Fishing Reports

[wfauby]

hell i will chime in...one reason i stopped Bass Tourney angling was because of the remarks guys would make if you asked a question about how they caught a fish. The answer that broke the camels back..."what you got there oughta work". Is it really divulging anything to say; a finess worm, a jig, spinner bait, Mattawoman, Chixamuxan or Occoquan Rivers? Any reasonable person should understand you not asking for, the third piling from the red boat docked at Red Eyes, in 8-10 feet, on a chartruese blahblahblah. I fish in solitude now and thats all i care about...

[DOGFISH]

To each, their own.

[<MIKE>]

Everybody has a reason why they fish from a kayak. I'm sure a lot of us share similar reasons.

Life in general can sometimes be stressful. Heading out on a kayak to fish is a big stress reliever for me as I'm sure it is for most of you. I come on this forum to learn and to live vicariously through others that are fishing while I have to be at work. I try to share what I can while I'm still learning.

Reading a thread like this gives me a big headache.

We were all young once and know that immaturity turns into maturity on it's own time. For some it happens sooner than others. I'm not sure if that transition can be forced.

The best part of this forum is the people who contribute and the friendly camaraderie... and to those people I say thanks.

I just wanna be on the water.

[chex]

I just wanna be on the water.

Me too... and hopefully catch some fish

I also like just reading about others catching fish, seeing their photos, videos, stories, even if there's no usable information other than "yes, there are fish in the sea and they are catchable". It gives me hope that one day, if I can discover a similar spot, lure, bait, technique, I too can catch lots of fish. That challenge is half the fun.

[ronaultmtd]

Everybody has a reason why they fish from a kayak. I'm sure a lot of us share similar reasons.

Life in general can sometimes be stressful. Heading out on a kayak to fish is a big stress reliever for me as I'm sure it is for most of you. I come on this forum to learn and to live vicariously through others that are fishing while I have to be at work. I try to share what I can while I'm still learning.

Reading a thread like this gives me a big headache.

We were all young once and know that immaturity turns into maturity on it's own time. For some it happens sooner than others. I'm not sure if that transition can be forced.

The best part of this forum is the people who contribute and the friendly camaraderie... and to those people I say thanks.

I just wanna be on the water.

Being a real "senior" citizen- my combination MD license is $5.00...gives me a longer view than some of the others, but this quote by Mike says it as well as it can be said-

I got interested in kayak fishing after reading about it in Sports Afield magazine where anglers in Louisiana were fishing the marshes successfully in kayaks for redfish and speckled trout- that sparked something in me that kept coming back- I was bored with fishing, jaded really, been there done that- all over the world- big game, fly rod, ultra light, surf casting...but kayaking was something new. It was a new challenge- could I do it? At my age? Once I tried it, I was hooked- it is something much more than just fishing- the whole experience is what is attractive to me- tiny, plastic, human-propelled, big waters, sitting flat on your butt just inches away from the water, casting, working lures, baits, etc....and it so stress relieving-

[Cliff]

Once I tried it, I was hooked- it is something much more than just fishing- the whole experience is what is attractive to me- tiny, plastic, human-propelled, big waters, sitting flat on your butt just inches away from the water, casting, working lures, baits, etc....and it so stress relieving-

I could not agree more! It is way better than any other type of fishing I have experienced.

[moc]

For me, I do not need anyone to broadcast their "honey holes". I just enjoy the reports as they pertain to the kinds of fish caught, the bait, lures, colors, tides, time of day, contour, shores or deep, etc, with only a general location, just so I can learn to be a better kayak angler. The pictures are always cool to fire us up on fishing and get us excited, and to see the beautiful sceneries of the areas. It is informative to state that you are on a tributary of the Severn River. I do not see that anyone would be giving up a honey hole since there are tons of tribs on the Severn. I agree if you want more info, then PM the Angler or go enjoy each other's company on a fishing excursion. You both may learn something. Any info posted with more details is always welcomed.

Well, back to reading more post on the Snaggedline University on Kayak Angling......and also Crabbing....LOL.

