Just Stupid fishing - Maryland Multispecies

[Johnsfolly]

Work has been a nightmare with major changes going on that has elevated my stress level. I decided to head out to one of my most productive streams that I have found in Maryland so far. I currently have caught 12 species in the creek including my first striped bass  and close to 300 fish since my first visit in 2017. This was going to be a simple fish catching trip. Dumb down the baits and catch those stupid fish. I got to the creek at low tide. I have never fished it this low before, so didn’t know what to expect. I was fishing a 7’ BPS Microlite rod, #4 Pline fluoroclear line, and tied on a white/chartreuse trout magnet jig.

First cast upstream, slowly reeling in the line with one to two small hops then a pause and repeat that cadence. It wasn’t long that I hooked and landed a decent stream bluegill.

 

Next cast a female golden shiner. Didn’t expect one in the creek but catch them in the lake upstream. She was throwing eggs about.

 

Third cast missed a bite from a small fish that I saw grab the bait. The fourth cast was bit by this nice male redbreast sunfish. I knew that this was going to be a decent evening of catching .

 

After landing a couple others the bite slowed and I moved upstream to a spot that must have a bowl-shaped rocky bottom. Fish just stack up in that spot. It took only two casts (first one missed a bite) to land my first yellow perch of the evening followed by a couple more and a bunch of redbreast and bluegill sunfish.

 

After catching several small sunfish, I got bit by a tank and landed a large and thick pumpkinseed sunfish. Got the fish face photo. I caught several more.

 

On one cast I got a follow by what I thought was a sculpin with long white tipped fins, but then recognized it as a breeding male satinfin shiner.  I ran up the bank and got my microrig (6’ Airstream, #2 Pline, #20 hook with a tiny piece of chartreuse plastic tail from a trout magnet body). I immediately landed three tiny bluegill and a banded killifish.

 

Not what I was looking for. I threw out the trout magnet and pulled in a couple of the satinfins. I wish now that I had my catch bag to show off the coloration and fins better than this photo.

 

Since I did not have a counter I sent off a text with my fish totals for the trout magnet and switched to a bit of worm to keep catching. Caught another yellow perch, a few more tank pumpkinseeds, many bluegill and lots of redbreast sunfish. Total fish count was 65 in just about 3 hours of stupid fishing!

 A pretty evening that I shared with a couple of deer and a fat beaver (too dark for photo; but he tail slapped once he figured out what I was ).

 

 

[Daryk Campbell Sr]

Wow!  What a great way to Zen out temporarily.  

[Johnsfolly]

11 minutes ago, Daryk Campbell Sr said:

Wow!  What a great way to Zen out temporarily.  

it is tremendously relaxing to just catch fish. Not worried too much about what is going on. Hook, fight, land, and release nothing more complicated than that .

[Quillback]

That's a really nice pumpkinseed.

Ham is coming over here tomorrow, we're breaking out the red worms and Power Bait.  Many species could get caught.

[Johnsfolly]

9 minutes ago, Quillback said:

That's a really nice pumpkinseed.

Ham is coming over here tomorrow, we're breaking out the red worms and Power Bait.  Many species could get caught.

Good luck. Can't wait to see the trip photos!

[MoCarp]

2 hours ago, Johnsfolly said:

 

Any eels back east yet? Or chain pickerel? 

[Johnsfolly]

1 minute ago, MoCarp said:

Any eels back east yet? Or chain pickerel? 

Lots of both. I have only caught one of each this year. Hard to get a great photo of an eel that keep trying to tie itself in a knot to get off the line.

Only a small pickerel so far. I did catch this on a white/chartreuse trout magnet jig .

[MoCarp]

Nice I miss catching eels! Chain pike are nice fighters as well, I have head flyers are more common there, it’s a bucket list fish for me

[JestersHK]

Glad you were able to get away buddy.  You gotta go to you happy place as much as you can!  Safe travels my friend

[Johnsfolly]

13 hours ago, MoCarp said:

I have head flyers are more common there, it’s a bucket list fish for me

I am assuming that you meant flier sunfish. The Maryland Biodiversity project goes out and samples for all species (flora and fauna) across the state. The database states that fliers are rare across the state but locally common. I haven't caught one either. So may have to find a lake or pond or two that may have a good population. Maybe a next year deal. Focused this year on warmouth and the banded and/or spotted sunfish species, here and in the Midwest.