Upcoming Fishing Season

[Bwillz88]

Hello All,

I'm new to the forum. I currently have a 2020 Predator PDL that I'm in the process of switching over to a 2020 Pro Angler 12. I live in the AA County and was seeing where everyone is fishing. The last time I went out fishing was last September to the Chesapeake Bay bridge Tunnel but the water was pretty rough. I also went to Black Water to try the snake head fishing without any luck. Is anyone planning any upcoming trips in the next couple months???

[Jigsup]

Welcome to the forum! I plan on trying for yellow perch sometime this month in the Patuxent River (Waysons corner). Don’t know when but hopefully in a couple weeks. Also would like to plan a trip for blue catfish in March.

I also fish Anne Arundel county. Mostly Weems creek for perch and snake head. Fish spa creek also for perch but never ventured out of the creeks in my kayak mostly because I enjoy casting around docks and structures for perch. Wife and I traveled to black water back in March for snakheads. Saw some but never caught one. In my opinion it’s too far of a drive for them. Great habitat and scenery but just too far. I live in Chesapeake Beach. Snakeheads are in every tributary of the Chesapeake bay and its rivers and can be caught.
There is good fishing in Anne Arundel. I’m pretty sure someone on here will expel more on the opportunities

[Mflint1513]

I live near Lake Ogleton and fish along the docks there. Maybe I’m being a wimp but it’s too cold right now! Got any tips to stay warm?

[Big Mike]

Welcome, I’m in Southern Maryland and you’re definitely not a wimp for respecting cold water. I have a PA 14 and it goes into storage late October/early November and won’t be out until spring. Unless you have a dry suit or the wader/spray top combo (something I don’t trust) you’re best to fish from shore. That’s what I do. As I told my wife, no fish is worth dying for.
I mostly fish St Mary’s county. Once our fishery gets rocking in mid May or so it’s worth a trip down this way. We get way more speckled trout and puppy drum than AA.

[Bwillz88]

Thanks for replying everyone. I plan to go fish from the kayak starting in May. Right now I'm trying to figure out if I should keep the Predator or move to the Pro angler. I would be open to trying the southern Maryland area like Solomons island. What kayak is everyone mostly using to fish with?

[dsaavedra]

Severn River and Magothy River in AACo are offering good pickerel fishing right now, and in the coming weeks will offer good yellow perch fishing. Fish Talk Magazine and Angler's Sports Center put out weekly fishing reports on their respective webisites to let you know what's biting and where. I generally find the Fish Talk reports more substantive.

[Mark]

Bwillz88,

Welcome to the forum.

I own a pedal kayak (Revo 13) and two paddle kayaks (Native Ultimates). I use the paddle boats far more often than my pedal boat. There are several reasons for that. I fish tidal creeks and ponds more often than big open tidal water. The shallowness of those locations, the stumps, deadfall and the prevalent aquatic vegetation in them spring through fall can be inhibiting for a pedal driven kayak. Plus they're small bodies of water, relatively speaking. I don't need to travel far to catch fish in them. A paddle kayak is just fine to get me where I need to go. Also, my Revo is about 20 pounds heavier than my Ultimates. Plus I need to transport the drive system with it. The Ultimates and their associated gear are simply easier for me to transport.

Don't misunderstand me. I'm not denigrating pedal kayaks. I enjoy my Revo when I use it in big water. It's seaworthy and fast. But it is not the best choice for me for fishing smaller waters for the reasons I mentioned above. I'm glad I have paddle alternatives. Having both kinds of kayaks gives me efficient alternatives for big and small water.

That's especially the case for me in cold weather. There's no way I am going out in big water now. I confine my fishing to protected creeks and ponds at this time of year. Anyway, there is nothing within easy reach for me to catch in a kayak in the larger Chesapeake Bay in winter. I prefer to fish shallow water using only lures or flies. Chances are a winter outing in the bay would be a boat ride for me at best and a dangerous one at that casting to barren water. So my Revo stays dry until warmer days arrive. But my paddle boats are great for fishing small protected water in cold weather. They let me travel light. They're easy to paddle and they're very stable. I feel safe in them, yet always mindful of the hazards of cold water even in small water.

So, I can easily answer your question about the boat I am going to use. This year will be the same as previous years. I will use my Revo and Ultimates. But I will use the Ultimates far more because of the locations I fish and the fact that I fish in them each month of the year -- which also means my next outing will be as soon as I can get out when this cold snap breaks.

Finally, since you live in AA county you may already be familiar with this link of local cartop boat launches:

https://www.aacounty.org/services-an...op-boat-launch

If not, take a few moments to note the many sites where you can launch and fish. We're very fortunate to have public access to each of the major rivers in the county.

