Slow Start But Nice Finish

Type: Chesapeake
Region: Mid Bay
Location: Near Annapolis

My father-in-law Eric and I were back out fishing again on Saturday near Annapolis. We started out around 7:30 and were off to a slow start despite marking plenty of fish on the sonar. I finally caught a 25.5� Striped Bass around 8:15. We fished until 10:30 and didn�t get a single bite after catching the first fish. We went back out around 1:00 and were off to a very slow start again. We had no bites at all until 3:00 when it was like someone flipped a switch and the fish started biting. Eric caught a 19� and a 20� back-to-back, and then I caught a 22� right after that. We caught those 3 fish all within about 20 minutes. The two that I cleaned had completely empty stomachs, which isn�t surprising considering their reluctance to take a bait. Does anyone know what is slowing down their feeding now � is it the lower water temperature?

DNR Response: Current bay water temperatures are near optimal for Striped Bass at the moment. Most often tidal currents have a direct effect on the feeding habits of Striped Bass on a daily basis. Other contributing factors can be barometric pressure, water temperature, bait availability and sunlight intensity.