Since work is a priority and family comes first I got back out on the water in December a month later where I hooked up with a couple of fishing buddies Mike (FishNinja), and Patrick (HarborPartrol) from the TKAA and we thought that we would give Lesner Bridge in Virginia Beach a try.
We launch from Crab Creek and paddled out to the bridge.
Mike was able to hook a small drum in the tail off the bottom with a jig, of course I didnt get anything this trip but was able to try out my new Frogg Togg wadders in which I think work great and I think Patrick got a few bites.
By the end of the night after fighting the current around the bridge I feel the best part was passing the bar by the water wishing the fishing was a little better in that spot so i could fish, listen to drunk people singing and watch sports on the big tv all from my yak. Still it was good company and great to be out fishing.
A week later I was out at the HRBT. The bite was on and I spent the night trolling back and forth allong the bridge with the Striper on force with a surprising hit an pull from some good slot sized fish though the night. Patrick got a few that night himself. Myself I was able to get 7 good ones between 18 to 21 inches. I got there at 1800 and I left about 0100 in the morning.
With my 2 chosen keepers for the night.
All packed up ready for the trip to the house. Cooked them the next day with some breading and a little olive oil and butter in the bottom of the pan and it was melt in your mouth goodness. I was ready for some more.
It was now time try my luck at getting myself a Cow Striper. Been planning this trip for a while so Mike came over to the house and we carpooled across the bay to Kiptopeke to try our luck at the Concrete Ships. First stop we headed over along the way to Oceans East 2 and grabed us about 6 eals each from Kayak Kevin and the shop crew there and some extra hooks and some weight for our leaders and we were northbound to the ships.
We tryed around the ships for a while with no luck then looking out to the horizon and seeing that everyone else was heading out to deeper water we felt that maybe someone knows something we dont. So with the old saying, (When in Rome, Do like the Romans do.), we headed out on our way to the hopefully promised water of big fish. We started out drift with the incomming tide around the bouy and with my fishfinder I watched our distance and after a good drift of 3 1/2 miles Mike and I got to feeling that the ships were looking a little far off so we started our very slow trip against the current back to the ships. If we waited another hour we would have had a much better trip back with the outgoing tide.
Back to the ships it we were dropping some eals and since we both had some Blue Crab we tried at some Tog too. Again everything was slow no hits and everyone I talked to said they were having no luck. There was a report of a few 30 pounders being caught but the were few and far between. After this trip I was down with the flu for about 2 weeks with the family. Fishing was the last thing on my mind then I just wanted to feel better.
photo by: Mike Manning
Now feeling better but not 100%, 28th December my final night for the 2012 Striper season was again a slow night for the fishing for me. I did have a good time though. I met up with a few guys from the TKAA like Jeff, and Dave (SurfDawg) and we set out from the public boat ramp on the Norfolk side of the HRBT. There was a lot of kayakers out there that night and was glad to meet a lot of them and put a face with the name. There were fish being caught that night but all in the 10 to the occatiional 17 in range from the reports people I was able to get from poeple as i was passing by them. I had fish all around me at some points where i could have touched them but they didnt like what I was giving them on the menu. Heared from some guys that were in ear shot of me after they hooked up a few times that they were useing some jerkshad on jigheads, well I didnt bring any that night. I was still a great night to be on the water and good company to talk to. Glad I went out. Untill next year everyone Tight Lines And Good Safe Fishing.
