Maryland's Who's who!

[basser89]

They do work, at least from a boat, never tried one from shore. The difficult part would be to get a good angle, they are most effective in my experience from directly about where you are hung.

Plans are to meet up with hellbenderman at BH tomorrow, not sure exactly what area we will be going. Its his boat so he is the boss.

I have used lure retrievers from shore and have been successful with them. Brian is right that you won't be able to get the right angle (or distance depending on your cast) but it's a better option than having to just break it off.

Looks like I'll be getting out somewhere on sunday. Not sure where I'm hitting yet, there's some issues I'm still trying to work out.

[KenLattimore]

I made it out today for a day of fishing. First I went to BH from 10-12:30 today by the stick ups and managed one about 13". Started out throwing a lipless switched to a finesse worm after no hits on the lipless.

Decided to take launch break then headed over to Clopper Lake to see what was going on. Managed three dinks really quick over by the boathouse and saw a ton of little sunfish.

Went back to BH around 3:00 and fished until 5:30. I started throwing finesse worms and switched to a weightless senko after an hour of no hits. Then it started...caught one on a watermelon with black flake. Unfortunately I waited too long to set the hook and gut hooked it. I finally managed to get the hook out but it was too late she swam around in circles and died floating by the shore. I felt terrible and made a mental note to set the hook sooner. That was my last senko of that color though and they didn't seem to want any other color. I resorted to a Fat Ika in the same color and bingo. Caught three more in the last 40 minutes with nothing over 15". I figured out the bass were way out deep and since the Ika really casts far I could get to where they seemed to be staging. All hits were out deep on the fall, or after a few cranks .

I going to try to get out Sunday morning. If not then definitely next weekend.

[MikeVictor]

Tried the Monocacy up east of Thrumont with a flyrod. Not a bite, this time, last time caught 5 smbs..dinks mostly. Just beginning to learn fly fishing for SMB and wading. One thing is for sure, I must have a wading staff...nearly busted my behind a dozen times. Need to work on casting skill some. Am learing how to spey cast, snap T and snake roll casts along with traditional roll casting...the later seems to work well for me, the others need some work.

I'll probably hit another spot on the Monocacy Sunday early evening, will post if I catch anything.

Best of luck to you all,

Mike

[Fat Boy]

I was able to get out yesterday for a few hours.

I have one really hot spot that always pays off with a big fish or two that I stopped at. My first five casts either snagged the cover or something else went wrong. I lost the jig half of my chatterbait on the first cast, without snagging, coming back with only the snap and the blade. Somehow, the blade slipped out of the jig eye, and it went flying out to oblivion.

I pulled out another one to replace it, and the snap was missing. I pulled out another one and my cast went one inch too far into the cover and hung up. I was able to free it but it went flying over my head, snagging my other rod hanging on my back and into the brush behind me. After getting it out of the sticker bushes, untangling my line, and getting it back I noticed that my trailer was gone. I replaced it.

The next cast went too far to the left and hung on an overhanging branch, I flipped it off and it flew back at me and hit me in the chest. Ouch, it hurt. My next cast did the same thing and I yelled out a word that I never use that scared a blue heron away.

I settled down and finally made a good cast and caught my first bass, a twelve incher, but it was a start.

After that, I caught nine more bass and finished with ten on the day, all but three were over 14" with a fat one going 18" long. I tried to get a picture but my Droid would not cooperate. I yelled that word at the top of my lungs again. I'm glad that nobody was around to hear me either time. I figured that getting another pic of a three pound bass wasn't worth waiting for my phone to work properly and risk his life, so I released it without a pic.

I caught 7 on a chatterbait, so the reaction bite was still on. I didn't see any cruising the bank or on beds yet. The other three were on a plastic worm. I also caught one 10" crappie on a worm.

I had a nice hit on the worm, then it began to swim off and I set the hook into what I thought was a big bass. But my excitement of that prospect changed quickly to surprise and disappointment quickly, but humerous at the same time. I managed to land this critter, fair hooked on a plastic worm, my weirdest catch of the year so far:

I can sum things up about this weird trip...Friday the 13th!

