# super dinks at lesner



## rockhead (Nov 6, 2002)

fished the lesner duck inn side from 12-100 on thursday night, caught 5 dinks from 12-16''. didnt seem to matter which plastic I used


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## TC (Oct 21, 2002)

*Dinks*

Yeah, I saw a guy nail them left and right yesterday out in the middle. 
I caught a keeper. There will be bigger ones soon, if the cold weather stays with us. Thanksgiving shall be big fish weekend, hopefully.
TC


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## surf rat (Jun 30, 2004)

*Dinks*

I don't know where you guys are fishing but I fished Lynhaven last night and is sure wasen't dinks. I caught one fish about 30 inches and I saw three more fish in the 20 lb range caught and one fish that was at least 30 lbs if not 35. I know for a fact the big fish are and have been there. There has been fish over 40 inches caught allready.Don't get me wrong, they are not easy to catch but they are there. It is a small window of time each night when these big fish seem to bite and they are very selective about what they hit. Last nite of all the folks fishing 4 of us caught all the large fish. We were all fishing the exact same bait the same way and most everybody else was fishless. I watched one guy land 40 plus pounds of fish ( two fish ) in about ten minutes put his stuff away and sit back and watch others fish.The fish are there if you can catch them.


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## TC (Oct 21, 2002)

Thanks for the info Surf Rat
TC


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## The Bucket (Mar 4, 2001)

Rockhead,

I have caught more small rockfish in the last 4-6 weeks from the beach then in the ten yr that I've been local  

Can't figure what exactly is going on with striped bass population dynamic as this fall seems to have plenty of "super dinks". Noted this phenomena when at Duck Inn grubbin' for specks wherein I C&R'd a 10" speck and an even smaller 8" rock.

First decent Rock blitz I was in at OV the other day were a little better class of fish (22-26") while Lesner & Chicks have been mainly 16-20" fish ?! Could be just circumstance, me, or other deeper issue versus the big'ins surf rat has been catchin'  

Size does matter  

`bucket


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## RedskinFan228 (Jun 28, 2004)

OK surfrat let us in on the how to and the where to that you all are catchinh the 20-30 lb stripers. If you dont mind. All ive been getting are some small specks and they seem to have left the area.

Ken


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## surf rat (Jun 30, 2004)

*Stripers*

It's pretty simple. I'm not one for broadcasting my exact spots or baits over the internet though. Just go yourself look for the guys with big stripers piled up in the sand behind them and pay attention to how they are fishing. I allready told you the fish are there!!! I don't think it is right to broadcast information that took a long time for others to figure out. On the other hand if You walked up to me while I was fishing and asked me I would tell you.I will tell you this, the big fish are on the bottom....I did see a Grizzwall walk up last year with a bass rod and a bucktail and as we looked at him and laughed to each other caught the biggest striper I saw caught from shore in Virginia last year. It was the first one he had ever caught. This fish was about 40 lbs.So with that said, nothing is in stone...but I do know that year after year It is the same faces I see catching the big fish..All you have to do is watch what they do. Most guys don't have a clue of the size stripers that are caught there each year. I allways walk over to the boat ramp and wash off my waders after I fish. Sometimes the boat guys will laugh to themself about the shore fisherman, and brag about what they caught. Thursday night a guy was bragging about his big 26 incher he caught at the first island. Let them keep on laughing.


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## Doad (Aug 27, 2001)

I think that's a pretty selfish, but typical attitude, as far as how to catch keeper stripers instead of dinks is concerned.

Use a 2 oz. leadhead w/a grubtail...SHORT. HEAVE that thing from the Duck Inn side so that you're as far under the middle of the bridge as you can get, and be ready to lose lots of lead in the process. You WILL catch keeper stripers if you can fish on the bottom and get out into the main channel, under the bridge. Been able to outfish many persons from that side on the outgoing, just because I would throw farther than they cared to, and used heavier lead than they thought necessary. Use a light gauge line-less than 15 lbs. if possible, but use a shock leader around 40 lbs. to help horse 'em out from under the bridge. Red leadheads and 2 oz. + bucktails are the best for this method. It WILL work if the fish are there.

Hope this helps,

Doad.


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## sand flea (Oct 24, 1999)

It's very similar anywhere you fish. Bigger ones tend to hang deep, right next to the pilings. Get ready to lose some tackle.

