the night dock hunter

Lewes, Delaware Canal {low @ 12:38 and high @7:09pm}

This last week I have been walking out onto my dads dock behind his house and fishing for a few hours after dark. He lives on a narrow canal and right after sunset the striped bass have been cornering bait fish up against the dock pilings and the side of the canal banks. You can hear the bass slapping all up and down the canal. You just wait until you hear a loud slap and look for the bass that broke water and cast into the splash. The bass are stunning the bait fish with their tails and then they  circle back and engulf the prey. If you time it right and get your lure onto the splash right after the slap they think your lure is the bait fish and nail it.

Night fishing is tough but rewarding. It is pitch black and all your senses are heightened so when your lure gets slammed in the dead of the night its sends a jolt of energy straight up the rod into your hand. Most nights I have been getting only 3 or 4 fish but I noticed the other night up towards the bridge some huge bass swirling and splashing. I went onto my neighbors dock tonight and had the best 3 hours of bass fishing of my life. It all started at the "Magic Hour", right when the sunsets and the reflection of the sun turns the water into a beautiful oil slick color.  Striped bass feed heavily at night and have an advantage over the bait fish. The cones and rods in the striped bass eyes can adjust faster then the bait fish eyes as the light drains out of the sky. From sunset to 11pm it was nonstop action. They were all nice fish. My dad got caught and released a nice 24inch striper and I got a nice 26inch.

Lures: Rat-L-Trap { 2 1/2" Mini-Trap-1/4oz. in either Chrome/Blue Back or Chrome/Black Back with a black teaser fly}

Caught 9 Striped Bass Total | All Catch | Photo | Release accept one for dinner

(5 of them were keepers, in the canal from July 1st to August 31st you are allowed 2 slotted  fish between 20 & 26inch)

Slot Limit: You are required to keep bass of a certain size, but must release both smaller and larger fish.