Arriving right on time along with cool November weather is one of the best fall rockfish seasons Virginia will experienced in years. Hungry, marauding stripers, with many in the 20 to 30 pound class, are waiting for anglers from the Maryland-Virginia Line just east of Smith Point to the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay between Capes Henry and Charles. Rockfish action has been steadily increasing better for the past decade and on the upswing since the moratorium was in place almost 20 years ago. The “king of the bay” is back and much of Virginia’s tidal waters are the playground, dinner table and early Springtime nursery for the ever popular fish. Any season when anglers and charter boat captains can pursue consistent striped bass action is a good one, but the month of November always promises the beginning of the later fall run of big fish. As the cool weather of this month take over as the seasonal “norm” being cool and crisp, November is sure to produce some great striped bass opportunities. Chumming up hungry stripers or casting into breaking schools of rock as they chase baitfish schools will still be viable options this month, but it is definitely time to break out the heavy action trolling gear.

     Boats in the know will be hugging the channel edges looking for signs of baitfish and big feeding stripers following the food source. It’s not uncommon to catch fish in the really deep waters of 80 feet or more, but action usually is limited to within 40 feet of the surface. Look for the fish to start hitting when you see them head into the upper water columns, sometimes within 15 feet of the surface. “Drag deep”, the veterans of fishing November Chesapeake Bay waters for big rockfish will tell you and that advice will hold true during the 2003 season as well. Favored lures including the ever popular umbrella rigs with their multiple spreader sassy shads and banjo-eye bucktail lures will again entice striper strikes from channel waters. While the chartreuse or white shad baits are among the more popular umbrella rig choices, consider trying one of those rigged with surgical hose lures. Deep diving “Stretch 25s and 30s” are other popular late fall trolling baits for big rockfish. These don’t require additional terminal tackle or heavy weights to get down where the fish are. Heavy trolling sinkers or “dummy lines” are often used this time of year but those with downriggers will enjoy the fight of the fish without having to pull in the extra weight. Downriggers use heavy “cannonball” like weights to get the baits down deep and close to the boat but release the sinker from the rod and reel line, when a fish strikes.

     Joining Virginia's 2003 fall striper action which continues through December 31 are also opportunities in Maryland and Potomac River Fisheries Commission (PRFC) waters. In Virginia Chesapeake Bay and tributary waters a, two fish per person per day limit, with a minimum length of 18 inches is the daily creel. Call the Virginia Marine Resources Commission at (757) 247-2200 or visiting their website at; http://www.mrc.state.va.us/ for information. Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay recreational rockfish season continues through December 15. Possession limits for striped bass in Maryland tidal waters is two per person per day from 18 to 28 inches in length. One of the these daily possession fish can exceed 28 inches. For Maryland rockfish information call 800-762-5347 or 800-688-3467. Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources website is at; http://www.dnr.state.md.us/. The striped bass season for tidal PRFC waters from downstream of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge to Smith Point, Virginia continues through December 31. Within these Potomac River Fisheries Commission waters (PRFC), there is a two fish per person per day creel limit at 18 inches to 28 inches. One of these is permitted to be over 28 inches. For PRFC information, call 800-266-3904 or (804) 224-7148. The PRFC website is at; http://www.prfc.state.va.us/ 

© 2003 Steve and Chelly Scala. All Rights Reserved

Photo Credit

Photo by Jim Brincefield© 2003 Steve & Chelly Scala All Rights Reserved