Monday, Dec. 4 (from Ken)...Having followed the weather forecast for several days and seeing predictions for windy conditions tomorrow, coupled with a chance of rain, I decided not to gamble and went to the river today. Fished West Neck from 8:45 a.m. to 2:15 p.m., catching a total of seven bass and losing two more that came unbuttoned on the way to the boat. Five of the bass today were dinks. The other two weighed in at 1-7 and 3-5. All of the fish fell for the same crankbait I've used the previous two outings. The one thing I found a bit puzzling today was the fact that the 3-5 had a bloody tail and other signs you would expect to see on a fish that just had spawned. Early December seems just a tad late to me for that kind of activity, but I suppose anything is possible.
(UPDATE: I asked the local VDGIF fish biologist Chad Boyce about the possibility of that 3-5 being a spawning fish, and here is what he said: "Not only is it highly unlikely that a bass is spawning this time of year, but I
would wager it is simply impossible. Bass cannot just decide to spawn and
lay eggs. There must be a time for gonadal development and gonadal maturity
prior to spawning. I think sometimes people forget that water temperature is
not the only que that triggers fish to spawn. Day length and light acuity is
just as important as water temperature. I'd guess the fish you caught was
simply on structure or habitat that caused it to rub its fins.") The only other fishermen I saw today were Dave and Rob, who also were fishing West Neck out of Dave's boat. They indicated they had found a few fish early this morning, but that as the day wore on, their bite seemed to go away.
Thursday, Dec. 7 (from Ron)...Been searching for the stripers, but odd hours have kept me from doing an
update. This morning was eighth straight day at HRBT. All week, I've been catching
the incoming tide, with very early morning launches (0200, 0300, 0400, etc.), then
struggling through work. Most of my catches have been slot shorts, but a few keepers were in the mix. Got a nice 22- and 23-incher this morning, and they were healthy. Must have found a roving school as I caught five between 0550 and 0615, then it shut down with no taps for
another hour. Going to be a long month, but I love the way they slam the lure and pull
the drag. Due to the tides, will now shift back to evenings and catch up on some
sleep!
Sunday, Dec. 10 (from Ron)...Tried Friday night with the sleet-like rain, cold and wind. North wind
made for an easy enough transit, but around the bridge was unsafe in the kayak. I bailed after 10 minutes...before the hypothermia took hold. Sat was a complete
wash. Went Sunday night, and the weather was better. Caught five with one little fat keeper. Sometimes they are fat with full bellies, but this little fella
had seriously thick fillets for his size. Oh, and it was a bit chilly last night!
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