Some folks prefer bucktails (I like the roadrunner style with a spinner on the head), others like bass assassins or other soft plastics.

These last two years have seen tons of dinks. It's awful up in here in Maryland--you can barely get past the teeny ones to get a keeper.

We're seeing the dominant year-classes from a couple of years ago make their way up the chain. Now here's to hoping they don't starve to death on the way.


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## surf rat (Jun 30, 2004)

*doad*

That's not how we do it man. I didn't think my reply was selfish. I didn't have to tell you anything. If you will listen to what I said it might help you too. As far as the light monafilament, you wouldn't even slow these fish down with it in that current.


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## NTKG (Aug 16, 2003)

well im not tryin to call anyone out, or be a prick or anything, but i fish lesner a bunch, and when i come out all the way from richmond, i usually FISH for the whole night, i dont mean fish for a coupla hours sleep, wake up in the morning, i fish all evening. i will vouch i have seen, more than i've caught, plenty of 35+ inch fish caugh... as for 40lb+ fish caught, i have not seen any. a 40+inch fish does not usually weigh in anywhere near 40lbs, unless it happens to be fulla bunker, in which case it still wouldnt weigh out. a striper weighing in the 40lb class is 50 inches or better usually, and i havent seen fish that big, or heard any of the locals speak of 50inch fish on a consistant basis. so im not sure if people are confusing lengths with weights... i've been fishin a long time, and what i do know, is that i dont know the half of what people actually catch, but consistant 40lb fish, so far out of lesner i know is not happening, at least not when im there twice a week... or when my buddies are there. i dunno, but maybe im wrong. as far as fishing there, leadheads, metal, and rattltraps have all worked for me, but like rat said, go out there and watch people, watchin people for 15 min in any fishin situation will teach ya everything you need to know, including how to fish in a buncha them without tanglin up.

neil


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## Gangstachoob (Oct 4, 2004)

*hang*

Im in richmond as well, thinking bout heading down to lesner tonight if your interested


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## NTKG (Aug 16, 2003)

GSTAR

i wont be able to make it, my gf's yelling right now that we shoulda gone to dinner five minutes ago, but i will be making it down there this week

pm me


neil


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## surf rat (Jun 30, 2004)

*Stripers*

The 40 lb fish I saw caught last year was about 43 inches long. Believe what you want to. Anyone who knows me knows that I have caught enough 40 lb fish to know what one looks like. no one said they are the norm at lynhaven but I have seen a lot of 30 lb fish caught there.


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## reelrebel18 (Oct 13, 2004)

i will vouch for surfrat i too have seen several stripers over 35lbs.and over 40" come from lynhaven


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## Newsjeff (Jul 22, 2004)

*Lesner on the Duck Inn side*

I would love to catch a citation striper this year. I think the deeper water near the pilings at the Lesner would be the best spot for a HUGE striper when fishing the Bay. 
Which leads to a couple of questions:
Can anyone tell me if it's easier to cast out into the deeper water (i.e. the boat channel) from the Duck Inn side of the Lesner? I've seen some old satellite pics of the Lynnhaven Inlet, and it appears the boat channel is closer to shore on the Duck Inn side. 
I've not fished the Duck Inn side. Would it be OK to park in the restaurant's parking lot in an out-of-way spot? And how far of a hike is it to the water from the parking lot?
Thanks in advance.


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## reelrebel18 (Oct 13, 2004)

they r reel cool about letting fishermen park and walk through to the beach 
i always park in the gravel parking lot and hike through u can even sit at one of the benches or picnic tables while u get read
it will be a shame whe that place is gon       e


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## sand flea (Oct 24, 1999)

You have two options:

Fish from the Duck Inn side and wade the rocky, gently sloping shore on the outside or fish the beach on the inside, which drops off immediately and should not be waded for more than a few feet.

The other option is to fish from the boat ramp side near Chick's on the low tide. Find someone to guide you onto the bar and throw back toward the pilings. If you choose this option, be extraordinarily careful, because this is a dangerous place and the incoming tide can turn you into a statistic faster than you can say, "Why is the water getting deeper?"


