Severn surpises

[azmdted]

I’ve only been fishing the bay and rivers for a few years, so I’m very much learning what’s what. Forgive me if this is a normal catch for the Severn, but it is a first for me. Two years ago i was surprised with a flounder. This weekend it was a Speckled. Never can tell what’s on the line when you pull something in around here. BTW, this guy was back in the water as soon as I clicked the pic.

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[Big Mike]

Not surprised with the warmer water that you got one up there. And yes, the excitement of seeing something different is part of the joy of fishing. Well done.

By the way, 14” minimum if you start to catch them in greater numbers.

[J.A. Veil]

Congratulations. I fish often in the Severn. For the past few years (typically in mid Sept), I have caught a single speckled trout in the Severn. You are the first to report one this year.

[Shady]

No specklers there for me, but caught reds several years ago. On the flip side, last Wednesday I caught my first Severn catfish and several of his friends. and this was on the main river close to the bay

[BarefootPetr]

I haven't heard about specs in the Severn, but in 2017 I caught a redfish pretty far up the river. Not particularly surprising. I think the water is saltier than last year. I didn't see any croaker last year, and this year I've caught a bunch. I'm hoping more of these species that like saltier water start to appear.

[HJS]

azmdted - Each year Bay conditions and fish populations can be very different from other years. Blues, croakers and spot come and go every year as they please. Variability ranges from feast to famine or anywhere in between. Back during the summer 2002 the Bay was suddenly invaded by high numbers of gray trout… close kissing cousins to the speckled trout. The mode of operation was first to find breaking schools of mixed stripers and blues with birds overhead. Then send down a trout bomb (see photo) to the bottom and catch gray trout on nearly every drop. Great fun while it lasted. The vast populations of gray trout faded quickly. By 2003 they were almost totally gone. Also during 2002 smallish channel bass (redfish?) in the mid-teens inches long also showed up. Back then I was fishing the Middle Branch of the Patapsco from my canoe out from Harbor Hospital. I’d encounter breaking stripers & blues, mostly dinks, with plenty of gray trout down on the bottom mopping up the left-overs pieces of baitfish as they drifted down. Also in the mix, every now and then, a channel bass would be caught. I’ve come to conclude that each year on the Bay is going to be different… and some years are going to be slim pickins and some years there will be a feast.

When the gray trout population was at their heighth, lots of guys were hammering out trout bombs made from inline trolling sinkers... cheap and effective. I made a bunch of them, some flat, some left in the round. They worked great.
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[DanMarino]

As always, I enjoy your post Howard. Very educational.

[azmdted]

Thanks all, fascinating place that we live and fish.