[Munkin]

http://www.basspro.com/EZ-Lure-Retriever-Kit/product/52869/118222

Lure retrievers will pay for themselves in a single day of fishing. I use the one I posted in the link above all the time to get back snagged lures. In the past 5 years I have only lost 3 or 4 hardbaits total. Actually I break more baits during a cast by hitting the TM head than I lose to snags. Like someone said this will work from the bank but you need to get a high angle for the end to slide down to the bait.

The other option is a telescopic lure retriever:

http://www.basspro.com/Telescopic-Lure-Retriever/product/37104/43692

I went the cheap route and just bought a $6 light bulb changer from Ollies but it works just the same. This is good for getting lures out of trees and while I do not cast into too many trees it seems some of the co-anglers in my club like casting into them.

Allen

[TheKingFisher]

Went over to Black Hills yesterday morning for a couple hours. I was over by the stickups and just couldn't get a bite going period. Lost at least $25 in lures, you know it's bad when you start keeping a running total and that was just two lures. Finally packed it in and got the heck out of there.

My new rule for the stickups is don't throw anything higher than a $5 lure. I'm currently in the market for a new batch of lipless cranks that are less than $5.

[Bill Poch]

My new rule for the stickups is don't throw anything higher than a $5 lure. I'm currently in the market for a new batch of lipless cranks that are less than $5.

Check ebay - I saw a bunch of nice auctions going on for nicely priced lipless cranks

[TheKingFisher]

Check ebay - I saw a bunch of nice auctions going on for nicely priced lipless cranks

Hey thanks BIll! I only started fishing as an adult and going out to Black Hills last year and in between now and then I've lost a lot of money in lures. Yeah, my tackle addiction is strong! But it's starting to sting a bit!

[BrianinMD]

As the saying goes, if you are not losing lures you are not fishing the right places.

Will admit though I rarely throw tremble baits when I am fishing from shore. Not really a huge loss, as Basser89 will attest I am a finesse soft plastics guy anyway.

Went out on Saturday with Hellbenderman, we decided to buck trend and go up 10 mile creek. Probably not the best choice, couldn't find anything up there. He ended up with 4, I only got one. They all came around main lake area, oddly from 3 completely different areas.

[basser89]

As the saying goes, if you are not losing lures you are not fishing the right places.

Will admit though I rarely throw tremble baits when I am fishing from shore. Not really a huge loss, as Basser89 will attest I am a finesse soft plastics guy anyway.

Went out on Saturday with Hellbenderman, we decided to buck trend and go up 10 mile creek. Probably not the best choice, couldn't find anything up there. He ended up with 4, I only got one. They all came around main lake area, oddly from 3 completely different areas.

I certainly can attest to that! LOL!

I made it out sunday as well. Started off in the backwash area and managed 2 dinks in there. 1 on a spinnerbait and the other on a Sweet Beaver. I moved back to the stick ups a little later on with no luck there. Moved back around further and got a little more action back there. It seemed the beaver style baits were the bait of choice for me. Only caught one more back there but lost 2 others. 1 of the ones I lost felt like a better one. She was at least a smart one since she went straight into the wood and wrapped me up, ended up having to break the line. Water temp is getting up there (I got 61 on my el-cheapo thermometer) so I can see them starting to spawn shortly.

[Munkin]

Hit Black Hills myself yesterday and can say some of the fish are spawning. Even though the water was stained from the rain I could still see beds in some of the coves. Caught maybe 20 with the biggest going about 5lbs?

Allen

[TheKingFisher]

Hit Black Hills myself yesterday and can say some of the fish are spawning. Even though the water was stained from the rain I could still see beds in some of the coves. Caught maybe 20 with the biggest going about 5lbs?

Allen

Allen, 20 sounds like a pretty good day. I wondered if they were already beginning to spawn, the bite seems to have changed over the past couple weeks.

[Fat Boy]

Hit Black Hills myself yesterday and can say some of the fish are spawning. Even though the water was stained from the rain I could still see beds in some of the coves. Caught maybe 20 with the biggest going about 5lbs?

Allen

Allen, that's a nice day anywhere, especially at BH! Congrats!!!

[Bill Poch]

Thought I'd post about my weekend fishing since I have some time.

