Salmo trutta
11-28-2009, 08:34 PM
Arrived late Wednesday night to the inlaws who have a place in OC on the bay side, north of the 90 bridge. I've always thought this place was the dead sea with very little fishing activity except out of the inlet or well offshore. But the Bay was void of life from as far as I knew. It was around 12:30am when we took the sleeping kids out of the car and up to bed and I walked the dog momments before bed myself. THe winds were NE about 10mph, near high tide. I worked my way around the resort type gated community checking the docks, seeing who's boats were still in the water and just to feel the breeze in my face. There was this one crabbing pier a few hundred yards further up to the north that I didn't really have the energy to check out but I argued with myself and lost. The fishermen won. So we, my dog and I, went for a look see. The water was clear, near nigh tide, the replenished wetlands were looking well and the lights on the pier were a blarring. I walked out the first few boards and saw a shape, then another. Then saw some minnows on the surfae but not many, most around 2 or 3 inches along with some tiny crabs. I thought it was strange to see crabs this late in the year. Actually I thought it was strange to see any bait in the shallows right now. In the later summer and early fall this pier often loads up with finger mullet approaching 3 or 4 inches but they were long gone. Back to the larger shapes. I thought catfish maybe but then I told myself we are not in Florida and we don't really have brackish catfish. Could it be, could these really be STRIPERS, on the dock lights, in Maryland. I couldn't believe it. Then I hurd that unmistakable "Slurp" of a feeding striper in the light line.
Ran back to the house, ran up the stairs, out of breath to tell the wife, or beg for a pass. She was almost asleep and couldn't care less. Back to the car, rigged up the new 11' switch 6wt that was supposed to be put into action this weekend up north for steelhead but I chose to stay with the family the entire time, which I'm glad I did. Hit the docks five minutes later and it was on for a good solid hour with very respectable schoolie fish under the dock in about 2 feet of water. I used a black clouser first and managed to break the hook on the first fish. Didn't realize it at first either, just figured I lost him. Lost the next few fish too. Must have been an old fly. Plus this was my last black clouser except some long blak leach rabit fur pattern I often use for trout which went on. It didn't really seem to matter, the fish were feeding and taking just about anything for a good hour. Sometimes the fish were clearing the water completely as they attacked minnows or even small crabs about an inch long. It was near 2am before they stopped and I probably caught 6 or 7 20 inch fish from this one dock that sits in a bay that doesn't get deeper than a few feet within several hundred yards.
THe next day was Turkey Day and I tried hitting the docks after dark but the tide was wrong and the fish weren't there. I didn't have the energy to wait till midnight again.
Then Friday the winds came and didn't let up until a few minutes ago. I might wait till midnight tonight though. Or head elsewhere and try to find a similar pattern. I may even venture inside another gated community. Whatever it takes to find that one perfect looking dock light.
Oh... I took the kids down to the inlet today to fly a kite. The winds were blowing a solid 30mph out of the west but the seas were flat. The water leaving the bay was dirty but mixed with clear water further offshore. The area south of the inlet was covered up with GANNETS. I didn't have a boat or the means, But I'd say it's on down here. There were a handful of boats fising the south jetty and doing well on schoolies but for some reason no body was hitting the gannets dive bombing the water a short distance to the south. It wasn't a bee hive but it looked like it was getting there.
Ran back to the house, ran up the stairs, out of breath to tell the wife, or beg for a pass. She was almost asleep and couldn't care less. Back to the car, rigged up the new 11' switch 6wt that was supposed to be put into action this weekend up north for steelhead but I chose to stay with the family the entire time, which I'm glad I did. Hit the docks five minutes later and it was on for a good solid hour with very respectable schoolie fish under the dock in about 2 feet of water. I used a black clouser first and managed to break the hook on the first fish. Didn't realize it at first either, just figured I lost him. Lost the next few fish too. Must have been an old fly. Plus this was my last black clouser except some long blak leach rabit fur pattern I often use for trout which went on. It didn't really seem to matter, the fish were feeding and taking just about anything for a good hour. Sometimes the fish were clearing the water completely as they attacked minnows or even small crabs about an inch long. It was near 2am before they stopped and I probably caught 6 or 7 20 inch fish from this one dock that sits in a bay that doesn't get deeper than a few feet within several hundred yards.
THe next day was Turkey Day and I tried hitting the docks after dark but the tide was wrong and the fish weren't there. I didn't have the energy to wait till midnight again.
Then Friday the winds came and didn't let up until a few minutes ago. I might wait till midnight tonight though. Or head elsewhere and try to find a similar pattern. I may even venture inside another gated community. Whatever it takes to find that one perfect looking dock light.
Oh... I took the kids down to the inlet today to fly a kite. The winds were blowing a solid 30mph out of the west but the seas were flat. The water leaving the bay was dirty but mixed with clear water further offshore. The area south of the inlet was covered up with GANNETS. I didn't have a boat or the means, But I'd say it's on down here. There were a handful of boats fising the south jetty and doing well on schoolies but for some reason no body was hitting the gannets dive bombing the water a short distance to the south. It wasn't a bee hive but it looked like it was getting there.