Suicide trip to wachapregue... 05-22-10

[sweetwater slim]

Hello again… Yesterday was a long day to say the least. After spending all week thinking about the great fishing we experienced down in Wachapreague, Va. I planned a last minute return trip. I had asked several people to go with me but they declined choosing to not be tortured by me for 24 hours or so. One of my fishing partners was going to be in town for the weekend visiting his girl friends family and I talked him into getting away and catching some Flounder. So, Ange and I left Chesapeake City, Md. at 3:30 am and headed to Wachapreague Va. We arrived at the small, picturesque sea side village around 7:30 and were on the fishing grounds with our first fish in the boat by 8:00 am. We steady caught Flounder all day but catching a keeper (18 ½”) was tough. Sometime around noon we located a group of bigger fish staging at a creek mouth and took 3 keepers with in a 30 minute period. The Flounder were cooperative at every place we fished. Many 18” fish were landed. We covered water from 4 feet deep to over 40 and many times found fish at any break in water depth. The flats areas we fished held many flounder but they were somewhat scattered where as they seemed to be more concentrated along the channel edges. We used the usual compliment of baits, including squid, minnows and Gulp! With the best bite coming on a rig I make which uses a jig with a teaser fly above it. We were using the 4 and 6 inch Gulp! Twister tails on the jig rigs and the bite was so good that by the end of the day we had over half of the minnows and squid left over because we quit using the live bait in favor of the Gulp! We probably caught 60 Flounder with only 3 keepers but those fish were beautiful fish… the largest being 22”, followed by a 21 ½ “and a 20” flat fish. We pulled the boat about 6pm and started to make the long ride home. I arrived back at my house around midnight... tired and grinning. This was a great day. We caught fish every place we looked. It is not always about catching a bunch of fish for the freezer. It is about spending time on the water, in beautiful places, with good company and “catching them the way you want to”.
:thumbup:

[oyster1]

Nice report. Sounds a lot like some of my trips: the night before, anxious like a kid on Christmas eve to the point that can't sleep. Trip itself is an adventour, sometimes doing well, easy forgeting the trips not catching alot, but always ready for the next adventour. I know if I get bored with it I will have to take up another sport. Steve

[Red]

I have done a couple of those this year, if we caught less fish we would not be pushed to do it. Good job and good report. I will be down at Wach. this weekend, I will try the flats first and then move to the drops if I have to. I like fishing the flats way too much.

[sweetwater slim]

Yea, I know what you are saying Red...that used to be my favorite way to fish down there, too. The last couple of trips the jig bite in the creek mouth drains has been just plain special. When you can feel the jig walk down those drop offs and get hammered while fishing almost staight up and down... with really light tackle... IT IS GREAT!!! I am trying to get back down there soon... I know where they live and it haunts me...

[Lone Ranger]

I have done a couple of those this year, if we caught less fish we would not be pushed to do it. Good job and good report. I will be down at Wach. this weekend, I will try the flats first and then move to the drops if I have to. I like fishing the flats way too much.

Monty,Hope to see ya' this weekend.Sent ya' a P.M..Will be on my Boat...[Hydra-Sport].Sent ya' my #. [Mike]

[calpn trayt]

great report and trip, joe. wishin i could get down chinco...maybe next week. reports llike these get my old blood flowing again!!

[Lone Ranger]

great report and trip, joe. wishin i could get down chinco...maybe next week. reports llike these get my old blood flowing again!!

Butch,We HAVE to get togther for that Trip you were talking about!!!! [Mike]

[sweetwater slim]

calpen trayt... I was a think'n that maybe you had turned into a fish and swum away with the tyde... The last time I saw you you had that fin stick'n out of your back... Hope all is well...

[sweetwater slim]

I am heading back down there this weekend... with the wife... got a room this time. The suicide trip really took it's toll on me. We will be in the 18' C-hawk... the one with the dirty brown hull stains from chasing stripers in the Susky. Fishing should be red hot! I lost alot of sleep this week thinking about the large flatted things down there.

[rocksteady]

Nice work Joe

[sweetwater slim]

Rocksteady...Thanks for the phone call Mike... glad that all is well with you. we arrived down Wachapreague around 10 am and were on the fishing grounds by 11... Unlike my past 2 or 3 trips we had to look for the flatties... the first couple of spots held few fish and they were small... so we kept looking. Found a good group of fish on a point in a creek... short drifts was the ticket and we had "drop and reel" fishing for about 3 hours. At one point, Lydia and I had doubles, her fish was a 22 1/2" fish that was tangled hopelessly in the net... mine was about the same size and slipped the hook at boat side while waiting for the net. We caught many 18" fish and some that might have been keepers, all are still swimming... probably had 50 or 60 total kept one for dinner. It was a nice relaxing trip. Sunday we slept late and did not fish... drove home early... felt like I was suffering from "estrogen poisoning"... left them bitting.