The tide had switched to outgoing and, sadly for me, the wind had switched too, now blowing from the Northeast. With the change, waves started constructing to a stage I wasn’t keen on combating in my little kayak. I reluctantly swung my Hobie Outback round and pointed it towards land. Some buddies and I had been working the outer fringe of a large grass flat in 12 to fifteen toes of water. Our goal was the jewel of the Chesapeake, Sciaenops Ocellatus. Pink Drum. The absolutely grown type.
Earlier that morning, Ethan Sommer had picked one off a small pack of fish, an attractive upper-40-inch bull with a giant fats broomtail. Nothing else materialized for the remainder of the crew, however I had pried myself away from bed on the ungodly hour of two a.m., pushed bleary-eyed for 4-plus hours, and pedaled my kayak for 15-plus miles, so I wasn’t giving up. Whereas the remainder of the crew headed towards the ramp, I made another push out to deeper water. By the point I received there, the waves have been simply 4-footers. “Possibly not at the moment,” I murmured as I turned again towards land, resigned to the truth that it was going be a fishless day.
On the way in which in, I took a shortcut throughout a shallow grass flat, hoping to get again earlier than the winds whipped up any extra. As I received into the shallows, my trolling rod abruptly bent to the deal with. Instinctively, I turned the kayak round, assuming I had hooked right into a submerged stump. It took me a minute earlier than I noticed I had run over a faculty of reds and had my first bull pink of the season on the opposite finish of my line! tug of battle ensued earlier than I slid the fish over the gunwale and onto my lap. A fast image, a launch, then I solid proper again to the place I had attached. Huge boils of sand and silt gave the college’s location away. The following hour and a half introduced seven extra hookups, numerous WOOOOs, YEEEEWs. and laughter that nobody else might hear above the howling winds.
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Seasonal Guests
Hooking right into a bull redfish is about as a lot enjoyable as you may have with a rod and reel in your hand. They battle as laborious as something that swims—I joke that they battle twice as laborious as any striper of comparable dimension. In contrast to the struggling striper inhabitants within the Chesapeake Bay, the redfish inhabitants is booming.
Bull redfish are seasonal guests to Chesapeake Bay, arriving within the spring and leaving within the fall. They like water with a better salinity (27 to 32 elements per thousand), which implies they’re usually discovered within the backside third of the bay, from the Patuxent River south. They’re pack creatures, so whereas you might even see or catch particular person fish, they’re recognized touring in colleges, which may vary from 20 fish to a number of thousand.
Redfish aren’t choosy eaters. Usually, they may eat no matter you set in entrance of them except they’re actively spawning or have been closely pressured. They are often caught utilizing a wide range of ways from jigging to trolling to soaking dwell or minimize bait. You’ll be able to sight-fish for them throughout sure occasions of 12 months when they are often discovered close to the floor in large numbers, or they are often positioned simply as simply utilizing side-scanning sonar when you study to acknowledge their telltale signatures.
Whereas now we have an distinctive fishery for youthful year-class redfish, recognized to many as pet drum or slot reds, the bulls occupy totally different areas than their youthful relations. Pet drum are present in skinnier nearshore waters, whereas bulls are likely to occupy deeper offshore water.
Spring Beginnings
Just like the tides that ebb and circulate, redfish transfer out and in of the bay in a predictable method. Within the spring, because the Chesapeake slowly warms, they start to push again into their beloved haunts. Issues get getting into Could when the water temperatures begin to attain into the mid-60s. Search for a full or new moon, as it will deliver within the first flush of overwintering blue crabs. The crabs bury themselves within the mud to hibernate via the winter and as quickly as they arrive out of the mud, pink drum are there ready for them as a result of they’re considered one of their favourite meals. This may be a few of the most epic fishing of the 12 months as mature redfish seem seemingly in a single day in large colleges of a whole bunch or hundreds of fish.
