Cheasapeake Bay Paxfest report

[Captmikestarrett]

Started at 6am from Ramp and ran fast out to Rips. Ernie was right behind when I got up on plane and about halfway out I turned to Steve and said "Is he still with us?" and it was "no way". I looked back and he was this little dot way back. Sorry Ernie but it hurts my engine to go so slow. We catch three quick convict bass and they finally arrive. I yell over to them "ready to go to the next spot" Ha ha they looked like I was serious..
We moved around a little till the Humingbird was full of fish. Anchored up and bailed fish like crazy on stingsilvers and ba's. Sassy shads where cut in half each cast from the blues. I was using the fly rod 8wt and a 350 Teeny and I could not get it down enough. I would cast up current and still not enough to get down. But the fish would come up to chase bait and bam fish on. Several blues and a couple of convict bass came up and got hooked. One spanish mack that shook the hook as it leeped over the engine. That was cool. My buddy Steve has a mack on and proceeds to beat it off the hook with the net. It worked and the mack swam away. 80 fish later we decided to put out the big baits. Big chunks of bluefish on baitrunner rigs and two minutes later zing the reel screams half the line off. The fight is on for about five minutes and the hook pulls. Good thing as he was almost out of line. Five minutes later same thing and hook pulls. Rebait and bam rod doubles over and line screams out only this time the fight stops after first run and in comes a four to five pound blue. Then another one same size. Then my rod gets a hit and I hook up for 42 minute fight with a 45 lb cow nosed ray. I yelled "Krikee that's a big one" in Steve Irwins honor...Bad Taste.... but that never stopped me before..


In for lunch and festivaties.
Back out at 3pm on rips and having one hell of time getting anchor to hold. Went to back up 50 lb anchor with sissor spikes. Two attempts and we cleat up. Engine is pouring oil out of it for some reason. Looked at it and found upper tank cap cracked. Unscrewed lower tank to relieve pressure. It worked for a while. Sawyer who joined us for the afternoon session had made a bad fly cast and wrapped the prop bad. Spent an hour unwrapping it while Steve caught fish after fish after fish. Just as we finished a rouge wave hits us and we all get knocked down. Bruised but OK..
Called it day at 6pm and boat getting waves over front.
Capt Mike

[flbassman]

What type of fish could it have been up there that pulled your buddy's hook out? Big striper?

[Captmikestarrett]

Not likely as the big ones are out of the bay right now. Could be rays or drum. We get some big reds this time of year but more than likely a ray.

Capt Mike