Mill Creek/Whitehall Bay

[Mark]

John Veil and I tested the waters of Mill Creek and Whitehall Bay for about 3 hours today.

We trolled a bit for stripers but got no hits. So we targeted white perch to see if they had finally decided to make a return appearance to Chesapeake waters.

We can attest that the white perch are back, especially John who caught 10 or more of them.

I was not as successful with the perch boating only one 10 incher on trolling tackle no less.

But I can also validate that the cow nose rays are back. My first hookup today was a ray. After a few futile minutes of trying to retrieve my recently poured, first-time-in–the–water homemade jig, I cut the line.

I’d like to say that I’m glad I got that out of the way but I suspect that there will be more rays in my future this spring. They’re nasty devils and there is at least one today with a pierced lip sporting a ½ oz. of lead and white plastic grub. If you meet up with it please keep the jig as a souvenir. It has hardly been used.

[bignose]

Were you the guys working the point around the pilings today about 1:30 p.m.?
The charter boat I work on is located in this area.
Many day I have either put my canoe in the water, next to LJ's and tossed lures off of the docks after cleaning the boat, and tore the perch up. And there are some pickerel in there as well.
I haven't seen any rays yet out on the bay. That's a good thing.

[J.A. Veil]

Stu - I saw a charterboat come into Mill Creek about 12:30. The name on the stern started with the letter "C". Was that you? I think we were off the water by 1:30. I was in an orange kayak and Mark's was olive colored.

All of the perch I caught today (all were <8") came on a Bignose spinnerbait. Last winter you provided me with some experimental models having two small spinner blades. I tried one of them yesterday at Mallows Bay and had tried it earlier but got no bites. I did not sense the same degree of vibration through the line as I did with your standard model having a single larger blade. When I got home last night, I removed the two small blades and replaced them with a single larger blade. Today that is the lure I used to entice the perch. The perch are not thick yet, but they are in places now where they were not found last week. That is a good trend.

[Mark]

bignose,

I think we may have been off the water by then. But we spent some time in that general area.

The point is where I hooked the ray. I cast to the rocks and there it was waiting less than two feet from the rip rap.

A fellow was fishing from the shore at the point and he got a kick out of how the ray turned my kayak around.

[bignose]

Yeah, I think that I saw you guys. We were in a boat named Carolyn II. You were at Possum point by the pilings as we came in thru the "S" curve. I was trying to get the deck clean, (chumming is a mess) and the equipment stored. I got very dehydrated today, you'd of thought that I knew better than that! I was fried! Being at the boat, setting up at 5:15 a.m. doesn't help for mental focus, either! (BTW, we have been catching a nice grade of fish for our clients.)

As for the spinner baits, the dual bladed models were an experiment. They need to run at a higher speed, and do not throb as much as the single bladed models. More flash for clear water. The single blade models also drop slower and helicopter down better. I have been experimenting with various blade sizes on the single blade model, as well. Woodies baits use a #3 diamond blade, I generally use a #2 gold blade. The #3 rides higher in the water and thumps more. The #2 will run a little deeper. I think that I sent you a variety of them.

It's good to know that the perch are coming back in.
I've had some tremendous days dock hopping up into the Whitehall Creek above Cantler's. The older and nastier the docks, the better.

Where did you guys launch from?

[On the fly]

Mark, you hooked a ray!?! I thought you left that task to Raptor.

[Mark]

Harry,

He wasn't there today.

I had to take up the slack.

[Raptor]

Harry,

He wasn't there today.

I had to take up the slack.

So I went out at about 3:00 PM and trolled over to Hacketts. About 3/4 of the way there I latched onto my first Cow Nosed Ray (CNR). He came to the kayak rather easily so I grabbed the leader and was about to use my pliers to remove my lure. He went balistic - snapped the leader goodby Rat-L- Trap #1. Tied on a new Rat -L -trap and paddled along to the end of the point where I hooked up with CNR #2 - cranked down the drag and horsed him - line snapped - goodby Rat-L Trap #2. I figured out CNRs like Rat-L Traps . . . so I didn't tie on another. Paddled back to the launch and about 1/4 mile away latched onto CNR #3. He took my X=Rap that I had removed the back treble and and attached a Clouser fly in it's place. This is about $15 dollars worth of lure(s). He also was on my Overboard rod which is the stoutest of all my rods. And he was only about 1/4 mile from land. I had read somewhere (Snaggedline it think) that someone was successful dragging one of these buggers up on land. So, the fight was on. I turned the drag to as hard as I dared, put the rod in the holder, and paddled him toward the launch. He stopped the kayak a few times, and I had to stop the kayak to gain line (three times) when he took me to the backing. Anyhow, I beached him in about 15 minutes and got my lure back. I'm not sure who was more tired me or him. Beware Whitehall Bay from Greenbury to Hacketts is teaming with CNRs. Here are some pictures.


Rqy3.jpgRay2.jpgRay1.jpg

[On the fly]

Glad to see your continuing your CNR catch from last year. Seems to be getting a little expensive though.

[J.A. Veil]

Good story Terry. You regained your dominance in the ray department. I trolled paddletails in the area for over an hour and did not find one. Maybe they like the vibration of the hard plastic lures.

[Mark]

Terry,

Couldn't stand it, huh?

You read that your favorite Chesapeake target was in your backyard and you couldn't resist.

Congrats on the quality pullage.

Too bad there wasn't a jig in the one you beached.

[Raptor]

Terry,

Couldn't stand it, huh?

You read that your favorite Chesapeake target was in your backyard and you couldn't resist.

Congrats on the quality pullage.

Too bad there wasn't a jig in the one you beached.

Yes - If you are looking for some lure losin, pole breaken, kayak draggin, drag screamin, serious pullage just latch onto one of those bad boys. All three were pretty good sized. It is fun for about the first five minutes. I've heard that you can put your fingers in their nose and pick them up like a six pack, but I didn't quite dare to try it.

T.

[Raptor]

Good story Terry. You regained your dominance in the ray department. I trolled paddletails in the area for over an hour and did not find one. Maybe they like the vibration of the hard plastic lures.

John,

I'm not sure that that is such a wonderful distinction! I think you are right - and possibly they can "tune in" on the vibration of the hard plastic, maybe they are hitting out of annoyance rather than being that hungry? I hope they move out soon. I wonder if this is a migration, or if they are here to make little CNRs. Maybe a bull shark will follow one could have cleaned up yesterday for sure.

T.


T.

[On the fly]

I think you will be seeing more not less CNR's. And maybe you can catch a bull shark when you are reeling in a CNR, would be interesting.

[Raptor]

I think you will be seeing more not less CNR's. And maybe you can catch a bull shark when you are reeling in a CNR, would be interesting.

Harry,

Yeah - I think that would be going from bad to worse.


T.