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  • You know you're really retired when...

    you lose track of which day of the week it is.

    I was telling that very thing to my neighbor who retired last week after a lengthy career in the energy industry. By the way, he recently bought a kayak and wants to join the OGWLF. I told him our standards are pretty low and if his reputation can sustain the hit, he is more than welcome to become a member. I expect he'll join us on the water soon.

    But here's the point of my post. I thought today was tomorrow. On Wednesday, I am meeting On-the-fly (Harry) at Jonas Green between 0630 and 0700. So I headed down there at 0630 today and only when I was turning left at the light at the base of the USNA Bridge did I realize that today is Tuesday!

    Not being a person to let an opportunity go to waste, I decided to unload and go out by myself. Besides, it's rare to see the Severn this calm this summer:

    P1010757.jpg

    I trolled a 3 inch paddletail and a bucktail, both 1/2 oz. north to the Route 50 Bridge. Each got hit about a third of the way to the bridge in 25 feet of water. But the stripers were only 12 and 14 inches.

    Bait was busting the surface in many places and it was thick underneath too:

    P1010759.jpg

    As I pedaled toward the bridge, the shoreline structure of Severn kept whispering to me, as it often does when I troll. Before long, I heeded the call and headed toward shore:

    P1010758.jpg

    I put away the trolling gear and picked up a perch rod and quickly nailed 6 white perch along the above wall.

    It was then that I invented "The Perch Game".

    Here were the rules:

    1. Catch 50 perch. Fifty is a "nice round number", to quote Cool Hand Luke.

    2. Use only one lure.

    3. Catch no more than 12 perch in any one area.

    4. Visit no more than 5 areas.

    5. Stay on the east bank of the Severn.

    So I began the game and reached 12 pretty fast along the wall. I got some dinks, but most were nice 10 inchers like these:

    P1010761.jpg P1010762.jpg

    By the time I moved to area number 5, Winchester Pond, I had 39 perch. Winchester was the charm. Here's number 50:

    P1010765.jpg

    I caught it 2 hours and 20 minutes into the game.

    Of course, I couldn't stop there. I left Winchester and worked the wall again for 11 more. Here's number 54, my largest of the day:

    P1010766.jpg

    And here's my 61 perch lure:

    P1010768.jpg

    A little worn but it still has fish left in it. I de-barbed the hook to release the perch faster.

    Here's what I learned:

    1. Riprap is best for perch

    2. Reedy shorelines are next best

    3. Docks are OK but not as good as the first two locations

    4. Downed wood was least productive of all the areas

    5. Shade makes a good spot great

    6. Slow roll the spinner as if it was a winter pickerel outing

    I trolled my way back to Jonas and caught another 14 inch striper on the paddletail, again in 25 feet of water.

    So ended my day. The good news is that I can visit Jonas again tomorrow on the "right" day. Plus, my van is already packed for the occasion. And I invented a new game for the Severn in July. It's fun to play and easy to win.

    Please join Harry and me tomorrow if you can.
    Mark
    Pasadena, MD


    Slate Hobie Revolution 13
    Hidden Oak Native Ultimate 12
    Lizard Lick Native Ultimate FX Pro

  • #2
    Nice read, thanks. I was surprised last Sunday to start catching 10 and 11 inch perch too. I hadn't had luck catching them that big in a couple years. Another month or so and there should be some nice big fat ones around. I prefer perch meat to rockfish, but they are like the Cactus of the Chesapeake to me. Takes me a couple days for my hands to heal up and the swelling to go down after a day with them.

    Good luck tomorrow.

    Comment


    • #3
      Good outing and report. Catching 61 perch by casting light lures is a lot of work and fun.
      John Veil
      Annapolis
      Native Watercraft Manta Ray 11, Falcon 11

      Author - "Fishing in the Comfort Zone" , "Fishing Road Trip - 2019", "My Fishing Life: Two Years to Remember", and "The Way I Like to Fish -- A Kayak Angler's Guide to Shallow Water, Light Tackle Fishing"

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by azmdted View Post
        Nice read, thanks. I was surprised last Sunday to start catching 10 and 11 inch perch too. I hadn't had luck catching them that big in a couple years. Another month or so and there should be some nice big fat ones around. I prefer perch meat to rockfish, but they are like the Cactus of the Chesapeake to me. Takes me a couple days for my hands to heal up and the swelling to go down after a day with them.

        Good luck tomorrow.
        Thank you.

        White perch and I have an agreement. I don't eat them and they don't stick me.
        Mark
        Pasadena, MD


        Slate Hobie Revolution 13
        Hidden Oak Native Ultimate 12
        Lizard Lick Native Ultimate FX Pro

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by J.A. Veil View Post
          Good outing and report. Catching 61 perch by casting light lures is a lot of work and fun.
          Thanks John. I think I had few more innings left in my arm. But I was starting to feel it.
          Mark
          Pasadena, MD


          Slate Hobie Revolution 13
          Hidden Oak Native Ultimate 12
          Lizard Lick Native Ultimate FX Pro

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by Mark View Post
            I don't eat them and they don't stick me.
            I was just going to ask, HOW BIG IS YOUR COOLER? Second Kayak tow behind? Hah!

