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Had to test my new dashboard on the striper, so Ictalrus and I planned to head out this AM for Marshall Hall and some Potomac catfish.
Sadly, His wife got sick and Bill cancelled...the weather forecast was calling for gusts to 20 in the opposite direction of the tide. That usually means a really bumpy ride and difficult anchoring, so I decided to stay home.
But staying home sucks, so after a few hours I loaded the boat and went anyway. My DIY dash fit perfect and I was happy to get my fishfinder working and I headed up the road to Marshall Hall.
After launching, I tried to hit the big flat across the river where we usually catch a more varied collection of fish (White, channel and Blue catfish). The wind/tide combo was not good and after I took some waves over the side, I decided it was a bad idea to anchor out there in cold water conditions and no fishing partner. I headed for the MD shore where there was some diminished wind due to some protection from the shore. I have caught fewer, but larger, catfish in this area.
Fishing salted venison trimmings on one line and bunker chunks on the other, I sat back and enjoyed the view
....within a few minutes I had a very large blue cat on the the venison (This would be the second trip in a row where I had no hits on bunker). He was a big one, well over 30"....but, as would be the case all day, I was using too small of circle hooks. As a result, he was barely hooked in the fleshy part of the lip. Off he came as I tried to hoist that fellow into the boat. Grrrrr...I have a love-hate relationship with circle hooks.
Later, I boated a couple in the low twenties,
....then had 3 very large cats break-off due to more shallow lip hooking. One was so large that he ended up right below me, but I could not get him up to the surface. I could see him on the fishfinder but could not get him to budge. When I thumbed the spool for more drag, the hook pulled. About two minutes later, another big cat nearly spooled me and I had to unhook from my anchor and give chase.... only to have the hook pull out again just after he was in sight.
At his point the wind changed and there was no protection so I headed home. Next time....bigger hooks!
Sadly, His wife got sick and Bill cancelled...the weather forecast was calling for gusts to 20 in the opposite direction of the tide. That usually means a really bumpy ride and difficult anchoring, so I decided to stay home.
But staying home sucks, so after a few hours I loaded the boat and went anyway. My DIY dash fit perfect and I was happy to get my fishfinder working and I headed up the road to Marshall Hall.
After launching, I tried to hit the big flat across the river where we usually catch a more varied collection of fish (White, channel and Blue catfish). The wind/tide combo was not good and after I took some waves over the side, I decided it was a bad idea to anchor out there in cold water conditions and no fishing partner. I headed for the MD shore where there was some diminished wind due to some protection from the shore. I have caught fewer, but larger, catfish in this area.
Fishing salted venison trimmings on one line and bunker chunks on the other, I sat back and enjoyed the view
....within a few minutes I had a very large blue cat on the the venison (This would be the second trip in a row where I had no hits on bunker). He was a big one, well over 30"....but, as would be the case all day, I was using too small of circle hooks. As a result, he was barely hooked in the fleshy part of the lip. Off he came as I tried to hoist that fellow into the boat. Grrrrr...I have a love-hate relationship with circle hooks.
Later, I boated a couple in the low twenties,
....then had 3 very large cats break-off due to more shallow lip hooking. One was so large that he ended up right below me, but I could not get him up to the surface. I could see him on the fishfinder but could not get him to budge. When I thumbed the spool for more drag, the hook pulled. About two minutes later, another big cat nearly spooled me and I had to unhook from my anchor and give chase.... only to have the hook pull out again just after he was in sight.
At his point the wind changed and there was no protection so I headed home. Next time....bigger hooks!
BTW, I like the dash set up.
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