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## NTKG (Aug 16, 2003)

im not doubting anyone, hence why i said, i could be wrong, no one knows what size fish are really pulled out, and like... the 8 other times i said that basically i could be wrong, and i was saying as of yet, this year, i have not seen them, and i still havent, and from what you guys are sayin, it still looks like there havent been, YET... calm down why does everyone seem so quick to take offense? and yes, most 40 inch class fish are not in the 40 inch length class, they're just not... and i agree, this year, at plo, narrows, chix and lesner, i have caught more dinks this year than in years past, and that again seems to be true, which is what this post was about. im not casting doubt on what anybody here says, esp when they share info. 


neil


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## RedskinFan228 (Jun 28, 2004)

First I ddnt mean to cause all the fuss,

Rat I am not asking you to give up your secrets. I do watch the other fishermen. I am a freindly person and always talk to the other fishermen I even ask them if they are P and S members. I just have not seen any large stripers caught this year. I thought this site was here to share information about the hows and wheres. 

Ive just put alot of time in at the lessner and have had no luck just wondering what i was doing wrong is all. Been fishing a long time and never had this much trouble catching a fish (other than dinks) lol

Hang thanks for the information I will give it a try this week. Hope to meet you some day out there.

Rat hope to meet you as well.

I think both of you have a lot to share so if you see a guy not catching any fish watching what you are doing hope you can spare a few minutes to help me out  

Besides II have fun as long as someone is catching fish.

Ken


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## surf rat (Jun 30, 2004)

*Stripers*

I only fish the boat ramp side. I am not fishing the bridge structure. Most all the big fish I have caught and seen caught are in the channel.Just watch out for the boats. Power pro is a given there. The bites are very lite. It helps detect strikes plus you need to horse these fish out of the boat lane once hooked.


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## Shoebag22 (Jun 17, 2004)

I can confirm the big stripers coming out of lesner... but I hope that what I am hearing is not true... it sounds like some of the guys are keeping 2 fish over 28"...


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## johnnyleo11 (Dec 17, 2003)

Hit BackBay, more elbow room.


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## RedskinFan228 (Jun 28, 2004)

Thanks for the info Doad

Johnny u talking about the surf at the end of sandbridge?


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## johnnyleo11 (Dec 17, 2003)

*******,

Yeah. However, if you want to get on the National Wildlife Refuge, you'll have to purchase a Federal Duck Stamp for use at any Federal Reserve until July or a daily use fee. The Duck Stamp will allow you admittance to Chincoteague too. It's valuable if you happen to go to either one of those places.


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## Digger (Jan 4, 2000)

Here is a link to a noted weight chart for Stripers.
http://stripersurf.com/ageweight.html


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## surf rat (Jun 30, 2004)

*Chart*

I did not say that all 43 inch fish weigh 40 lbs. I said that the one that guy caught last year was about 43 inches and about 40 lbs. But I will say this about your chart and about the statement that 40 lb fish are going to be in the 50 inch range . Sure some will but the next time you are in T.W.'s Tackle in Kittyhawk look on the counter and you will see a picture of a Guy with a 44 lb striper caught in the surf this past winter at O.I. I know for a fact that fish was only 42.5 inches long and had an empty stomach. The reason I am so sure is because that picture is me.Like I said I know what a 40 lb striper looks like. I have caught 40 inch fish that didn't weigh 25 lbs. I also have a 10.5 lb largemouth mounted that was only 24 inches long. The real factor is the girth....That O.I.striper Had a 32 inch stomach..And before you accuse me of stuffing it full of lead Tres Irby was fishing right beside me and weighed her for me on the spot.But the point of all this is.....Like I said the big stripers are and have been at Lynhaven...But you can believe whatever you want...On the lighter side just don't be so hard to convience if someone yells DUCK!!!.....P.S. Other than possibly Sand Bridge later in the year this is the only place I fish for stripers in V.A. . Anyone looking to catch a pig striper from shore should learn the deal there. I would like to check out those barrier islands in Dec. I've heard things about them.


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## johnnyleo11 (Dec 17, 2003)

Please please please everyone.

Trying using milk with your cornflakes.


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## Thrifty Angler (May 5, 2002)

And yall thought I was a handful!  

Looks like there's a new sheriff in town....  

After coming to see the errs of my ways, I'm resigning.


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## surf rat (Jun 30, 2004)

*Sheriff*

It's a thankless job.


