Memorial Day Weekend Slower Lower report

[ronaultmtd]

The SMOG crew got together Saturday in St Mary’s County...at low tide...you could tell it was a holiday...Jet Skis, boat traffic, beach parties, cooking burgers on the portable grills, music, swimming...Bunch of loose grass made trolling a PIA, as was dodging the speed boats Captains ignoring good manners and blasting past at full throttle...challenges, but Big Mike let us know the Speckled Trout we’re biting with a nice 16 inch fish on his first cast...unfortunately he was soon on a sleigh ride courtesy of a sixty pound Cow Nose Ray...and then another, and another...frustrating...Big Mike was breaking off lots of 8 pound test line...add in the congestion of boats running over to us every time we landed a fish...and a boater dropping a crab trap line and float dead smack in the middle of the navigation channel...But we prevailed...the fish were on the bottom..and they were picky...they preferred the lure bouncing on the bottom; not up in the water column and only with the incoming current...not against the current...Gary was in explorer mode with his battery power doing the work...soon out of hand held radio range...Mike and I stayed in one area all day long...a two or three hundred yard radius...I cast...only trolled a few times...trolling was not very effective...I used a 1/4 Oz Deathgrip jighead and a Pearl/chart bass assassin on a 7’ 2” W&McGill Skeet Reese medium spinning rod and a Stradic 2500 HG FL reel with 15# braid and 24 inches of Trilene 20# test XT mono leader tied with a FG knot. Slow, hop, hop, hop retrieve while holding position in the current is where a Hobie Mirage Drive really proves it worth...and when the current died, the fishing died...the beach parties were going strong as I headed back to the launch...determined I would fish no more this holiday...but bringing home two keeper Speckled trout for Sunday supper...Big Mike gave me his 16 inch fish and I managed a fat 15 inch...caught some undersize speckled trout but could not get a third legal fish...Got lucky when I nicked a big CNR and the hook pulled...loaded up and headed home with mixed feelings...hopefully all the beach parties will go well and safely, but no social distancing nor precautions was observed...

[Mark]

...hopefully all the beach parties will go well and safely, but no social distancing nor precautions was observed...

Ron,

Sounds like less than ideal conditions between holiday boat congestion and CNR. You and your buddies worked hard for your keepers.

Regarding your final statement, there is much talk of the role of herd immunity in pandemics. We may instead see a continued needless thinning of the herd if people persist in taking caution as cavalierly as you observed.

[J.A. Veil]

Ron -

Sorry that the SMOG guys had to deal with crowded conditions and the invasion of the rays. John Rentch and I agreed to meet yesterday at about 8:00 am at a launch ramp near Kent Narrows. I was concerned that the recreational crabbing fleet that often launches there would have filled the modest sized parking lot. To my surprise, there were only 3 other vehicles parked there when I arrived, and almost no boats on the water. By the time we returned about noon, the lot was fuller, but not over-packed. Normally on Memorial Day Saturday, I would not even consider crossing the Bay Bridge at 7:45 am. But traffic yesterday was light. I had several kayak vehicles sporting kayaks pass me on the bridge, including Snaggedline member McHottie.

Enjoy the specs -- I hope they stay with you all summer. I tried a bit of casting yesterday, but had no bites. My catching came from trolling in relatively shallow water. The stripers were interested.

[ronaultmtd]

Thanks, John...seems the rays get thicker every year over the flats...the inlet we were fishing is relatively small and very popular clean beach that boaters come to to have cookouts and sun bath...we bailed a bunch of school stripers up to 17 inch footballs as a by-catch, but they were not our target species...I was king of catching baby white perch early in the day...3-6 inch long baby perch hitting a beetle spin type home made lure I use for perching...the floating loose grass inside the inlet was discouraging for trolling...

[ski357]

Ron-thanks for the report. I've been out a few times in the last week on the Potomac side. We've fished both the Potomac proper and up the St. Mary's. The only spec I've seen as of late was a 13.5" guy. I've had more success with the rock-largest I've landed was 20.5" yesterday. The perch have been plentiful, as has the boat traffic. The only other item of note was the large CNR that my buddy hooked-the first (and hopefully last-though that seems unlikely) we've seen this year. A week ago the fish were smitten with a 1/2 oz. white boxing glove with pink lips and chartreuse hair and pearl/chartreuse tipped paddle tails. Saturday and Sunday it seemed the fish favored white or red 3/16 oz. jig heads and the pink glitter and yellow tipped paddle tails. Hopefully we can figure what they're favoring today.

[Tim Elliott]

This past holiday weekend most certainly presented tough fishing conditions. The upper west side of the bay has been choked up with an algae bloom from recent rains. Pair that with lots of boat traffic disrupting the SAV and the fish, makes for a less enjoyable outing. Aside from the negatives, it is awesome to hear about some speckled trout catches on the west side, hopefully you will be able to remain catching them for the rest of the year.

