Finally Something to Write Home About

[Johnsfolly]

So I have been reading all of these white bass posts and seen big gravid female photos and have been driving my daughter crazy with trying to do the same here in Maryland with the cousin of the white bass, the white perch. Last year we had a great couple of days on Tuckahoe creek during the spawning run. We got the tides and calendar right. Just caught fish after feisty fish. This year has been a big fat zero on the white perch at that creek. It's even to the point where Livie won't go fish with me because the more that I don't catch a white perch the worse mood I have.

So I flew solo on the last couple of creek trips. On one the those trips I just got into stupid thick schools of redbreast sunfish. I took a break from chasing the whites and tried for creek chubsuckers in Kings Creek. So started fishing worms on the bottom. Got the most action around large sycamores with undercuts beneath them. One spot I hooked and released 17 sunfish. Left there and fished downstream. I did see a spot with some spawning herring. Maryland has river herring runs that consist of alewives and/or blueback herring. These looked to be alewives. Got no love on any bait that I presented to them. Ended up with a John deere microjig on the line and back at the last big sycamore. I proceeded to catch another 15 sunfish on 18 casts in that spot where I sore mouthed 17 earlier. I saw another school of herring and had the same luck on getting them to bite - None.

Weds night I tried a small inlet where I normally can catch whites and stripers. Water was like pea soup and no fish cooperated. Last night I went back to Tuckahoe creek on a falling tide. Water was fairly clear. At one section I thought that I spooked a school of whites. I was fishing a tandem jig rig with green pumpkin sliders with chartreuse paddle tails. Only caught a redbreast sunfish and single yellow perch on that rig.

I switched baits and put on a single white and chartreuse trout magnet. I went back to the spot that I thought that I spooked the whites. I caught quite a few more sunfish and five more yellow perch. I could see silvery fish flashing every so often. Finally one of those fish hit that bait and I knew that I had a herring! Not as big or feisty as it's shad cousins, but gave me a decent fight. After a wile I landed my first blueback herring ! Very excited indeed! Makes me look forward to the upcoming shad run that should start in the next couple of weeks. Finally something new to talk about

It was getting dark and the bites diminished. I took one last look at the creek and headed home still with a big smile on my face.

 

[Quillback]

Great day, looking forward to hearing how the shad run goes.  You ever tried fried shad roe?

[Johnsfolly]

QB i haven't tried shad roe. In MD it is a catch and release fishery. May have to get some in PA where there is a limited harvest. Just looking forward to the catching right now. They are such strong fighters.

[BilletHead]

           Good report, detail and pictures John. Like I was there. 

BilletHead