If Not for the Dinks, Today Would Have Been a Bust

Since I had found my fish on wood during my trip to the river last week, I knew I'd be starting today the same way. There was just one problem: Someone apparently forgot to tell the fish that Skip and I were coming.

We went to the back of Albright's first thing, where the water level was dropping steadily behind those northerly winds. We each just had gotten two fish when we met up and exchanged a few pleasantries before continuing our pursuit. I had decided to shift my focus to the front end of the creek but initially found the going there every bit as tough as what I had found in the back.

Eventually, though, I hit a stretch of 100 yards or so, where the fish were in a more cooperative mood and quickly put four more dinks in the boat. After that, the best I could do was elicit some blowups on my topwater baits, but none of the strikers were getting enough of the lure to bury a hook in 'em. That pattern continued for the rest of my day.

Skip already was in the parking lot when I got back there about 2:45, and I soon found out that the two he had when I talked to him this morning were the extent of his day. One of those came on a Whopper Plopper, and the other fish fell for a KVD soft plastic in white.

As best I can remember, four of my fish went for a wakebait. I caught the other two on my INT 1 bait. Meanwhile, most of the blowups this afternoon were coming on my INT 2 bait. It could be I was working this bait a bit too fast. That sort of thing is a recurring problem with me. I have every confidence, though, I'll eventually find my stride with this second secret bait and will start putting some fish in the boat with it.

The talk around the marina today was about the 7-lb. bass that Duane Kessel caught in West Neck sometime in the last few days. I know he had to be one happy angler with a catch like that. I'm certain I speak for the majority, Duane, when I say, "Congrats!"

Just received an email from Ron, with the following report on his evening trip: Launched Horn Point about 1730. Fought northerly wind and waves to get to Hells Point Creek. Tried the western extension up past Indian Cove Campground to Sandbridge Road, where the water was very murky.

Backtracked and turned to the eastern extension, where the water cleared up, as well as the bite. Caught three dinks, a 2-9 (pictured here), and a white perch, all on a Whopper Plopper, toward sunset. Tried throwing Johnson Silver Minnow, to no avail.

Unlike my results in other Back Bay Creeks, the bass got bigger the further I went in, where the grass became more abundant.