Mattawoman - March 31

[J.A. Veil]

I met Moc (Martin) and Rockchaser (Jim) at Slavins ramp about 9:45. We paddled toward the tree that Capt C-Hawk memorialized in his post last week. The current was coming in moderately fast. Jim anchored up and had fish on pretty quickly. He kept up a steady catch of catfish while Martin and I watched without any success.

After a while even "Catfish Jim" stopped catching, so we headed a mile in the other direction. Jim continued to catch catfish, and after a while Martin did too. I continued not to catch catfish. I thought the fresh menhaden I had bought yesterday would work nicely -- apparently not.

I finally moved away from them and tried some casting at a sunken barge. Martin told me there would be crappie all over the place there. The crappie must have moved, because we could not find them. However, while casting a 1/8-oz jighead and 2" twister tail with my ultralight rod, I got a strong pull and lots of swimming around. A minute later, the fish surfaced for the first time -- it was a stocky LMB of about 17". That was a lot of fun. I continued casting around the barge and found one region that produced three more bites. These bass were energetic and leaped out of the water several times each.

I left Jim and Martin, and also Chexone (who had come out on his own) still fishing for catfish. I returned to the spot where we had started out. I anchored up in the strong current and cast out a two-hook bottom rig with bloodworm on the top hook and a menhaden chunk on the bottom. I think I was fishing at the same spot where Jim nailed them earlier. But my day finished without even a catfish nibble.

[ictalurus]

Sorry to hear about the lack of cats, but that's a nice bass. I thought you'd be up to your eyeballs in cats when you said you got fresh menhaden. The only menhaden I can get is frozen and usually freezer burnt. Very strange you didn't have any luck. Blue cats will eat menhaden. I wish there was a place to get gizzard shad around here. The cat hunters in VA set little gill nets to catch fresh bait.

[chex]

Ah too bad no MD catfish for you today.

Worms seemed to be the bait of choice today.

[CB kayak 02]

Ah too bad no MD catfish for you today.

Worms seemed to be the bait of choice today.

How did you make out Mike?

Martin wheres the pics?

[chex]

I got 3 small cats on worms and a paddletail (bullheads?), a 22" blue cat on bunker, 2 small LMB and 1 WP. I put the 6" WP on a hook and sent it down. A few minutes later, BIG tugs on the line. BIG. But no hookup. When I pulled the perch up, it was in bad shape. I think the cat swallowed it, and I pulled it out. The hook was too small. So I rigged the perch with a bigger hook and a second hook on the tail. But it Snagged and i lost it.

Big bait. Big fish.

I caught the bass on paddletails. The perch on night crawler.

It sounds like I caught a lot, but I was there for 11 hours. So my batting percentage is not that good. Going back tomorrow for revenge.

Oh I also pulled up an eel. It was not hooked but was holding tight on the bunker.

[CB kayak 02]

Got ya, well hope you have a better day tomorrow.

Being a former college baseball player I always think to myself about my catch percent/hook up rate and I consider 90% to be acceptable... when I played baseball in college my goal was to bat .400, I did for periods/halves of all 4 seasons, but the closest I got was .365, and finished my career with a combined .340+ average, so I was content.

But in fishing I still get mad every time I miss a fish, just like I did everytime I got out. haha

[ronaultmtd]

The eel would be a great bait, Mike- Cut big chunks and impale on 6/0 circle hook on fish finder rig- the hole down from the launch is getting too much pressure and the fish are feeling the pressure- all along the creek in the channel are blue cats- find 12 feet of water and enjoy-

[Shady]

Glad you all had some success today. Next time I fish down there it's going to be with one of the creek veterans. I still havn't really figured out how to consistently catch fish there... Good luck tomorrow Mike!

[frettr00]

It wasn't the bait that was the problem, but like Ron said, the pressure on the location. Catfish are not picky eaters, they're opportunistic vacuum cleaners with fins.

[ronaultmtd]

I plan to fish exclusively for snakeheads this afternoon- those darn things have given me a bad name- I usually catch what I go after and snakeheads had stuck their middle finger in my face! I have fished at least six trips for them only to hook and lose them time and time again- I was fishing top water frogs and had difficulties getting the hooks to stick- Today, I plan to fish topwater lures in the shallows...and I plan on bringing one home for dinner-

[Rockchaser]

Sorry no catfish for you Ron.

It was my lucky day I guess. Started with a parking space in the lower lot and went on to finding cat fish.

Bloodworms seemed to be the hot ticket for the day.

[tufnik]

Wow...nice....real nice...I like that fat twenty-sixer...Congrats!

[moc]

How did you make out Mike?

Martin wheres the pics?

Look in the Main Forum section called Return to Mattawoman. That is where I posted by report and pics.....

[moc]

For convenience here is the report that I posted under the Return to Mattawoman under the MainForum....

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The Jon Boat setup was something to watch. I think at least 3 guys were going out. If they did not get a dozen snakeheads then it was a bad day. But on to Mattawaman. Fishing for me was slow at first all morning. Same for John . I had some mackeral looking fish that I got and cut up form the Asian Market. I also had some beef liver. I got nothing on the cut fish. I did get alot of nibbles on the beef liver. The Beef liver worked great for me last time when I was on the Potomac River and caught blue cats up to 28 inches. But today, I only go nibbles, but no takers. Rockchaser was nailing them with the bloodworm and also night crawlers. Lesson learned, always bring some nightcrawlers as backup, since all fish in fresh/brackish water will at least eat a worm. Anyway, Jim (Rockchaser) donate a few worms to me and after mid day I started slamming some kitty kats and a few white perch. The surprise of the day was a struggle with a giant carp. This was the biggest fatest carp that I ever have caught. It was golden brown in color. I thought he was a big blue at first. He peeled alot of line during the struggle, but I finally tired him out and got him to the side of the boat. I went for my net, but it was way too small to use on him. I decided to go for my grippers. As soon as I got the grippers and started to move it towards the fish mouth, then he slapped the water with his tail, and jerked his head and freed himself. At least I got to see him. I go him on video, but no pictures were taken. The fish was big. somewhere between 34 and 36 inches along side of my yak. He was also fat and round like a football. After that battle, it was getting late and time for me to go....with a smile on my face. Thanks for Rockchaser for providing me with the bait of choice....this week. The fish will want something else next week. In the end, besides the carp along side of my boat, I got three white perch, and 4 blue catfish at 19.25., 22,23,24 inches by the end of the day. Once note, Chexone and myself saw this brave cute ground hog eating some plants at the shoreline. Nature at its best.