Not to be out done, Joe W. and fishing partner Bobby enjoyed a banner night on Joppa fishing eels boating a dozen fish over 39" with a half dozen or so over 42"; largest was 43"; measured a seriously fat 46" fish (close to 40 pounds) at the ramp in another boat. Thanks Joe!

I spent Monday-Wednesday fishing the dropping tide out on Joppa as well. We had 3 super days landing and releasing better than 20 keepers from 28 to 43 inches on flies and white Slug-Go's. The flats were alive with stripers from the top of the tide right through to the next high tide. Stripers could be observed cruising the flat on the rising tide. But they weren't always eating and at times simply had lock jaw. Monday they ate flies more than Slug-Go's but the reverse was true on Tuesday and then back on flies on Wednesday (strange but true). However, the guys drifting live macks on Joppa out-did everyone with rods bent every time I looked up! Some serious action out there all week. And these stripers are fresh into the river since most were still covered in sea lice, so my guess is the "drop back stripers" eating alewife and river herring up river have yet to drop back. WOW! But all good things are not so good; 50% of our catch were better than 28" while fewer than 15% were 16-22 inches, the remaining percentage were 22-27 inches. Just a concern about the low numbers of small stripers; a reflection of the recent poor spawn cycles. We should all practice more catch and release and only take what we will personally use and not what you think a neighbor will take off your hands. These stripers are our collective fishing futures.

Paul D with Capt Al

Joe W and Bobby

Jona R with a nice 37" fly caught striper

Todd H. with several stripers up to 43", all white slug-go caught (he is a slug-go master!)

Capt Skip out with Brian O'C

Capt Skip Montello