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8/6 - Tuesday.
I had some free time last Tuesday 8/6, and tried to catch the incoming around the Naval Academy rocks, around the rip rappy point there, and paddling up river towards the Rt. 450 bridge. The winds were forecast to be @ 5 mph from the southeast, but were in the 10 - 15 mph range with a one - two foot chop/ NOT as advertised. This made it impossible to get close enough to the rock wall where the fish likely were. I had lines in right before the high tide point @ 5:30 a.m. I was trolling two jigs; a one ounce (too much weight) with a four inch gulp, and a 1/16 jig (not enough weight) with same. In retrospect, the ideal weight for that current was probably 3/8.
I was hoping for a strike or two when I turned the corner to head up river but nothing. I paddled lightly and rode the wind mostly all the way to the Rt. 450 bridge and caught one keeper perch on the Academy side in the shallows there near the rocks. I tried jigging the pilings as I headed across river to Jonas Green for a rest and nothing, not even a strike. I paddled back across the river at the bridge and down river, heading inside of College Creek and back, but the bite that never was was completely off by then.
[In reading another Naval Academy report, I concur completely on the interesting aspects of plebe summer. While paddling up river at 0600 hours, I was treated to a cacophony from the entire brigade of eighteen year old plebes all running and bellowing out the usual Navy repertoire in unison; a standard bearer in front of course! Then there were the ENDLESS lifesaving drills of teams of six in inflatable rafts paddling hard to ROW ROW ROW ROW, ROW, ROW, ROW comands (my God!) trying to make/beat their times. Of course, one of the d.i.'s politely requested that I clear the area, which I dutifully did, LOL! Did I mention the stinky, horn honking YP's replete with every little ensign flag known to mankind maneuvering in and around the sail boat mooring area? But I digress. ]
In retrospect, I think I made two errors: 1) Too much or too little weight on the trolling jigs. 2) I launched close to high tide, but it wasn't moving. There was plenty of wave/wind action from the south but it apparently had little effect on the feeding habits of the fish. Compounding it was this; this was the period when there was little or no moon, so the actual rise/fall of the water level was only 6 - 7 inches; likely not enough to excite the bigger fish to come in from deeper water to feed.
So, getting up at 3:30 am to hit the incoming only to fight a wind at least 3 X's predicted, and enduring a bit of plebe summer myself, all for a virtual skunk was shall I say, instructive. I come away with the two lessons learned; 1) use proper lure weights matched to the current, and 2) be aware that the high tide point is may not be likely the best time to fish. There may be little or no actual current moving, especially when there is no moon.
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8/11/13 - Mid-Severn
I launched about 6:30 am from a community beach as guest on the north side upriver from the Rt. 50 bridge. There was no wind and high tide was due in at Brewer Point at @ 10:30 am. I was working some rip-rap and piers paddling upriver with a 1/16 ounce and a 1/4 ounce jig with 4" chartreuse Gulp curly tails, and a got a couple hits from throw backs, but no real action.
I decided to cross the river by the number 5 red marker (I think) near the Annapolis side of Round Bay. There is some nice structure (a series of jettys and rock walls) close in to shore across the river, and this time I caught the tide as it was moving in somewhat. While positioning myself close to shore and casting out (to ride the lure in with the incoming) I got a big strike on the 1/4 ounce jig. This was a big fish, but he shook off about 20 feet from the boat. Thinking I should have sharpened that jig hook (it was a cheap jig that had been lying around getting wet in my portable for awhile), I switched to the newer 1/16 ounce with a clean sharp hook and kept working that area. Within a few minutes, I got another good strike and landed a 18.5 inch rockfish, my second in the kayak in two weeks! I picked up a 10 inch perch, and a croaker about the same size moving downriver again. The bite was off @ 10:00 'ish so I headed back in.
This was probably the first time I worked a new area of the river (for me) with success, so it was an excellent day. The number of fish and/or perch were down for a four hour trip, but that's okay. I didn't even use the grass shrimp I caught for possible bottom fishing for perch. I am almost to the point of launching sans live bait, but still addicted to the fish insurance aspect of it.
One interesting side bar; in four + hours on the water, I only saw one or two other boats fishing and they weren't kayaks. This is unusual especially for a Sunday. I counted at least 4 or 5 crabbers running trot lines on both sides of the river to moderate success. With crabs running $60 - $ 70 a dozen, even the recreational crabbers are getting out there and trot lining.
