Speckled trout in Severn

[J.A. Veil]

A few days ago MetroMan posted a photo of the trout he caught in the Severn. After some discussion among several commenters, the trout was believed to be a weakfish (grey trout). This morning I spent 4 hours trolling paddletails in the Severn and several creeks. I caught 24 stripers from 12" to 19.5", about a dozen perch (I left them biting), and one surprise catch with spots. I caught a lot of specs last week in Tampa. Initially today's spotted fish did not register as anything unusual -- then I remembered I was no longer in FL. This was a small speck about 12" long. Last year I caught one spec in the Severn -- now I have a streak of two years in a row.

20160920_115150_resized.jpg

[harlanbud]

Hi John, sounds like a great day. I got a trout at the mouth of the creek leaving homeport on the south River last week. Not much fight but fun and cool to see!!

[On the fly]

Hope to catch one tommorow in Severn. Launching at 7 all welcome. I know the sea trout don't pull hard.
Harlen don't work tomorrow and join us.

[Big Mike]

The tooth fairy migrated north for the AA crowd. Glad to see some finally being caught up there.

[J.A. Veil]

The tooth fairy migrated north for the AA crowd. Glad to see some finally being caught up there.

You have had a few specs in southern MD. I'm glad we are finally getting a few infrequent visitors up here. Please send some puppy drum too.

[Gary G]

Very interesting to see a Spec in the Severn (and no doubt it is a Spec). It made me wonder, however, if anyone has ever caught a Rainbow Trout there? Severn Run is stocked with 1200 rainbow trout (years ago it used to be stocked with 3000 rainbow trout) upstream of I97 every year. I have fished for them at the bridge crossings for thirty years. I've often wondered if any got washed down into the tidal area of the river during high spring flows. Anyone ever caught one there?

[baitball]

You have had a few specs in southern MD. I'm glad we are finally getting a few infrequent visitors up here. Please send some puppy drum too.

My buddy and I went out on his powerboat this week and he ended up landing a 19" speckled trout in the Choptank. It was the biggest I've ever seen this far north!

[Fishinfool]

Very interesting to see a Spec in the Severn (and no doubt it is a Spec). It made me wonder, however, if anyone has ever caught a Rainbow Trout there? Severn Run is stocked with 1200 rainbow trout (years ago it used to be stocked with 3000 rainbow trout) upstream of I97 every year. I have fished for them at the bridge crossings for thirty years. I've often wondered if any got washed down into the tidal area of the river during high spring flows. Anyone ever caught one there?

I've never heard of anyone ever catching a rainbow trout in the Severn, and I've been fishing it for over 50 years. I am not sure if they could tolerate both warmer temps downstream, or much of an increase in salinity levels.

[ronaultmtd]

You have had a few specs in southern MD. I'm glad we are finally getting a few infrequent visitors up here. Please send some puppy drum too.

The puppy drum are still about another year away, John- depending on what kind of cold winter we get- the subzero winter temps of a few years ago killed millions of reds and specks in the Tidewater region- which is where a lot of our resident fish winter over- they are just now beginning to recover from that massive cold kill off...

[jhov02]

I've never heard of anyone ever catching a rainbow trout in the Severn, and I've been fishing it for over 50 years. I am not sure if they could tolerate both warmer temps downstream, or much of an increase in salinity levels.

I thought Rainbows go into the ocean and become steelheads. I would think it's possible they could be there but they probably move quickly into deeper, cooler waters in early summer.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bunnielab]

Caught this little guy on the South River yesterday morning. I was casting a bignose 1/16oz spinner into the largish baitfish schools that were pushed up against the shore. Got a bunch of fat pearch, some small stripers, then this weird guy.

[J.A. Veil]

Welcome to the spec club.

[BarefootPetr]

It's one of those kind of years. On Saturday I hooked a little flounder while perch fishing the Severn in about 3 feet of water with a mini crankbait. My first in the Chesapeake region.