Striped bass have mid-Atlantic anglers waiting for winter. Each fall, 70 percent of the world’s striped bass return to Chesapeake Bay to spawn. Anglers brave cold weather and open water to pull fish up to 50 pounds from deep channels and warm-water discharges. Wilderness Systems Fishing Team captain, Jeff Little, is there to meet the fish. Little has developed kayak–friendly techniques for taking big striper from cold water.
Where To Catch Striped Bass All Winter
Little starts the season in November fishing channels in the main bay and tributaries. “Any channel over 40 feet deep can hold striper,” he says, “use a fishfinder to find the edge.” As winter wears on, Little will break skim ice to get to the fish. “The deeper water will stay a few degrees warmer than surface temperature,” he adds. In January, when the water temperature drops below 40 degrees, Little heads to the warm-water discharge from power plants and factories. “The power plants get a lot of pressure,” he points out. So he watches his water temperature display to identify factory outlets that attract fish that most fishermen miss.
How To Catch Striped Bass All Winter
When Little marks striper on his fishfinder, he drops the jig. “I move slowly with the tide and jig the lure at the same time,” he explains. Done correctly, the jig is directly below the boat. “Keep the line tight to feel a light bite.”
Tackle Box To Catch Striped Bass All Winter
Jeff Little pours his own jig tails and leadheads. He starts with a one-ounce leadhead. Then, he adds a small glass rattle to the molten plastic while it is in the mold. Little uses a glow-head and jig tail to attract fish in the dark depths. His rod is a seven-foot, medium-heavy St. Croix Legend Xtreme with a Shimano Curado 201e reel spooled with 15-pound braid and a three-foot leader of 30-pound fluorocarbon. “Using light line and leader keeps the jig directly below my kayak and reduces slack in the line so I feel every bump.”
Boat
BoatTargeting winter striper in Chesapeake Bay requires an angler to cover open water through swift current. Little uses a Wilderness Systems Thresher with the new FlexPod OS motor. “It is essential to troll and jig at the same time,” he says, “so a motor is ideal.” If the fish aren’t at the first hotspot, he may have to move several miles. “Look for a long, sleek boat that can cover water fast.”
Gear
Schools of striped bass will move from hotspot to hotspot so Little uses a fishfinder/chartplotter combo to mark fish and track their location. “I won’t even drop lines until I see fish marks,” he says. He also notes areas that hold fish under specific tidal conditions so he can return under similar conditions to find the fish. A few degrees in water temperature can be the difference between fishing and catching.
Winter Wear
Little has lost friends to hypothermia so he insists on a full drysuit when the water drops below 40 degrees. “The drysuit makes it easier to re-board the kayak and it buys me more time in the water,” he says.
This article is part 3 of a feature story from Kayak Angler‘s Winter 2015 issue. Read part 2 now!
