Jonas Green

[Chrisca]

Have a chance to fish for a few hours in the morning, like to try the Severn. Thinking about launching from Jonas but I have never been there...any tips/comments?
Chris

[Mark]

Probably too late to help you now.

The river is about 1/2 mile wide between the bridges. A double digit NW wind can build fetch driving waves into the beach at Jonas.

There are oyster bars on both shorelines between the bridges. You can find their precise locations online. They're also marked on the river. If trolling for stripers is appealing to you, the bars are good spots.

It's a little early for reliable white perch catches, but the edges of the river and its many coves reachable heading north from Jonas provide lots of summertime action.

If you head south from Jonas, watch out for boat traffic especially the YP boats from the USNA. Greenbury Point at the mouth of the Severn and that entire riprap wall all the way to Mill Creek can provide excellent perch and striper fishing as the weather warms.

[Chrisca]

Thanks Mark,
I went down early am - I was really interested in the launch...quickly found out that it was a soft launch. Went ahead anyway, got the boat through the sand and went towards the mouth of the river. Picked up one 16" Striper but that was it for the morning...still a beautiful place. May try again if I get some sand wheels for the Kayak

[Mark]

Nice catch for you.

I don't have beach tires on my cart. There are hardened paths to the right and left side of the beach from the lower parking lot. When I get to the beach I just tug it through the sand. The beach is not that wide. I actually prefer soft launches to concrete ramps.

[J.A. Veil]

I often tow/drag my kayaks over grass, mud, or sand to get to the water. I run a stout rope through the front handle. I take one end in each hand, lean forward, and walk while towing the kayak under my own power. This avoids lifting, which is hard on my back. The photo shows the rope I use for this purpose (a dock line).

2021-01-28-010.jpg

Regarding fishing out of Jonas Green, I may troll in the spring time as you did. In some past years, the striper bite was very good in April and May. It has been poor to so-so recently. More often, I paddle to one or more of the tidal creeks and ponds along both shorelines. There, I can cast spinners for perch in the warm weather or paddletails or small crankbaits for pickerel in the winter. The white perch should be in the process of moving into the creeks at this time. Each creek or pond has its own features and personalities. I enjoy fishing in many different spots in my home river.

[Mark]

Chrisca,

You're correct that the Severn is a beautiful place. In fact, one of the problems with the Jonas launch is that many people know that fact and enjoy it. The park is extremely popular on weekends with picnickers and the river becomes a highway for boaters on Saturdays and Sundays. The area is well used as it should be.

I don't where you're from but we're fortunate in the county to have other launching spots thanks to the efforts of previous government administrations and an active water access committee currently led by Lisa who is a very strong advocate for us as you have seen here by her postings.

Each of the spots fish pretty much the same seasonally for white perch. In other words, perch are not hard to find throughout the summer months at all the county launches. Stripers come and go from spring through fall, somewhat less predictably than white perch as they chase their food sources which are also on the move The big ones tend to vacate shallow creeks in extremely warm weather. But they'll return in the fall to feast on menhaden. Pickerels are in each creek of the Magothy, Patapsco and Severn and provide cold water fun. Snakeheads have recently joined the party. They're the most challenging of the above species to catch in my opinion in our waters -- moody and hard to hook on artificials.

So, enjoy Jonas but I encourage you to explore other county waters.

[Turtle]

I spent about three hours here today (0800-1100) and got skunked. Lots of fish on the fish finder, but none were interested in biting it appears, just a lot of weeds/grass. Something was feeding super aggressively on the surface in a pond in the area in the shade by the shore, but I didn't have anything rigged weedless to try and target it. So it goes. Still a super nice day out on the water.

Edited: Based on another thread on here, maybe it was carp or snakehead mating?

[bassguy84]

I went Wednesday morning as well with a friend new to trolling. Like above was marking more then usual but no takers. Decent day with a little bit of wind but was still great being out. PXL_20210519_130129633.jpg

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