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I launched from Beechwood Park this morning to flat calm seas. I paddled upstream to fish at the spots where I have found yellow perch and/or pickerel in the past. I worked live minnows around the entire area and was unable to get a bite. Another kayak angler fishing near me had the same lack of success.
Yesterday I fished at several Eastern Shore freshwater locations (caught yellow perch, white perch, largemouth bass, and bluegill -- mostly on a 2" twistertail on a 1/8-oz jighead) and happened to find a Sebile 5" bull minnow crankbait caught up in some bushes. I don't own any lipped crankbaits and decided that I would test it out and troll it while paddling from my fishing spot back to the launch. The lure had a lot of side-to-side wobble.
2003-08-01 00-00-15.jpg
A few minutes after setting that lure out, I noticed that the rod was bent more than it had been before. I suspected it had dove to the bottom and picked up some debris. Even as I wound it back it, I felt almost no head shake. But as the weight neared my kayak, I spotted a large fish that had been snagged in the back. It was a gizzard shad (aka mud shad).
2003-08-01 00-00-45.jpg
Gizzard shad are large forage fish that are not carnivores or game fish. Nevertheless that catch allowed me to avoid a skunk during the final minutes or my outing and add a new species to my 2018 catch list (currently at 18 species so far). The shad was 16" to 18" long, but was not energetic like the hickory and American shad we can target in a few more weeks.
After the long cold winter, I am enjoying the spring-like weather this week.
Yesterday I fished at several Eastern Shore freshwater locations (caught yellow perch, white perch, largemouth bass, and bluegill -- mostly on a 2" twistertail on a 1/8-oz jighead) and happened to find a Sebile 5" bull minnow crankbait caught up in some bushes. I don't own any lipped crankbaits and decided that I would test it out and troll it while paddling from my fishing spot back to the launch. The lure had a lot of side-to-side wobble.
2003-08-01 00-00-15.jpg
A few minutes after setting that lure out, I noticed that the rod was bent more than it had been before. I suspected it had dove to the bottom and picked up some debris. Even as I wound it back it, I felt almost no head shake. But as the weight neared my kayak, I spotted a large fish that had been snagged in the back. It was a gizzard shad (aka mud shad).
2003-08-01 00-00-45.jpg
Gizzard shad are large forage fish that are not carnivores or game fish. Nevertheless that catch allowed me to avoid a skunk during the final minutes or my outing and add a new species to my 2018 catch list (currently at 18 species so far). The shad was 16" to 18" long, but was not energetic like the hickory and American shad we can target in a few more weeks.
After the long cold winter, I am enjoying the spring-like weather this week.
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