What's going on in the middle Chesapeake Bay region right now? Big migratory Striped Bass are moving their way up the bay and rivers staging for spawning. This time of year is a Striped Bass fisherman's dream, with the water temperatures now in the mid to low 40's all of the bait and fish are in the mainstem of the bay and they happen to be perfectly happy right here in our back yard.
Currently I am finding large bird shows with piles of fish under them. Most of the fish we are catching are in the mid 20's to low 30's but a few giants have been mixed in. When we really go on the hunt for trophy Striped Bass I tend to hang closer to the channel edges and search for large bait balls with a few fish lingering in the area. At times it takes a little patience to trick these big old fish into taking a lure, but when they decide it is feeding time... hang on tight!
We are using 1 - 2oz jigs with large strong 7/0-8/0 hooks and soft plastics that have ranged anywhere from 5-8". Most would think a fish in the winter time must be hanging tight to the bottom but that is not always the case. The majority of the fish have been suspended in the middle of the water column and the biggest fish we have caught this year have come near the surface. We even managed some top water action just last week!
I plan on chasing these incredible fish for the next 2 months as long as water temperatures allow me to. It seems when the water gets below 40 the bite becomes extremely finicky and short lived, but not impossible!
Lets Go Fishing!
Capt. Cole Langley