Fri 6/14 Perch Fishing Question

[J.A. Veil]

Thanks for the report. Wish I had gotten into those kind of numbers [emoji4]


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That is the reality of perch fishing this summer so far. If you find a honey hole, you can catch many of them. Otherwise, you are lucky to pick one up here and there. That is what happened to me in Weems Creek on Thurs. I found a few but nowhere near as many as today.

I contrast this scenario with what many of us come to expect for summertime perchin'. I have gone out with buddies in Weems Creek in previous years and each of us catches 30-50 perch in a few hours. They hang out in similar spots where I can anticipate catching them. That pattern has not yet set up this year.

[jdindino]

Man, 30-50 perch (since I keep and eat) would wear me out cleaning them. I need to find a fish cleaner if I ever have one of those days.

I’m a bit of a ‘lazy’ fisherman, spoiled by fishing Lake Erie and then dropping my perch or walleye off to be cleaned while I go eat lunch.


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[Crotalus]

Other than that perch observation, the most interesting thing I saw this morning was a 4' long snake swimming along with a wriggling 2' long snake in its jaws. I have never observed snake cannibalism before.

This is very interesting. Did they look like the usual water snakes? Their diet is heavily fish based, but I did some perusing and cannibalism has been documented in the species. Can't be a common occurrence, though.

[J.A. Veil]

This is very interesting. Did they look like the usual water snakes? Their diet is heavily fish based, but I did some perusing and cannibalism has been documented in the species. Can't be a common occurrence, though.

I did not get close enough to get a good look or snap a photo. About the same time I saw those two, I saw a third snake about 2' long swimming near me. Usually when snakes spot my kayak, they dive or swim the other way. This one swam toward me, then moved away, then came back again for a minute or two. That was unfamiliar behavior.

[Mark]

Perch fishing has been slow to develop for many this year but it has been particularly slow for me...to the tune of nonexistent. No catches in 3 prior tidal outings. But I remedied that today with an impromptu afternoon trip to the Locust Cove Launch at Downs Park. The tide was rising and the wind was gusting double digits. But I knew I could find leeside protection somewhere among the four creeks accessible from Locust Cove.

What I couldn't avoid was the SAV. It remains fairly thick, which is a good thing for water quality, but bad for casting perch spinners:

P1040798 (2).jpg

The above was a common occurrence for me today. For the first hour I caught nothing but vegetation.

Then I saw nature's ultimate fish finder looking down at me from a shoreline tree:

P1040794 (4).jpg

The osprey's gaze on the water merited a test. I cast near the tree and at long last, I caught a fish:

P1040792 (2).jpg

Since it was my not only my first perch of 2019, but my first tidal catch of the year, I thought it deserved a photo. The osprey flew away as released the perch, no doubt as disappointed as I was pleased.

I'd like to tell you that a dozen perch followed. That didn't happen. I found no honey hole like John did today. I made many fruitless casts.

But I was glad to get the first perch of the year out of the way. I'm just surprised that it took until precisely mid-June for that to happen. Indeed I've had inexplicably horrible tidal fishing results this year. However, we've had good reports here recently from three western shore locations -- Weems Creek, Church Creek and now the Bodkin stem. Clearly perch are finally moving into their normal summer haunts. It will only get better from here on out.

I'm looking forward to Monday's Severn M&G. Ever the optimist, I fully expect to catch more perch that day, with or without an osprey's help.

[bignose]

Mark,
Congratulations on getting the tidewater skunk off your back.

I tried Weems again, running into John Rentch in the process.
He must have caught all of the fish.

There must be someone with a wind machine on the Ridgely Ave. bridge, who turns it on every time I get out on the Creek.

In two hours, I caught 4 perch, only one of which wouldn't qualify as "live line bait."

And this.

IMG_1185.jpg

This is the smallest rockfish that I have ever hooked. The spinner jig is 3 1/2" long and the rock isn't much longer.
I did see huge clouds of 1/2-3/4" bunker in the shallows.

[Crotalus]

I did not get close enough to get a good look or snap a photo. About the same time I saw those two, I saw a third snake about 2' long swimming near me. Usually when snakes spot my kayak, they dive or swim the other way. This one swam toward me, then moved away, then came back again for a minute or two. That was unfamiliar behavior.

Yes, water snakes usually dive or swim away, but I have found them to occasionally be inquisitive.

I will add that I had a pretty successful day at Weems yesterday morning prior to the wind picking up. 25-30 perch with a better size class than my previous outings. At least half were pushing 9" or better with one nearly 12". I again did better with a small jig than the spinner. The bites on the spinner were usually when retrieving slow and near the bottom. I was catching fish at nearly every dock in the creek.

[Mark]

Mark,
Congratulations on getting the tidewater skunk off your back.

I tried Weems again, running into John Rentch in the process.
He must have caught all of the fish.

Thanks Stu. I think you're right about John. He told me he caught one on a Clouser you gave him. If he keeps out-fishing us we're going to have to stop giving him flies.

Just kidding, John.