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John Veil, John Rentch and I split up and made a swing through two Severn tributaries today. We each had a good outing boating lots of white perch. John Rentch even got a couple of yellow perch and I ran into some very small stripers.
My first catch of the day was a 10.5 inch white perch that escaped from my kayak. I had it measured on my Hawg Trough but it jumped off and flopped around wildly on the floor of my kayak. Of course It wound up under my seat. I managed to slide it out and once more lined it up on the Hawg Trough for a photo. But another burst of energy sent it over the gunnel and back to its home.
I called on the radio to inform the two Johns that I had just caught a 10.5 incher but it jumped out of my boat. John V. replied that perhaps I should “turn in my man card” for letting a 10.5 inch perch overwhelm me.
But I earned my man card back on my very next catch:
A.jpg
The above 12 inch white perch hit a purple and pink jig spinner. Come to think of it, I must indeed have a man card to have the confidence to fish with a pink lure! That lure was the only one I threw all day. The 12 incher also established a pattern that would hold throughout the morning. I would cast to shorelines or dock pilings, but rarely was my lure hit near structure. My hookups occurred well away from the structure and close to my kayak. I felt 3 bumps before hooking the fish in the photo . Clearly they were in a mood to follow today.
But something else was happening. I saw many instances of baitfish breaking the surface, even flying from the water over splashes. Perhaps you can see the action in this photo:
B.jpg
I lost track of the number of times I saw surface disturbances like this. Many were much larger and wilder. I assumed stripers were causing death and destruction just below the surface in those locations. I was right but I was also disappointed. The stripers causing the splashes were minor leaguers learning their craft. I caught about 10 of these guys by casting into the top water frays:
C.jpg
Hooking none larger I ignored those disturbances for the rest of the day.
The Severn’s white perch, however, were large today. Looking at my photos, most were between 9 and 10 inches. I caught no small ones and I caught 21 in total plus lost a few more that came unbuttoned. It was a good day, my best day so far this year for catching white perch.
D.jpg E.JPG F.jpg
I am a catch and release angler. Rarely do I keep a fish. I returned all my white perch today. But I did keep one of my catches. I got this fatty on top water close to shore and I brought it home.
G.jpg
My grandkids will enjoy it and I won’t even have to filet it.
My first catch of the day was a 10.5 inch white perch that escaped from my kayak. I had it measured on my Hawg Trough but it jumped off and flopped around wildly on the floor of my kayak. Of course It wound up under my seat. I managed to slide it out and once more lined it up on the Hawg Trough for a photo. But another burst of energy sent it over the gunnel and back to its home.
I called on the radio to inform the two Johns that I had just caught a 10.5 incher but it jumped out of my boat. John V. replied that perhaps I should “turn in my man card” for letting a 10.5 inch perch overwhelm me.
But I earned my man card back on my very next catch:
A.jpg
The above 12 inch white perch hit a purple and pink jig spinner. Come to think of it, I must indeed have a man card to have the confidence to fish with a pink lure! That lure was the only one I threw all day. The 12 incher also established a pattern that would hold throughout the morning. I would cast to shorelines or dock pilings, but rarely was my lure hit near structure. My hookups occurred well away from the structure and close to my kayak. I felt 3 bumps before hooking the fish in the photo . Clearly they were in a mood to follow today.
But something else was happening. I saw many instances of baitfish breaking the surface, even flying from the water over splashes. Perhaps you can see the action in this photo:
B.jpg
I lost track of the number of times I saw surface disturbances like this. Many were much larger and wilder. I assumed stripers were causing death and destruction just below the surface in those locations. I was right but I was also disappointed. The stripers causing the splashes were minor leaguers learning their craft. I caught about 10 of these guys by casting into the top water frays:
C.jpg
Hooking none larger I ignored those disturbances for the rest of the day.
The Severn’s white perch, however, were large today. Looking at my photos, most were between 9 and 10 inches. I caught no small ones and I caught 21 in total plus lost a few more that came unbuttoned. It was a good day, my best day so far this year for catching white perch.
D.jpg E.JPG F.jpg
I am a catch and release angler. Rarely do I keep a fish. I returned all my white perch today. But I did keep one of my catches. I got this fatty on top water close to shore and I brought it home.
G.jpg
My grandkids will enjoy it and I won’t even have to filet it.
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