2 Redfish Friday - Patuxent River

[WOOD YAK]

Fished with my brother today. He caught a 13" Red on a gulp paddle tail and I caught a smaller 9" on a mini crank bait. Both on 2 different creeks off the lower Patuxent River. One North of the bridge and one South. Have been reading about people catching them but didn't know they would be this far North. It seems to me that these small fish were born in the bay. 2 fish in two creeks on opposite sides of river lead me to believe they are becoming established. Insights? What is the furthest North you have caught a Redfish?

[J.A. Veil]

During 2012, redfish moved much farther north than usual. I caught several in the Severn and heard of reds caught farther north than that. In 2013, I found a few larger reds in Eastern Bay but none in the Severn. The following two winters were quite cold, and we saw very little redfish presence in the mid-Bay.

Your reports and those of others fishing in the Potomac River and other more southern waters are quite promising. Hopefully the reds will continue to move northward during August and September.

[Mark]

Your reports and those of others fishing in the Potomac River and other more southern waters are quite promising. Hopefully the reds will continue to move northward during August and September.

I join you (and many others I'm certain) in hoping that this is the case. Maybe 2016 will be the year of my first tussle with a redfish.

[ronaultmtd]

During 2012, redfish moved much farther north than usual. I caught several in the Severn and heard of reds caught farther north than that. In 2013, I found a few larger reds in Eastern Bay but none in the Severn. The following two winters were quite cold, and we saw very little redfish presence in the mid-Bay.

Your reports and those of others fishing in the Potomac River and other more southern waters are quite promising. Hopefully the reds will continue to move northward during August and September.

Flounder are coming back as well, John...I caught several small flounder as by-catch over the past few trips...and a few speckled trout are showing up in their normal haunts...

[dasher]

I think they do spawn locally, but they migrate in and out as well. Without extensive tagging, it is unlikely we will really know for sure. It was a relatively mild winter, but a hard winter will wipe out any sucesses.

[Yak67]

I caught a nice fat 14 inch Red at Piney Point today. As Shady said "That's not a croaker with a black dot on its tail

I thought I had a lunker Croaker, ready to show Big Mike, who is the "King of the Croakers"

I am ready to head to the Eastern Shore in search of some larger ones

Yak67
2015 Hobie PA-14
2016 Hobie Outback LE#217

[ronaultmtd]

I turned that one loose Friday..love big red drum...not to eat;but for the sport of it-they have a powerful first run that makes you wonder if you have enough line on your spool...- smoking fifty or sixty yard run regardless of drag settings- too tight and it breaks off...it is going to take that fifty or sixty yard run no matter what-then it is a slug fest as you turn the fish before its second forty five or fifty yard run...after the first two long runs it is an endurance battle- love those big bull reds...powerful, strong fish. In my opinion the 40 pound class fish is the best- anything bigger doesn't seem to be as frisky as those 40-45 pound fish...we used to plan our vacations around the November 5th drum runs at Hatteras...those drum blitzes were epic as hundreds were landed and released on the Hatteras Island piers and surf...my favorite pier was Rodanthe although Avon shared in the blitzes as well- the ends of the pier had a Hatteras Heaver spaced every six inches apart and the regular pier jockeys could toss a half pound chunk of cut mullet on a 10/0 English hook and a 8 oz. pyramid sinker 100 yards off the end of the pier without crossing any of the sixty or so lines...anyway- it looks like we will have a rebound of redfish/speckled trout barring any severe cold winter fish kills...climate change will bring along with it changes in fish habitat and different species in places they never had been before...As rising water levels change the landscape and rising tempeture melts the polar ice caps, no one knows the consequences, but we are seeing changes-

[whenican]

A few years ago I caught tiny puppy drums in Mattawoman Creek in Indianhead. That was the year they were abundantly everywhere. I also saw a dude catch one that was 18" from the old 450 bridge( Jonas Greene) in the Severn.I believe this was the year after when they were bigger. I've seen way small specks caught & released in the Patuxent above Benedict.

[J. Rentch]

With you on that Mark. Need to add a Red to my list.

[Mark]

With you on that Mark. Need to add a Red to my list.

We'll get there John.

I've seen them tailing in Tampa. I've had bumps but no hookups in their vicinity. I've been on the water with John V. there when he has caught them. Raptor caught one all the way up in Mill Creek when they made their last big visit to our local waters.

I saw a tail break the water near a distant sod bank on VA's Eastern Shore a few years ago and threw my lure to it. I hooked up and was very proud of myself until I realized the brown tail I saw was a ray.

I've been teased enough by them. Maybe this year is my year for a red.