Mid Bay Trolling Skunk 4/23/13
Mid Bay Trolling Skunk April 23rd 2013
Summary This does not happen to me very often, but we did not get a single knockdown the entire day and were at a loss for words. :confused: We marked a lot of bait, and what appeared to be a fair amount of fish in the form of individual arches. Most of the marks were on the western side. With me today were Norm, Scott, and Dave, and we were setting lines east of the #1 green marker at the Rhode/West by 8:30 am. At about 9 am, we snagged a 9-inch menhaden on a board line, and that’s all the action that we got the entire day. We worked the line between Thomas Point and Bloody point for about 4 hours in the morning, took a lunch break at Mike’s Crab House on the South River, and then worked the same area for another 3 hours in the evening during the outgoing tide. There were about 30 or 40 boats in our general area spread out and in small groups, and we saw a total of one fish boated by anyone the entire day. The company was good, the wind and waves eventually died down, and the food at Mike’s was excellent. We had a relaxing and fun day on the bay despite not catching a thing. :) Conditions Water temperature was 55°, and morning air temperatures were in the mid to high 50’s under overcast skies and climbed to the mid 60’s with mostly sunny skies by the afternoon. The wind started out in the morning out of the northeast at a steady15 knots with gusts to 18 to 20, but subsided to 5 to 7 knots by the afternoon. We were greeted in the main stem of the bay by a 1˝ -foot chop under 2 foot rollers, but by day’s end, the waves had subsided to a gentle 1-foot chop. Low tide at Thomas Point was at 10 am, high tide was at 3:37 pm, and the moon was 88% visible and waxing. The salinity at Annapolis was about 7.5 PSU, down from about 12 PSU over the last two weeks. Trolling Spread Board #1 100’, 2/4 oz white tandem Alien chutes 80’, 2/4 oz chartreuse tandem Alien chutes 60’, 6 oz all-white Alien with silver tinsel with a 9” see-through green glitter shad in tandem with a 2 oz Alien with a purple head and chartreuse hairs with a 9” pearl shad 40’, 6/9 oz chartreuse tandem Alien chutes Board #2 100’, single 2 oz chartreuse Alien chute 80’, single 4 oz white Alien chute 60’, single 6 oz chartreuse Alien chute 40’, 12 oz Chesapeake Bay Lures paddle tail with a 4-arm white mini umbrella Boat rod #1, 40-50’, port, 24 oz Chesapeake Bay Lures paddle tail in chartreuse with a 6-arm chartreuse umbrella on a BPS offshore rod fitted with Pop’s old Penn reel from the 1970’s Boat rod #2, 50-60’, starboard, 20 oz torpedo chute with a 6-arm white umbrella WWB, tandem 11/0 silver crippled alewife on a 30-foot leader with extra Sampos, and a white 3 oz chute on a 9 foot leader way, way back at about 325’. |
If it helps ease your pain - heard many others got skunked as well.
Not just private boats but the pros on charters too. Keep an eye out on the charters. Most will head in once they get a limit. Used to be you'd see them running back about 8 or 9. Now they are running back at quitting time - tells you it's a tough bite. |
Wwb??
Holy crap!! Back 325 yards?? Don't you worry about getting it cut off by another fisherman crossing behind you? I try not to cut too close just because of WWBs but I would assume I was safe at over 300 yards.....
Sorry in advance if I do end up getting hung up in your WWB!! :D:D |
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I've pulled a few rabbits out of my hat, am a natural troller, and have had some good teachers. But frankly, I'm doing about the as well now (yesterday's skunk notwithstanding) as I did in 2007 fresh back on the bay with only 5 boat rods. Thanks for the encouaging words! |
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