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I launched my kayak in the Severn this morning. The wind was almost nonexistent at first -- the tide had just started moving out. I spent the first hour drifting and jigging some debris piles. I have tried that on my last 5 trips without even a single bite.
This morning, I ended that streak and managed to hook a strong 25" rockfish -- my largest ever in the Severn and I think my largest of the year from my kayak.
That got things off to a great start. I was jigging a 6" BKD on a 1/2-oz jighead.
The new FF/GPS I installed on my kayak gives sensitive readings. I was able to watch the jig moving up and down on the screen. It seemed to have an up/down motion range of about 5-6 ft.
After several more unproductive drifts using the BKD, I tried two drifts with a live minnow on the same jighead. This time I jigged more gently -- the up/down motion range was now 2-3 ft.
I had no bites on the minnow, and eventually snagged the lure and broke off. Note that my rod tip was not moving nearly those vertical distances -- yet the snap in the rod and the non-stretch Powerpro line caused the jighead to jump up more than the rod tip distance.
I stowed the jigging rod and paddled to a tributary that has been productive for pickerel the last two months. Today was not just productive -- it turned out to be VERY PRODUCTIVE!. I ended up catching 19 pickerel in the next two hours -- all on live minnows on small jigheads. I do not fish minnows under a bobber -- rather I cast and retrieve. I caught several pickerel at 18" to 19" and one at 20.5".
I fished the same circuit in the tributary twice. What I have found this fall is that the second time through an area, even an hour later, the bite is noticeably less. I found that trend holds not only for me returning to the same spots after letting them alone for an hour. I have an anecdotal observation on two separate tributaries just last week. Shadyfisher (Ryan) had fished the same tributaries early in the morning. I came out about mid-day. I still caught some pickerel but not as many as he had. I suspect that the fish had not fully settled down after he had moved through that area a few hours before. I am curious how long a stretch of water must be left undisturbed before the fish return to full biting intensity.
It was a very enjoyable morning on the Severn. Compared to the cost of operating a large power boat, the trip was a real bargain (but of course the MKF membership already knows that)-- the total cost was under $5.
$1.60 - half a gallon of gas (driving my van to and from the ramp).
$0.75 - 1 lost jighead.
$2.00 - ~ 1/4 pint of minnows.
This morning, I ended that streak and managed to hook a strong 25" rockfish -- my largest ever in the Severn and I think my largest of the year from my kayak.
That got things off to a great start. I was jigging a 6" BKD on a 1/2-oz jighead.
The new FF/GPS I installed on my kayak gives sensitive readings. I was able to watch the jig moving up and down on the screen. It seemed to have an up/down motion range of about 5-6 ft.
After several more unproductive drifts using the BKD, I tried two drifts with a live minnow on the same jighead. This time I jigged more gently -- the up/down motion range was now 2-3 ft.
I had no bites on the minnow, and eventually snagged the lure and broke off. Note that my rod tip was not moving nearly those vertical distances -- yet the snap in the rod and the non-stretch Powerpro line caused the jighead to jump up more than the rod tip distance.
I stowed the jigging rod and paddled to a tributary that has been productive for pickerel the last two months. Today was not just productive -- it turned out to be VERY PRODUCTIVE!. I ended up catching 19 pickerel in the next two hours -- all on live minnows on small jigheads. I do not fish minnows under a bobber -- rather I cast and retrieve. I caught several pickerel at 18" to 19" and one at 20.5".
I fished the same circuit in the tributary twice. What I have found this fall is that the second time through an area, even an hour later, the bite is noticeably less. I found that trend holds not only for me returning to the same spots after letting them alone for an hour. I have an anecdotal observation on two separate tributaries just last week. Shadyfisher (Ryan) had fished the same tributaries early in the morning. I came out about mid-day. I still caught some pickerel but not as many as he had. I suspect that the fish had not fully settled down after he had moved through that area a few hours before. I am curious how long a stretch of water must be left undisturbed before the fish return to full biting intensity.
It was a very enjoyable morning on the Severn. Compared to the cost of operating a large power boat, the trip was a real bargain (but of course the MKF membership already knows that)-- the total cost was under $5.
$1.60 - half a gallon of gas (driving my van to and from the ramp).
$0.75 - 1 lost jighead.
$2.00 - ~ 1/4 pint of minnows.
. I'm glad you got a nice striper too!
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