Fish in the Severn!

[CarsonNash]

Got out this evening for about 2 hours, trolling drop offs and ledges with a 1/2 oz candy corn jig heads and 5 inch silver sparkle mullets. Caught one striper but it was an encouraging sight, and it felt good to get the skunk off my new yak!

[Mark]

Excellent!

I hope you find a lot more in the Severn this year.

Nice looking boat too.

[Yakmac]

Congratulations! Finding fish in the Severn is a bonus! I have the same Vibe kayak and I love it for days I feel like paddling.

[CHOC]

Congrats on the extrication of the skunk!

[lovett88]

Sound like a nice day out. The more reports I read the more and more I want to make the trip down that way. It just makes for a long hour drive home if I dont catch atleast one. Tight lines!

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[J.A. Veil]

Sound like a nice day out. The more reports I read the more and more I want to make the trip down that way. It just makes for a long hour drive home if I dont catch atleast one. Tight lines!

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The Severn has not been generous for a while. The pickerel departed the scene in 2016, and the strong spring and fall stripers runs have not been evident in the past two years. Despite the overall scarcity of fish, it is a beautiful river. The white perch should arrive soon, giving anglers a fairly sure bet for some steady pullage. Carson's striper suggests that there are some around. I look forward to improved catching soon.

[Mark]

The main river has produced fine stripers in past years and I'm certain it will do so again. In the fall, those stripers head into the Severn's creeks and tidal ponds to fatten up for the winter. They also hang out with their smaller white perch cousins throughout the warmer months. So when the white perch arrive en masse in a few weeks it's not unusual to catch a striper while fishing for perch.

But what I like the most about the Severn is its interesting sights and sounds.

There's the USNA is on its banks with its impressive buildings and Middies exercising on the athletic fields. I've seen them paddling rubber rafts across the river to "invade" the western shore in SEAL drills. I've avoided their armadas of small one-person sailing craft and I always give plenty of space to them when they cruise around in the larger YP boats.

There are beautiful houses to see and large pleasure boats, usually docked because I avoid the river on its busy weekends.

There are tall banks, two large bridges and even more bridges in the creeks.

There are foxes and deer on its wooded shores and river otters in the water.

I like the sounds of the Severn. If you're out there early in the morning you'll hear reveille at the Academy. You may not even be able to see the opposite bank through the morning mist but your hear the bugle then you'll hear our national anthem.

You'll hear church bells tolling on the hour. From March through October you'll hear ospreys. You'll see them at work splashing down around you after the same thing you are (stripers and white perch). You'll see them tending to their nests and chicks. You'll hear traffic speeding high above you on the Route 50 Bridge.

A final sure sign that you're on the Severn is that you'll hear tour boats in the Annapolis Harbor giving passenger counts on Channel 68 of your VHF radio throughout the day.

It remains the most interesting and pleasing place I take my kayaks. The fish are entertaining too, of course, and I do hope the pickerel return. But the more time I spend on the Severn I enjoy it for what it is, even without the catches.

[CarsonNash]

I definitely agree with you, Mark.
I am lucky to live so close to the river, so I see these sights on a regular basis. But it is always more entertaining when you are in your kayak to experience it. But no matter where I am, it never gets old.

I personally have always enjoyed watching the Navy rowing teams going up the river on a calm morning, and listening to the team director giving directions. And while this is not conducive to fish (or kayaking) I love sitting outside watching a thunderstorm roll in on a summer afternoon. And even though it has only happened once, I liked coming across another kayak fisherman. Now I am just waiting for it to be someone I recognize...

When it comes to the fish, perch are always around in the warmer months. I suspect the striped bass fishing will be better this year as long as the conowingo stays closed and we don’t get dumped on by rain, like last year. And of course, we now have catfish around to provide some fun.

[Mark]

Indeed you are fortunate to live so close to the river.

I'm sure I'll see you out there soon enough, Carson.

I look forward to meeting you.

[CarsonNash]

Fish in the Severn!

Sound like a nice day out. The more reports I read the more and more I want to make the trip down that way. It just makes for a long hour drive home if I dont catch atleast one. Tight lines!

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As Mark said, the fishing is not the only attraction of the Severn. And once the WP move in you are almost guaranteed to catch something. Shoot me a PM if and when you come down and I’ll give you a lay of the land (if you’re interested).