Official Flats/Spawning activity thread

[Charkbait]

Originally Posted by Steve

Ben, which Flat was the hog from?
Maybe I'll venture up that way.
Anything close enuf for a yak attack?
Recommendations for yak launch areas?

google susquehanna flats, it is basically the whole top of the bay.

yakked it many times, it is more fun when the water is clear and you can cast and troll, just bait dunking until we get cleared up and warm to the 55 range.

hope to get me a 40#er this weekend. I plan to take a few days off here in the future I'll let you know if I'm going to be out there and could tow you to the better spots, it can be a long paddle in open water.

[Steve]

Well, if YOU say it's a long paddle then it would be a Iron Man marathon for me and my shoulder. Dern, nothing closer in, eh?
Lemme' know when you will be up, I'll check with my paddle partner and work schedule.

How lond are the cows predicted to be on the flats?
At what water temp do they leave?

[Charkbait]

Originally Posted by Steve

Well, if YOU say it's a long paddle then it would be a Iron Man marathon for me and my shoulder. Dern, nothing closer in, eh?
Lemme' know when you will be up, I'll check with my paddle partner and work schedule.

How lond are the cows predicted to be on the flats?
At what water temp do they leave?

There is plenty of good water close by but the problem with the flats is that they concentrate in warm pockets and you have to move A LOT to find that warm water. You would be safe inside the susquehanna but have to deal with current fighting back to the launch. now you know why I got a boat...

[Charkbait]

fish are on the spawn in the Elk River, this should continue through the end of the week, the 14-17 days later the best fishing of the year on AI happens. It peaked late last year, this quick warm up should send things into high gear. The week of May 15th should be hot unless this low pressure cold front shuts them down.

[Charkbait]

some good southern bay fish were caught with out roe this weekend, the majority will still spawn through next weekend but there may be more numbers then I originally thought the first week of may...good news. The longer they trickle by the better the chances of the conditions on the beach bringing them in close. One was 52" but only 41#, spawned out with an empty belly, could have been 60# the week before. At least she laid her eggs.

[ffemtreed]

Looking good the fling!

[Jeepcreep]

Clear day, water south of a ditch was very clear. water temp about 58 give or take. Saw at least 30, 20+lb class fish chasing topwater within 10 foot of our boat, 2 at a time on 2 or 3 occasions....we fished lures all day.

Water may have been too clear as we had a lot of fish turn away after the tail smackor initial bump. If your concentration was broken by the fish's approach and the retrieve wasn't sloshing enough to conceal the fact that it wasn't a real injured herring.....then they would turn the cold shoulder...pretty heartbreaking at times..

Eel Punts, and Stillwaters were producing nice fish. There was herring and WP around in the deeper water...but couldn't jig up a bass among them.

great day...got me boat shopping again

Here's a shot of one that liked the Eel Punt pencil. The other picture is of a foul hooked Bass about 23lb. People talk about the potential danger of baitfishing (gut hooking...etc) but it happens with lures too.





also as a side note....I got a number of pic messages on my phone from fisherman from SI and BP throughout the weekend and they all looked like post spawn fish to me....hopefully they'll be running up the beach soon!

[pwf]

I am thinking of driving over to Deal Island this weekend to try my luck on the bay side. have you guys ever fished off that big jetty over there? Or do you really need a boat? Thanks. Pat

[Charkbait]

spawning is just about wrapped up and some fish hit the beach this weekend, they should trickle through for the next week with increasing intensity. As was the case in the past about 17-20 days after the CB spawn wraps up the fishing on AI is HOT.