Personal Best

[Mark]

Now that I have your attention with the title of this thread...

I caught my personal best small fish this morning from the Locust Cove launch at Downs Park:

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I don't believe I could possibly hook a smaller fish.

Poor thing was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Now the real sad news. The above was my only "catch" in 2 hours of paddling.

My perch dearth continues.

[J.A. Veil]

Mark - We can look for success in different places. You achieved a personal best, just not the one you wanted. A while back, when I was the president of the Severn River Rod and Keg Club, I created two online bragging boards for our members. One was the largest fish of each species -- the other was the smallest fish of each species. I seemed to achieve more listings on the smallest fish board. The club no longer keeps up those boards.

Many of us have caught small or very small fish at times. I think I have the record for the smallest fish actually hooked. I was casting a Gulp swimming mullet on a jighead in Eastern Bay. As I retrieved the lure, I noticed a small black object on the hook point. On close examination it was a tiny fish (not much larger than a comma on a piece of paper) that had inadvertently been skewered by the hook.

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A few minutes after that I hooked a 19" redfish near where the tiny fish was hooked. It is one of only a handful of reds I have caught in Eastern Bay.

[Mark]

You got me beat on that John.

At least folks can tell we fish with sharp hooks.

But here's two small ones that I actually lip hooked:

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It's not easy to sense and react to a bite that small.

[bignose]

Y'know, all fishermen are liars.
So now we have a new category:

You can't believe the fish I caught. It was that small!

(I caught a fish that was so small that it was considered zooplankton!) Lol

[CHOC]

Mark,

Wouldn’t that be a personal worst?

[Mark]

Grant,

Obviously, you're a "glass half empty" guy.

I look at it as the above fish were my best efforts at landing small ones or as Stu said, catching fish that were that small. That takes skill!

My personal worst is actually what's going on this year with white perch. Something is very odd. I simply cannot find them in the numbers I usually do. I believe I'm not alone based on reports (and non-reports) here so far in 2019.

[bignose]

Is this going to replace the Hawg Trough?

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[Mark]

Is this going to replace the Hawg Trough?

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Much easier to carry.

[bignose]

Y'know:

It's one thing to fish with a size 20 fly (about 1/8" long for you non-fly fishers) as I have fished for extremely fussy trout many moons ago. These days, I can't even see them well enough to tie a leader on one. The leaders were 8x, about 1 3/4 lb. test.
But what to you use to catch those size 20 fish?

Both Mark and John seemed to gaff them.

Quick, get the net!

[Big Mike]

Grant,

Obviously, you're a "glass half empty" guy.

I look at it as the above fish were my best efforts at landing small ones or as Stu said, catching fish that were that small. That takes skill!

My personal worst is actually what's going on this year with white perch. Something is very odd. I simply cannot find them in the numbers I usually do. I believe I'm not alone based on reports (and non-reports) here so far in 2019.

Like you I’ve had a rough year all around. However, I did find WP today hanging out in usual spots, at least for me. I was using 3” white Gulp and caught 9 WP in about an hour, 8 over 9” and the big 10 1/2”. They were scattered both tight against the bank but also in open water 40’ from shore. I didn’t keep the first one figuring that would be it. Got me in a C&R mindset so missing out on the fish fry tonight.

[Mark]

Like you I’ve had a rough year all around. However, I did find WP today hanging out in usual spots, at least for me. I was using 3” white Gulp and caught 9 WP in about an hour, 8 over 9” and the big 10 1/2”. They were scattered both tight against the bank but also in open water 40’ from shore. I didn’t keep the first one figuring that would be it. Got me in a C&R mindset so missing out on the fish fry tonight.

That's a start, Mike.

I hope everyone, me included, starts to find them routinely.

White perch have saved many outings for me tin the past. When the stripers are hard to find, white perch are usually obliging.

[rob-kayak]

I liked your/this post and attitude Mark... the "Journey is the reward..."
a few Summers ago... on the Eastern Bay... my best was a 6inch perch on a 5inch rattle trap type hard plastic...
I stopped by Farmer Johns road side market to bring back tomatoes, corn, and cantaloupes...
had a good laugh telling them my "success" where the lure was almost as big as the fish.

It was a beautiful day.. and that's as much as I ever ask/want for..
Cheers on your day.