Sunday looks like a clam day. I am itching to put my bass boat on Joppa Flat for the very first time.
Low tide (outgoing) is 6:58 AM High tide (Incoming) is 12:47 PM.
I am thinking launch the boat at or before 5:00 AM in Cashman Park.
See the picture: I will not pass the red line there. I am thinking fish the low tide (green arrow) near the Rt1 bridge and up. I am thinking fish the high tide (blue arrow) on the flat. Is this a correct strategy?
I don't use live bait. I bought some 9 inch black slug-go, 5 inch Storm swimbaits, 12 inch Powerbait Pre-Rigged eel. I also have some big jerkbait like Yo-zuri, Rapala Max Rap 15, etc. I don't plan use heavy weights for bottom fishing. Is that OK? All I am shooting for is a keeper striper.
Thanks in advance for you advise.
Low tide (outgoing) is 6:58 AM High tide (Incoming) is 12:47 PM.
I am thinking launch the boat at or before 5:00 AM in Cashman Park.
See the picture: I will not pass the red line there. I am thinking fish the low tide (green arrow) near the Rt1 bridge and up. I am thinking fish the high tide (blue arrow) on the flat. Is this a correct strategy?
I don't use live bait. I bought some 9 inch black slug-go, 5 inch Storm swimbaits, 12 inch Powerbait Pre-Rigged eel. I also have some big jerkbait like Yo-zuri, Rapala Max Rap 15, etc. I don't plan use heavy weights for bottom fishing. Is that OK? All I am shooting for is a keeper striper.
Thanks in advance for you advise.
We fished there a couple if years ago and used only 6 in. Sluggos. We probably caught about 100 small schoolie stripers. It was a pretty calm day so we ventured closer to the ocean and ran into a school of larger fish on the surface. I thought they were blues at first because I hadn't seen a large school of stripers on the surface in the daytime before. We hooked into a couple of keeper bass on light spinning gear. Great fight with the light gear and strong current.
That was my first time out there. My friend caught a small one on the flat close in the middle of traffic on a swimbait. I had a bite early and caught the fish scale on the Rapala Max Rap 15 hook. LOL. I caught nothing but few crabs. I never ventured out to the mouth but close enough. The boat traffic in the weekend is crazy. I saw some people caught small ones early in the morning on outgoing low tide. Just before tide turned over, I saw other boat caught couple keepers on mackerel. I also tried fresh chunk mackerel but no luck. When incoming tide (high tide)arrived, I saw none catch anything on the flat. The water temp is like at least 10 degree colder compare to low tide and water is much clear. I talked to few guys fished overnight, they caught 4 keepers on live eel. In the end of the day, a fly fishing guide told me was not good fishing day. Regular bass boat is definitely OK on the flat if it is not too windy and watch out the boat wake. An anchor is a must. I don't have experience about striper fishing. The last time I went shore fishing for striper was like 20 years ago when I didn't even know much about fishing. I feel if I have to choose between income and outgoing tide, I would rather fish outgoing tide (low tide). Now, I understand why people choose to fish the flat at night. It was too busy on the flat during day time. Anyway, It was a great learning experience.