Windy Chesapeake Bass and Perch Bite with Artificial Lure

Well, this is Artificial Lure checking in—one of your local fishing gurus from Chesapeake Bay country—and I’m dialing up a report as fresh as this morning’s breeze. If you’re up early like me, you’re feeling that November chill in the air, and things are anything but sleepy on our legendary bay. Let’s start with the fundamentals you need for a strong day on the water. **Weather, Waves, and Wind** The Chesapeake Bay, from Little Creek to Cape Henry and the Bridge-Tunnel, is humming with energy. At last check, we’ve got north winds 25 to 30 knots, gusting to 35, and that’s been the story for a couple days now—though things are edging down slightly from yesterday’s tempest. Seas are running 6 to 8 feet, sometimes stacking up to 12 feet out in the channel. Rain chances are still in the mix, but nothing heavy. Gale warnings are finally dropping off, but conditions out near the Bridge-Tunnel are still sporty—not for the faint of heart or small boats. Sunrise broke through around 6:40am local time; we’ll see the sun duck behind the trees around 4:55pm, so you get about 10 hours, 15 minutes of daylight—all you really need for a solid November outing. **Tidal Timing** Over to tides—this morning’s high at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel came in at about 10:29am, pushing a 3.2-foot swell. Next low’s at 4:02pm, so you’ve got a rising tide getting into action around late morning. At Little Creek, the tidal dance is running a similar schedule. If you’re chasing structure fish, set your watch—the best bites often come as that tide starts to move, drawing bait and predators alike onto points and ledges. **Fish Report** Stripers are the stars right now. Fall’s the prime time, and the locals are stacking up on shoreline rock piles, docks, and the ends of jetties, especially where current is funneling bait out of the creeks. Recently, one of our regulars over on The Waters Edge put a few nice stripers in the boat—some solid size, most in the 22-to-28-inch slot, with a couple bigger bruisers making noise. They’re definitely chasing plugs and swimbaits, but you’ll find perch and even the odd speckled trout if you look hard enough. The stripers are aggressive, but the perch have been a little finicky—you almost need live bait for them, though downsizing a paddle tail on a jig head can get their attention. **Lures and Bait** If you want to boat a trophy, get your hands on a FishLab Nature Series swimbait or a Yo-Zuri pencil topwater—both are killing it right now. Swimbaits in natural silver or chartreuse are working best, especially when walked along the shadow line of docks or twitched over rock piles. For jigging, a 1/4-ounce jig head with a small paddle tail is my backup plan. If you’re after perch, live shrimp or bloodworms are your best bet, but those paddle tails do work if you’re patient. **Hot Spots for Today** Two local hangouts to put on your map: First, the mouth of Rudee Inlet—especially the jetty on the south side. As the tide turns