Kipto Tautog & Rudee Speck (Nov 9, 2017)

[ComeOnFish]

On Nov 9, I fished Concrete Ships (Kiptopeke State Park, VA) and Rudee.

Because of the wind direction, I gave up CBBT (Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel). Instead I went to Kiptopeke State Park (Concrete Ships). My plan was that I fish for tautog during the slack tide in the morning at the ships first. After some keeper tautog, I fish for speck for a couple of hours in Rudee before I drive back home.

The water temp at Concrete Ships was 62 F. It was still too warm for tautog. I caught only 2 tautog. One was a keeper at 16.5”.

When I arrived at Rudee, I had about 1.5 hours before sunset to catch some speck. When I launched I heard it was a very slow day. Somehow I found a school of speck, and stayed with the moving school until sunset. I caught 7 speck at 18-22”.

Video Fishing Log:

Thanks
Joe

[tufnik]

You did a lot better. I fished Rudee Fri, 10 Nov. Was windy and cold; hard to fish. Water temp 61 deg.

Looked for fish in deep water to shallow water. Went from the Aquarium to the inlet to the south channel. Tried Gulp (pink, chartreuse, white), DOA electric chicken, and a bucktail, and caught only a dink on a rat-L-trap. Seemed very slow. One yaker said he caught only dinks. Saw one yaker pull up a dink. Watched over a dozen shore anglers off the rocks/railing for a while: one pulled up a dink, another pulled up one keeper speck. Other yakers and boaters didn't seem to pull up anything.

[Slobber Bob]

Dang, Joe, you are Mr. Conger! I've yet to ever get one. But I don't use shrimp unless the water is really cold.

Good thing for that paddle leash! It saved you big time there. And nice job on the specks as usual. You certainly have them dialed in down there.

[ComeOnFish]

You did a lot better. I fished Rudee Fri, 10 Nov. Was windy and cold; hard to fish. Water temp 61 deg.

Speck doesn't like a sudden temp drop. This cold front will keep speck out of the creeks because the water temp of the shallow creek water dropped significantly. It usually takes 3 days of good warming trend in spring and fall. Speck will come in to the creek chasing baits. But it won't stay that long in the creek.

One of the reasons I fished Rudee late afternoon was that I wanted the surface water temp rose with the much warmer afternoon air temp that day. On Thursday, a small school of speck came in and stayed briefly in Rudee. I was lucky to see one peanut bunker jump clearly. Because of that peanut bunker, I was able to track location of school.

I think I have the local knowledge.

Joe

[ComeOnFish]

Dang, Joe, you are Mr. Conger! I've yet to ever get one. But I don't use shrimp unless the water is really cold.

Good thing for that paddle leash! It saved you big time there. And nice job on the specks as usual. You certainly have them dialed in down there.

Yup. I am king conger. Perhaps I am also king shrimp . Shrimp catches everything.
I leash everything on the kayak including me. That was a rod leash made of a thin bungee cord. I drop many things in the water. So I must leash everything.

BTW,
OC water should be cold enough now for tog, I think

Joe

[mrggfep]

Yup. I am king conger. Perhaps I am also king shrimp . Shrimp catches everything.
I leash everything on the kayak including me. That was a rod leash made of a thin bungee cord. I drop many things in the water. So I must leash everything.

BTW,
OC water should be cold enough now for tog, I think

Joe

Can you recommend any particular type of shrimp? grass shrimp, wild caught grocery store shrimp, frozen bait shop shrimp, etc. ?

[ComeOnFish]

Can you recommend any particular type of shrimp? grass shrimp, wild caught grocery store shrimp, frozen bait shop shrimp, etc. ?

You live in Alexandria. So you probably know these stores:
Lotte, H-mart, and Grand mart. These are large Asian markets. These stores sells fresh shrimp in the fish section. I buy 50-60 count head-on shrimp. the price is $5.99-6.99 per LB.
I usually buy a box of 4 LB frozen shrimp (50-60 count head-on). There are 90+ shrimp in the 4 LB box. Shrimp were frozen for shipping, and are sold as fresh shrimp on the display shelves.

You can use a half or a whole shrimp for bait. I use 3 dozens per trip usually. Sometimes I needed 4 dozens. I can also buy blue crab at the same store until mid-November.

