Severn Pickerel 10/14

Fishing was hot today for pickerel on the Severn tributaries and should only get better. There are lots and lots of small fish which is great for the fisheries.

I had 5 over 17.5"

All fish caught on Hard Head Custom Baits weighted spinner hook with Bass Assassin Slammin Chicken
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[BeyondTheBounds]

Where do you recommend launching from?

[CB kayak 02]

Where do you recommend launching from?

Tucker st gives you access directly to weems creek or Jonas green park puts you in at the Severn and then you can paddle up river to different creeks.

[Shady]

Is it pickle time already!?!?

[JesseH]

matt does it cost anything to launch yhere and is there parking. It looks like it is in a development. Thanks Jesse

[jet]

what happened to the PA?

[J.A. Veil]

Nice going Matt. The pickerel fishing in the Severn tributaries should get steadily better from mid-October until we get very cold weather and freeze overs. Most of us are focusing on rockfish, bluefish, and trout now, but those pickerel are waiting for our attention too.

[Mark]

Good job Matt.

Pickerel are a fun alternative for those of us who live near the Severn's tributaries.

The shorelines of those creeks are often textbook pickerel habitat with plenty of downed wood.

My only advice to those who pursue pickerel is to not forget your fish grips like I did the last time I caught two. They're devils to get off the hook without mechanical help.

[CB kayak 02]

matt does it cost anything to launch yhere and is there parking. It looks like it is in a development. Thanks Jesse

No cost to park, Jonas Green is a County Park and Tucker St is a city boat ramp, just be sure to not park where is says no parking

[CB kayak 02]

what happened to the PA?

Couldn't afford a PA and had to get a new 2015 model, so went with the economical approach.

[scott taylor]

Thanks Matt for the post on your sucsessful pickerel fishing. And nice catch! Your post reminded me of recently meeting a kayak fisherman, new to the area, who was taking home a pair of Weems Creek pickerel. He explained reasonably that they had swallowed the small spinners that he was using to target white perch.

I was also reminded of John Veil's efforts over the past years to promote conservation of the chain pickerel population on the Severn River. I am taking the liberty of cutting and pasting here, from a thoughtful post he authored after introducing some new guys to pickerel fishing:

"I have no problem with your decision to take two fish yesterday. However, if you return there repeatedly to fish, and take a few fish each time from the same limited population, soon the fishing in that location will be diminished. My request is that if you choose to fish those areas that I showed you, you practice catch and release (unless a fish is mortally wounded by the catching process). If you are interested in catch and keep fishing for pickerel, please do some experimenting of other tributaries to find fish and spread the population-reduction impacts around a bit."

Sorry for the sermon, but I do want to keep local winter fishing options available as long as possible."

Amen John! "Pics" are certainly a feisty species and fun to catch in the winter. I am hoping this post will serve to remind my fellow kayak fisherman that the Severn River "pics" are a precious and limited resource residing in a distressed estuary.

Tight Lines,
Scott
PS. in my experience pickerel can readily be taken on a single hook with the barb crushed, so no need for trebles! In addition, a de-hooker and or jaw spreader might have removed the small spinners that killed the two pics.

[BeyondTheBounds]

Very well said and reiterated. Let's keep'em stocked!

[BeyondTheBounds]

Gonna give tucker street a try today @ about 1300 to 1330.


Wish there was a launch deeper in the west of the Severn, so need to research a little more.

Anybody know the rule on that? Basically if I can get to public water and not trespass is it legal to launch?

[J.A. Veil]

The only upstream launch option (unless you have water privileged community access) is Smith's Marina in Crownsville ($20 launch/parking fee).

If you were willing to carry or roll your kayak up to a mile, you could take the park trail at the very head end of the tidal Severn (above Indian Landing) to get to the water's edge. That would be a lot of work, however.

[Pc4sun]

Never heard of pickerel before. Can you eat it? Do you fish the Hard Head (I have a few of those) hook with paddle tail like we do for stripers, for instance, trolling or casting with a moderate retrieve?