# Hot Ditch 12/12 - specks still hitting



## ARACHNIDS (Nov 11, 2010)

Went to the Hot Ditch Sunday afternoon from 1 to 4 hoping to catch a few before the next cold front. It was around 50 degrees and just drizzling until around 4:30 pm when it started to pour so it was definitely decent fishing weather. 

We caught about 15 small ones, no keepers. All the boats were catching small ones. I was using cut shrimp. My buddy was using Mirrolures and jigs. We caught an equal amount. The stripers may have lockjaw but the specks keep on hitting...at least in the hot ditch.


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## skunk king (Mar 25, 2008)

can you get to the hot ditch from the bank?


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## Cdog (Mar 18, 2002)

Not leagally.


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## kaizenakira (Oct 9, 2009)

So, how long do you guys think it will be until we start getting into arguments over the Hot Ditch and how crowded it will be this winter?


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## Dr. Bubba (Nov 9, 1999)

kaizenakira said:


> So, how long do you guys think it will be until we start getting into arguments over the Hot Ditch and how crowded it will be this winter?


after the Bay rockfish season ends, which may be before the end of the year based on water temp.


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## m30power (Sep 8, 2010)

Dr. Bubba said:


> after the Bay rockfish season ends, which may be before the end of the year based on water temp.


cbbt 42 degrees this am....hopefully fish just settled into deep water for now instead of all exiting the bay. Next week if anothr front doesnt come thru the temps should rebound back to mid forties at least.


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## jnc3000 (May 18, 2010)

m30power said:


> cbbt 42 degrees this am....hopefully fish just settled into deep water for now instead of all exiting the bay. Next week if anothr front doesnt come thru the temps should rebound back to mid forties at least.


I don't understand up north jersy etc, it is way way colder, and they catch stripers from the bank. So how is it to cold.


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## dirtyhandslopez (Nov 17, 2006)

m30power said:


> cbbt 42 degrees this am....hopefully fish just settled into deep water for now instead of all exiting the bay. Next week if anothr front doesnt come thru the temps should rebound back to mid forties at least.


With all the snow run off water, I wouldn't think temps will rise back up. If anything, they'll keep going down. But I am not too good on thinking sometimes.


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## FishyFingers (Oct 30, 2010)

jnc3000 said:


> I don't understand up north jersy etc, it is way way colder, and they catch stripers from the bank. So how is it to cold.


you know them yankee striper. always use to the cold :beer:


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## Lazio112210 (May 26, 2010)

How do I get to this alleged ”hot ditch”?


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## wannabeangler (Feb 7, 2009)

Lazio112210 said:


> How do I get to this alleged ”hot ditch”?


Nothing alleged about it. The "Hot Ditch" is any body of water near a power plant. Find a plant, find the water, and you got a "hot ditch" !


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## Dr. Bubba (Nov 9, 1999)

m30power said:


> cbbt 42 degrees this am....hopefully fish just settled into deep water for now instead of all exiting the bay. Next week if anothr front doesnt come thru the temps should rebound back to mid forties at least.


many small fish don't exit the Bay.
like puppy drum and trout, they duck in rudee and lynnhaven to semi-hibernate, and occasionally feed on overwinter fry of spot/croaker/trout/drum, while some end up in the hot ditches. larger fish move south and offshore with the bunker and anchovies. If inshore ocean temps don't plummet, and there are onshore winds to keep it warmish, there will be fish into the new year. If it continues to blow out, it's gonna be a long winter.


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## jay b (Dec 1, 2002)

Dr. Bubba said:


> many small fish don't exit the Bay.
> like puppy drum and trout, they duck in rudee and lynnhaven to semi-hibernate, and occasionally feed on overwinter fry of spot/croaker/trout/drum, while some end up in the hot ditches. larger fish move south and offshore with the bunker and anchovies. If inshore ocean temps don't plummet, and there are onshore winds to keep it warmish, there will be fish into the new year. If it continues to blow out, it's gonna be a long winter.


What he said, it's 35* F at Kiptopeake and 41* at the CBBT right now with more cold and wet predicted for the next two weeks so I'm hedging my bet on it being a looooooooooong winter.

Yes some fish will stay but when it's that cold they hardly move around to save energy so they only have feed very seldom. You might get lucky and find one that's hungry but you'll have to look hard and long to do it.

It's that dadgum global warming I tell ya ...........


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## wannabeangler (Feb 7, 2009)

Ok, ok...let's not get off the topic....Any size to the specks at the ditch? All year I hear of peeps catching specks, but none have any size to them. Legal size is fun to ctach, but not to keep. I'm looking for 20" or better. Chesapeake Ditch did good last winter with sizable fish....just wondering where they are now. I hear York Ditch is doing ok, and Surrey Ditch has fat cats, but I want some specks!


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## m30power (Sep 8, 2010)

jnc3000 said:


> I don't understand up north jersy etc, it is way way colder, and they catch stripers from the bank. So how is it to cold.


yes air temp might be colder, but the water temps are not. Usually in jersey the fishing shuts down around 43-45 degree water temps. In the height of their fall run temps are anywhere from 49-58ish. Ive caught bass jigging in a boat as low as 41...But once the surf up there gets below 44ish your shot at good fishing greatly diminishes. There are small fish (10-20 some inchers) that you can catch on the beach all winter up there.


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## citation (Dec 8, 2010)

What lures, colors, and other baits should i use?


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## jay b (Dec 1, 2002)

Go talk to Steve at Chesapeake B & T, he'll give you all the info and sell you all the gear and bait you need to fish the ditch. If there is a local B & T that "specializes" in the ditch that'd be the place.


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## Fishman (Apr 23, 2000)

Think outside of the ditch area. The river is long. Your bets bet for big fish is to fish in deep water especially on cold days when water temps are coldest. You can catch fish from the shore but may not be able to reach the drop off of the channel. Fishing from the bank is doable but fishing by watercraft is best. Stick baits like Mirrolures and Rapalas work well plastic baits like Gulps, twister tails and paddle tails with a jig heads work well also.


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## citation (Dec 8, 2010)

I caught a citation speckled trout right by the churchland bridge on cut mullet back in October or November, it was the first speckled trout i had ever caught off this dock. The fish was 26 inches and 5 and 1/2 pounds.


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## dlwn88 (Nov 7, 2010)

There's a dock you can fish off of over there?


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## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

FishyFingers said:


> you know them yankee striper. always use to the cold :beer:


Yep. 50-55 degree water temp, is optimum temp.


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## citation (Dec 8, 2010)

dlwn88 said:


> There's a dock you can fish off of over there?


They are all private docks, I just ask the people that own them if i can fish off them and they let me.


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