nearly a Chesapeake fall slam for the weekend

[J.A. Veil]

After returning home from the boat show today, I had a choice of working at the computer, mowing the lawn, or taking the kayak out. Given those choices, I took the kayak out. The wind was howling this afternoon. I fished in a sheltered creek in middle portion of the Severn River . My usual spots in this creek did not produce many bites today, so I explored other spots. Much like my Weems Creek experience last week, I caught more fish further back in the creek than near the mouth.

For the past two months, one of my most productive lures was a safety pin style spinner that I got from another local angler. It looked a lot like Woody's lures but had some differences. For whatever reason, those lures had not distinguished themselves recently. Last week, I bought a bunch of Woody's glow jigs. Half way through the trip, I took off the other spinner and tied on Woody's. That did the trick -- I started catching a few white perch. From time to time, I threw another rod with a 1/4-oz jighead tipped with a smoke-colored 4" Gulp mullet. I caught a few white perch up to 11-1/4" with that lure. One one cast, the Gulp was picked up as soon as it hit the water. I brought the heavy fish to boat-side and saw different colors -- this fish was a 13" yellow perch. I have not caught one of them for several months.

Although I did catch some large white perch and one jumbo yellow ned, overall the fishing was not fast and furious today. I was glad to add two more species to the three that I picked up yesterday on the Eastern Shore (speckled trout, rockfish, bluefish). If only a pickerel had come calling today, I could have completed the Chesapeake fall slam for the weekend.

[jsquare]

Very nice perch. I'll be hitting the Severn tomorrow, hopefully. I'd be happy with a day like yours.

[Grady-Black]

WTG John!
Surfdog and I are going to Neavitt tomorrow..

[Southerly]

that's a nice-lookin yellow perch - congrats!

[ictalurus]

That's a beast of a yellow perch. I picked up some Micro-King spinnerbaits, and I need to try them out. I'm looking forward to doing some fishing in the Severn this winter.

[J.A. Veil]

That's a beast of a yellow perch. I picked up some Micro-King spinnerbaits, and I need to try them out. I'm looking forward to doing some fishing in the Severn this winter.

My third rod on yesterday's trip was outfitted with a Strike King Micro-King in sun perch color. It was responsible for the first few white perch I caught. Later in the day, I forgot to take it out of the rod holder -- instead I would take a few dozen casts with the Woody spinner then a few dozen with the Gulp.

Most of the pickerel I have hooked over the last two months have come on the Micro-King. Although my preferred bait for winter pickerel is a 1/8-oz jighead with live minnow, the Micro-King could be a good backup if I don't have minnows available on a particular day.

I hope you can venture up to Annapolis over the winter and I can show you some pickerel spots.

[surfdog]

nice John, yelllow perch this early is a good sign. went to whitehall bay this morning very slow, water was the lowest ive ever seen there. caught a few wps on bws and soft crab, threw top waters from sun up till about 0830 with no hits. thought i had some little spinners in my vest but they wernt there also got a nasty little catfish

[ictalurus]

John--I was hoping to get up there this summer, but my schedule wasn't very flexible. I like focusing on perch, pickerel, and largemouth bass during the winter, so I think I'll be conducting my weekend fishing trips in Annapolis this year, assuming everything remains unfrozen this year. I was trying to think of where I fished last winter, then I remembered everything was ice-covered.