Shaking off the Winter Blues

**harryh3o** · 03-31-2005, 04:55 AM

Things are finally warming up a little. Went out last night to break in the 6Wt I had made myself over the winter. I haven't had this much fun since the fall. 2 people turned me down to go and another had some previous engagements. So off I went alone and wore them out. Mostly 20 inch class fish, my biggest for the night being 24 inches, great stuff on a 6Wt. I stopped counting, but I would say I caught at least 30 fish in 3 Hours. (All C&R) The water temp was 50, and the fish were pretty active, not lethargic, and actively feeding.
First fish of the night

Pretty Ocean Striper, Black Bars, and crawling with Sea Lice

Been a while since I've had one of these.[grin]

**Wild Bill** · 03-31-2005, 07:44 AM

Nice job Harry. Up here the much awaited C & R in the Susky Flats is a mud bowl again and it does not look like it will get better any time soon. Were you in the bay or a river?

**OneMoreCast** · 03-31-2005, 08:05 AM

Oh man....nice

Look at the scar on the back belly above the anal vent. Looks like that guy dodged a bullet in his younger years.

edit....whoa...Dunno if it is the picture but it looks like a bite radius scar....it comes around the other side too. The ocean is a tough neighborhood I guess.

**harryh3o** · 03-31-2005, 09:15 AM

Hey Bill,
I saw the Susky Flats were not looking good for you guys.[sad]
I was at the HRBT, SW piece of the bay, but realy where the James, Nansemond, and Elizabith Rivers come together and into the bay. Never really any big fish there, but close and easy afternoon run.

OMC,
I noticed the marks when I caught em. I also had another one with basically the same bite, but fresh on both sides. I would have taken a pic, but I felt bad for him, and wanted to get him back in as quick as possible. I had another with a hook jaw, where early on someone had treated him bad, and his whole right jaw was a hole; still a healthy, feeding fish though.

**flyhauler** · 03-31-2005, 03:53 PM

Were you working birds? Lights? How deep? My boats going to get wet this weekend and considered some C&R on-the-fly if I can find them after the togs.

**harryh3o** · 03-31-2005, 06:09 PM

Flyhauler,
Lights, surface

**flyhauler** · 03-31-2005, 08:35 PM

Thanks! Hope to see you out there. I'll be lookin for a Skiff?

**harryh3o** · 03-31-2005, 09:21 PM

No problem, I probably will not be out there,(other obligations) SeaOX170, small and wet enough to be a skiff.[grin]

**Chris Newsome** · 04-01-2005, 06:30 AM

Nice fish lippin' thumb - the true sign of all hardcore striper fisherman.[grin]

Those scars look like bacterial lesions that have healed over. Its a pretty come sight on stripers in VA waters. Also, the mouth deformities may be from malnourishment during the larval stage of development. Any scientists out there have any thoughts. I see more and more stripers with mouth deformities every year.

Chris

**bhorsley** · 04-01-2005, 07:19 AM

nice fish Harry, love those guys. Proabably my favorite size--pull hard, plenty of them and you can use lighter rod. Strange how your local bass are bititng and ours so cold they are turning up their noses at even a live eel[sad]
Our sound water is 55.

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