Last Fish of 2018

[Mark]

I started the year in January with specks on the east coast of FL and ended it yesterday with pickerel from an Eastern Shore pond.

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I caught it and 7 others like it on the fly with a white articulated bullet head darter -- AKA pickerel candy!

I got a few more on soft plastics rigged weedless:

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And I got one on a perch spinner.

None big. The one on the board was the largest.

But my biggest surprise was seeing a lone turtle swimming in the pond on 30 December. I later found it resting on dormant vegetation. Look hard and you'll see it:

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So ended my 2018 angling year. Considering our excess rain and a multitude of family obligations I didn't get out as often as would have liked. But I managed to have a pretty good year overall. I didn't keep stats but I'm sure my striper counts were down. However, like many here, my unexpected channel cat catches were up. They were lots of fun. I also learned some new waters near my home hooking five tidal species from the new Bodkin Launch in Downs Park. That bodes well for the future. So I'm hoping for more and better fishing in 2019 and wishing the same for all on Snaggedline. Happy New Year!

[DanMarino]

Nice report Mark! That is a surprise to see a turtle still active.

[J.A. Veil]

Mark - I'm glad you found some fish yesterday. I did a quick trip in the Severn yesterday and did not get a bite. I did not want to end the year on a skunk trip, so I left early this morning to visit two Eastern Shore ponds. At the first pond, I caught a dozen pickerel from mid-teens to about 18" over a two-hour period. The first two came on soft plastics on jigheads. After that I switched to live minnows on jigheads.

I was getting cold, so I came back to shore, loaded up, and drove 20 mins away to a second pond (the heater in the van felt good). I launched there with an eye on the rain clouds. I was able to fish in muddy water for about 90 mins. I hooked about 7 small bass, but landed only one of them plus another pickerel.

Half way through my trip at the second pond the rain began as a gentle drizzle but built steadily. I headed back, loaded up in the rain, and drove home.

[Mark]

Thanks Tom.

I guess yesterday's afternoon sun cast enough warmth on the turtle's winter home to stir it from hibernation. The pickerel also became more active as the day wore on. There's a lesson in that pattern for those of us who fish ponds in winter.

John,

Given the disappearance of tidal pickerel on our side of the Bay, I think bridging east is a small price to pay for a legitimate shot at catching them. At least beach traffic is not an issue at this time of year.