Regional YakAngler Pro Staff kayak fishing reports from New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Virginia.
There is not much going on during the cold weather months of February and March. Football is over, hunting season is long gone, and the salt water scene is dull at best. To me that only means one thing - cold water bassin’!
Ghost Fisherman Captures 4 Species, Numerous Specimens, 0 Decent Photos
Written by Ben Hoover
Exploring Virginia rivers in the spring is a rite of the season, full of opportunity. Itching to break out of the winter doldrums, I hit the water on a warm day to see what was stirring as the water temps inched upwards.
I feel pretty safe saying that at some point in time, every fisherman will reflect back to their "best day" on the water; thinking back to the time where the fishing was incredible, or when you landed the biggest fish of your life. Heck, that is one of the reasons that we fish. Those are memories that you will never forget. For me, the "best night" that I ever had on the water was a few weeks ago when Marty Mood and I put a whoppin' on some Pensacola bull redfish.
All the recent hoopla in the Chesapeake Bay region of big cow stripers has had me chomping at the bit to get in on the action. Our last trip out to Plantation Light yielded miles and miles of paddling, but no fish. Needless to say, I was bound and determined to nail one of those big ol' cows out of my kayak!
In dire need of some rest and relaxation, I loaded up the truck this past weekend and hit the road for Pennsylvania. The drive is not short, but the worst part was paying the $12 Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel toll and driving past the striper fleet anchored up under the High Rise. I glanced over toward the famed concrete ships, knowing that at least a few kayakers were down in the blackness, dunking eels for the Kipto Kows. I’d hoped to join them this year, but it wasn’t to be.On the plus side, I didn’t need to buy a heavy outfit.
After almost a month-long absence from my kayak due to my annual hunting trip to Wisconsin, it was once again time to board my Ocean Kayak “Trident 13”. This time of year has the big stripers making their way down the Chesapeake Bay - perfect for us Virginia-based anglers! I joined up with Joe Underwood, Matt Anderson, and Chuck Wrenn in search of the big ole' rockfish. We headed out to Plantation Light to drift with the sea of boats that all had the same idea. We were all hoping to have the same results that friend Rob Choi and crew had.
It felt like an eternity. The leaves gathered on my kayak for over a month as work and family priorities overshadowed my angling desires. But as soon as my slate was clear, the familiar feelings of my Werner gliding through the water and fish putting that certain curvature in my rod ignited my senses.
The window-down kind of days have slowly brought on the wader-up type of outings. Like a banner of farewell, the bold colors of the trees bid bon voyage to the mass exodus that brings about a sea change to the Chesapeake Bay fishery.
Advertisment
Recent Fishing Reports
More Related Articles Below! ___________________________
-
Peacocks Close to Home
For the last few years I have been driving across the State of Florida to enjoy the peacock bass fishery there. It seemed like a good trade off, a two… -
Fishing, A Day With The Guys
In the mad rush, a few very important items had been forgotten, as usual. My Heroes on the Water hat and Strike King sunglasses were on the kitchen table as… -
Just Fish
Well before even a hint of sunrise, I met up with Bill Howard and Greg Becker to get another lesson in my flats fishing class. We readied our gear, and… -
Mountain Brook Reservoir 4-27-13
It’s late April, and the ice has barely been out for three weeks in southwest New Hampshire. I decided to head out at the crack of 8:00 to see what… -
Early Spring Fishing In Canada
Vancouver, British Columbia, to Halifax, Nova Scotia is almost 4000 miles. Kayak Fishing is popular in British Columbia, Calgary Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. A few of…
Top Fishing Reports
Most Popular This Year! ___________________________
-
Winter Redfish
As the weather gets colder and the water temperature drops our summer species such as snook and tarpon are becoming harder to find but our winter species are heating up.… -
Big Winter Specs
After almost a month-long absence from my kayak due to my annual hunting trip to Wisconsin, it was once again time to board my Ocean Kayak “Trident 13”. This time… -
Florida’s Space Coast
I had the very good fortune to spend a mid-December Sunday with fellow Malibu Kayaks Pro Staffer Capt. Alex Gorichky and his father in the famed “No Motor Zone”. Alex… -
First Tampa Bay Kayak Fishing Trip Of 2013
I had made plans for another “Last Trip of 2012”, but high winds and the flu kept me off the water until the 12th of January. I called up Team… -
Fishing Report for December 2012
Winter has set in for us here in the Midwest. One major blizzard has passed through, and a couple light snows have provided for a white wonderland. The lakes are…
