Rocky Gorge Mico Fishing

[DanMarino]

Also lost a micro pike when it bumped into the side of the kayak.

[Mark]

Were you using your micro jigs?

Any catch at this time of year when most of us are starved for pullage is impressive.

Good job.

[DanMarino]

Haha. Nope! I was cranking with a spinning rod, but only found puny guys. That was my first Rocky Gorge striper. So that was a fun catch. Too much wind made the paddle no bueno.

[perchy]

I'm wondering if that Striper is a stocked one or if they're naturally reproducing in there... hmm

[DanMarino]

I'm wondering if that Striper is a stocked one or if they're naturally reproducing in there... hmm

That's a good question Perchy. I wonder how long it takes for a reservoir striper/rockfish to grow to a length of 13 inches. It was a neat fish and very healthy looking. It stayed down and did not jump.

[Mark]

Here's my micro fish entry:

P1020608.jpg

I nailed this behemoth on a wooly bugger in Smithville Lake near Denton today. Don't laugh...It takes great skill to sense such a minute bite and to hook the little devil on a fly and then bring it to the boat without sending it airborne.

The tiny bluegill was actually much harder to catch than this fish that hooked itself onto my bullet head darter and swam in circles for a while until I subdued it with my 6 wt.

P1020599.jpg

I'd like to tell you there were a lot of fish in between those two above but there weren't. Today's pervasive winds really cut down on the fishable spots with a fly rod. I did toss a popper for a few casts before departing and actually got a swirl from below but no hookup. I think it won't be long until the freshwater surface bite starts for real.

[DanMarino]

Mark, you are making me laugh about the great skill to sense your micro bluegill bite. haha

[Mark]

Mark, you are making me laugh about the great skill to sense your micro bluegill bite. haha

Actually, I thought I had hooked an emerging lily pad. I was trying to not bury the hook deep in the stem of the plant and all of a sudden I noticed my line was moving. You have to wonder what these bluegills are thinking to try to eat something larger than their stomachs.

[bignose]

Don't laugh...It takes great skill to sense such a minute bite and to hook the little devil on a fly and then bring it to the boat without sending it airborne.

The first time I went Trout fishing with a fly rod, I hooked what I thought was a rising trout, and promptly threw a very surprised fallfish over my shoulder as I set the hook.
If I hadn't ducked out of reflex, it would have hit me in the face.

[UnkleRob2020]

Mike. No, I wasn't using micro jigs. I am embarrased to admit that I do not really know how to jig fish, like I hear about at the 3 piling of the bay bridge. I grew up fishing with live bait.

The reason why i asked the question is I have a vendor at work that claims to catch them and has floated a promise to take me. Truth be told, I don't know how to read structure on a DF, I don't know how to jig bucktails, I don't know how to fish weedlessly so hydrilla is a back breaker to me.

I am willling to join people, hire guides, watch videos and whatever i have to do to continue my education for this passion.

I have a lot of health issues and getting back into fishing has helped me connect to nature and my childhood in a magical way. If I can stop feeling like a victim I may find I have lots of good fishing years left.

A weekend day on the Severn with the help of many Snaggedliners advice, reminded me of the joys of a good day on the water.

I thank everyone and wish you the best.

[mudskipper]

That's a good question Perchy. I wonder how long it takes for a reservoir striper/rockfish to grow to a length of 13 inches. It was a neat fish and very healthy looking. It stayed down and did not jump.

Rocky Gorge definitely has the potential for successful striper reproduction, but it requires WSSC to cooperate with regards to water levels in the early spring. And striper spawns aren't a priority for them, lol.

But essentially, the reservoir needs to be full-pond in March-April, so the spawning fish can get far enough up the river (well past the 108 bridge) to be far enough upstream for their eggs to be able to stay free-floating in the water column for 48 hours until they hatch. If the fish can't get far enough upstream, the eggs reach the muddy shallows around Browns Bridge, where the current slacks off, and they sink to the bottom and die there. If the water levels are low - like they usually are in late winter - the spawners won't even come up as far as Browns Bridge, and their eggs will sink to the bottom almost immediately. Stripers aren't salmon - they don't like to come into water so shallow they feel vulnerable, so they stay deep enough and spawn there, but with 0% success.

This is the reason the Potomac has such a spectacular run of stripers in spring around Chain Bridge - plenty of deep water all the way up to lower little falls rapid, and enough current to keep the eggs suspended long enough to hatch.

The Patuxent is marginal at best, and usually is too low at spring levels

[DanMarino]

Cool info mudskipper.