Striped Bass Near Buoy No. 1

Type: Chesapeake
Region: Middle Bay
Location: Buoy No.1

The morning of April 29 was kick started by a screeching 5:00 A.M. alarm insisting again that it was time to fish. Having had little sleep, we were feeding primarily off of anticipation. We set up at Buoy No. 1, same 5 line spread of two tandems, two umbrellas and a lipped lure. The only real game plan being the intent to find open water away from boat congestion. Based on this criteria, the west side of the Bay seemed to give off a good vibe. I would check the rods every 5-10 seconds and it was always nothing followed by more of nothing. Finally came the ominous sight of the Penn 330 being absolutely battered by a hungry fish. Adrenaline hit and I was on the rod before I even knew why I was there. The beast was hoodwinked by the chartreuse umbrella so I fully expected it to be heavy, but even with the added weight I knew this fish was special. I tried vehemently to avoid tangle with the other lines, but this fish was intent on bringing every single line with it. Finally in the net was a fat 38 inch, 24lb rockfish that was superficially hooked.