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## TC (Oct 21, 2002)

*Just don't dunk me!*



Thrifty Angler said:


> And yall thought I was a handful!
> 
> Looks like there's a new sheriff in town....
> 
> After coming to see the errs of my ways, I'm resigning.


I am not going to be able to handle two people like thrifty, please, nooooooooooooo!


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## ryan1177 (Nov 9, 2004)

seems this thread has evolved into something far off the subject of 'super dinks at lesner'. that being said, do any of you guys/girls fish the inlet with live eels. i've read some new england striper forums and many have mentioned using a cast/retrieve method using eels. hey surfrat, any comments on this or other methods (wink, wink)?


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## Thrifty Angler (May 5, 2002)

*Oops...I knew there was something I forgot*



TC said:


> I am not going to be able to handle two people like thrifty, please, nooooooooooooo!


I withdraw my resignation.....til the dunking business is all taken care of.  I just love positions of authority.  Cold temps outside...and dunking bait.....shiver me timbers...  Now where did he run off to!


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## rockhead (Nov 6, 2002)

ATTENTION

I can tell everyone how to catch the big stripers at the lesner. get some white 1-2 oz cannonball jigheads, and add a bubblegum or cajun croaker zoom superfluke. now go to the boat ramp side of the lesner. you want to fish the inlet side NOT the bayside where the bar is. also you do NOT want to fish right next to the pilings, actually you want to be right next to a half dozen asian guys that are shoulder to shoulder maybe a couple hundred yards from the bridge (maybe not that far, but a good way off the bridge) now sling your jig out real real far (its got to be a long cast) when your jig hits the water let more line out as it sinks to the bottom, after maybe 5 seconds close your bail and tighten up your line BUT dont begin your retrieve just keep your line tight and let it drift along the bottom. also be waiting for a very subtle hit, if you feel a hit set the hook real hard, if not do a very very slow retrieve. by now your line is out of deep water and nearing others so real it on in. The only other part I cant remember is the tidal condition, but I am almost positive that you want a good outgoing tide. and of course this all needs to take place after dark. now go get em boyz, and please try not to kill each other in the process. btw this will also get the big boys during the spring season.
Surf rat, am I close?


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## Rockstar (Jun 23, 2004)

might still be a little too early for eels but i might give it a shot tonight at the wall. i talked to a guy at seagull who was telling me stripers don't neccesarely eat the eels, they crush them and push them out through there gills. supposedly, eels are egg predators and female bass instinctively kill eels on sight. pretty interesting perspective, i'm not sure how true that is, but i don't ever remember seeing eel in a stripers gut. as for fishing with them, there was a thread pretty recently on here about rigging.


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## reelrebel18 (Oct 13, 2004)

they will eat them i have found them in striper stomachs


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## ryan1177 (Nov 9, 2004)

StillSkatin said:


> ...i don't ever remember seeing eel in a stripers gut.


man i cleaned a striper once that had like 20 or 30 eels in its stomach. i put them all in a pile and took a picture. they definitely eat eels! btw, maybe a dumb newbie question, but where is the wall?


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## reelrebel18 (Oct 13, 2004)

inbetween the 2 great neck bridges in va beach


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## TC (Oct 21, 2002)

*Thrifty....*

The dunking thing? Please elaborate.
Smmoootttch.


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## surf rat (Jun 30, 2004)

*Rockhead*

. I take it you have seen people catch large stripers with that zoom technique. I have fished eels at lynhaven. The problem is that the current is too strong . You can fish them on the outside but you don't need eels to catch them there. The only time I fish eels is at O.I. when I can't get fresh bunker. The surf stripers seem to like very small eels. plus you can cast them much farther. The problem with that at Lynhaven is also a distance thing...like I said the big fish are in the channel.....The same one marked by those big wooden fenders....I like bait fishing whenever possible. Jigs are the way to go at lynhaven. You can bottom fish in slow tide but the problem is that is not when these big fish like to eat. Ryan1177 my advice is if you want to really enjoy striper fishing in the surf,and you have a 4x4 fish oregan inlet...It is much easier fishing. The lynhaven fish are hard to catch...If you really want to try them fish the channel with a 2oz jig at nite. I like white flukes...Later in the year I switch to a short carolina rig and a bigger bait... Just match the size and color of the fish they are eating .


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## rattler (Jul 3, 2004)

you don't need live eels


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