For the reason that colleges are coming from factors south, focus your hunt on the southern parts of the bay close to its confluence with the Atlantic. This is without doubt one of the occasions of 12 months when you have got your greatest probability of getting a number of hook-ups all through the day and touchdown numerous fish. The drum are hungry and you’ll catch them on absolutely anything. It’s a time of 12 months that bulls could be discovered very shallow as a result of these areas heat up earlier and quicker than the bigger, deeper foremost stem sections, drawing in each crabs and drum. Redfish begin their time within the Chesapeake area feeding closely and trying to heat up as they arrive out of winter, so it’s a time of 12 months to observe your temperature gauge in addition to your side-scanning sonar.
Late Spring and Early Summer season
Whereas the early season chew tends to be within the extra southern sections of the bay, because the temperatures heat up throughout the transition to summer time, the redfish migration will push north. Throughout this time there are additionally extra fish arriving on the southern finish of the bay, so the chew will probably be widespread throughout the whole area. From June via mid-July, you may nonetheless discover fish close to shorelines in shallow-water areas from 4 to fifteen toes. As summer time temperatures warmth up, nevertheless, the reds discover their consolation zone in deeper water.
Summer season Colleges
Throughout the hottest portion of the 12 months, bull redfish transfer out to deeper water. They wish to maintain it cool, with their ultimate water temperature round 70 levels. We start to see shallow water reaching the 80-degree mark round this time of 12 months, so looking out deepwater construction, bridge and dock pilings, and the considerable reefs of the area are the very best choices.
Some years, the ocean temperature is sort of a bit cooler than the bay itself. If so, fishing nearer to the mouth of the bay and across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel generally is a productive summer time technique.
Redfish start to spawn throughout the late summer time. Spawning congregations are usually large lots of fish that may be seen on the floor from the mouth of the bay as much as Tangier Sound. Boats working the decrease bay on the lookout for cobia typically run into these large colleges. The excessive vantage level of a tower actually helps, however an excellent pair of sun shades and a eager eye are all which can be vital. I discover them repeatedly even in my kayak.
Be looking out for large patches of copper on the floor. These fish could be pickier when they’re spawning, and their proximity to the floor and the entire boat noise makes them much more cautious. Whereas there’s nothing fairly like seeing a monster faculty bunched up and hanging out close to the floor, there’s nothing extra disappointing than having all of these fish concurrently reject your lure and sound. Downsizing to smaller lures that land quietly and casting to the skin of the college are extraordinarily vital. Utilizing a dwell crab, menhaden, or croaker can even assist.
Late Summer season
As we get into the month of August, Maryland is an efficient place to be. Acres of bunker flip into acres of boiling bull reds. The chew is often wherever from Chesapeake Seaside south to across the Maryland/Virginia line and tends to be accessible to of us keen to place in 50 to 100 miles a day on the lookout for exercise. The fish could be wherever from the floor to 60 toes of water. They’re quickly transferring and roaming, so you might even see a faculty of a whole bunch of bulls boiling on the floor change to a clean display in a matter of minutes. It’s a massive space to sift via, so discovering them is the troublesome half. If you do, the motion could be a few of the most insane fishing you’ll ever expertise. Generally, the fish are in a lot smaller packs or solo beneath breaking bluefish or rockfish colleges that feed on peanut bunker and bay anchovies. On this case, jigging smaller spoons or jigs to match the hatch below the colleges of breakers is the very best technique.
Deal with for Pink Drum in Chesapeake Bay
Bull redfish will readily eat absolutely anything you set of their faces. Since they’re protected and may’t be stored, you will need to use the correct kind of drugs to make sure a fast battle and the survival of this vital class of spawning fish.
