So we were hungry... looking for that elusive 52 pounder to take the lead at the MSSA Chesapeake Fall Classic.  Looking for that fish to WIN

Up EARLY, we were at our spot in good time for "lines in".  The sun crested the horizon just before 6:30 am and was a welcomed source of much needed heat after our 30 minute run to where the big girls live.  When fishing tournaments, I find that first thing in the morning on the last day, when you're cold, hungry and behind in the standings is generally time where you have to rally, give yourself a pep talk and get pumped up to go hard at it... well this wasn't the case.  We were all fired up! Almost like there was an energy drink IV drip in each of us.  The boat was electric!

6:30 lines in and we started trolling.  We had much of the same spread as the day before with one minor adjustment - we put our umbrella rig and Bloody Point Parachute on the downrigger.  Keep in mind, these parachute lures are heavy, I'm talking like 5 ounces - they are designed to get down deep.  We were fishing in 75-90 feet of water looking for giant balls of menhaden.  It wasn't long before the final piece of the striped bass puzzle was in place.  The rigger went off and I jumped to the rod. 

Talk about headshakes! I was amazed at how powerful this fish was! (And keep in mind, the fish is attached to a 8-point umbrella rig, with 8 - 9inch chartreuse shad imitation baits, it wasn't light!)  I angled the fish to the boat in about 5 minutes.  It saw the boat, and ran, peeling line off the reel... Everyone on board yelled with excitement. I now understand that kind of behavior is reserved for very big fish.  The boys were anticipating a giant!  I retrieved the line once again and was very happy to see the size of my first Chesapeake Bay striped bass. 


She weighed in at 32 pounds!  Well out of contention, but a fine fish nonetheless.  In the photo above, this fish looks wet and very much alive - that's because it is.  We landed this fish at about 7-7:30 am and made the decision to keep it alive, all day long.  Weigh in was at 3:30.  Keith Fraser, president of www.alltackle.com cleared out one of his storage compartments in the deck of the boat and plugged it up with a custom plug he fashioned to be able to live-release these outstanding fish.  We filled the hold with fresh seawater, added a product called Rejuvinade Livewell Formula for Gamefish - Next Generation, and let her rest the day out, adding fresh seawater every half hour or so.



Rejuvinade basically narc's out the bass and helps replace any protective slime lost in battle... a major part of the success of this technique to keep these fish alive is the water has to be COLD... Don't do this if the water is above 70-75 degrees.  Make the decision to release the fish, or manage it properly (quickly dispatch) to weigh it in.

We ended up catching a handful of fish that day, and didn't come anywhere near the winning weight of 51 Pounds... but you can't complain about fishing a tournament with great friends, for a great organization in a world class fishery!  I'll hope to be back next year, I've got some ideas how to get that 52 pounder to bite... and once again, I'm motivated!

M