Friday
09-21-2009, 08:35 AM
I love St. Jerome’s Creek. This is well protected place at wind at 15-20 MPH. Last year I fished the Creek twice in the end of October and the beginning of November when the water temp were 55F-59F and the fish were scarce in the upper-mid bay. I caught 2 keeper stripers at 18-20” and many under sized stripers.
I bought an one pint bucket of 4” Chartreuse Gulp Swimming Mullet. I could not find Redfish Magic Spinner at Dick’ and Tackle Box. So I bought three different sizes of Beetle Spin, 1/16oz, 1/8 oz and ¼ oz at Tackle Box. The Beattle Spins did not come with gold spinner. So I bought a package of small hook with beads and small gold spinners. I replaced the silver spinner on Beetle Spin with the gold spinners from the package of hooks.
I decided to use Gulp Swimming Mullet for whole day no matter what for the test. I would try for puppy drums, Stripers and weakfish.
The small craft warning was in effect in the morning. I decided to stay in the creek until 12:00 PM and head out to the Bay after 12:00 PM.
When I left the Buzz’s Marina, the wind was blowing at 12-15 MPH in the creek. I picked south side of shore line to fish for puppy drums until I reach the inlet to the Bay.
I was not used to cast small spinners. But I did not have any problems on casting 1/8 oz Beetle Spin with a 4” Gulp Swimming Mullet. I slowly pedaled, cast and retrieved very slowly. I did not have any hits for a long time until a large white perch hit. This perch was the largest one I ever caught. It was 12.5” long and made 13” when the tail was pinched.
The picture was taken at the same place later because my camera was malfunctioning again in the morning:
http://www.comeonfish.com/ChesapeakeBaySTJeromeCreek20090919/WhitePerch125.JPG
I had some hits but I could not land any small fish.
When I arrived at the inlet, there were about 5 small boats anchored near the inlet. The wind was blowing at 15 MPH and the incoming current was strong. They were using live spots and minnows. I found that they weren’t doing well. Total 3 keeper stripers at 18-22” for 2-3 hours of fishing for 5 boats. They also said they caught few draw-back stripers
I tied a 1/4oz jig head on 10 # Fluro Carbon leader connected to 10# super braided main line. I drifted from the middle of inlet toward the creek with the same Gulp Swimming Mullet. The wind was strong. Immediately I recognized 1/4oz jig head was too light for the drifting speed. I had to let out the line while jigging. Well I caught an 18” striper during the first drift. I went back and try again. This time it was 20” striper caught during the second drift. I released the 20” striper so that I can catch a bigger striper in the bay. I seldom release the first two keeper stripers. When I did that I almost never caught a bigger one or a small keeper striper. The same thing would happen again I thought. I am not sure I caught stripers because of Gulp Swimming Mullet or I was at the right place and the right time. But surely it was better than live baits used by boat-fishermen.
The picture was taken hours later when my camera worked again:
http://www.comeonfish.com/ChesapeakeBaySTJeromeCreek20090919/Striper18in.JPG
After the lunch break, and replacing rods and reels for the bay fishing, I pedaled out toward Point No Point Light. The wind was blowing at 8-12MPH after 12:30PM.
The sail made me travel at 1.5-3 MPH to East and West with North wind of 8-12MPH without pedalling. I am learning casting with left hand now when the sail is on starboard side:
http://www.comeonfish.com/ChesapeakeBaySTJeromeCreek20090919/SailKayaking.JPG
I jigged Gulp Swimming Mullet using 1oz Buck-tail, ½ oz jig head, and 1 oz jig head when I found working bird. For 2.5 hours in 28-35’ of water, I caught 4 10” bluefish.
After taking break and replacing rods and reels at the inlet, I drifted 3 times from the Bay to the Creek without a hit (The current direction had changed). The same people I met earlier told me that they only caught a few small blue fish on live baits so far.
I decided to fish for puppy drum while coming back to the marina. On the way back, I lost one jig head by a descent fish. The jig head came off the spinner. I did not have any hits at all after that.
I bought an one pint bucket of 4” Chartreuse Gulp Swimming Mullet. I could not find Redfish Magic Spinner at Dick’ and Tackle Box. So I bought three different sizes of Beetle Spin, 1/16oz, 1/8 oz and ¼ oz at Tackle Box. The Beattle Spins did not come with gold spinner. So I bought a package of small hook with beads and small gold spinners. I replaced the silver spinner on Beetle Spin with the gold spinners from the package of hooks.
I decided to use Gulp Swimming Mullet for whole day no matter what for the test. I would try for puppy drums, Stripers and weakfish.
The small craft warning was in effect in the morning. I decided to stay in the creek until 12:00 PM and head out to the Bay after 12:00 PM.
When I left the Buzz’s Marina, the wind was blowing at 12-15 MPH in the creek. I picked south side of shore line to fish for puppy drums until I reach the inlet to the Bay.
I was not used to cast small spinners. But I did not have any problems on casting 1/8 oz Beetle Spin with a 4” Gulp Swimming Mullet. I slowly pedaled, cast and retrieved very slowly. I did not have any hits for a long time until a large white perch hit. This perch was the largest one I ever caught. It was 12.5” long and made 13” when the tail was pinched.
The picture was taken at the same place later because my camera was malfunctioning again in the morning:
http://www.comeonfish.com/ChesapeakeBaySTJeromeCreek20090919/WhitePerch125.JPG
I had some hits but I could not land any small fish.
When I arrived at the inlet, there were about 5 small boats anchored near the inlet. The wind was blowing at 15 MPH and the incoming current was strong. They were using live spots and minnows. I found that they weren’t doing well. Total 3 keeper stripers at 18-22” for 2-3 hours of fishing for 5 boats. They also said they caught few draw-back stripers
I tied a 1/4oz jig head on 10 # Fluro Carbon leader connected to 10# super braided main line. I drifted from the middle of inlet toward the creek with the same Gulp Swimming Mullet. The wind was strong. Immediately I recognized 1/4oz jig head was too light for the drifting speed. I had to let out the line while jigging. Well I caught an 18” striper during the first drift. I went back and try again. This time it was 20” striper caught during the second drift. I released the 20” striper so that I can catch a bigger striper in the bay. I seldom release the first two keeper stripers. When I did that I almost never caught a bigger one or a small keeper striper. The same thing would happen again I thought. I am not sure I caught stripers because of Gulp Swimming Mullet or I was at the right place and the right time. But surely it was better than live baits used by boat-fishermen.
The picture was taken hours later when my camera worked again:
http://www.comeonfish.com/ChesapeakeBaySTJeromeCreek20090919/Striper18in.JPG
After the lunch break, and replacing rods and reels for the bay fishing, I pedaled out toward Point No Point Light. The wind was blowing at 8-12MPH after 12:30PM.
The sail made me travel at 1.5-3 MPH to East and West with North wind of 8-12MPH without pedalling. I am learning casting with left hand now when the sail is on starboard side:
http://www.comeonfish.com/ChesapeakeBaySTJeromeCreek20090919/SailKayaking.JPG
I jigged Gulp Swimming Mullet using 1oz Buck-tail, ½ oz jig head, and 1 oz jig head when I found working bird. For 2.5 hours in 28-35’ of water, I caught 4 10” bluefish.
After taking break and replacing rods and reels at the inlet, I drifted 3 times from the Bay to the Creek without a hit (The current direction had changed). The same people I met earlier told me that they only caught a few small blue fish on live baits so far.
I decided to fish for puppy drum while coming back to the marina. On the way back, I lost one jig head by a descent fish. The jig head came off the spinner. I did not have any hits at all after that.