Severn puppy drum

[J.A. Veil]

I and others have been reporting good catches of the typical summer species from the Severn recently. I hit a Severn tributary this afternoon just as the rain ended and had a fabulous hour of fishing. I caught about two dozen perch, one pickerel, and a big surprise -- a 12" puppy drum (juvenile redfish). The last time I caught a redfish in the Severn was 2012. I hope this year brings them to the Severn in decent numbers. Catching that little redfish was a big treat.

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The red, the pickerel, and most of the perch hit a Bignose spinnerbait.

[J. Rentch]

Thanks for sharing, let’s hope more of his cousins show up!

[Big Mike]

They’ve shown up in such numbers in St Mary’s I’m actually surprised when I don’t catch one. Nothing big but fight well for their size.

[dtandrade]

Thats on my list of fish to catch, thanks for sharing!

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[bignose]

It never fails to amaze me with what you can catch in the Severn and it's tributaries. That little puppy drum is an example. How many species have you caught from the Severn this year?

This is not the first time I have heard about the spinner jigs catching Red Drum.

Redfish12 related to me how he lost two of my spinners while fishing a CCA Perch Tournament recently.

Seems he lost them when they were hit by a couple of 40" Bull Reds.........not a fair fight on Perch tackle.

Ouch!

[ronaultmtd]

All the croaker family of fish seem to be making a “come back”...they are fast growing fish reaching adulthood pretty quickly, so this Is great news for the species and another “High water” milestone for the “slot” system that preserves the giant “breeder fish”...If only DNR would implement a slot system for Striped Bass, maybe our “iconic” Maryland fish would have such success story, too..

[Mark]

Nice catch John.

Reds are great gamefish because they hit so many kinds of lures and flies.

I've caught only one locally in the Chesapeake and it hit one of my homemade spinner jigs. I hope more reds do head north.

In Tampa, FL the ticket for me was a Fat Sam paddletail on a jig.

I've caught more reds in Laguna Madre, TX than anywhere else -- about 30 total. There I've hooked them as follows:

1. Under a popping cork with a plastic shrimp on a jig -- an exhausting method of fishing for them.
2. On topwater with a Zara Spook.
3. On the fly sight-fishing with a tiny shrimp pattern -- that was the most fun and resulted in the largest reds I've caught.

They're a wonderful fish willing to please all kinds of anglers using all kinds of tackle.

[summersoff]

Yeah, another big year of pups, just like a few years ago. Crabbers are complaining about drum eating their crabs. Not sure that’s happening, but I have caught more pups than normal this year. But this hot weather put some of the normal spots on hold as the back bay temps went up. But you’re right, only small ones

[Mark]

So...Where do you guys think the puppies come from?

Are they migrants from NC, perhaps?

Do Reds spawn in the Chesapeake? If so, I'd think you guys would be catching big ones too.

Just curious about them.

[summersoff]

So...Where do you guys think the puppies come from?

Are they migrants from NC, perhaps?

Do Reds spawn in the Chesapeake? If so, I'd think you guys would be catching big ones too.

Just curious about them.

Not really sure where they are coming from, but a few years back when we had this same type of surge, I can tell you I was catching them in South Jersey pretty regularly for couple of weeks. I remember one morning in Cape May I switched from throwing SP’s to rocks to a z-man and I must have picked up a half dozen over 20” pups. They were much bigger than the current pups.

[Mark]

Not really sure where they are coming from, but a few years back when we had this same type of surge, I can tell you I was catching them in South Jersey pretty regularly for couple of weeks. I remember one morning in Cape May I switched from throwing SP’s to rocks to a z-man and I must have picked up a half dozen over 20” pups. They were much bigger than the current pups.

That's interesting. Nice catches for you on the Jersey Shore. I wouldn't have thought they'd be there. But then Cape May is actually geographically south of Baltimore. Perhaps that is their historic northern limit in the Atlantic -- which evidently is expanding each year.

[summersoff]

That's interesting. Nice catches for you on the Jersey Shore. I wouldn't have thought they'd be there. But then Cape May is actually geographically south of Baltimore. Perhaps that is their historic northern limit in the Atlantic -- which evidently is expanding each year.

Yeah, they were bay side, by the light, hugging the jetty,really close. I actually came off the jetty and casted from shore, banner day. If I’m not mistaken it was a weird drum year, and there were one or two caught in Mass. I remember, because those chowderheads were arguing about what to call it, redfish, red drum, rose something, I think they settled on channel bass. Hope this year ends up like that one, that was memorable.

[moc]

They’ve shown up in such numbers in St Mary’s I’m actually surprised when I don’t catch one. Nothing big but fight well for their size.

I caught a surprise 17 inch Redfish that pulled drag in a Saint Mary's creek two weeks ago while casting to a grassy point in shallow water.

[Slobber Bob]

So...Where do you guys think the puppies come from?

Are they migrants from NC, perhaps?

Do Reds spawn in the Chesapeake? If so, I'd think you guys would be catching big ones too.

Just curious about them.

I know they spawn in the late summer and fall in the lower bay (and possibly off the coastal areas?). I've caught several males in August that were willing to provide evidence of that once they were landed in my kayak

It sounds like last years fish had a good spawn with the reports of short drum around. Let's hope that gives us another year or two of good pup fishing before they grow up and join the adults!

I may have to try some coastal spots in MD to see if they are over here too.

[Mark]

I know they spawn in the late summer and fall in the lower bay (and possibly off the coastal areas?). I've caught several males in August that were willing to provide evidence of that once they were landed in my kayak

It sounds like last years fish had a good spawn with the reports of short drum around. Let's hope that gives us another year or two of good pup fishing before they grow up and join the adults!

I may have to try some coastal spots in MD to see if they are over here too.

Thank you.