I will bring 2 LB per trip until end of the November. Then 1.5 LB until mid-December, 1 LB between mid-December and January 8th, 2018

The reason I started bring my own bait from home instead of buying them at the bait store near the water was that many times the bait stores were out of good quality bait. It happened many times, so I bring my own bait for sure.

Until the end of November at CBBT, I am expecting puppy drum and black drum when fishing for tautog using shrimp.
If you are planning to fish CBBT within next two weeks, bring tackles for speck in Rudee. There is still a chance to hook up speck.

Joe

Joe

[mrggfep]

Hello,
Thank you for the response. I buy my "bait" at GrandMart, I usually get blue crab and maybe whole fresh spot or small blue fish if I know I am going fishing before the destination area bait stores will open. This weekend I made my first batch of salt clams from saltwater clams I purchased at the market and I had tog biting on that yesterday. I am going to try salt shrimp as well.

But this is great info, I have not tried "grocery" store bought shrimp in years since I have no good luck with it in the past, but I will try again since the shrimp fishing king gives it a stamp of approval... LoL

[Jman]

Nice going Joe! I went to the CBBT today for the afternoon slack tide for a few hours. Lots of sea bass (little bit larger than usual) and no tog. It was really chilly out there today.

[ComeOnFish]

Hello,
Thank you for the response. I buy my "bait" at GrandMart, I usually get blue crab and maybe whole fresh spot or small blue fish if I know I am going fishing before the destination area bait stores will open. This weekend I made my first batch of salt clams from saltwater clams I purchased at the market and I had tog biting on that yesterday. I am going to try salt shrimp as well.

But this is great info, I have not tried "grocery" store bought shrimp in years since I have no good luck with it in the past, but I will try again since the shrimp fishing king gives it a stamp of approval... LoL

Bottom-fishing over/on the underwater structure for tog and sheepshead isn't that simple in the beginning until you catch a couple of them. All baits (blue crab, fiddler crab, green crab, sand flee, clam) are good when you find the structure holding fish. I like shrimp because I can catch additional species such as puppy drum or bull red and availability.
The good tog time is coming. This weekend will be good. I will post a fishing report after fishing on Wed or Thur this week.

Joe

[ComeOnFish]

Nice going Joe! I went to the CBBT today for the afternoon slack tide for a few hours. Lots of sea bass (little bit larger than usual) and no tog. It was really chilly out there today.

I've been tracking the surface water temp for a while. I estimate the bottom water temp are still over 61 F (Kipto) and 62 F (CBBT) regardless cold air we had. My estimate is based on surface water temp on one of the NOAA buoy in Atlantic Ocean. It still shows 63 F (surface water temp).
When the surface temp on the Atlantic Ocean Buoy drops to 61 F, Tog bite will turn on, but Puppies will bite less at CBBT

Surface water temp:

Kipto:
60F (10/30 at 7PM)
62F (11/01 at 7AM)
65F (11/06 at 5AM
66F (11/06 at 9PM)
64F (11/07 at 5AM)
65F (11/08 at 5AM)
62F (11/08 at 7PM)
61F (11/08 at 1AM)
60F (11/10 at 5PM)
58F (11/11 at 8AM)
54F (11/11 at 9PM)
56F (11/13 at 8AM)

CBBT:
67F (10/30 at 7PM)
65F (11/01 at 7AM)
65F (11/06 at 5AM)
66F (11/06 at 9PM)
66F (11/07 at 5AM)
63F (11/08 at 5AM)
62F (11/08 at 7PM)
64F (11/08 at 1AM)
62F (11/10 at 5PM)
61F (11/11 at 8AM)
60F (11/11 at 9PM)
58F (11/13 at 8AM)

Atlantic Ocean near Rudee:
67F (10/30 at 7PM)
67F (11/01 at 7AM)
67F (11/06 at 5AM)
67F (11/06 at 9PM)
67F (11/07 at 5AM)
66F (11/08 at 5AM)
66F (11/08 at 7PM)
64F (11/10 at 5PM)
63F (11/11 at 8AM)
63F (11/11 at 9PM)
63F (11/13 at 8AM)

[Slobber Bob]

BTW,
OC water should be cold enough now for tog, I think

Joe

It is. I put a report in the MD section. I'm hoping to try again around Thanksgiving before the season closes.