Rapp to #53 at the Cut

[joconnor47]

Fished the cut channel on Monday from 59-60 south to 53-54, then headed west toward the 2R buoy. Founds scattered groups of birds working about half way to 2R and fished that area before heading back to the upper end of the cut. Caught 8 keepers, keeping 3 fat ones 21"-23" and releasing 5. Trolled five lines, however all the fish were caught on two lines, a bunker color Stretch 25 trolled 225 feet back and a chartreuse umbrella rig with a six inch shad on a white bucktail with 24 ounces of weight trolled 50-60 feet out. No takers on the 12 inch shads and larger umbrella rig. Beautiful day on the water.

[rappahanockman]

I was running a Red/White Stretch 25 about 250 feet back. I always make sure to run that
type of lure way back behind the rest of my spread.....if you don't They Will Tangle every time.
I hate Stretches , but they catch fish. I was also running some Parachute/Bucktail tandems
that caught a lot of fish , but only on the Bucktails. A friend of mine went Sunday to the same area
and limited out in 2 hours!

[dmattva]

Hey guys,
I'm still trying to understand the area. Could someone educate me on what the "cut channel" is ?
Thanks

[WhiteStoneBridge]

http://www.charts.noaa.gov/OnLineViewer/12225.shtml

dmattva, I think on the online chart above, it is the channel right in the middle that goes from Southeast to Northwest. Somebody correct me if this is wrong.

[flight risk]

the cut channel is not actually within the buoys or the channel proper the best I can remember

the exact channel where those buoys are is called the Rappahannock Shoal Channel... at least that what my Lowrance GPS and this map is calling it.

On my paper map "CUT CHANNEL" is a circled area (brown dotted lines) adjacent and immediately south to the center of the Rappahannock Shoal Channel.

If I am wrong please correct me...

[dmattva]

Hey guys,
Thanks, I think that makes better sense to me. I have been out to the channel which I always assumed it was a shipping lane more than actually a channel. The map doesn't show it as deeper, and of course I did not look at my sonar to see if it indeed is deeper. Anyway I now know the general route joconnor47 has taken. Thanks

[BayViews]

The comment by "flight risk" raised my curiosity. I checked several of my electronic charts and was not able to find the mentioned circled area. Several WEB sites including Chesapeake Angler Magazine list GPS coordinates for Cut Channel Southern as 37 32.143N, 76 02.474W and Cut Channel Northern as 37 40.400N, 76 09.390W. Although not exact, those coordinates seem to follow the Rappahannock Shoal Channel.

I believe most anglers who post on Tidal Fish simply refer to the Rappahannock Shoal Channel as the "Cut Channel".

As dmattva pointed out, that channel is not really any deeper than the surrounding water. Although many large ships follow it as a shipping lane, I have also seen many large ships ignore it and simply take a more direct North/South path west of that designated channel.

Trivia - The Cut Channel produced a state record 61-pound, 12-ounce striper in 1996.

[flight risk]

I was at work when I posted that. Now at home i am looking at my ADC chesapeake bay chartbook... page 13

Cut channel is exactly as I said. I had a buddy fishing with me the other day and he kept on saying go over there to the cut channel. I told him it wasn't between the buoys and he kept arguing with me. Map books are great resources and you never have to re-boot them. Nevertheless I agree, and granted, many people call the whole area the cut channel.

that saturday we also saw a large ship go between 2r and 59a headed northbound.

Now if the wind will just quit blowin!