??? about Chesapeake Bay

[MIKE*A 0]

Hey gang,

I am going on a family vacation 2nd week of June to the Chesapeake......We are looking at renting a house for a week on the East coast of Va. around Silver Beach, just South of Exmore.....we will be on a small bay off of the Cheapeake. I know out in the Bay and along the coast the big game fish is the Striper/Rock Bass......If I take my flyrod and kayak and work some of the smaller water off the Ches.bay, what kind of fish can I expect to encounter that time of year and what would be some good patterns for them.....I have started researching the area, but the majority of the information I have found thus far is focused on Stripers off the Atlantic side or from a boat in the middle of the Cheseapeake.......my kayak is a small water boat, not suitable for the middle of the Chesapeake, but ideal for the creeks/estuaries/smaller coves.....I'm guessing as close to the mouth of the Bay that I will be,that it is strictly saltwater with a heavy tidal influence on the depth.

 

 

Thank-you,

 

Mike

[tidewaterfly 0]

Mike, Stripers are called Rockfish by most folks who grew up around or frequent the bay, and should be around in June. Flounders, Croakers, Spot, White Perch & Bluefish are all usually around in the bay area in June. That close to the ocean there may be others there too. It primarily depends on the water temps. There may even be some Seatrout, although they usually show later towards late summer into fall. You are correct about it being saltwater & tidal. For fly patterns, most anything will work. A variety of Clousers & Deceivers in baitfish patterns & some attractors are always good to have. Chartreuse & white is a mainstay pattern in the bay. For Bluefish, simple patterns tied with synthetics will work fine, particularly when you find schools of them roaming around chasing baitfish. A short bite tippet or knottable wire is good to have too. If you encounter the smaller Blues a heavy mono bite tippet is OK, but as they get bigger, the wire is better to prevent them from biting off the fly. However, you'll likely lose some flies anyway. I've never fished down in that area, so can't help you with specific locations. It's a good idea to explore some at low tide, so that you can see what's there. Structure is a good bet, such as piers & bridge pilings, or old sunken vessels. Different fish like different kinds of bottoms, and they'll move with the tides. Most bite better where there is current, so fish all phases of the tides, you never know which will be best in a specific location. Take note the current seams & eddies, just as you might in a river or stream.

 

I've posted some fly pictures from my fly boxes & will be posting some more. Similar flies will work in most of the bay.