IMG-20130811-00125.jpg
I had some free time last Tuesday 8/6, and tried to catch the incoming around the Naval Academy rocks, around the rip rappy point there, and paddling up river towards the Rt. 450 bridge. The winds were forecast to be @ 5 mph from the southeast, but were in the 10 - 15 mph range with a one - two foot chop/ NOT as advertised. This made it impossible to get close enough to the rock wall where the fish likely were. I had lines in right before the high tide point @ 5:30 a.m. I was trolling two jigs; a one ounce (too much weight) with a four inch gulp, and a 1/16 jig (not enough weight) with same. In retrospect, the ideal weight for that current was probably 3/8.
I was hoping for a strike or two when I turned the corner to head up river but nothing. I paddled lightly and rode the wind mostly all the way to the Rt. 450 bridge and caught one keeper perch on the Academy side in the shallows there near the rocks. I tried jigging the pilings as I headed across river to Jonas Green for a rest and nothing, not even a strike. I paddled back across the river at the bridge and down river, heading inside of College Creek and back, but the bite that never was was completely off by then.
[In reading another Naval Academy report, I concur completely on the interesting aspects of plebe summer. While paddling up river at 0600 hours, I was treated to a cacophony from the entire brigade of eighteen year old plebes all running and bellowing out the usual Navy repertoire in unison; a standard bearer in front of course! Then there were the ENDLESS lifesaving drills of teams of six in inflatable rafts paddling hard to ROW ROW ROW ROW, ROW, ROW, ROW comands (my God!) trying to make/beat their times. Of course, one of the d.i.'s politely requested that I clear the area, which I dutifully did, LOL! Did I mention the stinky, horn honking YP's replete with every little ensign flag known to mankind maneuvering in and around the sail boat mooring area? But I digress. ]
In retrospect, I think I made two errors: 1) Too much or too little weight on the trolling jigs. 2) I launched close to high tide, but it wasn't moving. There was plenty of wave/wind action from the south but it apparently had little effect on the feeding habits of the fish. Compounding it was this; this was the period when there was little or no moon, so the actual rise/fall of the water level was only 6 - 7 inches; likely not enough to excite the bigger fish to come in from deeper water to feed.
So, getting up at 3:30 am to hit the incoming only to fight a wind at least 3 X's predicted, and enduring a bit of plebe summer myself, all for a virtual skunk was shall I say, instructive. I come away with the two lessons learned; 1) use proper lure weights matched to the current, and 2) be aware that the high tide point is may not be likely the best time to fish. There may be little or no actual current moving, especially when there is no moon.
__________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
8/11/13 - Mid-Severn
I launched about 6:30 am from a community beach as guest on the north side upriver from the Rt. 50 bridge. There was no wind and high tide was due in at Brewer Point at @ 10:30 am. I was working some rip-rap and piers paddling upriver with a 1/16 ounce and a 1/4 ounce jig with 4" chartreuse Gulp curly tails, and a got a couple hits from throw backs, but no real action.
I decided to cross the river by the number 5 red marker (I think) near the Annapolis side of Round Bay. There is some nice structure (a series of jettys and rock walls) close in to shore across the river, and this time I caught the tide as it was moving in somewhat. While positioning myself close to shore and casting out (to ride the lure in with the incoming) I got a big strike on the 1/4 ounce jig. This was a big fish, but he shook off about 20 feet from the boat. Thinking I should have sharpened that jig hook (it was a cheap jig that had been lying around getting wet in my portable for awhile), I switched to the newer 1/16 ounce with a clean sharp hook and kept working that area. Within a few minutes, I got another good strike and landed a 18.5 inch rockfish, my second in the kayak in two weeks! I picked up a 10 inch perch, and a croaker about the same size moving downriver again. The bite was off @ 10:00 'ish so I headed back in.
This was probably the first time I worked a new area of the river (for me) with success, so it was an excellent day. The number of fish and/or perch were down for a four hour trip, but that's okay. I didn't even use the grass shrimp I caught for possible bottom fishing for perch. I am almost to the point of launching sans live bait, but still addicted to the fish insurance aspect of it.
One interesting side bar; in four + hours on the water, I only saw one or two other boats fishing and they weren't kayaks. This is unusual especially for a Sunday. I counted at least 4 or 5 crabbers running trot lines on both sides of the river to moderate success. With crabs running $60 - $ 70 a dozen, even the recreational crabbers are getting out there and trot lining.
IMG-20130811-00125.jpg
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