Sat. afternoon I hit up a linganore creek back behind my Mom's house in Spring Ridge, Frederick with my bro. We did some wading and I don't have any hip waters so it was just shorts and old tennis shoes. It was freaking cold but worth it. There's a couple hot spots I know back there. I managed 2 Crappie both about 8 -10". I had no idea they were back in there because we never caught any of those last year. The best was when I managed to cast over a tree branch (Happens way to often) The lure was just dangling in the water as I tried to figure out how to get it back with having to go balls deep into the cold water. While I'm going over my options a big ol crappie decides hes hungry and hits my lure. So I have this d**n fish hooked and my line still stuck in the tree about 3' out to far. My bro comes up and lasso's my line with his, brings in the fish, saves my lure and no need to break my line. It was pure comedy gold.

My bro got the only smallmouth at around 8". I also had 4 -5 bluegill. I fish ultra light with 4lb so any fish back there is fun to catch. I know there are some biggies back there because my bro caught one of the biggest smallmouth's I've ever seen last year. If I remember right, probably pushing 18 - 19" and fat.

Sunday I went out to Pinecliff park and waded down past the the bridge with both my brothers. Again, shorts and tennis shoes. I really need to find some money for waders until it gets warmer out. I did decent. Only 1 smallmouth but he was about 12", a bunch of blue gill, and 1 baby carp. I did see about 5 or 6 big ass carp swimming around out there. Both my brothers managed 1 smallmouth so I get the claim the "fishing crown" in the family for the day for most fish.

I plan on rolling up to the Potomac after work tomorrow and check out the river up there near Haper's Ferry. With no rain lately the river is pretty far down and I should be able to get to some of my good spots from last year without having to get too wet.

I know most of you seem to target LMB, but there is just something I love about the fight of a smallie on my ultra light setup. Also the fact I rarely get skunked in the river vs going for those big boys at Black Hills. For me a rebel crawfish crankbait is money in the rivers. In the Monocacy they seem to prefer the bright green/yellows, but most of my fish this weekend came off of red/orange

I have some pics of the Crappie but it's on my waterproof camera, or I should say, my wife's waterproof video camera that I bought for her at X-mas with alternative motives for myself. I'll get some pics posted with hopefully some Smallies from the Potomac tomorrow night.

[Fat Boy]

_{Nice report Bill...Good luck fishin' the 'Mac!}

[Bill Poch]

Well, I never made it out to the river tonight. With the overcast skies and breeze going it felt a little chilly to be wading around in the river tonight.

Anyway here are my 2 fish from the creek. 1 smallie and 1 crappie

[TheKingFisher]

Nice fish Bill. That's the first smallie I've actually seen in picture or in real life. I'm actually kind of surprised it looks so different from a largemouth.

I went out to the stickups yesterday early afternoon and could see bass spawning in several places. First time I'd ever seen them spawning and initially I wasn't sure what I was looking at. I saw the first couple no more than 10 - 15 feet off the shore hanging out near some cover. The water was fairly clear and they looked to be decent sized. So I threw everything I had at them and they literally were not taking the bait. Hell I practically dragged lures across their backs and they hardly budged. I swear if everything I was throwing wasn't weedless, I would have foul hooked one of em!

That really had me scratching my head for a minute. To top it off there were smaller fish all over the place even right on top of the pair I was throwing at. I said to myself they must not be hungry. With a little more observation I figured out that while they weren't trying to eat the smaller fish they were intent on keeping them at bay. The smaller fish were hovering around the bass stationed just out of reach or with a branch of the cover in between them and the bass which were mostly swimming in circles and when any of the other fish got too close the bass would chase them away. The smaller fish would high tail it out of there and then close back in and the dance continued nonstop. That's when it clicked in my head that the bass must have had eggs and were spawning. I left them alone once I had the epiphany. Heck, I want those little bass to become bigger bass!

So I moved on and saw a few others I figured were spawning as well. I decided to try to avoid the shallows and loaded up my last shad patterned spinnerbait casting out a pretty good distance. Landed a dink on the first cast. I thought, this is going to be a good day after all. A few casts later I hooked into something big, I was pumped. Started reeling it in and it felt heavy, and when it flashed was definitely a LM. It was reeling in fine but all of sudden it just stopped and my reel seemed to seize up and as I was trying to figure out what happened I watched the fish rush to a piece of cover that I'd been able to see in the water when the sun was peeking out from the clouds that was no more than 15 feet out and it broke my line off. That hurt! There was a guy down a little ways from me fishing and all I could do was turn to him and shrug my shoulders to which he said, man that looked like it was going to be big!