            By the title of this thread, my first thought was you went to Downs and forgot they're closed on Tuesday!
            Last edited by mchottie; 07-11-2017, 05:14 PM.
            Hobie Ivory Dune ProAngler 14 Lowrance Elite 7 ti TotalScan

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            • #7
              Great read Mark, definitely know what you mean about loosing track of the days! Hope you guys get into them tomorrow!!
              John Rentch
              Annapolis

              Native Ultimate 12 FX Pro
              Hobie Revolution 11

              Comment


              • #8
                That sounds like my idea of a great day of Perching!

                It's kinda funny when you retire and every day is Summer Vacation!

                Comment


                • #9
                  Can't remember the days but can count to 61. A fishing savant for sure.
                  Mike
                  Pro Angler 14 "The Grand Wazoo"

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Big Mike View Post
                    Can't remember the days but can count to 61. A fishing savant for sure.
                    Mark
                    Pasadena, MD


                    Slate Hobie Revolution 13
                    Hidden Oak Native Ultimate 12
                    Lizard Lick Native Ultimate FX Pro

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      19511162_350080218746009_6876056904725443782_n.jpg

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by bignose View Post
                        [ATTACH=CONFIG]21929[/ATTACH]
                        Stu,

                        I can relate to that!

                        Listen, I knew it was Wednesday today and I remembered I was scheduled to meet Harry at Jonas this morning.

                        I got there and not only was Harry present but so was EMSer (Bruce) and Harlan. So we had a mini M&G on the Severn.

                        Harry had the first hit. Unfortunately it was a CNR. This photo is courtesy of Harlan who was on the spot to encourage Harry. Congrats to Harry for getting it to the boat:

                        IMG_0409.jpg

                        Then Harlan offered his condolences to Harry because, of course, the CNR won the battle.

                        P1010769.jpg

                        Here's Bruce and Harlan heading south:

                        P1010770.jpg

                        There were some beautiful colors on the water this morning. These photos do not do them justice:

                        P1010771.jpg P1010772.jpg

                        I went north just as I did yesterday. I too had the misfortune of a CNR encounter. Of course it happened immediately after I tied on an expensive X-Rap that I had modified with in-line hooks. I guess that was $10 or $12 donated to the deep.

                        In addition to the ray, I hooked three small 12 to 14 inch stripers trolling and I caught 31 more white perch casting. By the way, I caught a 12 inch white perch today but it jumped off my Hawg Trough before I could photograph it. Harry said, "no photo no fish". So I won't report it.

                        I also caught something in about 20 feet of water that will make my grand kids happy:

                        P1010777.jpg

                        I see there are queries on the forum about bluefish. I do believe they're in the Severn. I was bitten off three times today and Bruce also experienced some bite-offs.

                        P1010784.jpg

                        It amazes me how they manage to cleanly bite through the plastic and just miss the hook.

                        So that's my report for the actual scheduled day of fishing. Yesterday's outing was a mistake, but enjoyable. However, the lack of decent Severn stripers from Jonas is curious. Baitfish are everywhere breaking the surface and clouds of them were clearly visible below on my FF. But noticeably missing are slicks and the heavy fishy smell of them being consumed by stripers. I think if the stripers discover the river is loaded with food the bite for them will improve tremendously.

                        I don't know what the guys who went south caught but the radio wasn't lighting up with excitement from their transmissions. I hope they did better than me.

                        It was great to see Bruce and Harry and Harlan on the water today.
                        Last edited by Mark; 07-12-2017, 04:28 PM.
                        Mark
                        Pasadena, MD


                        Slate Hobie Revolution 13
                        Hidden Oak Native Ultimate 12
                        Lizard Lick Native Ultimate FX Pro

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Great to see Harry back on the water. Glad that you had a good morning, water look great.
                          John Rentch
                          Annapolis

                          Native Ultimate 12 FX Pro
                          Hobie Revolution 11

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Every year about this time the Spalding Tree drops it's fruit. The big brown ones are the product of planting the tree too close to the water. The day glow green fuzzy smaller ones flow thru the sewer drain system to arrive on the river after a storm.

                            Capt Mike

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by captmikestarrett View Post
                              Every year about this time the Spalding Tree drops it's fruit. The big brown ones are the product of planting the tree too close to the water. The day glow green fuzzy smaller ones flow thru the sewer drain system to arrive on the river after a storm.

                              Capt Mike
                              Mark
                              Pasadena, MD


                              Slate Hobie Revolution 13
                              Hidden Oak Native Ultimate 12
                              Lizard Lick Native Ultimate FX Pro

                              Comment

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