[Big Mike]

I love my PA but it’s heavy and I trailer it. In AA the majority of launches don’t accommodate a trailer so you’d most likely need a truck unless you’re a worlds strongest man guy and can get it on a roof. I love the PA for its space and stability, the price you pay is speed. Not a big deal once I’m at a spot but the transitions leave me trailing the fleet. If your plan is to mostly target bay fish I’d recommend a pedal kayak if your budget supports it. You might find the Outback a better compromise weight wise, or some of the other brands. I personally prefer the Mirage drive like propulsion systems over the bicycle and propeller styles because of shallow water capability.

[brianisoutside]

I’ll second the outback. I love mine and it is plenty stable on the bay, even with rollers and boat traffic.
I’m in Aa co too and get out most weekends, occasionally after work.


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[ronaultmtd]

2021 is starting off with some pretty cold nasty weather that will delay my normal start of a fishing season...I usually tune up with a trip or two on the put and take rainbow trout using ultra light spinning gear followed by blue catfishing using medium heavy low profile casting tackle and bait...I normally by-pass the Striped Bass "trophy" season in its entirety and instead fish primarily for white perch and the early season speckled trout that survive our winters. I fish exclusively from a Mirage drive Hobie kayak- either a 2016 Outback or a 2018 Compass...both are rigged exactly the same. If I am transporting any distance from the parking area to the launch, it is the 68 pound Compass..otherwise it is the 98 pound Outback...

[moc]

Welcome to the forum! I love my Hobie Outback. For me it was a good balance to trailer or cartop, depending on the area and rules restrictions for parking where I fish or crab. I originally had a canoe many years ago, then I moved to a Wilderness Tarpon T120 paddle yak. Then in 2011, I moved over to the Hobie Revolution, and now I am using an Outback LE. I am not fishing right now, mostly due to work, and the weather. I am hoping to start back up at the end of March 2021. I fish from the Susky to Southern MD, to the Eastern Shore Counties. I occasionally would fish Virginia Beach, Nagshead and Delaware.

[pbharvey]

I also fish Anne Arundel county. Mostly Weems creek for perch and snake head.

I had no idea Weems has snake head. I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

[J.A. Veil]

I had no idea Weems has snake head. I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

Weems Creek and some other Severn creeks and ponds do have snakehead living in them. Based on my own experience of fishing in about 12 different Severn creeks and ponds during the year, snakehead are not yet common.

In July 2019, I spotted two snakeheads in a shallow muddy area near a dock in a creek farther upstream than I normally go. I was not rigged up for snakehead that day and could not induce a bite with what I threw. I returned to the same location a week later and saw no evidence of the snakehead.

snakehead 1.jpg

In June 2020, I was perch fishing in Weems and throwing a Bignose spinner. I tossed into a shaded shoreline spot and caught several perch. On the next cast, I threw the lure to the same spot. The lure appeared to be snagged on something and did not move initially. As I lifted the rod to try to pull the lure free, I sensed motion. After a few minutes of uninspired fight, I brought a snakehead to the side of the kayak. I was using an ultralight rod. Had the snakehead done its typical aggressive behavior, I might not have landed it. But it was mostly sluggish.

2020-06-03 16-15-20 _1.jpg

I searched in many shallow spots in Weems during the rest of the summer and never saw another one. I know of another kayak angler who caught a few of them last year in the Severn, but do not know which creeks he fished in.

My conclusion is that snakeheads are in the Severn and most likely will expand their range and become more plentiful in the future. But at this time, they are an uncommon catch. Perhaps someone who is a better snakehead fisherman than me could find them with some regularity.

[Mark]

Snakeheads are in the creeks of the South, Severn, Magothy and Patapsco Rivers.

I think a harder question to answer is where are they not?

I believe they take a few years to become a common presence. I had been hearing rumors of them in the creeks of the above rivers since 2018. However, it wasn't until last year that I found them numerous enough and in predictable locations to specifically target them.

My concern is that they find a niche without harming populations of our native fish. So far so good. I wondered if perhaps they had displaced our tidal pickerels since picks were scarce until reappearing in good numbers last winter. Also, white perch were plentiful in 2020 sharing the same coves and structure in creeks with snakeheads.

[bignose]

During the summer of 2019 I witnessed a young man catch a 22" snakehead below Daniels Dam on the Patapsco. This is way above tidewater. There is video on YouTube about them being caught behind Savage Mill, in Laurel.
I'm just accepting the fact that along with Blue Cats, they are a part of the future of our local fishery. Might as well embrace that idea, because we aren't going to be able to get rid of them.