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Lower Potomac River 9/11 - caught my personal best redfish!

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  • Lower Potomac River 9/11 - caught my personal best redfish!

    On Saturday morning I met up with Mike and Ron to fish in the Lower Potomac. The weather was great, a brisk 60 degrees with no wind to speak of. Water temps were about 76°F. We started the morning off throwing topwater with no success, though we did get to witness a very scenic and foggy sunrise. If you look closely you'll see a tiny dot amidst the fog... that's Mike in his PA14.



    We switched approaches and fished subsurface - a variety of different Zman swimbaits. We all caught fish but it was sporadic and slow, just one here and there without much consistency. The bite seemed to pick up a little bit later in the morning as the tide started moving. The lizardfish (and/or baby bluefish... and/or crabs) were fierce and constantly shredded our lures, biting the tails off or biting them clean in half.





    We managed to do alright though... Ron caught at least 7 different species of fish from lizardfish to spot to black sea bass, Mike managed to catch a flounder, both of them got keeper-sized speckled trout, and I caught my biggest ever redfish! What a thrill that was... I was trolling 3 rods (2 in holders and 1 in my hand) and all 3 went down at the same time. First I reeled in the rod that was already in my hand - a small rockfish - while maintaining trolling speeds to keep tension on the other two rods. I reached for the next rod and could tell right away that it was a nice fish. It was pulling my kayak in circles, making hard runs, ripping drag... eventually I saw a glimpse of its copper colored shoulders and got very excited that it was a nice red. Hyper-focused on not losing this fish I let my 3rd rod go slack and that fish got off, the least of my concerns. I finally got the redfish in the net and radioed to Ron and Mike that I had a big one. I put it on the measuring board and it hit 24 inches! This was my biggest red by a mile... I think my previous best was 15" or so. Having never caught a legal sized redfish before I harvested this fish; my dad and I shared one of the fillets for lunch today and it was tasty!





    I stayed out after Mike and Ron headed home and I caught 3 more redfish, each of the subsequent fish were 14". One was particularly pretty with 3 spots and a fluorescent blue tail. All told I finished the day with 5 rockfish (all in the 15-17" range), 5 perch (including a very nice 12.5"), 4 redfish, and 2 lizardfish. Overall I'd say it was a good day fishing.

    Last edited by dsaavedra; 09-12-2021, 08:12 PM.
    Dave

    2021 Hobie Outback Camo
    2013 Native Slayer Hidden Oak

  • #2
    Great day Dave. The spot you got your red has given us some nice fish this year. Overall it was a slow day quantity wise but quality was good.
    Mike
    Pro Angler 14 "The Grand Wazoo"

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    • #3
      Congratulations on your new personal best red. You had a productive outing.
      John Veil
      Annapolis
      Native Watercraft Manta Ray 11, Falcon 11

      Author - "Fishing in the Comfort Zone" , "Fishing Road Trip - 2019", "My Fishing Life: Two Years to Remember", and "The Way I Like to Fish -- A Kayak Angler's Guide to Shallow Water, Light Tackle Fishing"

      Comment


      • #4
        Woohooo, Congratulations Dave. That is a beautiful fish. I missed a great weekend for fishing...cooler temps and almost no wind...I am glad to see you did well. One of these days, maybe I can join you down South?

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        • #5
          Thanks everyone!

          Rob, I'm sure I'll be back down there a time or two before the weather/water gets too cold.
          Dave

          2021 Hobie Outback Camo
          2013 Native Slayer Hidden Oak

          Comment


          • #6
            Great day - that's one beast of a red.

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            • #7
              Great report! Things have sure been interesting down south.
              Tight lines
              Hobie Ivory Dune Outback
              Hobie Caribbean Blue Sport
              Wilderness Red Tsunami 145
              Wilderness Green "Warhorse" Tarpon 160

              Comment


              • #8
                Great report, Dave! A friend and I are going to try PLO on Saturday if the weather looks right. If not, we're going to hit one of the local creeks as a back up. I haven't made it down south or to the eastern shore yet this year so I'm still looking for my first speck and red of 2021.
                - Cliff

                Hobie Compass
                Perception Pescador Pro 100

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by Red_Beard View Post
                  Great report, Dave! A friend and I are going to try PLO on Saturday if the weather looks right. If not, we're going to hit one of the local creeks as a back up. I haven't made it down south or to the eastern shore yet this year so I'm still looking for my first speck and red of 2021.
                  Specks have become scarce, still a couple around but not like they were. Winds look good for fishing PLO on Saturday. If you have plans on launching early you’ll need to bypass the line of folks waiting to enter the park when it opens (You’ll have to drive on wrong side of road and hope they’re not blocking the kiosks.. You’ll need to pay $10 for the boat launch to get in early. Alternatively you could try St Inigoes Launch. We’ve found fishing there a little bit better than the point of late. If you do fish PLO bring a flounder rig, definitely some around on the bar.
                  Mike
                  Pro Angler 14 "The Grand Wazoo"

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Thanks for the tips, Mike! I'd heard the speck bite was slacking off a bit. Are you getting specks at St. Inigoes? What's the launch fee there? We had been planning to fish St Jerome if the weather became untenable at PLO.
                    - Cliff

                    Hobie Compass
                    Perception Pescador Pro 100

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      St Inigoes is free to launch. End of Beachville road. Looks like winds up a bit on Saturday so I’d definitely say St Inigoes. St Jerome’s will be sloppy with the direction.
                      Mike
                      Pro Angler 14 "The Grand Wazoo"

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