I had a pretty high skunk factor.

I heard a number of guys saying this was the best year of fishing they had in decades...then again, they were fishing the bay. Maybe that was my problem? Oh well, maybe next year will be better.

[Mark]

You're not alone.

This was my first year to target them so I have no basis of comparison.

But there are many articles from fisheries scientists available on-line with hard evidence of a declining striper population. There is also anecdotal evidence on various on-line forums from anglers who are catching fewer fish.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is currently contemplating new mortality guidelines for striped bass. Let's hope they do the right thing.

[dsiekman]

While this is something we certainly need to be concerned about, I'm not so sure it was the reason for the Severn not being a great fishery this year. On Monday a buddy of mine was fishing out of Crisfield with three others. The four of them caught and released more than fifty fish each. Most were schoolies, but they were around and feeding.

[DOGFISH]

This was a strange season. There being so many schoolies as compared to larger fish, is a real concern. It means there is only one dominant or successful year class in the bay. Next year, when that year class comes into being keeper size, if left to be caught up in large numbers, the overall come back of the species will be a long one. This is why you will more than likely see some restrictions on the striper season next year. It will be for good reason. If anyone remembers the 2009 season, that was a good year. Large numbers of 18" to 30" fish were in most areas. I was having 12, 15 and even 25 fish days, of good sized fish. That year and the next saw large numbers of fish caught, recreational, commercial and poaching. It was as if we could not hurt the stock of stripers. The result is what we have now. This is not to say that there are not keeper size fish out there. However, the numbers are much diminished.

[J.A. Veil]

I caught more keeper stripers trolling in the Severn this fall than in all my previous years combined. Most were 19" to 22" fish, but their occurrence on nearly every trip in October was a lot of fun for me. I trolled very near the shoreline in shallow water near the mouth and near the Rt 50 bridge. About the end of October, that bite stopped as the stripers followed the bait out to the bay.

Regarding large stripers, the SRRKC had an interclub tournament with the Upper Bay Bad Boys yesterday. Nobody fished from a kayak. One noteworthy fish was trolled up on a tandem rig. The large and fat fish was 41-1/4". A small (by comparison) 19" rockfish was on the second lure in the tandem. That fish was caught in the general area near Bloody Pt. So there are some large fish showing up.

[dsiekman]

So John was cleaning up at the mouth and as far north as the 50 bridge, but north of there the action was crap. Salinity? More rainfall? Last year I caught reds and blues during the summer months. That seems really odd for being so far up river. The one red was almost up to Carrolton Manor for those who know the area.

To add to the discussion, I was doing okay preseason but that seemed to shut down as soon as the season opened. After the preseason my go to lures from last year stopped catching keepers. I was still marking a lot of fish, some marks looked really good, just couldn't buy a strike. The only thing that changed about my setup was that I started using a fish finder. Maybe it's just bad fishing karma...

[Shady]

I also caught (and released) more keepers this year than ever in my 4 years of yak fishing. I caught keepers in the following locations: Susky flats, mouth of back river near rocky point, Patapsco river near key bridge and fort mchenry, bay bridge, Severn river near Jonas green, Thomas point, and hrbt.

[dsiekman]

Like I said, I can only image that there was something different about my fishing grounds between last year and this year.

I have also heard others say that last year Sandy screwed up the bay so bad that all the fish went up the tributaries. Maybe that was it?

[Yak Fish]

I would say my numbers are down from last years and I would say that the weather has not been as cold. The spring was way worse than previous years. The perch fishing was also rather poor in comparison to previous years. In a couple of months it'll be back so we can see if it's a trend or a one year anomaly.

[Mark]

Last month the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) stated that striped bass mortality must be reduced to ensure a healthy fishery for the future. They are currently studying options to reduce the numbers of breeding fish killed beginning in 2015. Nothing is likely to change in striper fishing regulations for the 2014 season.

[Fishinfool]

So John was cleaning up at the mouth and as far north as the 50 bridge, but north of there the action was crap. Salinity? More rainfall? Last year I caught reds and blues during the summer months. That seems really odd for being so far up river. The one red was almost up to Carrolton Manor for those who know the area.

To add to the discussion, I was doing okay preseason but that seemed to shut down as soon as the season opened. After the preseason my go to lures from last year stopped catching keepers. I was still marking a lot of fish, some marks looked really good, just couldn't buy a strike. The only thing that changed about my setup was that I started using a fish finder. Maybe it's just bad fishing karma...

Doug, You know the mid to upper Severn better than anyone. As you say, maybe the baitfish just didn't feel the need to head that far upriver due to lower salinity. I actually had a very good season for perch and even caught a few keeper rock, but the rock action ground to a halt in September for some reason for me. I was fishing out around Brewer Point mostly on the southwestern side of Round Bay.

October was a bust, and I've pretty much hung it up for the season. It stinks, I miss getting out on the water and I am skidish about being in a kayak over cold water.

I am also thinking that the cooler than normal fall chased the baitfish out of the river. sooner than in recent years. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...st-in-decades/

[DOGFISH]

The bay water temps are dropping fast. At 46 degrees the rivers will effectively be done. Most of the bait and stripers move out at that temperature. With that, I will be done also. I'll go to building fishing rods. I also have some odds and ends to do on the kayak before next season. That will keep me busy for the winter.

[tufnik]

Agree with dsiek. Overall, a sucky year. I fished OC, Lewes and Virginia Beach a lot this year. Went after other species, not just stripers, and this year seemed bad overall for yak fishing. Time to switch to head boat fishing.

[dsiekman]

Doug, You know the mid to upper Severn better than anyone. As you say, maybe the baitfish just didn't feel the need to head that far upriver due to lower salinity. I actually had a very good season for perch and even caught a few keeper rock, but the rock action ground to a halt in September for some reason for me. I was fishing out around Brewer Point mostly on the southwestern side of Round Bay.

October was a bust, and I've pretty much hung it up for the season. It stinks, I miss getting out on the water and I am skidish about being in a kayak over cold water.

I am also thinking that the cooler than normal fall chased the baitfish out of the river. sooner than in recent years. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...st-in-decades/

Thanks, Steve, let's just hope next year is better. I'm hoping to get out more often next year and may look into a new yak. Something a little more capable of handling the bay. Let's make it a point to fish together when it warms up.

[Fishinfool]

Great Doug, I'll look forward to that!