ES Speck Day 6/5

[Hemingway]

After weeks of watching the wind blow, I was finally able to use my Christmas present to myself...a 6'10" Kistler speck/red rod with a Shimano Sustain 3000. Put off around 6:30 AM on the Bayside of Virginia's northern Eastern Shore. I was solo, and my target location was a group of islands a little over 3 miles out, so the wind and the tide had to be just right. Had the place to myself for the most part except for a few crabbers. As my first photo shows, the surface was "calmmy slick" as the Islanders like to say. Threw the new rod a couple of times just prospecting, and then started trolling in order to cover some of the distance I had in front of me. Got about 100 yds and had a small striper hit a popper float with a chartreuse Gulp! on a jig head. Fished a point, with suspended floating grass everywhere...clean the treble hooks every cast. Time to move on for the islands. Started trolling again (had a Yo-Zuri 3D floating crystal minnow on the Kistler), and had a double knock down. NIRVANA!!! a nice keeper speck hit the Yo-Zuri and I netted that baby fast, knowing the other rod was still rattling away. That was a nice rock, but I quick released it, I was so excited to check the speck still in the net. She measured around 20.5, and made a great dinner last night. It was about an hour before high tide, and I made the first distant island. The wind was starting to pick up, and I caught two more stripers, a 14" and a really fat feisty 17.5 on the crystal minnow. I was stand up paddling and casting around the island in about 1.5 to 2.5 foot of water, and it was really cool to watch fish go for the lure, a few bumps, but most would veer away at the last second. I think they would see some of the floating grass on the lure at the last instant. Around noon, the wind and tide were both against me, and I made the decision to start back...with a big smile on my face!

[RavensDfense]

Pretty fish, Gary. How nice was the rod?

[Hemingway]

Pretty fish, Gary. How nice was the rod?

Very happy, nice long controlled casts, soft hook up, and plenty of backbone when called on.

[Memory Maker]

Congrats Gary ............ really nice fish

[J.A. Veil]

Nice fish Gary. I hope to get over to the eastern shore sometime this summer. I will let you know when I am heading that way.

[Hemingway]

Nice fish Gary. I hope to get over to the eastern shore sometime this summer. I will let you know when I am heading that way.

Thanks John, I am going to press my luck (with the water clarity), and try again tomorrow morning. Look forward to having you come down, I still want to get up your way. I talked about making the trip this past spring, but got jammed with work.
Gary

[Flyguy]

nice...I would have parked myself right where you caught that spec. They tend to bunch up in areas, so I would have bet you would have caught more.

[Hemingway]

nice...I would have parked myself right where you caught that spec. They tend to bunch up in areas, so I would have bet you would have caught more.

Thanks, I was planning to stay there, I had a major treble hook snag in my net, and while I was dealing with that, a power boat can thur at full blast. Threw for five more minutes, and hit it on the way back with no luck. However, it is a def go back to in the future.