By: Keith Lockwood
Today, April 21, is a big day for those who dream of catching a
trophy striped bass. More than a few anglers will spend the night before checking alarm clocks just to find themselves waking up a half-hour before the alarm is set to go off anyhow.
Weather is predicted to be a little nippy in the morning but should warm up as the day progresses. It will be a wonderful day to be out on the water with family and friends.
Before we get into this week’s fishing report, I want to remind everyone that they can
submit their own fishing reports and photos to the
Maryland Angler’s Log. To post a report, please email your name, hometown, photos, location and additional content for your report. All information is optional, but encouraged.
The striped bass spawning in the Choptank, Nanticoke, Patuxent and Potomac rivers is behind schedule due to colder than expected water temperatures, and spawning in the upper Chesapeake Bay is most likely weeks away. This week the spawning area in the Choptank River registered 56 degrees and there is a minor amount of spawning occurring. Usually spawning begins at 60 degrees and is optimal at 64.5 degrees, so many female striped bass are still holding in the spawning reaches. Based on predicted weather forecasts, it may be another week or so for water temperatures to be correct in that area.
This photo taken from a helicopter shows planer board trolling gear deployed, a situation you do not want to find yourself in when trolling. Photo by Keith Lockwood
Those out trolling Saturday will most likely be kept busy clearing lines of winter jellies which are being swept along the steep channel edges. Unfortunately these are the same locations where the most optimum trolling will take place for striped bass. Winter jellies are actually lion’s mane jellyfish which are moving down the bay as part of their life cycle.
Pre-spawn striped bass will be the most common large fish being caught and it will be a tough decision for some to keep these fish or release them. The minimum size for striped bass during the trophy season is 35 inches. Chartreuse and white bucktails and parachutes in 2-6 ounce sizes will be the most common lures used and will be set to cover a wide variety of depths when searching for fish. Trolling speeds are often about 3 knots and the trolling pattern is perpendicular to the shipping channel edges.
