ictalurus
06-26-2009, 08:32 AM
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c361/Ictalurus/102_3377.jpg
BAM! My first keeper flounder successfully landed after 2 years of trying. :D:D It was 18" long, but it seemed like it was a lot bigger when it was freaking out in my boat--I had landed it without a net. :clapping2::clap::clapping2:
I launched from Buzz's Marina and was out the mouth of the creek by 4pm, near max flood. I was drifting around and jigging a white, 1oz Spro bucktail with a 4" Gulp new penny shrimp on the hook. I had three strikes on the first three drifts but either missed the hookset or lost the fish on the way up. On the fifth drift, that sucker nailed it and took off like a bat out of hell. As got close to the surface, I grabbed the line, yanked it out of the water as hard as I could and into the boat, and pinned it down under my legs. It was hooked pretty well and took a few seconds to get the hook out.
After that, I hit the grassy shores inside the creek near the mouth and the sandy shore outside the mouth heading toward Point Lookout in search of puppy drum. I was using various colors of the Redfish Magic spinnerbait and a white 4" Gulp grub. No takers.
At about 5:30, I thought I'd try for some of the big croakers Mike said were out in 18-19 feet of water. I trolled on my way out there, but I didn't see any marks. I stopped in a random place but didn't have any luck.
I started seeing some bird and bait activity a little farther out so I headed for it:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c361/Ictalurus/102_3392.jpg
I harassed the bait with Rattletraps, bucktails, spoons, and a chartreuse shad, but nothing hit. More and more birds were coming out, including pelicans and birds that were diving, so I hung out for an hour hoping something would start up. I was bottom fishing while I waited, and caught my requisite 9-inch croaker on Fishbites.
There was still no action after an hour, so I trolled back toward the mouth of the creek to see if there were any spot following the Breton Bay/Piney Point pattern. I the way back, I missed a decent bluefish and couldn't find any more.
It was ebbing pretty hard by the time I got back to the creek. I caught a mess of small croaker, including a feisty 10-incher that actually pulled my boat against the current for a second, and foul-hooked a 6" female blue crab. I also picked up a small skilletfish somehow:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c361/Ictalurus/102_3406.jpg
I started working my way back to the marina around 7:15, hitting the grassy areas and docks in search of puppy drum and white perch. I lost a really nice white perch at the riprap opposite the creek mouth inside the creek, but that was the only action my white twin tail grub produced on the way back.
The surface water temp and salinity in the creek were 84* and 12.7, respectively. Out in the Bay, it was actually cooler and fresher (at least at the surface in 18ft of water)--81* and 12. It might be a little too fresh for puppy drum, unfortunately, but the flounder seemed happy. The only thing that could've made the day better would have been being allowed to keep more than one flounder. They were pretty thick there.
BAM! My first keeper flounder successfully landed after 2 years of trying. :D:D It was 18" long, but it seemed like it was a lot bigger when it was freaking out in my boat--I had landed it without a net. :clapping2::clap::clapping2:
I launched from Buzz's Marina and was out the mouth of the creek by 4pm, near max flood. I was drifting around and jigging a white, 1oz Spro bucktail with a 4" Gulp new penny shrimp on the hook. I had three strikes on the first three drifts but either missed the hookset or lost the fish on the way up. On the fifth drift, that sucker nailed it and took off like a bat out of hell. As got close to the surface, I grabbed the line, yanked it out of the water as hard as I could and into the boat, and pinned it down under my legs. It was hooked pretty well and took a few seconds to get the hook out.
After that, I hit the grassy shores inside the creek near the mouth and the sandy shore outside the mouth heading toward Point Lookout in search of puppy drum. I was using various colors of the Redfish Magic spinnerbait and a white 4" Gulp grub. No takers.
At about 5:30, I thought I'd try for some of the big croakers Mike said were out in 18-19 feet of water. I trolled on my way out there, but I didn't see any marks. I stopped in a random place but didn't have any luck.
I started seeing some bird and bait activity a little farther out so I headed for it:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c361/Ictalurus/102_3392.jpg
I harassed the bait with Rattletraps, bucktails, spoons, and a chartreuse shad, but nothing hit. More and more birds were coming out, including pelicans and birds that were diving, so I hung out for an hour hoping something would start up. I was bottom fishing while I waited, and caught my requisite 9-inch croaker on Fishbites.
There was still no action after an hour, so I trolled back toward the mouth of the creek to see if there were any spot following the Breton Bay/Piney Point pattern. I the way back, I missed a decent bluefish and couldn't find any more.
It was ebbing pretty hard by the time I got back to the creek. I caught a mess of small croaker, including a feisty 10-incher that actually pulled my boat against the current for a second, and foul-hooked a 6" female blue crab. I also picked up a small skilletfish somehow:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c361/Ictalurus/102_3406.jpg
I started working my way back to the marina around 7:15, hitting the grassy areas and docks in search of puppy drum and white perch. I lost a really nice white perch at the riprap opposite the creek mouth inside the creek, but that was the only action my white twin tail grub produced on the way back.
The surface water temp and salinity in the creek were 84* and 12.7, respectively. Out in the Bay, it was actually cooler and fresher (at least at the surface in 18ft of water)--81* and 12. It might be a little too fresh for puppy drum, unfortunately, but the flounder seemed happy. The only thing that could've made the day better would have been being allowed to keep more than one flounder. They were pretty thick there.