Maryland Tidal Bay 3rd and 4th of October

[Johnsfolly]

I have been between Missouri and Maryland and have not fished since the 18th of August. So I was champing at the bit to get out and wet a line. Better yet catch some fish !  I took off a couple of hours from work on Weds and took Livie out to the small tidal bay near our house. I picked up a bag of bloodworms. It was going to be low tide, which is not the best time to fish these tidal waters. When we pulled in there was a large school of minnows near the boat ramp and another near the dock. I was not planning on targeting any real micros on this trip. We were rigged for perch or stripers, etc. Livie had a single hook and sinker rig and I baited up a double hook rig. I cast out the double hook rig and picked up another rod with a small blade bait.

Livie caught the first fish, a surprise, a redear sunfish! this was Livie's first ever redear and her 46th fish species of the year!

She followed that up with a nice bluegill! This is a brackish water system and I did not expect bluegill in this bay.

I was on the board with a 7 inch striper. I set up the bait rod along the dock railing and was fishing a blade bait. Something hit the bait hard and pulled the rod off the railing and almost into the water. I put done the rod that i was fishing and grabbed the bait rod and set the hook. Fish on! As I was reeling this fish in Livie's rod took a serious bend and shed landed the largest redear of the night. I landed my striper and it did not live up to the strike . I think that her sunfish might have been able to eat my striper.

 

In fact the Atlantic silverside that she caught was almost as long as that small striper!

Having caught several bluegill and redear sunfish, she felt bad for her dad and let me fish the single hook rod and she fished the double rig. Now I had caught close to half a dozen small stripers. The school of stripers were across the channel under the bridge. Her line extended across the channel and a boat was coming into the channel. Livie started reeling in the line and got bit. So as the guys were passing us they saw her reel in a double on stripers.

Of course that led to one of the guys saying that she needs to teach dad about fishing. She schooled me by catching another double later on as I landed just a couple of sunfish. We left as it got dark. Was a great time even though being schooled by my daughter. 

I kept thinking about those schools of minnows. Sure looked like a mix of silversides, mummichogs, and sheepshead minnows. Livie had never caught a mummichog or a sheepshead minnow. So when I got home on the 4th it was leftovers and out to the bay. It was overcast when we got to the boat ramp where I had caught sheephead minnows previously. Livie felt bad on my beat down the night before and let me fish the microrig first. I caught a mummichog and handed her the rod. She caught her first mummichog, number 47th different species of the year!

Due to the darkness it was hard to see the fish and after she caught another mummichog that swallowed the hook, we stopped microfishing and went for the macros. Same rigs as the night before, she started with the single hook rig and caught a couple of decent white perch.

We also caught a number of the cookie cutter stripers. Only a couple of bluegill tonight and no redears. Got dark too soon and we headed home after another fun fishing trip! I have no idea what to expect going into winter. So will fish it when we can this October and will have to make plans for next spring/summer. 

[JestersHK]

Looks like a great evening out on the water for you two!  Way to go Liv on beating your dad... Again...

 

[Flysmallie]

Very nice John. 

[Johnsfolly]

1 hour ago, JestersHK said:

Looks like a great evening out on the water for you two!  Way to go Liv on beating your dad... Again...

 

It's becoming a habit! Not a bad one since she stills goes out with me😁.