First skim ice

[J.A. Veil]

I fished this morning in a Severn tributary. The water level was low when I launched my kayak at 9:15 and dropped throughout the morning. The air temp was in the low 30s and the water temp in the low 40s.

I paddled to a sheltered area where I planned to fish. A large section of shallow water along one shoreline was covered in skim ice. Although it is easy and fun to paddle through skim ice, it is not possible to fish in ice-covered areas, because of the ice cover and the loud noise made by the cracking ice as the kayak slides through.




I was forced to try other sections of the tributary. The bite was good at first (4 pickerel in the first 10 mins). Then I hooked the jighead on the back of my jacket on one less-than-optimal backcast. I was unable to reach around and remove the hook, so I had to beach the kayak on some shallows. By the time I removed my life vest and jacket and unhooked myself, I apparently had made too much noise in the nearby area. The bite stopped and never picked up again. I eventually caught 9 pickerel to 19". I kept trying for another 45 mins to get number 10, but the fish shut down. I eventually got cold and returned to the launch.

I closed out the year with 64 pickerel during November (30 of those came after Nov 15, when the SRRKC tournament started) and 74 during December. Out of all those 104 fish since Nov 15, only three of them met or exceeded the 20" minimum size for submitting to the SRRKC tournament.

[HJS]

Don't know if thats about right for the first skim ice on the Severn. My notes show I tried to fish two side creeks (Mill Creek and Dividing Creek) off the Magothy on November 23, 2008. Ice spanned these two creeks bank to bank... and it was more than just skim ice. This has been a mild fall/winter so far. Each year is different.

Did you get them on lures or did you have to use minnows?

[J.A. Veil]

Did you get them on lures or did you have to use minnows?

I use minnows almost exclusively for pickerel from Dec-March. Lures work too, but I think I catch more fish with minnows. Live, actively wiggling minnows catch better than dead one that just wobble as I retrieve.

[Turtle135]

Thanks John, really enjoy the Pickerel updates (I plan to get back over there some Saturday in January)

Have you noticed any difference in their behavior as the water temperatures fall? The water was 45 - 47 degrees the one day I was out there and they were very aggressive. Wondering if they become more tentative as the water falls to 40 degrees or lower?

[bignose]

So you are practicing catch and release on yourself?

I bet you put up a heck of a fight and took yourself home for dinner.

If I recall correctly, does this mean that you have met your goal to catch fish every week this year?

[wfauby]

we went to Deep Creek Lake for the weekend (arrived Thurs, snow skiing) i was surprised to see the lake ice free...by the time we left today, ice was just forming in some of the shallower covers

[J.A. Veil]

So you are practicing catch and release on yourself?

LOL I like your idea of self catch and release. I guess I am the heaviest catch I ever made in that case.

When I beached the kayak the first time, I found that I was in foot-deep soft mud. I was afraid that I might lose my balance while removing the jacket, so I got back in the kayak, dragged a lot of black mud inside, then paddled a short ways off to a sandy bar where I could stand more easily.

If I recall correctly, does this mean that you have met your goal to catch fish every week this year?

Yes I completed a full year with at least one fish per week. I added a more detailed story under the post about 2013 goals.

[J.A. Veil]

Have you noticed any difference in their behavior as the water temperatures fall? The water was 45 - 47 degrees the one day I was out there and they were very aggressive. Wondering if they become more tentative as the water falls to 40 degrees or lower?

Nearly all the bites yesterday felt like extra weight on the line rather than a hard strike. On each trip I make dozens to hundreds of casts so I have a good idea of what the jighead/minnow feels like on the retrieve. Some times I feel a small amount of additional weight -- that usually means I have hooked a leaf or allowed the jighead to contact the bottom and get covered in slime. On other retrieves I can feel an occasional bumping -- when that happens, I stop the retrieve, let the bait sit for a second or two, then start retrieving again. Usually the pickerel will follow and bite shortly thereafter. When I get a larger amount of extra weight, I raise the rod tip (not a hard bass hookset, just a firm steady lifting) and see if the line starts shaking or pulling -- if so, there is a pickerel on the line.

Over the last few weeks, I have had quite a few pickerel that leaped out of the water and an occasional tailwalker. As the water continues to cool down (42 to 43 deg yesterday), the jumping and rapid swimming will diminish.

[ComeOnFish]

John,
I should have gone to Severn River for my first pickerel. Anyway, here is my first ice in virginia.

Joe

[J.A. Veil]

Joe -

There is something fun about crunching through the ice -- it does not help fishing, but it feels like an adventure.

Let me know when you want to catch some pickerel. I can point you in the right direction and show you some tackle tips.

[ComeOnFish]

Joe -

There is something fun about crunching through the ice -- it does not help fishing, but it feels like an adventure.

Let me know when you want to catch some pickerel. I can point you in the right direction and show you some tackle tips.

John,
Do you fish this coming Satuday? I am bringing ultra light tackle with 8# test mono. I have some white 1/8 - 1/4oz jigs (Beetle Spins - the kinds on Shadyfisher's video) and some small grups.

BTW, it is too bad that MD doesn't offer the one-time SR citizen fishing license for the young people like you. I have one in VA.

Joe

[bignose]

I thought that Maryland had a over 65, one time $5.00 license.

[HJS]

MD does have an over 65 senior consolidated fishing license (freshwater and the salt) for $5/year. But it must be renewed each year. Which reminds me, I need to get my 20013 license.
==========================
I forgot to add that the over-65 senior license is for MD residents only. Out-of-state non-residents pay full price.

[ComeOnFish]

$5 every year isn't bad all all. I paid $60 for VA life time saltwater license a few years ago. I carry a plastic license (like credit card)

joe