Goodhands - Sunday Morning

[Chrisca]

Launched from Good Hands on Sunday morning, only truck there even though it was a nice morning?
Threw a Top water and a paddle tail around the island with nothing to show for it, current was ripping out of the bay making pedaling a little difficult considering I haven't exercised much over the winter...legs were hurting

Trolled on the way up to the wall and picked up a nice 22" Striper for the first (released) fish of the year, picked off a few more around the wall both trolling and jigging as well as two more on the way back to the dock - all fish were in the teens.

Pretty happy with the outing, wasn't sure I would find anything so 8 fish in a few hours was OK with me.
Trolled a 5" Pearl and a Chartreuse paddle tail, both caught fish. Cast a 4" paddle tail (pretty much all I ever use) in lime green which caught some schoolies as well.

Ok - Here goes, I just have to ask. I saw three fish come completely out of the water, big fish, like 24" fish...I assume they were catfish, definitely not stripers and did not look like Carp. Do catfish launch themselves out of the water?

Looking forward to not fishing alone as much this year!
Chris "Orange Outback"

[Mark]

Chirsca,

You did well at Goodhands, especially this early in the season. My best days there have typically come in the summer and fall around Hog Island (which is getting smaller and more fragmented each year) and near the seawall. Topwater near the old rocky seawall on a high falling tide is one of my favorite Goodhands tactics.

As to catfish, I have caught several channel cats at Goodhands but I've never seen one jump as you described. I've caught them subsurface on paddletails and on perch spinners. I once caught a blue cat on topwater, not at Goodhands though. So, a blue cat is the only catfish I've seen actually break the surface in tidal water.

[JAR]

Most likely shad. They are thick in my neck of the woods right now and were jumping/breaking the surface all weekend.

[Big Mike]

Most likely shad. They are thick in my neck of the woods right now and were jumping/breaking the surface all weekend.

+1

[J.A. Veil]

Congratulations on your catch. I don't normally start fishing there until mid-summer. It is good to know that some fish are around in May.

I too have seen some large fish jumping and splashing near the point by the yacht club. I assumed they were carp. Maybe not???

[tarponguy]

Goodhands

I live in Chester and fish Goodhands and other nearby spots by kayak often but only thru the week. Would love to join you anytime so just hit me up next time. I also like to avoid fishing alone if possible.

Launched from Good Hands on Sunday morning, only truck there even though it was a nice morning?
Threw a Top water and a paddle tail around the island with nothing to show for it, current was ripping out of the bay making pedaling a little difficult considering I haven't exercised much over the winter...legs were hurting

Trolled on the way up to the wall and picked up a nice 22" Striper for the first (released) fish of the year, picked off a few more around the wall both trolling and jigging as well as two more on the way back to the dock - all fish were in the teens.

Pretty happy with the outing, wasn't sure I would find anything so 8 fish in a few hours was OK with me.
Trolled a 5" Pearl and a Chartreuse paddle tail, both caught fish. Cast a 4" paddle tail (pretty much all I ever use) in lime green which caught some schoolies as well.

Ok - Here goes, I just have to ask. I saw three fish come completely out of the water, big fish, like 24" fish...I assume they were catfish, definitely not stripers and did not look like Carp. Do catfish launch themselves out of the water?

Looking forward to not fishing alone as much this year!
Chris "Orange Outback"

[Chrisca]

Will definitely contact you - I am going to try and start going out some evenings during the week...mostly I fish early am on the weekends

No way those fish were shad...maybe American? They are pretty big fish...I'm thinking carp, one of them came straight out of the water, just too far and too quick for me to really see the type of fish. I have caught a lot of Hickory shad, definitely not that.