Greetings from Capt. Dave & BAYMEN!

On board this morning, Mr. Chase Nolan for light tackle striped bass, and I fished alongside Chase on the fly. We slammed them! Insane topwater bite at first light on a dead-low tide up on the flats – in 2-7 fow!

At first light, rain. Overcast, with water temps 70 degrees. Winds were near calm with a touch of SSW. Tide was just about dead low and I was expecting a slow start until the tide turned. But there was no slack tide today. As soon as the tide hit it’s lowest point, incoming tide was already pushing against it. There was maybe two minutes of slack on the -0.3 new moon, and here came the tide back in again, bringing with it a ton of bait and hungry striped bass!

As we headed out to my first stop of the morning, we saw huge explosions up on the flats in maybe two feet of water. Schools of bass all busting on top and at times finning in the skinny. I gave Chase an Intent Tackle Coastal Popper in bone color, rigged with single inline hooks…POW! Massive explosion on the flat and just an insane run with the drag absolutely screaming as line peeled off the reel at an amazing speed. I had 30lb mono leaders on the 40lb braid and Chase put the screws to this fish! So hard that I had to tell him to lighten up and play the fish and let it run – and run it did! It screamed off the flat for deep water searching for the channel and turning the boat. Chase was cranking like a mad man trying to gain line back on the spool. When the fish came alongside the boat sometime later, I got it on the Boga Grip for a quick pic and released: 39+ inches, 19 lbs. What a fine fish in two feet of water up on the flats! Thank you Lord!

Next up, The Captain could not contain himself and threw his newest favorite fly rod/reel/fly combination into the blitz: A TFO BVK 8 wt, an Orvis Hydros reel, a Flip Pallot floating line (the orange one), with a 15lb mono tippet, and a Jack Gartside Gurggler floating fly in white. Strip…Strip…Strip…WHAM! Fish On! A really nice striped bass came up and slammed the Gurggler in a massive explosion. These fish were just crazy aggressive today! I have not seen a blitz like this since early Spring. Well, after a great run into the backing and a great fight, we got a quick back and released this fine fly rod striped bass.

With pounding rains, wide grins, and grateful hearts, we called it an incredible morning on the bay. Time for hot coffee and dry clothes. Days like this I wish time could stand still.

Capt. David Bitters, BAYMEN, baymenlife.com 31 Years Guiding The Bay. Still In Love.

Soli Deo Gloria!