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I searched all about St Mary's county for a place to fish this morning. Elms beach closed for 4th (duh--a park closed on a holiday...so lame), PT Lookout choked with people, Wind howling at St Inigoes, too many powerboats to fish mouth of St Jerome's......I was getting discouraged. I headed towards Abells Wharf (on Breton Bay) where I assumed I could find somewhere out of the Wind. This path took me past ST Mary's college. The wind looked OK and I had never launched there before... so I said, "Why not?"
I tried trolling the channel edges and grass edges without success. The jelly fish were thick and the wind had loosened the grass so it was generally miserable fishing constantly clearing weeds and jellies from hooks...but great to be out on the water anyway.
I started seeing breakers near by and paddled hard but each time just as I got into casting range...POOF....they vanished! Typical. This went on for a couple hours. Only had one hook up and it got off before I saw if it was rock or bluefish.
Eventually, I decided to troll back to the college fairly close to shore with 2 gold colored lures, chartreuse/gold drone spoon and a bass assassin paddle tail in green with gold fleck and orange tail. It was only a few miles from where Ronault caught his keeper reds. I heard gold lures and redfish go together. Could not be any worse than the luck I had so far.
So still trying but not hopeful, I trolled at a normal speed in fairly shallow water. Then BOOM powerful fish on drone spoon. As I'm pulling the rod out of the holder,BOOM, paddletail gets hit. I decided to focus on the rod I had in my hand and assumed the other would disappear. As I brought the 20 inch redfish
close to the boat the drag starts pulling on the other rod...the fish was still there! It ended up being 17.75 inches..just short
.
I trolled through the area again ans same thing happened. Spoon first, then paddletail....this time both just over 18.
Sadly I could only keep one (I had to call Bill for a rules check)...but he was delicious (served here with beets and croaker).
I tried trolling the channel edges and grass edges without success. The jelly fish were thick and the wind had loosened the grass so it was generally miserable fishing constantly clearing weeds and jellies from hooks...but great to be out on the water anyway.
I started seeing breakers near by and paddled hard but each time just as I got into casting range...POOF....they vanished! Typical. This went on for a couple hours. Only had one hook up and it got off before I saw if it was rock or bluefish.
Eventually, I decided to troll back to the college fairly close to shore with 2 gold colored lures, chartreuse/gold drone spoon and a bass assassin paddle tail in green with gold fleck and orange tail. It was only a few miles from where Ronault caught his keeper reds. I heard gold lures and redfish go together. Could not be any worse than the luck I had so far.
So still trying but not hopeful, I trolled at a normal speed in fairly shallow water. Then BOOM powerful fish on drone spoon. As I'm pulling the rod out of the holder,BOOM, paddletail gets hit. I decided to focus on the rod I had in my hand and assumed the other would disappear. As I brought the 20 inch redfish
close to the boat the drag starts pulling on the other rod...the fish was still there! It ended up being 17.75 inches..just short.I trolled through the area again ans same thing happened. Spoon first, then paddletail....this time both just over 18.
Sadly I could only keep one (I had to call Bill for a rules check)...but he was delicious (served here with beets and croaker).
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