2009 SEASON !!!! Pictures - Fresh and Saltwater stripers

[Tom Hughes]

The first week of 2009 turned out to be a very productive week at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel (CBBT). Fly and light tackle equipment was used to catch large numbers of striped bass each day during the week.

The stripers were very active in water temperatures of 44.6 degrees on both sunny and cloudy days.

Light Tackle Equipment Used: 6', MH, Fast Tip Spinning Rod - 2500 Series Spinning Reel - 30# Fiber Line - 30# Fluorocarbon Leader

Most Productive Lure: Flat Head, 2 ounce, Chartreuse Bucktail with a 5", Chartreuse/Glitter Bass Assassins attached.

Ben Holding a Nice Striper

Most Productive Technique:
After locating the fish, drift across them and cast out. Count the lure down, keeping the rod tip just above the water while moving it from 12 o'clock to 10 o'clock, horizontally, while jigging. You are swimming the lure past the fish rather than jigging above them.

Note: Vertical jigging was not very productive.

Justin (father) and Keith (son) Decker where fly fishing for the 1st time in order to catch striped bass. They both picked up the technique swiftly and were landing stripers within the first hour.

Father & Son Enjoying Quality Time on the Water

Keith with an 18# Striped Bass

Fly Fishing Equipment Used: Orvis, Helios 9 Weight Saltwater Rod - Orvis Battenkill Large Arbor Reel - Orvis, Generation 3, Density Compensating Sinking Fly Line - 20# Fluorocarbon Tippet

Most Productive Fly: Matty-J, 6", Chartreuse and White Half & Half

Baltimore Boat Show Seminars:
Fri, Jan. 23, 2009 - 2 pm - Locating Striped Bass without Birds
Sat, Jan 24, 2009 - 4 pm - Fishing for Trophy Striped Bass on the Susquehanna Flats
Sun, Jan 25, 2009 - Noon - Maximizing Your GPS/Plotter/Fish Finder

Receive Capt. Tom Hughes Weekly Fishing Report via Email

[SweetwaterStriperNut]

copied from freshwater fatties of 2009

Fished a local river from about 10 to 4 yesterday. Spent about an hour of that catching bait. Back ends of all the creeks had a fair bit of ice on them. Water on the main river was 41F +/-. Had three hits, two came to the boat...they went 37 and 26 lbs. Man were they sluggish! I never cease to be amazed at how these fish will eat a big bait even when the water is COLD. Was fishing alone and forgot the camera so all I had was the phone camera...hence the not so great pics.

No matter what, the odds of catching are better when you've got hooks in the H2O.

[Striper Bill]

Nice ones!

[SweetwaterStriperNut]

Thanks Bill!

Check out the girth on the 37...think they've been eating well the last few weeks? They're starting to assume that football shape!

[Striper Bill]

yes, I have noticed and in the aqueduct they have been feeding heavy. Right on and congrats!

[slo-ride]

wtg, SSN!!!! you've started the year out in a big way....can't wait for 'em to show up in the
tailraces down here.

btw...looking at the first pics in this thread, i can't tell whether yall were fishing in a big fog or a some funny lookin' blubird skies...lol

[SweetwaterStriperNut]

Originally Posted by slo-ride

wtg, SSN!!!! you've started the year out in a big way....can't wait for 'em to show up in the
tailraces down here.

btw...looking at the first pics in this thread, i can't tell whether yall were fishing in a big fog or a some funny lookin' blubird skies...lol

Thanks SR! The striped fish gods have been very kind to me for a while now. Then again they have much prior history to the contrary to make up for with me!!!

Yeah! You're right about that day....it was really weird weather!!


Had another pretty good day today, 1/24. Report and pics to follow but we had 6 hits, 4 of which came on two doubles. Boated 3 that weighed 21, 22 and 30 lbs.

Ya know those fish don't leave the river when they disperse from the tailrace SR. Maybe I should come help you search for 'em. LOL

[SweetwaterStriperNut]

Despite a 30 so degree temp drop overnight with winds out of the north at 10-15 went back to the river with our older son 1/24. Didn't have high hopes on the back side of such a hard front but we've been trying to get out together for quite a while so we just said the heck with it and went anyway.

Got baits in the water around 11 . About 1:15 or so as we were working our way along the structure that I fished on Thursday the bait behind the front board got nailed....took a little drag and came unbuttoned. Reeled in to rebait and as we were preparing to stick the fresh bait the bait on the back board got smacked. It was this 30 lb'er.



Circled back around to make another pass....as soon as the baits got into the area the first two hits came from the bait on the back board got nailed. My son grabbed the rod and started to fight the fish...about then the bait on the front board got eaten. Then the fish my son had on came unbuttoned. Boated the other one...it was this spunky 22 lb'er.



Made a couple more passes before we got hit again. Pretty much the same scenario....the baits got into this one little area...bait on the back board got eaten....I just kept working the boat along the structure while my son fought the fish...then the bait on the front board got eaten. Ran and grabbed the rod...in a few seconds the fish was off. Turned out the main hook had turned back into the bait and the stinger just missed 'em. Boated the fish my son had on...it was a 21 lb fish.

Considering it was on the back side of a hard cold front, we had north winds and the air temp never made it out of the 30's not a bad day at all! Basically 4.5 hrs of striper fishing in definitely sub-par conditions and 3 20+ lb fish in the boat.

[Striper Bill]

WTG! Congrats to you and your son.

[SweetwaterStriperNut]

Thanks Bill. Like I said above, some of the fish gods wicked treatment of me in the past is being balanced out lately.



Surely I'm not the only guy here that's out fishing freshwater stripers right now am I????

C'mon guys. Let's see 'em.

[Striper Bill]

That's a good thing! I haven't gone out lately, I did for the first time in a while today at the Palmdale aqueduct, and nada. My mom had a heart attack and she is home now, feeling better but still not doing good as good as she should be. Gates haven't been open, they were open late at night about 12:00 midnight. They cutback on the water flow due to the Protected Smelt and lack of water they said. Hopefully someone else will post. Well again two thumbs up for ya!

[slo-ride]

Originally Posted by SweetwaterStriperNut

Had another pretty good day today, 1/24. Report and pics to follow but we had 6 hits, 4 of which came on two doubles. Boated 3 that weighed 21, 22 and 30 lbs.

good looking fish!!!

Originally Posted by SweetwaterStriperNut

Ya know those fish don't leave the river when they disperse from the tailrace SR. Maybe I should come help you search for 'em. LOL

I'll take all the help I can get

Originally Posted by SweetwaterStriperNut

Surely I'm not the only guy here that's out fishing freshwater stripers right now am I????

C'mon guys. Let's see 'em.

give me 'bout 3-4 weeks

[SweetwaterStriperNut]

Thanks again guys.

I'm looking forward to seeing some of those 'bama fish SR!

Catch 'em up.

I MAY get out this week but work is, well, being work this week, complete with air travel in winter wx.

[rocksteady]

Off of OC , MD in January 09 :


Fat whale :

[Anthony S.]

Hello all,im writing this report on some outstanding fishing taking place down here in Texas.Here is a few that fell to foot long gizzard shad on a flourocarbon leader with 4/0 circle, snelled to be as inconspicuous as possible in the crystal clear river system that i call my home waters.

These fish all came this year from the Brazos and Red River systems.All were caught freelining big gizzards.For some reason no one else can catch fish this quality in Texas this year.If I need a big beer to wash some crow meat down,well...so be it.I honestly would like to know if anybody is catching big river striper in Texas.See ya where the river bends.