[mytmouse]

Here is my take on it.... I have been fishing for about 4 years now and 2 years landlocked and 2 years from my yak. When I was first fishing I was a total noob like many are. I did most pier and surf fishing so "honey holes" weren't really an issue on the site I frequented prior to joining MKF. But one thing still remains true... I absolutely hated when people would showoff(and yes posting reports of how many fish you care is still showing off) and not put a word as to where they were. And I'm not talking about the exact location, heck you could just put what body of water. Why? Because I was a noob and even now that I'm not, I don't have the time to check out every body of water to be a good judge of what bites where and when. I wouldn't have thought that Yellow Perch ran up through Jug Bay until I read it online. I mainly fished it in the spring for White Perch. So being so shut mouth helps no one. Again, you don't have to say I caught it at this exact location, but even saying what body of water is helpful.

I, like a lot of other people don't have the experience or the time to be an expert on every body of water. So I use the reports to help tell me what is biting where. Not the exact location, but just the general area. I have read numerous books, but they are quickly outdated and we all know how the climate and rainfall has impacted fishing. I respect it that you don't wanna give up the exact location, that's cool. But I think that it is VERY helpful when you post the area. I on the other hand have no issue with saying exactly where I caught fish. I can't fish it everyday anyways... LOL. And I like the fun of going to look for them anyway. Not everyone is trying to steal your spot when they ask where you were fishing, some really just want to get a better idea of what is biting when and where so that we can explore other areas that we might not have otherwise.

[Fishinfool]

Give a man a spot, and he'll get skunked for a day. Teach a man to waste time talking about a spot, and he'll get skunked for a lifetime.

[dsiekman]

Give a man a spot, and he'll get skunked for a day. Teach a man to waste time talking about a spot, and he'll get skunked for a lifetime.

Now THAT is funny!

[J.A. Veil]

I have intentionally stayed out of this discussion until now. Let me offer some thoughts. All of us are excited when we catch fish -- particularly something large or an unusual species. There is a natural inclination to let our fellow MKF members know about this. I suppose this is part bragging and part sharing the joy. I have a tendency to post more information about my locations than many other guys do. There is an entire gradient of personal feeling about how much information to give out -- some guys don't even post, other make posts with very rough locations, and other guys give lots of detail.

Sometimes I realize after the fact that I may have given out too much detail on location. Some of the places I fish have a limited amount of habitat and fish. If I divulge exactly where I caught my large fish, some other guy might come in there and catch it too or even worse, might catch it and take it home for dinner. Thank goodness for the edit feature on MKF posts.

During the past six months, I have been on both ends of a pmail suggesting that too much detail was included in a post. Earlier this year I wrote to an MKF member who showed easy-to-recognize backgrounds in some the photos accompanying his excellent fish catch. It does not take too much extra effort to crop out piers, houses, anchored boats, etc. to make your spot more incognito. Then a few weeks later, I received a pmail from a well-known Chesapeake Bay angler chastising me for giving out too much detail on my post (it could have brought more boats to one of his favorite spots).

The bottom line is use your own judgement, but think and re-read before you post. Try to step aside from your initial excitement about a good catch and fishing trip and think of what impact your post could have on the fish in that area. It is one thing to say "I caught loads of stripers under working birds at the mouth of Eastern Bay" and another to say "I caught 5 pickerel off the dock at the red house with the dark blue boat on a lift in XXX Creek."

Please keep posting fishing reports. Location is an important element, but is not the only important one. Other factors of interest include: tide, temperature, wind speed and direction, sun vs. shade, depth, lure (type, color, and size), or bait (type and rigging method), and fishing method. There are many things of interest and value to other readers that do not give away your preferred fishing holes.

[moc]

Excellent post John and I agree with you. I use the forum as a learning experience to teach me how to fish better and with different techniques, such as live bait vs artificials, trolling, jigging, top water, etc. Like I said similarly in my earlier post, I enjoy the educational fishing information and appreciate a general fishing location for educational purposes, such as the example that you gave about the eastern bay vs the creek at the dock at the red house. Keep on posting.....