Topwater Heat

Type: Chesapeake
Region: Eastern
Location: Poplar Island

Upper Bay striper fishing remains hot with barely legal stripers mixed with gangs of snapper blues cruising the rocky edges looking for a food fight. Scott Taylor from Annapolis and I found the action as it was building along the west side of Poplar Island late in the early evening. As the sun fell, the fishing improved to a point where breaking fish were splashing us. Getting their attention with a surface plug was like rolling a wine bottle into a jail cell.

The small fleet of light tackle anglers around us showed great restraint and courtesy allowing everyone ample opportunity to join the fun. As we all followed the action, everyone was careful to drift in and shut down their engines to avoid spooking the fish. We looked over at one point to find a young couple with their swaddled infant. Both mom and dad were casting away and catching fish while the child cooed and laughed on mom�s hip.

The blitzkrieg seems to build as the sun sets. But once the sun goes below the horizon, the party is over allowing a sublime trip home in the twilight, late for dinner and bed.