As for the rod you were using, what are your thoughts on the W&M Skeet Reese rod series? I have owned the 7’ Shaky Head/Senko rod and currently own the 6’10” Dropshot rod. My only complaint is how brittle they are. I’ve had 2 broken so far, one had been shut in the car door by my girlfriend (God love her) and the other snapped at the seam of the blank as I was trying to break free from structure while fishing from shore (lesson learned, cut the line). Besides that, I enjoy the sensitivity and feel of the rod. It can sling lures a good distance as well. When it comes to handling fish, they do have a strong backbone. In fact, this morning I had a snapping turtle slurp up my heddon tiny torpedo. I was able to pull him close enough to where I could reach with pliers (without losing a finger or two) but luckily for me, the hook popped out as the hook bent.

[ronaultmtd]

This past holiday weekend most certainly presented tough fishing conditions. The upper west side of the bay has been choked up with an algae bloom from recent rains. Pair that with lots of boat traffic disrupting the SAV and the fish, makes for a less enjoyable outing. Aside from the negatives, it is awesome to hear about some speckled trout catches on the west side, hopefully you will be able to remain catching them for the rest of the year.

As for the rod you were using, what are your thoughts on the W&M Skeet Reese rod series? I have owned the 7’ Shaky Head/Senko rod and currently own the 6’10” Dropshot rod. My only complaint is how brittle they are. I’ve had 2 broken so far, one had been shut in the car door by my girlfriend (God love her) and the other snapped at the seam of the blank as I was trying to break free from structure while fishing from shore (lesson learned, cut the line). Besides that, I enjoy the sensitivity and feel of the rod. It can sling lures a good distance as well. When it comes to handling fish, they do have a strong backbone. In fact, this morning I had a snapping turtle slurp up my heddon tiny torpedo. I was able to pull him close enough to where I could reach with pliers (without losing a finger or two) but luckily for me, the hook popped out as the hook bent.

Wife bought me a new reel as a present...Shimano Stradic 2500 HG FL...it is a very nice reel, so I go in my workshop and looked over the 35 or so outfits to find a suitable rod...the Skeet Reese rod is practicable new, hardly ever used, so I paired the reel with it to get on the water. Honestly, it is not one that will be permanent. I do not like the guides or the action. And it catches fish, just is a bit clunky...

[Tim Elliott]

Quite the gift that is. When you mention the word “clunky”, do you mean that in the sense that it is, after all, a cheap rod model, not made with higher quality components?

[ronaultmtd]

Not at all...it is a quality product...the smaller mini guides near the tip are not my cup of tea as you really have to tie great FG knots to not have issues with the mini guides. The action is too stiff for the purposes that I use my spinning rods...it is more like a crankbait/chatterbait casting rod action. I like a fast action medium lite action rod with all cork handle.

[Tim Elliott]

Ah, I understand. Now, with a medium lite power fast action rod, is that your preference for tossing smaller sized jig heads in shallow water?

I thank you for the helpful insight that you provide.

[ronaultmtd]

Absolutely, my heaviest jig is 3/8 Oz. but I rarely use it. Mostly 1/4 Oz Deathgrip jigs and 1/8 oz Redfish Magic jigs...Most of the waters are 3-5 feet deep and grassbeds. 3 1/2 inch top water poppers on early mornings...XR-10 XRaps tossed around rip rap and rocks...1/8 Oz Capt. Bert’s Perch Pounders, tiny Rebel crankbaits...homemade Redfish Magic spinnerbaits...95%of the time I am throwing Bass Assassin Sea Shads on 1/8 Oz.Redfish Magic jigs either a straight steady retrieve or bouncing it down current in a hopping motion for Speckled Trout. Limetruese Glow And Pearl/chart are my two favorite colors although there are 112 different colors...two Maryland citation Speckled trout were both caught with BassAssassin sea shads on light spinning tackle. I swapped out the Skeet Reese rod for a Shimano SE Inshore Medium light action.

[Tim Elliott]

Excellent, again thank you for information. Although I am too far north for Speckled Trout, I am looking forward to an upcoming trip in July to Rodanthe/Waves, in which I can apply what you have just mentioned. I have one final question for you, and that is what situation do use a 1/4 Oz. versus an 1/8 Oz. jig head?

[ronaultmtd]

Grassbeds that reach within inches of the top of the water dictates light weights...sandy bottoms are fine for 1/4 Oz. Looking at my side scan I can see the beds clearly and I know exactly how far they are from the side of my kayak. When the tidal current kicks in 1/4/Oz are required to keep the 4 inch sea shads near the bottom. If you are using 3 inch swimming Gulp mullet 1/8 Oz works good.

[Tim Elliott]

Thank you for the helpful details Ron. I feel confident in that I will get into some fish this summer down in the Outer Banks, thanks to you. Be well and stay safe.