Calif Bill wrote:

"John H" wrote in message
...

With my buddy Rich (better known as "Gimp") I took the "PocoLoco" out for

her

first fishing trip after my trip to Holland. We left the dock about 7:15,

headed

for buoy #83 east of Deale. Upon hitting 30' of water we put the lines

out, two

umbrella rigs and two tandem parachute rigs. Within 30 minutes one of the

reels

began screaming and we pulled in a 35" rockfish on a chartreuse parachute.
(That's similar to a bucktail, with a plastic 9" sassy shad attached.) The

fish

put up a decent fight, although rockfish are not known for their fights.

We continued trolling for about four more hours, but didn't even have a

bite. At

$2.20 per gallon for gas, a total of five hours trolling at a four gallon

per

hour fuel consumption rate, that fish cost about $44. Not bad for a nice
rockfish, only a little over $1 per inch!

The weather was spectacular, light breeze, waves about one foot. It was a
gorgeous day!

John H

On the 'Poco Loco' out of Deale, MD
on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay!


I do not understand the trolling for stripers with umbrella rigs. No wonder
there is little fight. Too much gear. We troll for stripers in the
Sacramento Delta and SF bay with either HairRaisers or rebels with a worm
tail trailer. That way we can catch them on 12-17# line. Fight well.
Bill




There is a growing contingent of fishermen in Chesapeake Bay who are
beginning to realize that when you use an umbrella rig, what you really
are doing is catching heavy metal. Stripers are not great fighters,
especially on the heavy tackle you need to handle the typical umbrella rig.

Many fishermen have good success trolling for stripers with parachute
jigs tipped with artificials. I use these once in a while, but I use the
lightest chutes around...and I use fairly light tackle, even when
trolling for stripers.

There are a couple of places between where Herring fishes and I fish
where you can catch stripers by trolling nothing more than a real or
artificial sandworm. Sandworms are the traditional striper trolling bait
up north, and they work in the Bay, too.

I've also caught stripers while anchored near structure...using chunk bait.

The endless hours of trolling heavy rigs for stripers...and then reeling
in a heavy umbrella rig...not for me. Besides, at best, stripers are
third-rate table fare. To me, the real Bay table fish is flounder.