Within the Chesapeake area, there are various advocates of light-tackle fishing. I’m not against that mindset, however if you wish to chase bull reds, beef up your deal with to make sure a brief battle and a fish that swims away sturdy. I like to recommend at the very least a medium-heavy rod with 5000- to 6000-class spinning reel or 300- to 400-size baitcasting reel with a minimal of 30-pound braid and 40-pound chief. In need of that, you danger breaking off the trophy-class redfish you simply hooked into, and a number of fish within the faculty swimming away with new jewellery.
I usually catch back-to-back fish if I’m able to keep on a faculty. With lighter gear, I’ve to repeatedly re-tie and test my chief. The best line weight is 50-pound-test braid and seven to 9 toes of 60- to 80-pound-test fluorocarbon chief. That is what all my setups have, and it permits energy fishing, getting the fish to the kayak in 5 to 7 minutes, after which casting proper again out to hook one other fish.
For lures, I primarily fish soft-plastic paddletails in 5- to 8-inch sizes, with jigheads from ¾ to three ounces, relying on the water depth. I primarily use Z-Man or NLBN baits. The Z-Mans paired with an Eye Strike DieZel Eye jighead helps me catch a number of massive fish with out having to interchange the lure. The NLBN paddletails are wonderful for the heavy vibration and thump they emit, although a disadvantage is that they tear up after a number of fish.
I’ve caught bulls on a wide range of different lures however don’t suggest utilizing something however single-hook lures, each for the hazard to the fish and to the angler. It’s a lot simpler to unhook, revive, and launch a fish when utilizing single-hook lures.
A Grand Exit
Because the summer time warmth begins to average and cooler temperatures arrive, all the things within the Chesapeake begins to maneuver. Heat-weather guests get the message that it’s time to start their seasonal trek south. As they exit the bay, bull reds are in full feeding mode, increase fats reserves for the winter and the migration forward. Many, presumably, are following the colleges of mullet and menhaden that additionally make their means south throughout this time.
By Mid-September, we often get a few of our first coastal storms and cooling temperatures. This is without doubt one of the greatest occasions to focus on massive redfish within the decrease parts of the bay. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel is a well known fall redfish sizzling spot. In contrast to the remainder of the 12 months, when reds are regularly present in massive numbers, I hardly ever see fish in teams this time of 12 months. They’re extra dispersed all through the world, although they are often caught by jigging the down-current facet of the pilings and islands of the tunnel. Since it’s an space with heavy present, it’s not really useful for a novice kayaker or boat operator. Boat positioning is essential since you need to get your jig as near the pilings as doable.
Having a jighead heavy sufficient for the circumstances can be vital. I like to recommend one which’s at the very least 2 or 3 ounces in weight, together with a stout hook. My favorites are made by Eye Strike Fishing and NLBN, although many anglers like utilizing 8-inch Gulp Grubs this time of 12 months. Generally, fresh-cut bait or dwell croaker, that are considerable across the bridge, can outfish different choices. You must check out totally different ways to see what the fish need on any given day.
One of many largest challenges in catching redfish on this space is the construction itself. A hooked redfish in 30 toes of water can run you into and thru a number of units of pilings. Being ready to chase down your fish as soon as hooked and having the ability to maneuver via and across the obstacles whereas additionally combating the present is a novel fishing problem.
This isn’t the time of 12 months for mild chief. Even 80-pound fluorocarbon could be no match for a bull pink when it’s wrapped round a barnacle-encrusted bridge piling. A kayak has some benefit within the potential to maneuver in a bridge-side bull battle.
September is a grand technique to finish a season of bull pink wrangling, however whatever the time of 12 months, it’s vital to take excellent care of your drum earlier than releasing it to keep up the productiveness of this fishery. If you’ll take an image of your catch, help its stomach and maintain it horizontally. Anglers can inflict everlasting injury to a 40-plus-pound fish by lifting it up by the gill plates or holding it vertically. Get them again within the water rapidly, guaranteeing they’re revived and in a position to swim off on their very own earlier than sending them on their technique to return to the Chesapeake for a lot of seasons to come back.
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