I didn't stay too much longer after losing that one due to hurt feelings. I was planning on going back today to look for that fish, but I got rained out. That fish really lucked out today!

Side note...The park police came flying around the bend in a boat as I was fishing and stirred up a pretty big wake. So much so that it caused a brown frog to high tail it out of the water. It's body was about 3 inches long while resting, not stretched out. Anyone ever fish frogs lures over there?

Sorry, didn't mean to write a book. I learned quite a few things yesterday including the fact that I'm now definitely a believer in spinnerbaits.

[Fat Boy]

...I learned quite a few things yesterday...

That's what it's all about Kevin. Each time out builds on your experience and makes each trip that much better. Sorry you lost the big fish. At least you fought it, and next time might end in a positive way. Isn't that why we always go back?

[basser89]

Great reports guys! Keep them coming! I've posted some novels before as well. Makes for a good read when you can't get out!

Kevin I, shake off that big one! It happens to everyone. Brian watched me loose a really good one about 5' from the shore last year (near the beginning of our outing), took a little while to shake it off (I can still see that one rolling on the surface and coming unbuttoned in my head anytime I think about it) but turned around and landed one bass that went 3-10 and another that weighed 6 even.

[BrianinMD]

No idea what you are talking about Sean.....

The one you did land was bigger anyway.

Kevin, don't let it get to you. If it was easy to get in every fish we hook it wouldn't be nearly as fun. Just keep in mind what you were doing at the time, what retrieve you were using and go hook into more big girls.

Got my daughter this weekend, not sure if I will get out or not

[basser89]

No idea what you are talking about Sean.....

The one you did land was bigger anyway.

Kevin, don't let it get to you. If it was easy to get in every fish we hook it wouldn't be nearly as fun. Just keep in mind what you were doing at the time, what retrieve you were using and go hook into more big girls.

Got my daughter this weekend, not sure if I will get out or not

Ha ha ha! Very funny Dr Jones!

Tell me that one I lost wasn't a good one!

Also have my daughter this weekend, karate and a soccer game on saturday, not sure what sunday has in store for us yet.

[wv]

Wow - I've been away too long. Lots of good reports and a fair amount of fish caught. Work is starting to get in the way again and I have been fairly sick as well. I did get on the board for the year Sunday. Caught about 14 inch LM on a Shakey head worm at Sharpsburg Pond. My son caught a little smaller LM on a Creme worm. He's outfished me 2-1 for the year. We've only been out a couple times. River has been too high when we had time and better when we had no time. Gas prices really cramping our style too. It's tough not having a lot of resources to enjoy fishing but we try just the same. I recently have been enjoying the Shepherdstown Bald Eagle Cam and have joined a group of Eaglet Momsters and will be visiting the nest this Saturday if all goes well. We have seen the nest and eagles when going to Dam #4. Really would like to see one in flight. When I was growing up they were endangered and I guess that is why I enjoying them so much now. We hope to get some better reports soon. We saw no spawning at Sharpsburg but fish were active. I would really like to get to Black Hills some Sunday. Just gonna have to make time. I'm working 6 days the next three weeks so I should have some OT coming. I hope everyone has good success.

[BrianinMD]

Sean, I know the first one was a good one, but the one landed was bigger.

WV, if you ever get down to Black Hills keep an eye out, there are several nesting pairs there. Last Saturday when I was there we saw 4 bald eagles.

[basser89]

Sean, I know the first one was a good one, but the one landed was bigger.

WV, if you ever get down to Black Hills keep an eye out, there are several nesting pairs there. Last Saturday when I was there we saw 4 bald eagles.

All good Brian, was just jokin with ya.

I knew there was a pair of eagles at BH, didn't realize there was 2 sets. Also didn't realize there were eagles around Shepardstown. Cool deal!

[BrianinMD]

There are more than two pairs, the 4 we saw were all up 10 mile creek side. I think its like 4 or 5 pairs. also been seeing them along the Upper Potomac, but haven't fished around Shepardstown since I lived up that way about 7-8 years ago.