Western Branch: 3-3-12

[MetroMan]

Yesterday after the flea market, I decided to ht the western branch to search for crappie. I motored up from Jug Bay and continued upstream into the branch until I found what seemed to be good shoreline structure to fish. I worked the shoreline for a couple of hours with not even a nibble. I fished a couple of different soft plastics a few feet under a float. The water was a bit murky in the aftermath of all of the rain...so I'm sure that played a role in my skunk.

It was a fun trip regardless. I explored some new waters, and I am definitely sure that this area will be productive when the white perch run starts. I motored up the branch about three miles. It is really nice up there. I went past the WSSC plant...theres a warm water discharge there.


I'll definitely give that another look in the future. While working the shoreline, I had a buddy following me at one point...
[ame]http://youtu.be/M6K8ofCwcL4[/ame]

I also saw quite a few deer up in the woods while I explored upstream.




On the way back to the launch, I stopped at the usual yellow perch hole. Saw plenty of marks down low, but I couldn't buy a bite. After about 15 minutes there, I continued on back home.

Despite the skunk, it was a great day on the water. I traveled around 6 miles, and used approximately half of my battery's capacity. I also got to test out my new seat!! I recently picked up the "Big Catch AF" by skwoosh. http://www.skwoosh.com/product/BC1204.html This seat is a definite winner in my book.





Very comfortable...not once did I have to reposition or shift due to discomfort or fatigue. The high back with the lumbar support work out great for me. I am still able to access the rear storage area of my kayak pretty easily too. I did not try to use the planos that a secured to the back of the seat...they will require some torso twisting I'm sure. I will plan on using those in the summer time when I am less bulky sans cold weather gear. The rod holders are easily accessible as well. I'm glad I upgraded to this seat.

[ictalurus]

Thanks for the recon and seat review. I've been thinking more and more about upgrading my old Hobie seat. I've been up Western Branch, but not that far. I didn't have any luck either, which is really surprising given how fishy it looks. Did you have a Gene Mueller avocado Sting Ray grub with you?

Did your new battery extend your range, or do you have the same range at a lighter weight?

[MetroMan]

I did not have the sting ray grub. I just used a black tube that had a neon green split tail. Then I switched to a small lure that was shaped like a tiny minnow. These were from a crappie kit I got from BPS years ago.

I think the battery combined with my doc wattson meter may have slightly increased my range. The 60aH lithium batt has about the same usable amp hours than the 80aH AGM, thanks to it being able to be safely discharged to 80% (vs around 60% for the lead acid). The meter allows me set the power for a specific amp draw. Yesterday I set the throttle at what equated to 15A consumption. This yielded me a speed of 3.6 knots/4.1mph according to my app. At this setting, I estimate a range of approximately 13 miles just based on the usable battery capacity. If I bump the speed down a bit, amp consumption drops even more and the range increases more. I would like to do further testing but honestly, it is boring right now. I will do more testing when I'm actually trolling for stripers within the next month or so.

[tufnik]

"I motored up the branch..." Looks like you're casually enjoying electric power.

That's good speed at 15 amps, which helps range. Remind me. I think you have the electronic speed controller, right? The one that's much more efficient than Minn Kota's regular speed controller.

The seat bottom does not look especially thick, or is that a pic illusion only. I'm looking for a much more comfortable seat than the stock seat on my Outback.

[moc]

Thanks for the recon work. I never fished the warm water discharge around there. It was on my radar to check out one day. Thanks for the pics to. I am also looking at upgrading my seat on my Revo. I am just not sure on what seat would work good for me yet.

[HJS]

I've never fished there. But back many years ago (maybe 8-10 years ago) when striper populations were a lot stronger I remember reading that, during the winter months, stripers would show up at that WWD pictured in this post. Dunno if they still show up there or not. That WWD is a long way away from where stripers tend to over-winter.

[MetroMan]

"I motored up the branch..." Looks like you're casually enjoying electric power.

That's good speed at 15 amps, which helps range. Remind me. I think you have the electronic speed controller, right? The one that's much more efficient than Minn Kota's regular speed controller.

The seat bottom does not look especially thick, or is that a pic illusion only. I'm looking for a much more comfortable seat than the stock seat on my Outback.

I am definitely spoiled with the motor lol. And yes, the Torque uses an electronic speed controller (MinnKnota's "Maximizer" technology) which allows infinite adjustments. Having the meter installs actually allows me to see the changes in amp draw.


The pic of the seat does not show the thickness very well. You can really feel the gel filling in the pads. You can squish it around to distribute it evenly. With gel, I am realizing it doesn't need to be super thick to be effective (since it doesn't compress). The bottom is about 3/4" thick. My stock OK seat is about 1/2" thick on the bottom, but it's a foam type cushion. If your back is fine/comfy and you're just looking for more butt comfort, I'd recommend on of skwoosh's cushions if you don't wanna shell out for the whole seat.

[MetroMan]

I've never fished there. But back many years ago (maybe 8-10 years ago) when striper populations were a lot stronger I remember reading that, during the winter months, stripers would show up at that WWD pictured in this post. Dunno if they still show up there or not. That WWD is a long way away from where stripers tend to over-winter.

man I wish this was still the case. With the down trees I passed under and around, it would be a great kayak-only fishery for stripers. I am gonna explore this area more when the white perch start to come through.

[MetroMan]

Oh, I talked to the guys fishing the pier. Their action was slow as well. Couple of white perch on BW, 1 yellow perch. I heard of more white perch being caught further down river at Eagle Harbor, so its just a matter of weeks.

[MetroMan]

Attached is a screenshot from Google Earth with part of my track. I use Fly To Maps on my iPhone. When I remember, I like to track my trip. Below, you can see the areas I fished (evidenced by the irregular path). This app is great for remembering hotspots...assuming of course you actually catch fish.

I started the first track when I was already in the western branch, and ended it when I was north of the WSSC plant.

The second track was started midway on the western branch on my return. You can see where I stopped to fish for YP before heading down the Patuxent back to the ramp.

[chex]

Beavers are so cool... there used to be a beaver dam on the C&O canal right in DC, just north of Fletcher's. My buddy and I would run across Canal Road to get to it. They left a long a time ago though. Your video may be the first time I've seen one since then... nice.