Maryland Whites!

[Johnsfolly]

So I have been reading about all of the white bass and crappie being caught throughout Missouri. Got me a bit jealous since I am in Maryland again and not able to get out after those guys. I hadn't fished since I got here on Tuesday. My Betterhalf and Livie were driving in from MO today. I expected them around 12 or 1 pm. I had a little bit of time to fish. I am still have a lot to get used too with fishing tidal creeks.. I must have hit the timing of spawn and the tides just right today. I started with a black and silver thinfisher blade bait. Halfway through my first cast I could no longer feel the vibration of the bait and the line got heavy then started to fight. Fish on! I reeled in my first whiter perch of 2018.

These guys are the equivalent of the white bass in Missouri. Both fish are part of the temperate bass Morone Genus. They tend to be a bit smaller than whites, but can be a prolific and eager to bite as their Midwest cousins. I headed up to the bend in the creek to try fishing the current break. I caught two others on the thinfisher blade bait.

A popular fish rig in Maryland and In PA is a tandem shad dart rig. I don't have any shad darts, but tied a white and chartreuse trout magnet about 14 inches over a chartreuse 1/16 oz jig head and put on a green pumpkin /chartreuse paddle tail Slider. (sorry not a great photo)

First cast upstream, I caught this guy. It took the slider.

I caught fish on the next 8 casts. Most came on the slider, most likely due to them being closer to the bottom. I moved just a couple of times and as the tide came in the bites continued. I caught males that were definitely in spawning condition and several fat females. This one came a s a double with a smaller fish on the top bait and this fat female on the bottom slider.

I moved down stream and caught a few. The tide seemed to have topped out and the bite slowed. I ended up losing this rig. Then another and another without getting many bites. I called it a day after landing 42 perch in just over three hours. My wife and daughter showed up at the hotel just about an hour later. Other than losing some tackle it was a great day !

I hope to get Livie out tomorrow to catch her very first white perch and maybe some other Maryland species.

[BilletHead]

            Nice,

  What you get all settled let us know how they taste,

   BilletHead

[Johnsfolly]

24 minutes ago, BilletHead said:

            Nice,

  What you get all settled let us know how they taste,

   BilletHead

The big issue is not being able to take some for dinner . I will have to let you know how they taste. Being related to white bass and stripers I would guess that they would be like white bass in terms of flavor.

[Deadstream]

35 minutes ago, Johnsfolly said:

take some for dinner

Shore lunch?

[JestersHK]

Looks awesome, and I too want a post fish fry report.  Glad you were able to get out buddy.  That rig looks good, but pretty sure i'd be pulling my hair out fighting that from getting Tangled up or hung up lol

[Daryk Campbell Sr]

I didn't realize you were leaving so soon.  I thought you still had another week.   Glad you have already got into them. Keep us updated on the NE.  Glad the family is back together safely. 

[Quillback]

Used to catch some when I lived in Massachusetts.  Lakes and ponds out on Cape Cod had fairly good numbers of them, but as you said they tend to run a bit smaller than whites.  I have eaten them, and as I recall they were pretty good, I don't remember them having that red meat line like white bass do.  But it's been a long time since then.