More Topwater Action

Launched at 745 to a slack tide with the beginning of an incoming starting shortly. Calm winds and partly sunny. Temps in the 70s and the water temps still in the 70s. I'll be putting on the waders or wader boots shortly as the air and water temps drop.

Brought 3 rods loaded with the usual 3/8 jig, top water and a new rig to try - cork popper and 1/4 jig with a Gulp! swimming mullet. Speaking of Gulp!, I was lucky to find them at Chesapeake Bait and Tackle yesterday. Steve said he just got the pints in yesterday.

Began the paddle and immediately saw something working the top. Took out the Mirrolure topwater and threw it in the fray. A few casts in and an explosion just 10' from the yak. A good sized spec had hit and gave a few turns of the head and spit it out. A few more cast but no more hits so I started to troll "Area 41".
First pass had a good hit and felt like a good size fish. Unfortunately  it came unbuttoned. The next pass I picked up a little striper (12") and when I released it I noticed more top water action on the south bank. Threw the Mirrolure and BAM! A 19" speckled trout hit it hard and eventually got her on the yak for a picture. She was camera shy and decided to flip overboard as I was getting my camera ready.


Started to cast around "Area 41" and got another nice 19" spec. Now that I found some fish, I thought I'd try the float/popper and jib setup. Threw on a Gulp! and tossed it out up current. A few pops in and the popper disappears. This one swam straight down and couldn't see it until I was lifting on the yak. Another spec just shy of 19".  Worked the spot a few more times and got some bites but nothing stuck. Saw some more topwater action upriver and tossed the jig in and trolled a bit to the fish working the top.  The troll produced another little striper but when I got upriver to where the fish were breaking, they were gone.

At this point the current started to move and I knew this was starting of prime feeding but my clock was running out of time. Did 2 more trolls and picked up 2 skinny specs around 15".  Paddled back to the ramp and headed home.

I counted about 4 fish that I lost after the hook up. Of course, they all felt like citation specs.