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Raptor and I visited Jonas Green this morning before sunup.
We were on the water at 0630 and stayed close to shore in the glow of the Rt. 450 Bridge lights until the eastern sky started to lighten.
At that time I headed to the point at the Purple Cherry Architect sign. I had a hunch that top water would work there and I was right, for one fish -- a fat 17 inch striper that hit a Rapala Skitter Pop at 0645.
But Raptor had a better hunch. He radioed me that he already had two keeper-sized stripers while trolling near the Rt. 450 Bridge.
Undaunted by another’s success I continued to pop the point at the Purple Cherry sign for another 30 minutes unsuccessfully. However another radio call from Raptor who had caught even more fish tempted me to leave the top water behind.
I joined him trolling and boated a 19 inch striper and a 20 and 21 incher in short order. Each hit a ½ oz. Rat-L-Trap in blue over white.
All the while Raptor was catching keeper sized fish on a Fat Sam soft plastic on a regular jig head and a Fat Sam on a white bucktail.
The area we were working was from the green “1S” channel marker to the Rt. 450 Bridge and back – essentially the middle of the river.
At 0800 the bite at that area slowed down considerably.
I headed across the river to the eastern side and picked up a 17 inch striper along the way in the middle of the river on the Rat-L-Trap. I went to the oyster bar on that shore and worked it for about 30 minutes with no success. I came back across the river and caught another 18 inch striper again in the middle on the Rat-L-Trap. Notice the pattern? They were in the middle of the river but up in the water column. I was trolling only ½ oz. lures and surely wasn’t getting deep. It was the same way trolling at the bridge.
By now it’s 0900 and the wind picked up considerably. It was blowing from the SE at double digit MPH and the water had a 2 foot chop. I headed south into the wind and under the bridge for the David Taylor research center shoreline. I never got there. Raptor radioed me again that he had nailed more fish at the original spot near the bridge.
I headed back but in truth I was blitzed from fighting the wind. I trolled a little and then sought sheltered water near the launch site to fill my caloric gas tank with a Pop Tart.
Ever full of energy Raptor fought the waves a little longer to troll and picked up his only undersized striper of the day at 12 inches.
In total he caught 8 stripers and two blues during the morning. All but one of his stripers was keeper-sized with the largest going 25 inches.
Together we caught 14 stripers, 11 of which were 18 inches or larger. The shorts were two 17 inchers and a 12 incher. We released all the fish.
Interestingly the solunar chart for this morning said fishing would be excellent in Annapolis between 0600 and 0800. The next hot time during the day is supposed to be this evening after 1800 (6:00 p.m.)
If you’re going out, check out the areas where we had success today. But I hope the wind dies down for you.
Lastly, there were three other kayaks on the water during the morning. Two of them stayed near the Rt. 450 Bridge pilings for most of the time. If you guys are reading this now please tell us how you did. Something good must have been holding you in place.
We were on the water at 0630 and stayed close to shore in the glow of the Rt. 450 Bridge lights until the eastern sky started to lighten.
At that time I headed to the point at the Purple Cherry Architect sign. I had a hunch that top water would work there and I was right, for one fish -- a fat 17 inch striper that hit a Rapala Skitter Pop at 0645.
But Raptor had a better hunch. He radioed me that he already had two keeper-sized stripers while trolling near the Rt. 450 Bridge.
Undaunted by another’s success I continued to pop the point at the Purple Cherry sign for another 30 minutes unsuccessfully. However another radio call from Raptor who had caught even more fish tempted me to leave the top water behind.
I joined him trolling and boated a 19 inch striper and a 20 and 21 incher in short order. Each hit a ½ oz. Rat-L-Trap in blue over white.
All the while Raptor was catching keeper sized fish on a Fat Sam soft plastic on a regular jig head and a Fat Sam on a white bucktail.
The area we were working was from the green “1S” channel marker to the Rt. 450 Bridge and back – essentially the middle of the river.
At 0800 the bite at that area slowed down considerably.
I headed across the river to the eastern side and picked up a 17 inch striper along the way in the middle of the river on the Rat-L-Trap. I went to the oyster bar on that shore and worked it for about 30 minutes with no success. I came back across the river and caught another 18 inch striper again in the middle on the Rat-L-Trap. Notice the pattern? They were in the middle of the river but up in the water column. I was trolling only ½ oz. lures and surely wasn’t getting deep. It was the same way trolling at the bridge.
By now it’s 0900 and the wind picked up considerably. It was blowing from the SE at double digit MPH and the water had a 2 foot chop. I headed south into the wind and under the bridge for the David Taylor research center shoreline. I never got there. Raptor radioed me again that he had nailed more fish at the original spot near the bridge.
I headed back but in truth I was blitzed from fighting the wind. I trolled a little and then sought sheltered water near the launch site to fill my caloric gas tank with a Pop Tart.
Ever full of energy Raptor fought the waves a little longer to troll and picked up his only undersized striper of the day at 12 inches.
In total he caught 8 stripers and two blues during the morning. All but one of his stripers was keeper-sized with the largest going 25 inches.
Together we caught 14 stripers, 11 of which were 18 inches or larger. The shorts were two 17 inchers and a 12 incher. We released all the fish.
Interestingly the solunar chart for this morning said fishing would be excellent in Annapolis between 0600 and 0800. The next hot time during the day is supposed to be this evening after 1800 (6:00 p.m.)
If you’re going out, check out the areas where we had success today. But I hope the wind dies down for you.
Lastly, there were three other kayaks on the water during the morning. Two of them stayed near the Rt. 450 Bridge pilings for most of the time. If you guys are reading this now please tell us how you did. Something good must have been holding you in place.
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