Severn River 07/08/2012

I met SurfDog(John), Shield (Don) at 5:00 am at Jonas Green. When I arrived, SurfDog was already there. Don arrived just a few minutes after me. Once Don arrived, we jumped back into our vehicle and followed John onto the Navy Base. We parked at the ramp and quickly unloaded our kayaks. I brought only artificial bait today, jigheads with Gulp swimming mullet and spinners. I headed to the mouth of the river and began fishing 100 yards from shore. I got the skunk off for the day very quickly, by hooking up and landing a 16.5 inch rockfish. The fish was fat and healthy and kind of reminded me of a large mouth bass. It had different striped markings on it. Not the typical makings that I am use to seeing. I fished this area on my way to the rock wall at the mouth of the river. I had already caught 3 rockfish, a croaker and 3 perch in short order. All fish caught on a 1/4 ounce red jighead tipped with a a white Gulp Swimming Mullet. I fished around the point and landed perch, small 12 to 14 inch rockfish and baby croakers. The plan was to get back to shore by 10:00 am, so I went back into the river and fished the cove. To my surprise I landed a Puppy Drum. I did not know that they might have been in the Severn. It was a four species day for me. I continued to catch several large perch along the bank until it was time to get back to the ramp and beet the heat since temperatures were predicted to go to 100 degrees. It was a good day with lots of pullage, but the Severn River keeper rockfish alluded us once more. Thanks again to Surf by getting us the opportunity to launch from the Navy Base.

[J.A. Veil]

Congratulations on the puppy drum. Yours is the first one I have heard of from the Severn this year.

I fished in Weems Creek for about an hour at mid-day today. The bite in the shallows was very slow, and I quickly succumbed to the heat. I caught a few perch, one small striper, and a pretty pumpkinseed sunfish.

[kayak456]

Nice if you read my report; we got 9 puppy drum in the south river

[Shady]

Nice report! Based on your description of the first Striper being shaped more like a Bass and the broken lines, I believe its a Hybrid or Wiper. I was just wondering if the Puppy Drum would make it up to the Severn yesterday, this is excellent news! The Severn continues to produce awesome Perch, I can't wait to get back out there.

[ictalurus]

Congrats on the new species, Martin. The wiper is cool looking, and it looks like you got some nice perch, too.

[moc]

Where do the Wipers come from? Are they hatched and bread by DNR then released into the Bay? As for the perch, I must have caught 50 perch today in the Severn with many large ones. Seems like the bigger bait gets bigger perch. My 1/4 ounce jighead with Gulp caught bigger fish than my 1/8 ounce beetle spine spinner.

[Shady]

Wipers were stocked in several rivers many years ago because they were thought to be sterile. Well it turns out that they were not and they started spawning, so the stocking of wipers was quickly stopped for fear that they would impact atlantic striped bass spawning. Im pretty sure Wipers are not stocked in the rivers anymore, atleast not by DNR. Wiper are most common in the Susquehanna especially above the conowingo dam, I believe some are still stocked above the dam. I caught my first one this winter...

[ictalurus]

DNR used to stock them into the Bay, but I can't remember when it was. They weren't as successful as the full-blooded striper fingerlings they stocked, so they discontinued. I think that's how the story goes.

[moc]

So, Is it considered to be a rare catch south of the Bay Bridge? Or are they quite common as far as the Severn goes? I think this is the first one that I ever caught.

[ictalurus]

I'm not really sure where they stocked them. I'll ask my boss because he was doing a number of experiments with striped bass larvae with DNR during the 80s, which is when I think the wiper larvae/fingerlings were stocked.

[J.A. Veil]

I fished in the same area that Moc did yesterday. I paddled for 3.5 hours trolling 3 or 4 ultralight rods with small lures. The hands down most popular lure was a spinner arm, 1/8-oz pink jighead, and white paddletail minnow. It accounted for 3/4 of all the fish caught today. I caught a few stripers 12" and smaller, and well over 30 big perch. Most of the perch were 9" to 11" and beefy. They gave a good fight. I was really hoping for a puppy drum, but did not find any today.

[moc]

I fished in the same area that Moc did yesterday. I paddled for 3.5 hours trolling 3 or 4 ultralight rods with small lures. The hands down most popular lure was a spinner arm, 1/8-oz pink jighead, and white paddletail minnow. It accounted for 3/4 of all the fish caught today. I caught a few stripers 12" and smaller, and well over 30 big perch. Most of the perch were 9" to 11" and beefy. They gave a good fight. I was really hoping for a puppy drum, but did not find any today.

I guess I pointed you in the right area for big perch. I caught allot of mine also on a spinner arm. But I got a higher percentage with a jighead 1/4 ounce tipped with gulp.

[kayak456]

Go to selby bay for the drum. I saw your report on tidal fish, WAY TO GO ON THE TROUT AND FLOUNDER1!!

[J.A. Veil]

But I got a higher percentage with a jighead 1/4 ounce tipped with gulp.

I had my Gulp bait reservoir with me yesterday filled with different shapes of Gulp baits. I had only one swimming mullet that had its tail bitten off quickly. The other Gulp baits I put on a jighead were pogies, jerk shad, or 2" minnows. None of them had a good tail swimming action and did not get touched. I made sure to re-load the bait reservoir with swimming mullets this morning.

Were you working that jig through the water column or bouncing it along the bottom?

[J.A. Veil]

Go to selby bay for the drum. I saw your report on tidal fish, WAY TO GO ON THE TROUT AND FLOUNDER1!!

What lure or bait were you using to catch the reds? Were you bottom fishing or casting and retrieving through the water?